Darkside Poll

[Jess from VA]

I am not inviting another debate gentlemen (and others), so please restrain yourselves.
Thank you for your anticipated cooperation in this regard.

Car tires on the Valk are old news, and many of us do so. Some like it, some don't, and that's fine.   

But I am curious as to the relative percentage of riders here who do and don't. 

One vote each, so if you have multiple bikes and different tires, vote your preferred tire.

Trikes should not vote (there is no choice).

[GREENDRAGON]

Darkside!

[Momz]

I run both.
CT on my I/S.
MT on my Rat Rod Valk.

[PharmBoy]

I have both at the moment...JTL
CT on the I/S
MT on the Tourer (bought it with a new 880 on the rear-I doubt that very many would remove a new rear tire, at least I'm not.)

[Bob E.]

I'm running a DS tire now, but am not entirely satisfied with the feel of it.  I've decided to run it for awhile...maybe even until it wears out...and then decide whether I'll buy another one or go back to a MC tire.  If I had to replace it right now, just because of the expense, I'd probably lean towards another car tire, but I really prefer the feel of a MC tire.  I just feel like I have smoother control and a better feel of the road with a MC tire.  I've got 2500 miles on the car tire (Altimax 205/60).

[Jess from VA]

Hey 112 views and only 31 votes..... what gives?  

Vote people, this is for science.     

[2qmedic]

Fast Black 2000 I/S, 62k

Good Year TT, 12K miles and it still looks new!!!

DARKSIDE

[Hollywood]

03 Fast(er) black and chrome st, best luck with Goodyear or Bridgestone ( $50 bucks)

[Oss]

have run dunlop, metzler Toyo proxes T1R and now Cobra

I am liking the Cobra for spirited (well spirited for me) riding

The car tire was better at urban warfare, potholes, wet roads, metal plates that are wet and not caring about tar snakes and stopping.

The Cobra just falls into turns without me needing to do anything

Needed to push that car tire all the way thru the turn

Best of luck with the poll

If anyone wants to come and get my Toyo its theirs. Still looks brand new.

[Smitty]

  98 tourer Darkside, Love it will not go back

[fudgie]

  98 tourer Darkside, Love it will not go back

+1 

[Hoser]

Lite side both, 170/70/16 Shinko 777 rear, 140/80/16 Shinko 777 front. They ride and handle well, time will tell how well they wear.  Only cost 100 bux apiece. Lasting 10 to 15K will allow me to do service at the same time.   ???  Hoser 

[RoadKill]

BF goodrich Traction TA and I'll NEVER GO BACK ! !   I ran a Cheap CT for 20k and it never rode as well as the  more expensive tires on friends Valks.
Even the Blizzack tire was better than what I had. Now all 3 Valks in the family are BFG Traction TA and MC tires are just wasted money.

[GA Mike]

No CT on my '98 Tourer

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Bike tire here, but I'm darkside curious and considering it when new shoes are due. 

[DFragn]

This poll can never reflect a true % of CT's in use over MC users.

Because in my opinion a large % of MC users won't even bother placing their poll choice. Why, 'cause they've no point to make. CT users seem they need to voice the fact that they do use a CT.

Just as I did...A GoodYear TT Assurance. 15k miles only.

I just may go back to an MC tire. I'm not sure, but I can say I don't care so much what's mounted on my rear axle. I like 'em both. It'll just be how I feel the day I decide on new skins, which will have to be this Spring. At the very least the front will be in need of a change out. Maybe I'll do both. The rear won't be due to wear though if I do.

[Jess from VA]

[i]a large % of MC users won't even bother placing their poll choice. Why, 'cause they've no point to make.[/i]

See, I disagree.  I would think MC tire users who think the car tire is a poor idea have just as much point to make... with all the threads and arguments that have been on the subject over the years.  Before I posted the poll, I would have guessed no more than 1/4 to 1/3 would run the darkside.  I'll leave it open for awhile. 

I mean how hard is it to click one little button?   

[Tropic traveler]

Two bikes in my family, both with motorcycle tires {Avon Cobras} but only had one vote.
Nothing against car tires on bikes just from what I've seen & heard I'll stick with MTs. Kim & I do occasionally swap bikes & I want them to handle EXACTLY the same for Kim's sake. She doesn't have the miles & years in the saddle that I have. I would like to ride a CT equipped Valk sometime just to see what all the hoopla is about. 

[Dino]

I'm running a Goodyear triple tread, love that tire. This is my 2nd CT. Handling is sometimes not so great on back two lanes,but the super slabs and the extended mileage make up for that.I was tired of changing the rear tire every 8k miles.

[mikeb]

Two bikes in my family, both with motorcycle tires {Avon Cobras} but only had one vote.
Nothing against car tires on bikes just from what I've seen & heard I'll stick with MTs. Kim & I do occasionally swap bikes & I want them to handle EXACTLY the same for Kim's sake. She doesn't have the miles & years in the saddle that I have. I would like to ride a CT equipped Valk sometime just to see what all the hoopla is about. 

i just put a ct on the wifes bike from day one

[DFragn]

[i]a large % of MC users won't even bother placing their poll choice. Why, 'cause they've no point to make.[/i]

See, I disagree.  I would think MC tire users who think the car tire is a poor idea have just as much point to make... with all the threads and arguments that have been on the subject over the years.  Before I posted the poll, I would have guessed no more than 1/4 to 1/3 would run the darkside.  I'll leave it open for awhile. 

I mean how hard is it to click one little button?   

I see your point Jess & agree, but I think most of them [MC users] have grown tired of it and have little interest these days. I just believe poll results would have been more realistic 2 or 3 years ago. Too bad we didn't have the 1-click pollability back then. But, back then I was a CT naysayer and would have aided in offsetting todays polled opinions.
I do like your posting the poll though. But, I forecast an unrealistic result balance.

[Jess from VA]

I forecast an unrealistic result balance.

It does look that way.  I'm really not buyin' a 55/45% CT/MCT for the whole membership.   It may also be that the CT guys are more active on the forum (likely), though 359 views and 77 votes is a poor turnout. 

No wonder US elections can go so poorly. 

I personally think that if a full third of the members run a CT, that would be a pretty large number.  I decided to post the poll out of pure curiosity (and days of rain at my house LOL), but also as a way to maybe objectively tame the perpetual arguments that arise everytime someone wants to post up a discussion about it. 

If the poll was run three years ago, I would have voted for MC tire too!  It has since been my contention that hundreds (perhaps a thousand or more) darkside riders can't all be lunatics.  (Some sure, but not all......   LOL)   

I guess we'll never know.  I'll still leave it open for a few days. 

[fstsix]

Jess remember your in the sandbox . always going to get a little on ya here   myself also, but always good stuff, i have a Goodyear TT, put it on last year, i have found that with the blower it was more for straight line performance Hole shots 60ft times. I cant tell you how many times racing my friends Screaming Eagle V Rod he would pull me from stand still Why? I would just sit there with tire smoking and away he went  . so i started using 2nd gear and slipping the clutch and still felt like i was on ice. well CT fixed that a little  ??? but i can still run him down buy 2nd gear i think i scared him last time when i passed him LOL.BTW he is a mechanic at South Side HD VB VA His V has chip and exhaust. Want to get some response here? just put (Dems OR REP) who would use Dark side hehehe. Almost forgot the owner of the V rod is 72 years old.

[canuuk01]

Hey Jess .... I would agree with DFragn that MC users just got tired of the subject and not bothered to vote.  I guess I fall into that category as well, but when I saw that it was you that had posted the poll I ticked the MC button.  The roads in the BC interior are really bad, so I've stuck with the predictable MC tire.  Trying the CT only once is not a fair comparism, but there's little incentive to change with these rough road conditions (IMO).

Gary
(MM1290)

[Willow]

...  I'm really not buyin' a 55/45% CT/MCT for the whole membership.   

Nor I.  Polls by highly skilled professionals are highly unreliable.  Those by amateurs, while fun, are functionally useless.   

It may also be that the CT guys are more active on the forum (likely),

Very, very, highly unlikely.

It has since been my contention that hundreds (perhaps a thousand or more) darkside riders can't all be lunatics. 

I wouldn't use a message board poll to try and identify the lunatics.      Perhaps better would be to wait for the next full moon and see who howls. 

I guess we'll never know.

If you really want a good sampling, attend InZane or another large VRCC event and count the ratio of tires that are mounted on other than their intended target vehicle.   

I don't really think you'll get properly distributed responses on the message board.  The motorcycle tire proponents have become weary of being shouted down and the car tire proponents are far too vocal (defensive?).  There are also a large number of riders who have either no preference or have just lost interest in the argument.   

[Jess from VA]

Gary good to hear from you again.  I am sorry you aren't active over on VRF anymore....I hope it wasn't me. 

[Jess from VA]

Willow, you'd know better than me about this forum.  So what would be your best estimation of car to bike tire users of the membership? 

Yes, I did not expect a perfect result or participation, but did figure I'd get a roughly 'representative' sample of voters.

Even an Inzane is a relatively small percentage of forum members.

Yeah, my next poll will be "OK, who'se a lunatic and who'se not?"   You know the result would be a vast majority of lunatics.  VRCC is just a wild and crazy bunch of guys.    "Hey girls, do not worry about venereal disease..... of this I have been cured MANY times."   HAHAHAHAHA


To all the posters who voted thanks.  To those who came back touting the car tire, I agree with you, but my original post sought to NOT start another pro and con thread, so I took the fifth. 

[VALK57]

I'm running on a Falken Ziex 205/65R/16 95v rated CT and will never go back to a MCT. On the Highway and straight stretches of road the CT runs extremely smooth and with the soft composite of the Falken Ziex there is no rollover when you break into the turns, best CT for a cruiser IMO. The key is to make sure you have the proper pressure in the tire.

[Moonshot_1]

I would agree that the poll is flawed in the sense that it is far more likely a darksider will read the thread than a conventional sider would. Not to mention that it is possible that there are some who don't know what the darkside means and so it wouldn't create an interest.

To solve this issue would be fairly simple. Run a multi question poll with at least a couple of questions that would have universal interest. (What kind of oil used, most common color combo, do you run a Car or MC tire for your rear tire. )

That way you would have a better sample.

At least that's my theory

My expectation would be about a 30% Darkside and 70% conventional.

[Jess from VA]

That is a very good idea.  However, I think my foray into polls is over for awhile. 

[Black Pearl's Captain]

My expectation would be about a 30% Darkside and 70% conventional.

I think your only off by about 25 percent. I'd guess less than 5% of all VRCC members use a car tire. I'd also guess that less then 2% of ALL Valkyries run a car tire. Most of the Valk riders who aren't inthe VRCC or VOA have no idea about a car tire on a Valk.

Raymond

[X Ring]

There's a couple of Darkside specific forums so it may be more common than thought. http://forums.delphiforums.com/DarkSiding/start and http://mcdarksiders.forumotion.com/forum.htm

[wupster]

    strickly MC tires for me, tried car once and didn't like how it felt
    the thing eventually almost darn nar killed me. that was the end
    of that.......

[Tropic traveler]

I would put a CT on my Valk in a heartbeat if there was one that was slightly taller than the stock size MC tire that would give no fitment problems as well. IMHO the only shortcoming the Valkyrie has is lack of a 6th gear. It has just a little too much cruisin' RPM & a taller tire would help a bit in that department. If I could find a CT to help out there I'd try it out & even give the wife CT riding lessons too!  
I've heard a lot of the pros & cons and I'm totally neutral on the subject. I guess it's just personal preferences. So far this is what I have heard. Feel free to add any more info that I may be overlooking!
CT- Better traction & braking in all weather conditions, especially rain. That interests me a lot.
      Better "off the line" traction. Not too interested there, gave up drag racing a few years back. Don't want to beat on my trusty Valk any more than I already do.
      Better tread wear, longer life. Nice to have the longer life & more trustworthy flat repair of a CT.
      Cheaper than a MC tire. Not an issue.
      Higher load capacity. Minor issue, we ride mainly solo.
MCT-Better "safer" cornering. Don't know about that, haven't tried one out, Yet.
       Less "tracking". Not sure. I've been on plenty of roads that the MCT "tracks" on as well.
       More $$$ for MCT. Again, not an issue.

I guess bottom line for me is I'm happy with the performance of the MC tires I've had so far. Several of my Valk riding buddies have a CT & love it. Rick {Flask} who's judgement I completely trust swears by the CT on his I/S so I'm definetly curious. I do enjoy the HD & HD clone riders reaction to seeing a CT on a Valk or 'Wing.   It is funny!

"On the fence" Eddie.  


            

[Willow]

Willow, you'd know better than me about this forum.  So what would be your best estimation of car to bike tire users of the membership? 

Even an Inzane is a relatively small percentage of forum members.

If you want the number on the forum, watch what number Doc gives when someone asks for a new one.  Inflate that number by about 10%.

Yes, InZane or any large VRCC gathering is only a small portion of the active membership, but my guess would be that the percentage is likely to be representative.  I specify a large gathering, because if you use a gathering of people that normally ride together they'll probably be unduly influenced by the strong personalities within the riding group.  Such will not be the case if the gathering is made up of people from all over most of whom don't normally ride together.

I haven't counted.  I haven't been that interested in the past.  Mostly I find the ones most interested in that number are desperately trying to vindicate their own decisions.

I've two good friends, excellent riders whom I respect, who previously rode on car tires that are currently on motorcycle tires.  I have friends who previously rode on car tires that are still riding on car tires.  I've no friends that are putting motorcycle tires on their cages.

There are good reasons to ride on a car tire.  Handling in the rain is one.  Superior rear braking is another.

It's my belief that most of the casual Valkyrie riders that are on car tires made the decision based primarily upon the cost of the tires.  I think that's the worst possible reason.

I ride on an Avon Cobra.  I've ridden on other people's car tires, but I've not put one on my own bike.  I wouldn't have a problem either way.  It's my personal opinion that one should generally be an accomplished rider on motorcycle tires before he or she puts a car tire on his or her Valkyrie.

As Forrest Gump may have said, that's all I have to say about that.    

[fstsix]

Back in 1975 i had ran 15' car tire Bias ply (Tube) spokes, In that era i never seen a CT on a Motorcycle, they may have been out there but i never seen one. The tire back then seemed to have more of a round shoulder not so square. But all & all i do remember putting 36.000 miles on that tire,you see at that time this was my only transportation. So now that i am still alive and 'been there done that' it is just a revisit from something that has been done before. The car tire is not going to handle in the corners like MC but this big ole girl is not a sport bike,though it does with no problem get right on the pegs in the turns.If the MC tire co's could give some more millage it would be worth trying again,So 36.000 miles is the main purpose for me, maybe not for all.                                                                                                                                                                     

[X Ring]

Hey Tropic Traveler, like you I ride a '97 Tourer.  Two weeks ago, I installed a 205/65HR16 Toyo Proxes TPT.  I did the nut cage mod because everyone said I needed to.  I think I could have gotten away without doing it.  I've got plenty of clearance and my revs went down about 300rpms.  So it gives me a little more fuel economy but 1 or 2 mpgs is better than none.

Marty

[Serk]

Bike tire here, but I'm darkside curious and considering it when new shoes are due.  

That's the situation I'm in... Was planning on slipping over for a visit to the Dark Side this past spring, but I found myself 300 miles from nothing with a rear tire that was going flat every 50 miles (I was in Big Bend National Park), so I nursed the bike to Kerrville and happily took whatever the only open bike shop had that'd fit (My first, and probably last Metzeler MC Tire)...

Maybe I'll be able to replace this one in an orderly planned fashion, if so I think I'll give the Dark Side a taste at least, if I don't like it, I can always go back to the good 'ole trusty Avons...

Oh - And an informal counting of tires at a local VRCC gathering last week I counted I believe it was around 40% Dark Side in attendance... That means nothing, but figured I'd mention it anyway... 

[Steve K (IA)]

    strickly MC tires for me, tried car once and didn't like how it felt
    the thing eventually almost darn nar killed me. that was the end
    of that.......

  Same here, only I waited so long to get rid of it (CT) that mine almost killed me on three different occasions.  Scared the sh!t out of me, and I have 43 years riding experience.  Riding a motorcycle is dangerous enough without screwing with the handling.

[Lyn-Del]

I can't vote either.  I have Valks with Avon tires, and Valks with car tires.  Then again, if I could vote twice, I'd cancel myself out.