Or is it just me?
I completed installation of my darkside tire (a GY Assurance Triple Tread) Saturday morning. It would have been a much quicker switch, but after removing my old wheel and tire, I discovered my splines were badly worn. Bummer! I guess the previous owner's claims that his mechanic had worked on all 5 of his Valkyries and done excellent work was all bunk.
Anyway, I replaced the final drive and flange with a 7,000 mile spare I had here. I put new oil in the FD, replaced the 3 o-rings, put new dampers in the wheel, replaced the rear brake pads (they were nearly gone), switched out the wheel bearings with the dual 5204 bearing mod, greased everything up (except the brakes...) with Green Grease, and put it all back together. I don't know how much of the slop I was getting in the final drive was from the flange wear, the loose, worn dampers, or a combination of both, but it's like a new bike now. MUCH smoother without all of the lash I was getting before.
As for the car tire, I now have about 350 miles on it and just don't understand what all the fuss is over it. Sure, it handles slightly differently, but on my first ride with it I was able to hit some local twisties and drag my floor boards through them all without effort. I looked for the most broken, pot-hole-riddled, cracked roads I could find and she performed beautifully through it all. The bike is incredibly stable on the highway and only gets "odd" on uneven pavement (such as where they have put in cold patches). Honestly, I am loving this tire.
And the required picture: please excuse the filth-- I've been commuting through rain these last couple of days (which the CT doesn't mind whatsoever!)
