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Author Topic: Calling forth the power of the Darkside!  (Read 502 times)
tonybluegoat
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Two Smokin' Six Shooters

East Texas


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« on: December 24, 2019, 07:37:20 AM »

I need to put a tire on this biznatch!  How do I conjure the forces of evil? Roll Eyes
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TonyBlueGoat

2000 GL1500C Standard
81 Yamaha XJ650 - still runs great!
Politics and the Weather...
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baldo
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Youbetcha

Cape Cod, MA


« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2019, 07:59:25 AM »

I need to put a tire on this biznatch!  How do I conjure the forces of evil? Roll Eyes

Your best bet would be to do a search on this site, using 'dark side' or 'car tire'. There is no shortage of posts on the subject. One of the more popular tires was the Austone Taxi Tire, which has been discontinued, as far as I know.

Good luck. I'm on my third and won't be going back...
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Crackerborn
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SE Wisconsin


« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2019, 08:23:00 AM »

Google mc tires darkside or do a search in tech section.  There is plenty of info and opinions available from flaming death to 100k on a tire. Truth for me is a new tire every three years and there is still tread on the rear, around 40k in three years. Front tire darkside (rear mc specific tire) gets changed about every year, somewhere around 12-13 k miles.

IMHO if you go to the darkside, look for a rounded profile rear tire. Results vary by road conditions,  riders wrist flexibility,  tire pressure and breaking reflex.
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Life is about the ride, not the destination.
97 Valkyrie Tour
99 Valkyrie Interstate
Jess from VA
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Posts: 30489


No VA


« Reply #3 on: December 24, 2019, 08:28:59 AM »

Besides all the threads on here, there are a couple car-tire-on-motorcycle websites to be found with google search that talk about best tires.

You want a rounded edge profile tire.  Really they're all square, but some do have rounder edges.  It was also common wisdom to have symmetrical tread design, but many have run asymmetrical treads with seemingly no issue at all (beyond the general handling differences all car tires deliver, and you learn to ignore and control with a bit more handlebar manipulation; counter-steering).

The preferred tire is a rounder edged, all season radial, with ordinary side wall strength.  Higher performance, stiffer sidewalls (and run flats) contribute more negative riding characteristics, and you want the sidewalls to flex in the corners to reduce negative riding characteristics.  Just ordinary all season sidewalls are built to carry cars, so carrying a bike is no big deal, at all.

It must be a 16", but it can be a 55 (a few more RPMS, a hair less MPG, and a quarter inch shorter), 60 (most similar to stock bike tire), or 65 (a few less RPMS, a hair better mileage, and a quarter inch taller)

All (or most all) summer sport tires (performance oriented, but softer compound and lower mileage until used up) are 55s.  But summer sport tires are reportedly not optimal in cold weather, not that TX has much of that.

Most guys run 205's, but you can run 195's or even 175's (closest to the 180 stock size), and these narrower widths reportedly reduce adverse car tire handling characteristics to nonexistent.  I prefer the 205 for the rock solid contact patch, in wet, cold, gravel, sand, wet leaves, or oil and next to sucking wind semis on the freeway, and hot pavement & tires slipping/sliding/breaking traction on hard braking and acceleration.  

I can only get 8K from my preferred Metzler 880 rears, so I see little value in getting a car tire which only gives 10-12K in miles (even if it's less than half or even a third the price of the Metzler, or other bike tire).  But the caveat here is that the Valk rear end really should be serviced with cleaning, fresh lubrication and 3 Orings, every 10-12K, and that is routinely done on rear tire changes.

I run a harder compound 205/60 that gives 37K miles, but I obviously cannot go that far between rear end service.  I have had no problem pushing that service out to 15K, but wouldn't go farther. (I grease the living crap out of my spines, and it squeezes out on install, and throws it out all over the wheel for the first 60 miles or so, but this makes me feel better about a 15K service interval.)

You will need to do the nut cage mod to prevent rubbing (the sidewall, not the tread).  https://lifeisaroad.com/stories/2005/08/24/valkyrieRearFenderNutCageMod.html

I didn't pull the fender off, I just removed the tire for a car tire, jacked it up and slid up under there to do the work.  Beware that a grinder for cutting can heat the metal up enough to bubble the paint on the outside.

These guys promise cookies, but I never got a cookie.   tickedoff
« Last Edit: December 24, 2019, 08:43:13 AM by Jess from VA » Logged
..
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Maggie Valley, NC


« Reply #4 on: December 24, 2019, 08:47:41 AM »

Do NOT set aside the 10/12,000 miles service interval for the rear end just because a tire will last maybe 20,000 or more.
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baldo
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Youbetcha

Cape Cod, MA


« Reply #5 on: December 24, 2019, 12:29:06 PM »

Do NOT set aside the 10/12,000 miles service interval for the rear end just because a tire will last maybe 20,000 or more.

Excellent advice.
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