Wether or not to cross over to the Darkside.

[Paxton]

I wish my Red Motorcycle was Black and that my Black motorcycle was ... well, Red. I wish my motorcycle tire would look
as good as my c/t. I wish my c/t would perform as good or better as my M/C...

Decisions... to each its own.

[John U.]

Hoser is right, it's every rider's personal choice; I just made mine.
After paying for too many rear tires and hearing about the many advocates of car tires I bought a 205/60 General Altimax. Did the nut cage mod, mounted and balanced it myself  and went for a ride.... It was different, too different. No flaming death or anything I couldn't handle but on back country roads it kept me too busy. So I played with the air pressure, no joy. I ran it for a few hundred miles to see if it grew on me, it didn't.
Saving the money on rear tires is just not worth the degradation of my riding enjoyment. Oh well, it was worth a try.
I put an Avon back on and I won't look back, as Satchel Page said: something might be gaining on me. 

[old2soon]

After my 154 miles today AHEAD of the rain i'm coming up on 11000 miles on my General Ultimax H P 205-60-16. Most of the 154 mls 2day was on moderate to serious twistys. Still liking my D/S choice very much. Others have said it and i'll reinforce it-it only has to work for YOU. I know i like chocolate ice cream but i can not tell you how it tastes other than it tastes good. Other than NOT gettin the frickin cookie i'm good to go. And if i died the flaming death i have not up to this point in time been so informed. RIDE SAFE.

[Mr. Nuts]

I've been kind of alternating. Its given me a real good basis of comparison and I'm still not sure which I like better. They each have their merits. Giving it a decent try is the only real way to find out.

The only serious "control" issue the car tire has is that some humans feel compelled to control other human's choices. They are the only ones living properly and making good choices. Any deviation from their way is cause for great concern and condemnation.

I must admit I suffer from this occasionally myself. I have the most trouble while driving. Everyone going faster than me is a maniac. Everyone going slower is an idiot.

I'm working on it...

[pistolchamp]

With 52,244.6 miles on my Michelin Hydroedge 205/65R16 with nut mods, I am quite pleased.  The tire still has a lot of life in it.

A new E-3 will cost over $250 installed and new Hydroedge will cost about $190 installed.  Mileage on E-3 will be about 12,000 and you can read up above how the Hydroedge is doing.

We weather riding is improved, handles well in any situation, lasts a long time, much better braking... there is no other choice for me.

By-the-way, my bike gets a lot of two up (190# me, 140# girlfriend) and we pull a trailer a lot.

[Oss]

I had the toyo proxes T1R for a year, used it for americade, an inzane a pow wow weekend
 and some other rides

 couldnt wrap my head around it but most of that was I just never got my full confidence after
a wet/oil spill I had before getting the tire.  I rode the next day after breakin the ribs
just had to, kinda dumb that way

I'll admit the handling in rain, pea gravel and stopping was 1st rate

Now I am diggin the bridgestone battleaxe 200 but may get a CT
for my spare wheel probably an altimax

Agree with the posters before me give it a real good try and also vary psi

I used 42 down to 28 over the full season  

BigD has been riding my tire since a few years ago, he loves it and that boy
can ride hard

[Tropic traveler]

OK, I had a CT but never got the cookie. I got rid of the CT so answer me this,
Do I get my cookie for trying the CT????   I mean I rode 5,000 miles with it!

BTW, like John U. the CT was just not all that for me either. Tried it, ditched it. 

[carl1up]

does everyonedo the bearing mod when darkside?  what and where can you get dynabeads... thanks------------carl

[Jess from VA]

Does everyone do the bearing mod when darkside?  

Not really, the left rear wheel bearing may fail more often than it should, but there is no indication its failure is car-tire related.  After mine failed (in Bumfok), I did the mod on each bike at the next rear tire change.  They were both car tires, but that's not why I did it.

what and where can you get dynabeads... thanks------------carl[/quote]

All over...... but I think you are better served with a tire balanced at install and adding Ride-On instead of Dyna Beads.  

BTW, my first GATT balanced with a single ounce weight, the second one balanced with a single half-ounce weight.  Never had a bike tire balance with so little weight.

[jmann]

Wasn't sure I would like the CT but I sure knew I didn't like the high cost low mileage of the MT. I'm running a Yokohama 205-55-16 with no mods and I've been happy. It DOES take getting used to but once you do it's effortless. It took me several thousand miles but I have no fear in the sharp turns in fact I think it grips better. Severe uneven pavement will get your attention as will rounded curbs which will startle you first time but other than that no problem. With the car tire you are moving so much more "footprint" over irregularities as opposed to the little patch of the MT that it becomes noticeable. You wont get used to it in a couple hundred miles so hang in there if you so choose. I ride 2 up and pull a trailer and really like it. Plus I have over 5K on it and it still looks new. I am sure I will get alot more than the 14K I got out of my last MT.

[R J]

The worse part is you don't actually get a cookie though. Apparently it is somekind of joke and bitter disappointment.

 

Now that's funny!!!!!

The cookie he did not get was a DS#.     I've been on a CT for a long time and my DS# is 9 (nine).   That is the sequence issued.   I have no idea where they are in the #'s now.    Last I heard Doc Moose (Morse) could get ya hooked up with a #.

In an answer to your question on curves, SmokinJoe runs a car tire on all 3 of his bikes, and he practically lives on the Dragon on weekends.    He lays his bikes over  to the point he damn near drags the lower frame rail in a tight curve.    If you see a picture of a 2 tone Yeller I/State, converted from a Std, leaned over in a curve, that be the lad from TN.   

Here is a frontal shot of him laid over in a curve.    Hopefully you get the idea of how hard he puts a CT into the corners.

[Fudd]

  what and where can you get dynabeads... thanks------------carl

14 to 16 oz's of Ride-On does every bit as good as dynobeads for ballancing.  Not near as messy to deal with and is an excellent puncture sealer.

[John U.]

  what and where can you get dynabeads... thanks------------carl

14 to 16 oz's of Ride-On does every bit as good as dynobeads for ballancing.  Not near as messy to deal with and is an excellent puncture sealer.

I can agree with all of that except the suggestion that Dynabeads are messier than Ride-on. How that can be escapes me.
A further suggestion is to seal your rims with epoxy before using Ride-on. I have had a front rim very nearly destroyed by corrosion due to Ride-on. I haven't mounted a tire on the repaired rim yet so the rim may yet prove to be useless. Fore warned is fore armed.

[Fudd]

  what and where can you get dynabeads... thanks------------carl

14 to 16 oz's of Ride-On does every bit as good as dynobeads for ballancing.  Not near as messy to deal with and is an excellent puncture sealer.

I can agree with all of that except the suggestion that Dynabeads are messier than Ride-on. How that can be escapes me.
A further suggestion is to seal your rims with epoxy before using Ride-on. I have had a front rim very nearly destroyed by corrosion due to Ride-on. I haven't mounted a tire on the repaired rim yet so the rim may yet prove to be useless. Fore warned is fore armed.

What I'm talking about with the Dynabeads is, unless you have some sort of vacuum going when you break down the tire, they're going to get everywhere.

I have heard of others with the same corrosion claim about Ride-on.  Help me here.  Was it Ride-on brand or another manufacture's sealer/balancer?  Every discusion I've been in about Ride-on, someone mentions other similar brands that are cheaper, but supposedly "just as good."

I haven't seen where Ride-on has even touched my rim.  It stays neatly on the inside surface of the tread.  The manufacturer says it is a water soluble non corrosive product.  So far, (knock on wood) that's been my experence with it.

[John U.]

Supposedly it was Ride-on brand. I bought it on EBay, it was in a Ride-on bottle. That's all I can say for sure, except that it REALLY screwed up my rim. I won't take the chance again.

[Fudd]

Supposedly it was Ride-on brand. I bought it on EBay, it was in a Ride-on bottle. That's all I can say for sure, except that it REALLY screwed up my rim. I won't take the chance again.

John, I'm courious here.  Did it remain viscious and adherant to the under side of the tread, or was it coating the sidewalls, rim and everywhere?

[John U.]

It was everywhere, though most of it was in the tread area.

[John U.]

I should add that no it was not especially viscous.

[98valk]

I should add that no it was not especially viscous.

sounds like somebody made a home brew (google that) and filled their empty bottle and sold it to u.
there are many tire sealants out there and the good ones stay in the tire and have anti-corrosion additives, just like antifreeze which they are and hence why some make homebrews.

[John U.]

Hence I won't take the risk.