New to the dark side

[Bigwolf]

I recently put a Falken ZE512 in 205/60r 16 on my standard.  Today was nice here so I rode a while.  I have been wanting to get myself aquainted with the handling of this tire anyway and wanted to put it through some turns and over some lumpy road. 

I rode up through Standing Stone Park.  Stopped at the dam/bridge to strech my legs and take a couple of photos.


Looking back up the lake from the dam.


When I pulled back into my garage, I noted that I have now logged 330 miles on the dark side tire.  It does handle different than a motrocycle tire but not like I had thought.  Maybe I am already getting used to it but I don't notice any extra effort to steer in the turns.  I have been supprized to find it so steady and straight accross bumps and potholes and I even intentionally took it at a slight angle to a deep and 3 to 4 inch wide gouge in the highway.  The front motorcycle tire went crazy in that gouge but the dark tire did not seem to notice it.  I feel the tire does have a stronger pull to track into ruts in the road than what a motorcycle tire does but that is the only truely down side that I have found so far.  I love that I can twist into the throttle fairly heavy in a tight turn without the rear breaking loose.  I am still working my nerve up on that twisting the throttle in a tight turn though.  All I can say now is that I have already pushed that action beyond anything I could do with my motorcycle tire on the rear.

So here I am, still nervous about the dark side but liking it better each time out.  I'm running 38# in the Falken now.  I plan to leave it at that until I have 1k on it and then start playin with the pressure to find what I feel is the best for me.

Happy riding to all,
Wolf

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

I favor a softer compound than that tire but it will only go so far after that point its your ass on the road and not the tire.

[Warlock]

I favor a softer compound than that tire but it will only go so far after that point its your ass on the road and not the tire.

That tire does have soft compound. The only thing I don't like about the tire is the softer sidewalls. Was my 3rd DS tire I ran.
David

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

I favor a softer compound than that tire but it will only go so far after that point its your ass on the road and not the tire.

That tire does have soft compound. The only thing I don't like about the tire is the softer sidewalls. Was my 3rd DS tire I ran.
David

420 is softer than the one's that comes on Grand-ma's Buick some folks on here use. I've went with Fuzion ZRi rated 320 I was eating the Copper Zeon 2XS rated 280 bald between 7,000 and 8,000 miles.

[Bigwolf]

420 is softer than the one's that comes on Grand-ma's Buick some folks on here use. I've went with Fuzion ZRi rated 320 I was eating the Copper Zeon 2XS rated 280 bald between 7,000 and 8,000 miles.

Thanks for that info Joe.  I thought I was doing pretty well finding a 420.  I guess I will  have to look harder for my next tire change.  On the other hand, I usualy ride about as fast as gramaw drove so probly won't be chewin rubber off near as fast as you and I have allready been warned to not try to keep up with you in  the twisties.  Not that I had not allready figured that out.

Wolf

[SANDMAN5]

On the other hand, I usualy ride about as fast as gramaw drove so probly won't be chewin rubber off near as fast as you and I have allready been warned to not try to keep up with you in  the twisties.  Not that I had not allready figured that out.

It's easy to "keep up" with Joe in the twisties.....just start out 20 minutes before
he does and you'll get to the end about the same time.

[Warlock]

I favor a softer compound than that tire but it will only go so far after that point its your ass on the road and not the tire.

That tire does have soft compound. The only thing I don't like about the tire is the softer sidewalls. Was my 3rd DS tire I ran.
David

420 is softer than the one's that comes on Grand-ma's Buick some folks on here use. I've went with Fuzion ZRi rated 320 I was eating the Copper Zeon 2XS rated 280 bald between 7,000 and 8,000 miles.

Like yourself, I liked the Cooper. The last one I ran only got 5500 miles out of it. Running the Bridgestone G019 and like it. I got a brand new Bridgestone 205/55/16 HP550 sitting on my shelf and like the way it's made. Got a nice thread on it. Also just installed a new Bridgestone Extra 200/60/16 on my spare rim. Will see how it holds up. The Battleax didn't last long at all.
David
David

[Ramjet]

I recently put a Falken ZE512 in 205/60r 16 on my standard.  Today was nice here so I rode a while.  I have been wanting to get myself aquainted with the handling of this tire anyway and wanted to put it through some turns and over some lumpy road. 
notice any extra effort to steer in the turns.  I have been supprized to find it so steady and straight accross bumps and potholes and I even intentionally took it at a slight angle to a deep and 3 to 4 inch wide gouge in the highway.

I have the same tire on mine too with about 2k miles on it.  Most of the miles have been in the N Ga, and NC mountains.  No complaints on the twisties.  Seems to hold as well as or better than the Avon and Bridgestone I had before.