ST1300 Double Dark Side

ST-V4ever

ST-V4ever

Joined
Jan 2, 2015
Messages
158
Location
Linden, MI or Sebring, FL
Bike
'16 or '08 Goldwing
205/50-R17 General Altimax RT43 rear

130/70 -18 Battlax BT45 front

Got the 205/50 R17 General Altimax RT43 today. Man! it looks HUGE! I layed it on the garage floor with a straight edge across it, it measures about 8-1/4" wide, on average. Hope it fits! Now to find someone to mount this beast on the rear wheel. (Fingers crossed)

Also got the BT45 for the front

All this stuff came today with a 32oz bottle of the Ride On sealant/balancer.

This beast doesn't look like it's gonna fit, but stay tuned and we'll find out.
6f540993a48f1dc2bc7cd9e6d9fb6a34.jpg


Tom
 
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Hello,
Just curious as to the advantage/disadvantages to mounting car tires on motorcycles?
Thanks in advance, Jason
 
jtrcnc said:
Hello,
Just curious as to the advantage/disadvantages to mounting car tires on motorcycles?
Thanks in advance, Jason
Click to expand...

Advantages:
* Most of the guys talk about the mileage they get out of the car tire vs. the mileage of a bike tire. Former will last 30 to 40K miles, latter, anywhere from 7 to 11K miles, and some guys have said they go through a tire in around 4000 miles (bike tire). I would not want to follow a 4000 mile guy on a ride - he would be gone before I got out of first gear and I would never see him again.
* Cost of the tire (car tire is cheaper).

Disadvantages:
* Some have reported problems with clearance between tire and swingarm. Seems to be easily rectified.
* Handling. This is a big issue. MCN and manufacturers say don't do it, there will be handling issues. Guys here say that is hogwash, it is a non issue. Quite frankly, from what I have read here, for MOST riders, it is not an issue. If you customarily drag your knees and elbows in turns, and routinely take a lap or 12 at Mid-Ohio or Watkins Glen, then I think you might have a few problems with car tires.
* I would think that traction in the wet suffers a bit when the tire is bald and aquaplaning is a danger (just being funny here).

Caveat: These are my opinions only gleaned from reading other posts - I do not run darkside myself.
 
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My GoodYear TripleTred measures 7 3/4 " at the widest , installed , I flattened the R. swingarm between the corner radii to get about 3mm gap . Right side gap to inner fender plastic is about 1-2 mm, left side looks line to line , probably will rub, may take a belt sander to decorative side ribs on tire a bit , but due to winter I have not been on the road yet with the darksides.
 
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There is more to the darkside than just more mileage.
There is flotation on dry soft stuff (gravel/dirt roads), better traction, better stopping, softer more comfortable ride, and 150% better load rating.....

Mud is a different story. Skinny knobby tires are better in mud. The tires need to dig in and cut the road to keep from sliding.
Wide tires on mud will slide all over the place.
 
spiderman302 said:
There is more to the darkside than just more mileage.
There is flotation on dry soft stuff (gravel/dirt roads), better traction, better stopping, softer more comfortable ride, and 150% better load rating.....

Mud is a different story. Skinny knobby tires are better in mud. The tires need to dig in and cut the road to keep from sliding.
Wide tires on mud will slide all over the place.
Click to expand...

Flotation? How do you mean?
Any difference when turning through that wet slimy gutter ?
Thank you, Dave
 
Great for pounding the slab and your chest. Look I did thousand miles in a day all due to my car tire. Might as well drive a convertible. As a former service writer we charged more for mounting and balancing. So, if this is honestly a sound Idea why don't I see more of it. At the dealership I saw it on Maxi scoots more than Motorcycles. The profile has a great contact patch for straights but in the canyons and curves the tire was not designed for that. The sidewall on a car tire is vastly different than that of moto tire.
 
spiderman302 said:
There is more to the darkside than just more mileage.
There is flotation on dry soft stuff (gravel/dirt roads), better traction, better stopping, softer more comfortable ride, and 150% better load rating.....

Mud is a different story. Skinny knobby tires are better in mud. The tires need to dig in and cut the road to keep from sliding.
Wide tires on mud will slide all over the place.
Click to expand...
Hmmm... Didn't think of that. Sure woulda been nice to have the car tire on the short "Kalkaska sand" ride I inadvertently took last summer...
2af05951d2d65adf5be16b9513ae184e.jpg

Almost didn't make it thru that stuff!

Tom
 
spiderman302 said:
There is more to the darkside than just more mileage.
There is flotation on dry soft stuff (gravel/dirt roads), better traction, better stopping, softer more comfortable ride, and 150% better load rating.....

Mud is a different story. Skinny knobby tires are better in mud. The tires need to dig in and cut the road to keep from sliding.
Wide tires on mud will slide all over the place.
Click to expand...

I would assume that the whole bike is designed for the maximum gross vehicle weight. Putting a tire on with a higher load rating does not increase the gvw - it might give you peace of mind, but its not something you are going to use regularly.

It would be nice to have someone do a side by side comparison of a bike tire and ct - on dry pavement and on wet. In another thread I read that we have several hundred thousand miles running darkside with no problems and no complaints. Surely that can be substantiated and quantified and some of the fiction put to rest.
 
Well if you have a 730 lb bike and 300 lbs of people and gear and the rear tire is rated for 783 lbs at max pressure you have a problem because most of the force vector is on the back tire..... if you have a wing or hog you have more of a problem.. but with a CT that is rated for 1433 lbs you have some margin... Look at the label on your rear tire and do the math...

I ride 72 miles every day on a CT, freeway, city streets, country roads. I have over 50k miles on a CT. I am very happy with the results.
 
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spiderman302 said:
Well if you have a 730 lb bike and 300 lbs of people and gear and the rear tire is rated for 783 lbs at max pressure you have a problem because most of the force vector is on the back tire..... if you have a wing or hog you have more of a problem.. but with a CT that is rated for 1433 lbs you have some margin... Look at the label on your rear tire and do the math...
Click to expand...


I can tell you that I FEEL 10X safer riding my wing 2-up, fully loaded with an aux fuel tank hanging off the back, with a runflat CT mounted. Price, wear, and handling aside, I'm still running that CT.
 
Seems to me that the people who run car tires have done the math, calculated the risks and are ok with running this configuration. For high mileage riders who are aware of the limitations, it is an option.

Since I prefer to be on the twisty roads at spirited speeds, it is not my option. I am jealous of the mileage but not at the associated expense in handling.
 
TourNut said:
Seriously ? what if you get rear-ended and get drenched with gas that ignites ? !
Click to expand...

I'm hoping it will propel me forward like a rocket booster...that would be a rush. Just kidding. It's typically only on the bike during rallies where fuel range is essential...like being in BFE at 2am with the fuel light on.
 
kendoo said:
I can tell you that I FEEL 10X safer riding my wing 2-up, fully loaded with an aux fuel tank hanging off the back, with a runflat CT mounted. Price, wear, and handling aside, I'm still running that CT.
Click to expand...

Can I ask, have you ever run any darkside rear that wasn't a RF on your Wing? RF is all I've ever used, but was thinking of saving $50 and try a standard CT. I only get about 12-14K from my rear CT (I've tried several). I think maybe the coarse chip seal that is on most of the highways I ride, contributes to that low mileage. My last 3 on the rear were BS Potenza RF, I like them because the edges don't wear out before the center (for me anyway). I still run the BT45 on the front, it works best of all I've tried.
 
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