Are Motorcycle Tires a Ripoff? The Darkside Car Tire Experiment
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEZeR9E3JyY
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEZeR9E3JyY
Are Motorcycle Tires a Ripoff? The Darkside Car Tire Experiment
- Thread starter DaveM
- Start date
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I have seen sidecar pilots use a car tire on the rear for longevity and a larger contact patch. Since a rig is usually upright, unless one is flying the chair, a car tire works really well. I would have done that on my T100 if I could have found a car tire to fit the rim. I have driven rigs with car tires and I liked the feel and the large contact patch for braking.
Good post.
ductmanyucker
Member
I run one on my goldwing 1800 and love it. A different improved ride.
UpNDown
Member
Hey Carl ,
I’ve found that using a car tire in the rear was a mixed bag on my 2000 Valkyrie . On long tours it was great for stability in the rain . The combo didn’t like high speed sweepers . From 85 mph on up over 100 it got shakes , I suppose from the different tire profiles . But just bopping along in the rain , fantastic ! My humble opinion of course
I have seen several Goldwings with automobile rear tires.
Good information.
In my post I was referring to sidecar rigs. Though I have seen Goldwings, Valkyries, and large HD's with automobile tires, I hzve never ridden one. I am not surprised that high speed sweepers are adveresely affected. Though I have driven sidecar rigs with automobile tires on the rear, I did not do so at 85 mph+! About 75 mph is all I care to do on a well aligned sidecar rig.
Arrowbear rider
Member
Watched video, good info, that last chalk board said it all for me, Handling = 
.
The handling of my Thunderbird Commander is way better than my VTX1800 with a wider flatter tire was; and an older Goldwing too. From what I've read, the TC was designed with the tire's size, width & diameter in relationship to the geometry & steering, so changing to a car tire would cancel out one of the biggest benefits of riding the Triumph.
I live in the mountains & 85% of my riding is on mountain roads & I love the confidence I'm developing on such a big bike. 2/1 was a nice day for a winter ride, it was 61 degrees & I took out the bike and I kept up with a young man ripping it up in a WRX, he was trying his hardest to put more distance between us... unsuccessfully!
That whole bead fit problem & lack of the double redundancy is a safety issue too, maybe not as much for highway miles, so if one puts 80%-90% of their miles on major highways a car tire may be ok.
I think I'd rather be safe & enjoy my ride than the risks v. the cost saving from darksiding, when I can't afford tires, it's time to sell the bike.
. The handling of my Thunderbird Commander is way better than my VTX1800 with a wider flatter tire was; and an older Goldwing too. From what I've read, the TC was designed with the tire's size, width & diameter in relationship to the geometry & steering, so changing to a car tire would cancel out one of the biggest benefits of riding the Triumph.
I live in the mountains & 85% of my riding is on mountain roads & I love the confidence I'm developing on such a big bike. 2/1 was a nice day for a winter ride, it was 61 degrees & I took out the bike and I kept up with a young man ripping it up in a WRX, he was trying his hardest to put more distance between us... unsuccessfully!
That whole bead fit problem & lack of the double redundancy is a safety issue too, maybe not as much for highway miles, so if one puts 80%-90% of their miles on major highways a car tire may be ok.
I think I'd rather be safe & enjoy my ride than the risks v. the cost saving from darksiding, when I can't afford tires, it's time to sell the bike.
The old Avon Speedmaster Mk11 were about as close as you get to a skinny car tyre, they are often used on older sidecars and by vintage car people on lightweight cars such as the Austin 7. These had a very square profile and while they wore well on a bike they were only just passable for cornering. I think investing in a good bike tyre is worth the cost.
I agree with the exception of sidecar rigs. On these an auto tire is very beneficial.
