C/T Installed...Big problem

[Art708]

I tried a car tire twice... on 2 different Valkyries...and did not like the handling. I really wanted to like the C/T but found out that it's not for me. I put the Avon back on and fell in love with the handling again. Some may like a C/T on their bike but I'll stick with a motorcycle tire. Each to his/her own.

[colesgrandpaw]

Dale i had the same thing happen to me when i hit about 80 mph. The back of the bike wobbled all over the road. When i got home i put a Avon on, now i have a Kuhmo 165/80r/15 that had on for arpox. 1000 miles.

 

If someone would like to have this tire i will make you deal .

 

Raymond

[dragerman]

I have been following this post with much interest and am glad to see the updates. There are two considerations that haven’t been mentioned yet and it’s got me wondering.

 

1) I think it’s important that when the rear wheel is reinstalled on the bike that one must make sure they torque the axle before you tighten the pinch bolt. If you tighten the pinch bolt prematurely you could draw in the swing-arms and possibly cause an alignment problem. I almost made that mistake the first time I changed my back wheel.

 

2) Secondly, the only thing that concerns me with installing a car tire is the ‘install pressure’ that is required to seat them. I believe that it is important to keep the tire ‘install pressure’ as low as possible in order to avoid over stressing the tire. Inflating any tire to its near bursting point can’t be good for it. I've often wondered if those who experience this problem have inadvertently over inflated their tire and compromised it’s stability.

 

Just thinking out loud and sharing my thoughts

[footsie]

I don't understand how the CT works on some and won't work on others.

My RSV is rock solid with kumho on back, pressure really does not seem to matter, I have ran 28 to 38 lbs, like the ride best at 32.

I still believe some of the problems is with those who are running bias ply tires on frount.

I think you need radials on both ends.

 

just my thoughts

 

Gregg

[gunboat]

greg

as i have stated here that i was runing a bfg c/t on the rear of my bike and a me880 130 on the front. ran this combo for over 31,000 miles. with no major issuses i have just changed out the rear c/t for a kuhmo c/t tire on the rear and the croba on the front. as you have told me and i agree i an very happy with the handling of the bike, smooth as glass. went up to jerry's w north texas mx day put over 1,100 miles on the bike that weekend. i am looking forward to the ride to big bend np next weekend. i guess the point is for some folks the c/t is not what they were looking for, they tried it, don't like it. THEIR SAFETY COMES FIRST. you, me and the other darksiders from this site and other d/s site's it's working for us.

best reguards

don c.

[dynodon]

Sounds like you are on the right track. you may need to revise your hitch so the ball is lower. Do you have a removeable ball mount? If so, You may be able to just buy a mount that lowers the ball.

 

10% weight on the ball is right. You can go a little bit either way, but if your total trailer and load is 400 pounds, then you need 30-35 on the hitch anyway, just to be safe. With the tongue just slightly downhill (keeps things from bouncing back and taking weight off the hitch) you should be good.

 

I did have one other thought. What tread pattern do you have on your tire? Many car tires are directional and asymmetrical. What you want in a c/t is a generic patter that is not asymmetrical for sure, and I would not want it directional either just to be safe.

[BigBoyinMS]

I would sure like to know what the common issue is that causes this 'wobble'. I was thinking about it yesterday and I could only come up with alignment which may or may not be the problem. Since there is more meat on the road you would think it would need to track as straight as possible. But even before I shimmed my driveline I had seen close to 100mph and rock steady. (And over that a couple of times since shimming.)

I guess we will never know unless someone with the wobble actually figures it out and fixes it.

[sarges46]

I've asked myself many times about the wobble and why. The only thing I could come up with is this...and I may be out to lunch like many times before!

 

I wonder if the side wall on the car tire is soft enough to amplify any minor wobble into one big one?

 

I dont know the differance between a car tire side wall and mc sidewall but I suspect the mc tire is much stiffer therefore has less flex sideways.

 

Fill me in, correct me as I live to learn new things.

[footsie]

greg

as i have stated here that i was runing a bfg c/t on the rear of my bike and a me880 130 on the front. ran this combo for over 31,000 miles. with no major issuses i have just changed out the rear c/t for a kuhmo c/t tire on the rear and the croba on the front. as you have told me and i agree i an very happy with the handling of the bike, smooth as glass. went up to jerry's w north texas mx day put over 1,100 miles on the bike that weekend. i am looking forward to the ride to big bend np next weekend. i guess the point is for some folks the c/t is not what they were looking for, they tried it, don't like it. THEIR SAFETY COMES FIRST. you, me and the other darksiders from this site and other d/s site's it's working for us.

best reguards

don c.

Don

 

I agree safety first, and most of the time safety has a lot do with how comfortable a rider is with his machine. If something is making the rider feel that his bike is not stable, then he/she is not safe.

I did not mean to imply that anyone should ride anything they are uncomfortable with, just trying to figure out what could be causing the problems.

Logically the RSV should handle the same, with the same set up, me and you are having the same results, so are a couple of the other guys. It would be nice if we could pin point the exact problem. I know both my 2000 and the 04 had bias ply tires on frount when I first put the radial on back, It did work and was ok, but was not near a stable as with radials on both ends, the 04 with the kumho and the brickstone on frount was terrible. The cobra fixed all my problems.

 

But its like pulling a trailer, I am not comfortable pulling one with a bike, so I am not going to be pulling one.

 

If had the problems some are having and it scared me, I would take the car tire off and go back to the MC tire. Like you said its not for everyone.

 

Again I did not mean to imply for anyone to do anything they are not 100% comfortable doing.

 

 

 

Gregg

[gunboat]

hi all

gregg i understand what you and others are saying. i just wish we as darksiders could pinpoint and fix his problem. i my self pulled my trailer fully loaded and still straped stuff on top. had my daughter sarah ride with me over half of the round trip way to the '08 international rally. with NO PROBLEMS with the c/t and pulling a trailer. even with a me880 130 on the front. i realy like the handling of my bike. but i also do not run at high speeds, 80 -85 is about the higest i ride.

best reguards

don c.

[dynodon]

I just thought of something that may apply in this situation, but would be something to look at for anyone putting a car tire on a bike.

 

SOME car tires are built with one sidewall stiffer than the other, to allow for a decent ride, but reduce tire deflection on turns. I would think this type of tire would be absolutely UNSAFE on a bike where it should be equal on both sides.

 

I would recommend that you stay away from any tire that has the words (outside or this side out etc) on it, or that is directional or asymmetric in tread pattern.

[MAINEAC]

Thanks for the tip Don... But I don't think it applies to the RSs... In the sizes we're looking at don't have that technology as they are primarily 1960 to 70s era VW Bug tires... I could be wrong but I don't think so...

[dmoff1698]

As I have said before, I am no longer a darksider after the scare I got at speed.

I went back to the E3 that I have run for years. Since the switch I have had no problems at all.

Like some of you, this has been bugging me a lot! Especially since I have three friends who have gone over to car tires since my experience with no problems. (why me?)

Nothing has come to mind until a couple days ago. I was down at the shop moving some stuff around, one of the things I moved was the c/t I took off. I got to looking at the tire again thinking I might find some dammage from high air pressure while mounting. Nothing obvious but I did see that the tire was rated as single ply in both the tread and sidewall.

I don't recall any discussion of ply rating of the tires being run by the rest of you guys. But I can tell you the sidewalls on this tire are thin thin.

If I remember correctly I was running almost 45 pounds of air when i went into the tank-slapper. I would have expected that much air would have stiffened up the tire but maybe not. Maybe it has nothing to do with anything.

What are the ply ratings of the tires you are running?

[RoadKill]

I checked when I got home and nothing had shifted in the trailer. tongue weight still around 20 lbs.

 

Another thing that is really strange, the last 50 miles of my trip was riding 2 up. For some reason the trailer pulled straight and true while 2 up.

 

Several people on the trailer forum say the tongue weight should be 10% of the total trailer weight. For me that would be around 40 lbs, which sounds pretty high. But what do I know? I'll try that and see if it helps.

 

That's closer (40 )to what I have on my trailer if not more works great. I would try loading it more and then take it for a spin. Also lower the air pressure in the trailer tires. Most people way overinflate them.