The Dark Side (Revisited)

[demingrickjames]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Yeah, I've seen a video that pretty much proves that notion false. Regardless, the tread compound of an 80,000 mile car tire leaves something to be desired for me.

This video shows what happens when a car tire corners. It ain't pretty. The commentary mentions that the center of the tread is wearing first. Duh. He's got it overinflated for the weight of the bike to give it some shape. Also, he never leans more than about 15 degrees. Riding like that, you could make your own tires out of wood.


Same thing here. He maybe gets to 20 degrees of lean.

That's the point; 20-30 degrees of lean is about all you're going to get on a large cruiser before something drags.

So, why use a tire with rounded sidewalls designed for 40 degrees plus? No matter how hard I corner this bike, I'll NEVER get into that part of the tread.

Would I put this kind of tire on a sportbike? Absolutely not. But for the type of riding I do, cruising (i.e. the cruiser), the tire works great.

I lean the bike the same as anyone else when I turn, but, I don't purposely try to drag chrome off my bike.

[ragboy]

ok, the leaning part on the cruiser makes some sense to me. But that doesn't answer the question on compounds. Why put a $20 80k mile tire on your bike? I wouldn't put that on my car.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by ragboy

ok, the leaning part on the cruiser makes some sense to me. But that doesn't answer the question on compounds. Why put a $20 80k mile tire on your bike? I wouldn't put that on my car.

And guess how many degrees that tire was designed to lean..............
tick, tock........how much time do we need............I'm in no hurry.......
Hint: the right answer is VERY close to ZERO.

[demingrickjames]

Do you really believe that the rubber on your motorcycle tire is that different from the rubber of a car tire?

Some are softer than others and thus wear faster, but rubber is rubber. Sure,on a molecular level the compounds may be slightly different, but it's all pretty much the same carbon based compound.

As far as the amount of lean a car tire is designed to handle; what do you think puts more strain on the sidewall of a tire, 1,000 pounds of bike & rider leaning 30 degrees, or, 4,000 pounds of mini van + passengers cornering at 75 m.p.h.???

I'm not trying to convince anyone to put a car tire on thier bike, I just wanted to let people know that this tire fits and it works. If you wish to pay $300 for a tire that'll only last 7500 miles, you're free to do that.

Just as I'm free to put a $138 80,000 mile tread car tire on my bike.

I appreciate your concern and I'll keep everyone updated.

So far I've put over 500 miles on the tire and, (did you guess) not one problem.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by demingrickjames

Do you really believe that the rubber on your motorcycle tire is that different from the rubber of a car tire?

Yes. It is a fact.
Just exactly what the hell ELSE do you think accounts for the difference in wear.......from 7,500 miles to 80,000 ??

None are so blind as those who WILL not see.

The end.

[Clint]

They make 'em soft so they can sell more. Duh.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Duh.

Duh indeed.

(My grin is bigger than yours!)

[demingrickjames]

Another 100 miles yeserday..... still no problems.

[Clint]

I don't think anyone's expecting you to have problems. At least until you have to try and avoid a deer on wet roads or brake hard in a turn. But that may never happen, right?

[Trapper]

I'm going to put bike tires on my truck. See how that goes.

[ragboy]

Originally Posted by Trapper

I'm going to put bike tires on my truck. See how that goes.

LOL

[YamahaLouie]

With regards to tire wear, here is what Dunlop has to say: In answering this question, we must first make sure that we are comparing apples to apples. When you think of it, the vast majority of motorcycles are high performance vehicles compared to most cars. Consider that you rarely see a motorcycle with less than ''H'' speed-rated tires. By comparison, the vast majority of cars ride on tires with lower speed ratings. Power-to-weight ratio and speed are big factors in respect to tire wear. Unfortunately, when many people compare mileage, they do so with a family sedan and a much higher performance motorcycle. Another significant factor in this comparison is the size of the tire contact footprint. In the case of a car, the footprint is much larger and there are four, not two tires contacting the pavement. You must keep in mind that virtually the entire width of the relatively flat tread of a car is in contact with the road all of the time. A car remains upright, even when cornering. This results in a much smaller contact footprint for a motorcycle tire. High power-to-weight ratio, speed, size of footprint and other aspects explain why motorcycle tires wear out quicker than car tires. To obtain the best mileage from your motorcycle tires, observe the following guidelines: obey the speed limit; avoid quick acceleration and hard braking; maintain recommended tire pressures; and do not overload your bike or tow a trailer.

With regard to tire replacement: Always make sure that the tires recommended for your bike appear in a written form. In other words, don't follow someone's personal recommendation. It is too critical a situation, and one rider's preference does not necessarily suit another's. Take the advice of the professionals: the motorcycle or tire manufacturer.
With regards to a wider tire: This is possible in some cases, but again, it should only be done with the approval of the motorcycle or tire manufacturer. When considering wider tires, you must factor in clearance for width and diameter, the effect on stability and handling, along with whether your rim is wide enough. If wider tires are approved for a motorcycle, it is usually permissible to increase by only one size designation. When fitting a larger tire, always allow for some tire growth from the new to used situation. All tires increase in size after they have been inflated and are run for a few hundred miles.

Just some thoughts to consider.....ride on and ride safe.

[demingrickjames]

I knew this topic would stir much controversy, it always does.

The assurance TT is an H rated tire by the way.

The tire is on my bike nonetheless, and will remain there until it wears out.

20,000-30,000 miles is not unheard of for a car tire on a bike.

Here's a link that's worth a gander :

The Dark Side

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by demingrickjames

I knew this topic would stir much controversy, it always does.

So then, why do you insist on bringing it up all the time ??

After a brief visit to the site you provided, it looks to ME like you have an un-natural obsession.

So, let's summarize:
Bike manufacturers say don't do it.......
Tire manufacturers say don't do it..........
The VAST majority of bike riders say it's stupid and don't do it..........

Yet you decide to do it anyway. Sounds pretty thick headed and obsessive to me.

[demingrickjames]

You're obviously right.

You should never do anything someone tells you not to, and a car tire on a motorcycle could never work.

[demingrickjames]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

They make 'em soft so they can sell more. Duh.

And for you, I offer this link:

Riding on the Darkside - Durometer Test on 205 and Dunnie...(Pics Added)

[Trapper]

No one is questioning if it works or not, obviously it works. The questions I see are if it is as safe or handles as well as a MC tire.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Trapper

No one is questioning if it works or not, obviously it works. The questions I see are if it is as safe or handles as well as a MC tire.

When the vehicle in question is really a car that doesn't know it's missing 2 wheels............then I can see how you wouldn't be able to tell much difference. Handling..........what is handling ???

[Jammin'John]

Ride safe and often !

JJ

[Clint]

John, I don't appreciate you coming in here and calling me names. I have every right to discuss this with those who wish to do so. If you don't like that, you're welcome to leave.

For those of you who don't understand the basic tenets of science, it involves evidence, both observational and experimental. Most of my questions involve the utter lack of either. That doesn't mean I'm "opposed" to anything, just that I won't do it myself without the type of evidence that satisfies my skeptical mind. Feel free, but do not accuse me of being closed-minded or a know-it-all. Doing so mostly serves to expose your ignorance of the scientific method and critical thinking.

Now, if you've actually done traction tests, using identical bikes and techniques, or you've done contact patch analysis, including deformation studies and side-load testing, I'd love to hear about it. The claim about stopping faster than any stock-tired bike is a big one, and as such requires big evidence. Until then, most of what you've told me seems to be speculation and guessing. Of course, I could be wrong.