Darkside.... Not trying to start anything....just passing along an observation.

[SlowRoad]

I pulled into an aircraft hangar yesterday with a couple Harleys at a PGR mission. It was raining, and the floor in the hangar was pretty smooth. As we were walking around getting ready for the ceremony, I happened to look down and noticed the tracks we had left on the floor. I knew that a darkside tire had more surface on the road, but didn't realize how much more. I hope the pic is clear enough to show my point.



My track is crossing the motorcycle tire track just in front of my left foot.

[RainMaker]

That's what causes the flaming death - all that traction = friction with the road surface = ignition point.

[R J]

Yupper, dat also hep in da braking dept..   and da get on it power side also.

A lot of riders with da dark side at the beginning, have a death grip on the bars, that makes da dark sider do a lot of wandering.   Later, they learn to slack off on that death grip.

As one of our members said, it almost killed me......   Hard to believe, but maybe so, slack up on the bars......   

A good place to learn how to ride a darkside is on a grated bridge.......... 

[fudgie]

Yep. My contact patch is 4 1/2" and my 200 mm Metz was 3 1/2". 

[solo1]

Just a question.  A car tire obviously has a wider rectangular print. Doesn't a motorcycle tire have a longer OVAL print.?

Not trying to start something, I already know that a car tire has a lot more stopping and starting traction.

[ricoman]

Nice pic on a flat surface going in a straight line.
How much "footprint" on a turn at, say 45 or 65 mph?
Not going to get into a "Big Al" discussion-just really curious.

[R J]

Wayne, if ya lay a bike tire over, like in a curve and then lay it over to the other side, there is less than 2" difference between the bike and car tire pattern.

Car tire, ya still maintain 90% of the bike tire tread in a curve.    Look at Smokin Joe, some of his pictures show how much car tire is on the ground on the Dragon, look at some of them others on bike tires.   Almost the same amount of rubber on the ground in the bend over.

Before, the CHP got the Cog-a-sock-keys, car tires is basically what was on both ends of the Harley's..........   Made by GoodYear...6:00X16's.   Had the diamond center tread.   Then the Limie's came over and other companies decided to build bike tires also.    Tire companies changed the pattern to match from across the pond.

[Momz]

Another benifit (or deficit),....it will put more hair on your chest and make young girls swoon.
       
OK,.....Just my observation!