Which Car tire do you prefer?

[nogrey]

Please, can we just have a civil discussion here? I'm really interested in knowing what your favorite car tire is. I really have no interest in attacks on folks who ride the dark side.
So, if you have the time and would care to contribute, I would like to know:
1) What is your car tire of choice? (Make, model and size pls)
2) How is the low speed performance?
3) How many CT's did you go through to arrive at the one you now have?
4) Did your choice require a nut cage mod?
5) Is there adequate clearance between the sidewall and the swingarm?
6) How many miles have you ridden on a car tire?
7) What is your typical riding style (aggressive, cruising, commuting)
What pressure do you run?

Hopefully this discussion will garner a lot of useful information. The reason I am asking these questions is because car tires have changed a lot over the last several years and I'm looking for updated info.

Thank you for your honest input and participation.

[mustang071965]

i have ridden for the last 5 years on a ct. i chose the general altimax hp for the tread style and the rounded corners. i will be replacing it this winter ( just now have worn it down to the replace showing ) i have 48,766 miles on it as of last sat. looking at the yakahoma brand for my next on. general does not make the altimax hp any more. the size i chose was 205/60/16. i did the nut cage removal. i also cut the right side fender nut down to half its thickness. even after the nut cage removal the nut would ever so slightly contact the side of the tire when ridding 2 up. it toke about 20 miles to get the feel of the ct when i started. after that never thought about it again. i have ridden it on some of the most twisted roads out there with no trouble. the trick is to find a tread you like but most important is picking a tire that has rounded sides. then getting the psi right for the weight of the bike with you added. it is not for every one you have to decide. me i will never go back to a mc tire. for more information go to darksidetire .com and it will list tires that have been used on the bike with comments on starting psi and how it handles.

[Led]

There will be a million opinions on this!!!!

The tire I bought, I got for chump change, when I worked for a tire sales place. It was my first venture into the "darkside"......

I ended up with more of a "square" high performance type of tire.  Probably........NOT ones first choice!  I have now gotten used to going from the flat of the tire, and "climbing" onto the edge of it, in the corners.......but I can see where a more rounded tire could be more desirable........

[kahnma]

1) What is your car tire of choice? (Make, model and size pls)
Austone Taxi tire size 175R 16

2) How is the low speed performance?
After getting used to it, better than the Metzler i had on it before

3) How many CT's did you go through to arrive at the one you now have?
This is my second type of car tire, will definitely buy the Austone again as it is the best one I have ridden on

4) Did your choice require a nut cage mod?
No

5) Is there adequate clearance between the sidewall and the swingarm?
Absolutely

6) How many miles have you ridden on a car tire?
25k

7) What is your typical riding style (aggressive, cruising, commuting)
Aggressive with my friends, cruising with the old lady, commute every day as its my daily driver.


My only complaint:

At times, the tire tends to feel unstable at speeds above 95 only while i am riding solo. I have gotten the death wobbles and it scares the sh*t out of me.

When i have a passenger on the back it feels great even when the speedo is pegged. I have played around with the air pressure between 35 - 45 pounds and still cant seem to find a sweet spot at high speeds when i dont have a passenger on the back I am still getting a wobble... Its not a huge deal to me though, i also have a KTM that i can go crazy on to get it out of my system!

Link to the tire:

https://www.universaltire.com/175r16-austone-taxi-black.html

[The emperor has no clothes]

1) Yokohama Avid Ascend 195/60
2) Pretty good
3) Four
4) I'm not sure because I did it to begin with
5) It doesn't rub, so I would classify it as adequate
6) 70 k (or thereabouts)
7) All 3, aggressive occasionally by myself, cruising with my wife, and commuting by myself
You didn't ask one of the more important Darkside questions. (What pressure do you run ?)
And asking this group to have a civil discussion is like giving a bunch of 4th graders a bag of tomatoes and telling them not to have a food fight.  

[Firefighter]

I am 3000 miles or so on my first CT. I chose after listening to others the Yokohama Envigor 205/60/16. It is different at slow speed if on uneven pavement. Gives me a reminder its there once in a while when turning into an uneven parking lot or similar. On the road I can't tell the difference even usually smooth on uneven lanes when at speed. I am currently running 45 psi and using Ride-on formula.

I like the MC tire better for smooth transition of uneven patches, but still rather ride the CT for the security of a more heavy duty, weight carrying, longer lasting tire. Its also cheaper and looks cool.

I am an easy rider cruiser/tourer, 2000 IS, did the nut cage in advance, have had no clearance problems, and the speed/RPM reads exactly the same as the MC tire.
 
Next time I plan to find the most rounded tire and maybe taller to decrease RPM if possible.

[nerider2]

1) What is your car tire of choice? (Make, model and size pls)
2) How is the low speed performance?
3) How many CT's did you go through to arrive at the one you now have?
4) Did your choice require a nut cage mod?
5) Is there adequate clearance between the sidewall and the swingarm?
6) How many miles have you ridden on a car tire?
7) What is your typical riding style (aggressive, cruising, commuting)

I have had CTs on two different Interstates.  The first one was a Goodyear Tripletred 205/60/16.  I did do the nut cage mod, the tire on this bike rubbed slightly on the swing arm, so I took it off after about 10,000 miles.  This was not a problem on the 2nd interstate.  I had about 10,000 miles on the 2nd interstate on a CT with no issues.  The swing arms must be slightly different.

Low speed, it will bump steer when you hit a rock with the rear tire slightly off center.  This is not an issue once you get used to it.  It is a little different at parking lot speeds.  At highway speeds, it handles great.  You have to push it a little more into a curve.

I currently have MC tires on the bikes, since I am not riding 20,000 miles a year like I was.  If you are changing tires more then once a year, or planning a trip to Alaska, put on a car tire.  If you're putting on less then 5000 miles a year, stick with the motorcycle tire and replace them on age vs. mileage.

[N8171S]

I ran a Brigestone potenza for 37,000 miles .  It was OK for the first 20 or 30 K but it started handling bad toward the end.  I switched to the Austone taxi tire and love it.  I have 2 valks and when the other one needs a new rear it will be the Austone.  I also run Kenda 150-70-17 rear tires on the front of both bikes.  One reversed and one not reversed.  They handle fine but the one not reversed growls on turns.  The Austone makes the ride much better than a MC  tire.

[Valkorado]

1) What is your car tire of choice? (Make, model and size pls)
Austone Taxi Tire.

2) How is the low speed performance?
Excellent, hard to differentiate from a bike tire (to me anyway).

3) How many CT's did you go through to arrive at the one you now have?
Currently on second Austone.

4) Did your choice require a nut cage mod?
No.

5) Is there adequate clearance between the sidewall and the swingarm?
Yes.  Never happened to me, but It's fender rubbing I've heard some reports of, even tearing
off rear wiring. With 13" heavy duty Progressive 444 shocks, no problems heavily loaded and two up.
Not sure I'd go lower than 13" shocks with this tire.

6) How many miles have you ridden on a car tire?
About 30k.  Changed the first one our at about 18,500 could have got more.  That's on
Chip seal roads almost exclusively, prior Avon Cobra only got about 8,000 miles on same roads.

7) What is your typical riding style (aggressive, cruising, commuting)
Aggressive at times, cruising at times.

What pressure do you run?
43.  That high speed Taxi Tire wobble kahnma mentioned has been attributed by others to sub 40 pressures.  Balanced only with 16 oz. Ride-On, no lead.  No wobble whatsoever, and rock solid into the triple digits.  Added height puts tach right at 3,000 rpm at 75 miles an hour.

BTW, I'm using a rear Bridgestone Battlax on front (Double Dark).  It feels every bit as good as the Cobra I was running on front in all conditions, even pushing the corners fast and hard.  Hopefully it'll last and last.

[Jess from VA]

Yeah though I was a disbeliever in CTs when I first heard about them, I did read every thread I could find about them too.  So six years or so ago I chose what was an early favorite CT among Valk owners, the Goodyear all-season TripleTred in 205 60.  After a learning curve, I found it to be an utterly reliable great sticking (wet too, and once in snow), stopping, cornering, wearing tire that I have developed great confidence in.  And I put them on two ISs (after wearing out another Metzler on one), because I keep all the suspension, tires and controls the same on both bikes for obvious consistency in handling reasons.  I replaced my first one a while back with another, at 37K.  I haven't worn out the other one yet (guess what's going on it?).  

I am sure there may be better handling tires out there, but I don't have any reason to experiment when what I use does everything I need/want (more of my conservative tendencies showing).  In aggressive as you care to go to riding, and normal cruising and distance riding.  Two bikes, about 57K miles (40PSI).  Of course, I cut the nut cages out.

I can't compare them with anything else, but I have no complaints with the Goodyears.  

I continue a quest for a better longer lasting front tire (than my favorite Metzler).  

[0leman]

1) What is your car tire of choice? (Make, model and size pls)
      Kumho Solus is what I have on now, better than first tire.  It is 65 series.

2) How is the low speed performance?
       Parking lot is not a problem any more, just got use to it

3) How many CT's did you go through to arrive at the one you now have?
        I am on my second CT, first was a Michelin HydroEdge
     
4) Did your choice require a nut cage mod?
       I had to do the rear and front nut cage jobs.   I run 65 series tires

5) Is there adequate clearance between the sidewall and the swingarm?
       HydroEdge was wider than the Kumho.  No problem with either tire

6) How many miles have you ridden on a car tire?
        30K on the HydroEdge (had to replace the pinion cup/drive shaft - could have gotten            another 5K out of it.   Only 6K on the kumho now.

7) What is your typical riding style (aggressive, cruising, commuting)
      I like "smelling the roses when riding.  But do, ever so often, take the curves to the limit of me and the bike (of course the bike will do more than what I can do).

I like the mileage out of the rear tire.   I do find that I can take curves faster with the Kumho tire than I did with the Michelin tire,  the Kumho has a more rounded profile.   I don't know it I will get the mileage out of the Kumho that I got with the HyrdoEdge.  I may go with the Taxi tire next.

[SPOFF]

I've been riding on car tires for 11 years. But these days due to partial blindness I'm lucky if I ride 1,000 miles in our 16 week riding season. The tire is an $80 General Tire 205/60/16. My theory on CT is a bit different: cheap tires with weaker sidewalls run as soft as is safe. The bike leans but the tread tends to stay flat on the pavement. It feels like a bike tire and handles better than the POS delaminating Dunlops we suffered with 18 years ago.

I wouldn't recommend lower pressures for high-speed highway use, but my limited vision keeps me at around 45 mph or slower.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I've been riding on car tires for 11 years. But these days due to partial blindness I'm lucky if I ride 1,000 miles in our 16 week riding season. The tire is an $80 General Tire 205/60/16. My theory on CT is a bit different: cheap tires with weaker sidewalls run as soft as is safe. The bike leans but the tread tends to stay flat on the pavement. It feels like a bike tire and handles better than the POS delaminating Dunlops we suffered with 18 years ago.

I wouldn't recommend lower pressures for high-speed highway use, but my limited vision keeps me at around 45 mph or slower.

What pressure do run ? I'm about 33 psi. Which seems to be lower than most. Sorry to hear about the partial vision loss. Ride Safe out there. 

[jmann]

I run 34-36 in my yokohama avid envigor. Handles like a MC tire. No low speed issues at all and feels good at highway speeds.

[DarkSideR]

Please, can we just have a civil discussion here? I'm really interested in knowing what your favorite car tire is. I really have no interest in attacks on folks who ride the dark side.
So, if you have the time and would care to contribute, I would like to know:
1) What is your car tire of choice? (Make, model and size pls)
2) How is the low speed performance?
3) How many CT's did you go through to arrive at the one you now have?
4) Did your choice require a nut cage mod?
5) Is there adequate clearance between the sidewall and the swingarm?
6) How many miles have you ridden on a car tire?
7) What is your typical riding style (aggressive, cruising, commuting)
What pressure do you run?

Hopefully this discussion will garner a lot of useful information. The reason I am asking these questions is because car tires have changed a lot over the last several years and I'm looking for updated info.

Thank you for your honest input and participation.

1) Unfortunately my tire of choice is no longer made. It was the Vredestein Sportrac 3. I know that doesn't help much. I am now running the Hankook Optima H426 205/65/16. I have 1,000+ miles on it and it is behaving very well.
2) Low speed performance is superb. I have no memories or can recall and bump steer what-so-ever.
3) The Hankook is tire #3. 1st was a GYTT. Didn't like it. Low speed handling was terrible. 2nd was the Vredestein. Low speed handling was better. 3rd is the Hankook low speed handling is great.
4) Nut cage mod was done by previous owner. I however run my shocks on setting #2, and haven't rubbed with the taller tire.
5) Clearance is 2 credit cards thick. More than the GYTT, and the Vredestein. None have rubbed.
6) 30,000 miles Darksiding.
7) I ride aggressively (paced Redline in the canyons at InZane), I love the twisties. I also ride long distances having done an Iron Butt. This summer alone I have ridden to Billings, MT, Phoenix, AZ, Spearfish, SD, and now Fargo, ND all from Colorado. FYI - I had the Vredestein in Spearfish.
I ran the Vredestein at 38psi and it prematurely wore thin in the middle leaving tread on the sides. Too much pressure. I am running the Hankook at 34psi. It did well on the many, many interstate miles from Colorado to North Dakota. I ran it up to 90 MPH. Just ran out through The Lakes area in Minnesota with a couple of VRCC guys. Back twisty roads were a pure joy.

Things to note. I weigh 180 lbs, and ride solo. On my long trips I weigh the back down with a trunk, and fill the saddle bags. Light or heavy this doesn't affect the handling. On my trip to Fargo I did 4 hours in the rain on the interstate. Though wet and cold for those 4 hours the tire gave me no concern. I am also really enjoying the 65 series tire. At interstate speeds I always thought the bike was a bit buzy, and often wished for a 6th gear. Going from a 60 series, to a 65 series tire only brought the RPM's down 300 at 75 MPH, but it is significant enough to make me stop reaching for 6th gear. Fuel economy is better too. I ride with the Ride-On product in the tire. It balances the tire, and seals the tire if punctured (peace of mind). To conclude I would recommend this tire. Hope this helps.

[Crackerborn]

You are asking for a civil discussion about flaming death non-motorcycle specific tires? Please, next you will ask for a civil discourse about truck brands.

I am currently on my second Yokahama Avid Envigor 205/60-16R, V speed rated. The first one picked up some road debris early this year that punched a hole in the side wall. That tire had just under 7k on it and looked brand new at the time of its untimely demise. The second Yokahama now has 8k on it at 38 psi and is wearing evenly. The front Michelin Pilot Activ at 41psi (double dark-side) is probably 40% gone but sticks well to the asphalt in all weather conditions (put it on at the same time as the rear) and will probably replace that tire over the winter with the same Michelin if it makes it to the end of this season.  Slow speed handling has never been an issue with the Yokahama. This combination will find and try to follow the wear tracks in the road a bit faster than I expected, especially when slowing for a light or stop sign.

This is my fifth non-motorcycle specific tire, however, the first three were GYTT on a VTX 1800C that had a turning radius of just slightly less than a 53’ tractor/trailer rig. I never wore one of those tires out, just replaced them every three years with generally about 20-25k on them. The Big Girl gets more miles in one year than the VTX received in two so I may actually get to wear out a rear tire before I decide to replace it. So doing the math, I have somewhere between 75 and 90k on non-motorcycle specific, flaming death guaranteed, tires.

I did the nut cage modification just to be safe but for this tire it may not have been required. The swing arm has clearance even if not a lot. A dime taped to the swing arm would have reason to be nervous but the Yokohama has never rubbed. I went with a V speed rating so a stiffer sidewall may be helping in that regard.

Riding style? What day of the week is it? What are the road conditions? Are there LEO’s in the area? Am I actually trying to reach a destination? That last one has caused me to travel just under 5k on interstates this year and I HATE interstates. Even when I commuted 60 miles one way in years past, I avoided the super slabs, the bane of the roadway infrastructure. My right wrist has been known to cramp in the WOT position on occasion, especially when some pirate wants to show off his $40k ride to the pillion percher and then can’t keep up with the Big (old) Girl.

Shhhh...... don't let my Big Girl know that she is now a Mature Lady.