Finally joined the darksiders, Nexen WWW

[eagleeye]

Well, I finally got it on today, and I was very nervous about this whole process. I went very well, got the old one off easily, the new one went on, not quite as easily as the old one came off, but not too bad.

It's a Nexen, 165-80/15 that I had Diamond Back vulcanize a 2 1/4" whitewall on each side. I NEED whitewalls!!!!!!!!

NOW, beading it up was another thing, did it probabaly 6 times total, each time adding a little more air,and finally (with lowell's sugestion) a little WD-40, and when it popped, made me jump for sure, but it's on, and balanced.

Now waiting for my Harley Davidson, rear, MT-90-16 to come on Tue, and then I'll mount that one backwards on the front.

This is a Dunlop 402 MT-90/16 WWW, which is 1 3/4".

 

All I can say is that the first bunch of miles should be very interesting!

 

Steve

Edited April 6, 2009 by eagleeye

[Guest tx2sturgis]

That tire looks amazing with the whitewalls..Who or what and where is DiamondBack?

 

Also...have you ever tried using a bead-seating tool on a motorcycle wheel and tire? I assume it would work, just not sure. Its not something you'd find in a normal homeowners toolbox, but any tire shop should have one, especially if they do roadservice on truck tires....Im guessing that if you brought the tire and wheel to them (3/4 mounted), they would seat that tire (next time) for free.

[wild hair 39]

my gress is that motorcycle tires are a differant rem size,15" m\c verces 15" c\t,they do not use the same ruler,just put a 180-55-14 0n a burgman 650,[burgman has a steel rem]had the same thing with the bead up,80# using S T P,as a lube,that S T P is sume slick stuff,just putting the tire on the rem,i chased ir around the rem a few times

incresed the air # to 42 # rear seams to be better,maybe this nexen radial needes to seat in,the B F G took about 3-500 mls

[eagleeye]

Hmmmmmmmm, thought I had posted a reply to you Brian, but anyways,

Diamondback is a specialty tire company in South Carlolina. It seems that they make or sell anything that you could want and then some.

I know that pegscraper got his tire from there. I don't think that they sell motorcycle tires, but not sure on that one.

Steve

[BigBoyinMS]

That looks great. I think you'll be happy with that setup. What pressure are your starting with?

[BigBoyinMS]

my gress is that motorcycle tires are a differant rem size,15" m\c verces 15" c\t,they do not use the same ruler,just put a 180-55-14 0n a burgman 650,[burgman has a steel rem]had the same thing with the bead up,80# using S T P,as a lube,that S T P is sume slick stuff,just putting the tire on the rem,i chased ir around the rem a few times

incresed the air # to 42 # rear seams to be better,maybe this nexen radial needes to seat in,the B F G took about 3-500 mls

 

Actually I think the high pressure to seat it comes from the extra bead on the rim it has to jump before it seats. The stuff I used to lube mine wasn't slick enough so it took 112 lbs. That why I bought a clip-on air chuck so I could stand safely back at the compressor and up the pressure using the regulator.

[pegscraper]

Diamondback Tires is who does these white walls. They vulcanize white wall material to the tire, and they look like they were made that way from the factory. They look excellent. They clean up the same, too. They can do literally any tire you want, in any width you want up to a certain maximum depending on the tire. Of course they can do both sides of the same tire, which is just what we need.

 

My bike also demands WWs. I did get my Federal from them. It's on the expensive side, but given the mileage I expect out of this tire, it is still quite a bit cheaper than buying MTs.

 

So EE, how did the tread pattern on that D402 rear tire compare to their front tires, direction-wise?

 

It sounds like you mounted the Nexen yourself. How many PSI did it take to seat the beads? I'm looking forward to hearing how you like both of these rear and front tires when you get a few miles on them.

[eagleeye]

Yup, we mounted it over at my friends, with his HF changer and balancer.

 

To answer a few questions, I plan on starting at 40 psi, and then trying 42 as Lowell did and see where I go from there, but a good place to start.

I started at 70psi to try to get it to seat, but that didn't do it, I think I ended up around 80psi with the help of some WD-40.

I also have a lowering kit on the back which doesn't make mounting it any easier. Had to let the air out to get it back in.

I think the hardest part was trying not to get any of that molydnium disulfide grease on the WWW's.

 

When I stopped at the Harley shop and put a front MT90-16 with the arrow going forward,and a rear MT90-16 next to it also going forward, it was just as you said, the front pattern faced the opposite way as the rear, so when I turned the rear around going the wrong way, it was the same as the front going the correct way, of course the harley shop wanted $50 more than I could get it for, so i ordered it and it should be here tomorrow.

I'll get it mounted this weekend.

 

Like I said, the first 100 miles or so should be interesting.

 

Steve

[eagleeye]

Got the HD rear on the front yesterday, (backwards) and man it really feels great, and solid, 38psi in the front. doesn't follow any tar snakes and the rear nexen feels softer. I put 42psi in, but will check it today to see where it is after a short ride.

Did take it real easy though. Need more miles on it to really tell.

 

Steve

[BigBoyinMS]

That is one good looking RSTD! I'm not a WW kinda guy but they sure set that bike off!

[Cougar]

Now that looks:thumbsup2: Sharp!

[eagleeye]

Hey, thanks guys.

Checked and it had 40psi, and felt a bit soft yesterday, so before I take it out again, I'll bump it up to 42psi.

But that front tire is awesome.

 

Steve

[pegscraper]

My rear/front MT tire feels the same way. Don't understand it. Can't explain it. But this DS tire combination makes the bike feel more solid and handle more neutral than the two times previously when I had brand new front and rear MTs installed at the same time.

 

Another accidental benefit is that you get wider WWs on the front than you would have otherwise, because they put wider WWs on rear tires than they do on front tires. Those aren't just wide white walls. Those are gangstas.

[eagleeye]

An update on the Nexen tire. I've got about 8,000 miles on the nexen and the HD, rear 402 running backwards on the front now. I've been running 40 psi in the nexen and 36 in the 402. The tires stick like glue on the twisties. Was out in the black hills for a week and ran all of those roads out there. never felt it slip once. And on the slab, what can I say, it just cruises along nicely. I really don't even think about it much anymore, just get on and go.

Both tires look about like new. Last year, my WWW was bald at 5M.

 

Steve