175R70/16 Austone Car Tire on the Valk!

[Dubsvalk]

Here is a picture of the car tire beside the E3.  The E3 is worn down to the wear bars on top and on the sides.  New, the Car Tire is almost an inch taller than the E3  In this picture it looks even taller because the E3 is worn so much.



Here is a pic of the C/T installed.  Both tires are approx. 7 inches wide at their widest point so the wheel and car tire went on as easily as the E3 went on last year.



The next pic shows the car tire with everything installed.  I also installed new double roller bearings in the rear wheel, freshened the splines with moly paste and added new seals.  The splines were well greased from the service I did last Spring and the double roller bearings on the wheel I took off were smooth.


As you can see, there is plenty of room for this Car Tire and it was as easy to install as the E3 was.  I rode it around town and found it very easy to press into the curves and to hold the press thru them.  The bike does track straighter with the car tire and is the only difference I could find on my short ride.  It had 40 pounds of air pressure in it but I lowered it to 36 pounds before the ride.  I will put about 200 miles on it tomorrow and so far, I think I will enjoy putting a lot of miles on the new tire!
Dubs

[..]

I like the curve the tire has from sidewall to flat.

[PharmBoy]

I would bet that the new CT handles well because of the rounded edges and that your motor RPM/MPH is decreased because of the increased height of the tire.  MPG out on the road should increase also, although I doubt that you can leave a stop light quite as quickly with this tire.  Most of us are over that by now anyway (except on special ocasions).  It looks good to me.  Let us know more about it when you have more experience with it...Jim

[Dubsvalk]

I forgot to mention that I dropped about 200 RPMs around 65 MPH.  It still isn't bat pulling out at the lights and it seems to brake a little quicker as well.  The rounded profile makes it a very easy car tire to get used too.  Almost no difference so far.  I will know more tomorrow evening.
Dubs

[CajunRider]

Sweet!!!  Keep us posted on all results!! 

I'd especially like to hear how it does under full suspension compression.  Does it hit the fender with the shocks ALL the way down???? 

If you don't run into any issues, that may be my next tire!!!   

[Tropic traveler]

Sweet!!!  Keep us posted on all results!! 

I'd especially like to hear how it does under full suspension compression.  Does it hit the fender with the shocks ALL the way down???? 

If you don't run into any issues, that may be my next tire!!!   

Ditto, that's exactly what I have been looking for. CT advantages without the God-awful low speed handling! 
Good find. 

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

That's a 6 ply tire made for taxi's ....I still say be careful in the twisties with that hard compound tire Bernie....Everything I've found on it with folks running it on 1500 Wings they all appear to be flat-landers.

[Dubsvalk]

Joe, Thanks for the warning.  I'm going to wring it out today.  I know some Goldwingers that use this tire.  They put a lot of hard miles on it and aren't afraid of sticking it in the twisties.  I'm giving it a try.  Another tire that has a lot of people talking about is the 175/70R16 Wintersport.  I just might mount one on the other rim and check it out as well.  I'm going to fix a little breakfast while I'm waiting on the sun to get a little higher in the sky.  Then a good ride to see how this baby does.
Dubs

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Joe, Thanks for the warning.  I'm going to wring it out today.  I know some Goldwingers that use this tire.  They put a lot of hard miles on it and aren't afraid of sticking it in the twisties.  I'm giving it a try.  Another tire that has a lot of people talking about is the 175/70R16 Wintersport.  I just might mount one on the other rim and check it out as well.  I'm going to fix a little breakfast while I'm waiting on the sun to get a little higher in the sky.  Then a good ride to see how this baby does.
Dubs

Let me know when we can hook up and I'll get that Fuzion ZRi ....Ride safe we rode yesterday I've got work to do here around the house but I may walk out to the garage this morning and get that feeling I need some wind 

[Black Pearl's Captain]

Can you please explain how a 175/70/16 tire is taller then the stock Valk 180/70/16.

Obviously it doesn't conform to the "standards" of tire sizing. A 175-70-16 should be right at 1" less in circumference than the stock tire.

Raymond

[czuch]

Wellllllll,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Did it work?
 Are you OK?
How much breakfast can you eat???   Thats probably a loaded question.

[Dubsvalk]

Black Pearl's Captain, According to the specs I have of an E3 it is 26.06" in diameter.  The Austone is 26.09" in diameter.  That is a little less than an inch.  I have no idea why one 70 series tire is larger in diameter than another but they are.

Czuch, I had a great breakfast being a good cook!  And so far I have not crashed and burned.

Farther, Today is Dec, 28th and I have to say the Austone tire is a great tire.  It does everything the E3 did and just as easily.  But has a more comfortable ride and hopefully, will last a lot longer.
Dubs

[Tropic traveler]

Thanks for the update. I was especially interested in your observations about the cruising RPM & first gear performance.
Keep us updated & let us know if you find any problems with it 

[Valkahuna]

Black Pearl's Captain, According to the specs I have of an E3 it is 26.06" in diameter.  The Austone is 26.09" in diameter.  That is a little less than an inch.  I have no idea why one 70 series tire is larger in diameter than another but they are.

Czuch, I had a great breakfast being a good cook!  And so far I have not crashed and burned.

Farther, Today is Dec, 28th and I have to say the Austone tire is a great tire.  It does everything the E3 did and just as easily.  But has a more comfortable ride and hopefully, will last a lot longer.
Dubs

What am I missing here?  ??? The diff between a 26.06" and a 26.09" diameter is .03". That 3 one-hundreds, not one inch. ??? Dubbs, did you mean to type something else?

How do you feel this tire handles in the twisties? Any negatives yet? Inquiring minds want to know!

Thanks in advance.

[Dubsvalk]

Valkahuna, yes I made a typo.  The Austone tire is 26.90.  Sorry for the confusion.  Since this tire is narrower and has a more rounded tread profile, the result is handling characteristics almost identical to the E3 that it replaced.  Pressing into curves is effortless and smooth.  It holds the line and comes out of the curve smooth.  I have purposely pushed it hard into tight curves at higher speeds to make the lean angles very aggresive.  I can't really feel any difference in the feel of this tire and the E3.  On uneven pavement I can feel a very slight pull toward the low part of the road; but I could feel that with a M/T too.  It does take a little more RPM to get rolling; almost like pulling out on a very slight incline.  Braking is better.  I know that only 30% of total braking is from the rear tire, but I feel that I'm getting a full 30% with the traction from the larger footprint.  Or maybe a M/T will only get 30% and a C/T will get more.  I just know there is enough difference to be able to feel it.  Another nice thing about this 175 width tire is it mounts and dismounts onto the bike as easily as a M/T.  I ride all year so I'm looking forward to seeing how it handles when the temps are in the 20s and 30s.  Right now I'm waiting to get my gas tank and Batwing faring back from the painters so I can install them and start riding again.  I'm finishing the installation of an auxilliary gas tank and a H.D. fairing mod.  I hope to have everything back together in the next two weeks. 
Dubs

[Valkahuna]

Valkahuna, yes I made a typo.  The Austone tire is 26.90.  Sorry for the confusion.  Since this tire is narrower and has a more rounded tread profile, the result is handling characteristics almost identical to the E3 that it replaced.  Pressing into curves is effortless and smooth.  It holds the line and comes out of the curve smooth.  I have purposely pushed it hard into tight curves at higher speeds to make the lean angles very aggresive.  I can't really feel any difference in the feel of this tire and the E3.  On uneven pavement I can feel a very slight pull toward the low part of the road; but I could feel that with a M/T too.  It does take a little more RPM to get rolling; almost like pulling out on a very slight incline.  Braking is better.  I know that only 30% of total braking is from the rear tire, but I feel that I'm getting a full 30% with the traction from the larger footprint.  Or maybe a M/T will only get 30% and a C/T will get more.  I just know there is enough difference to be able to feel it.  Another nice thing about this 175 width tire is it mounts and dismounts onto the bike as easily as a M/T.  I ride all year so I'm looking forward to seeing how it handles when the temps are in the 20s and 30s.  Right now I'm waiting to get my gas tank and Batwing faring back from the painters so I can install them and start riding again.  I'm finishing the installation of an auxilliary gas tank and a H.D. fairing mod.  I hope to have everything back together in the next two weeks. 
Dubs

Thanks for the thorough explanation Dubs. This sounds like the tire that will get me to go DS. I like the rounded tread/contact area; the fact that the dimensions are close to the MC (I also run E3's on my 2001 Interstate); the six ply sidewall; ease of fitment, longer wear potential than my E3, lower price, and most of all, it sounds as though it is not as sensitive to following road imperfections.

Please keep us updated to any new good or bad developments. Thanks again!

Pete (Valkahuna)

[GOOSE]

DUBS....That tire on the 1500 Goldwings is estimated to go forever in milege.  At least that's what i'm hearing, and reading.   Keep up the feedback.

[Dubsvalk]

Goose,  This tire is supposedly rate as a 100.000 mile tire.  I don't think I want a tire on the Valkyrie for that many miles but would love to see 20 to 25,000 miles before changing it!
Dubs

[Farther]

Any more news on this taxi tire?

[Mr Whiskey]

Wow, old post! Now that's keepin' track Farther!
Haven't run into Dubs in a few, (think he was talkin' 'bout retirement, last I saw him, & puttin' in some "real" scooter time.) He was still like'n this tire last I saw him.
I'm afraid I'm with Joe on this one though. Too hard a compound gives up grip. That's "unacceptable"!
If they'd make sumthin' jus' like it in a 300 (or less) tread rate, I'd run it in a heartbeat!
If he holla's, tell him me & Joe wanna ride it! We'll let ya know if it really holds, haha.
(Jus' fun'n ya Bernie!)
Peace, Whiskey.

[hager the horrible]

I am running the austone taxi tire as well have ridden lots of twistys and the tire handles and behaves very well had a short learning curve when first put on don't even notice any difference now have ridden about 2000miles so far shows zero wear. I have orderd a second to put on shelf so often find something i like and can't find again.

[Thulsa Doom]

I'd like to hear more about its handling characteristics in low temps and on cold roads.

[Farther]

Can this topic be transfered to the Tech Board?