Car tire mounted on a RSV

[Squeeze]

Regarding only the technical Side of this Issue, i wouldn't want to go to a /65 or /55 Ratio as a Biginner.

 

These are really radial Tires and the Sidewall doesn't flex much. The /80 Ratio will allow cornering with some Effort, but the a lower Ratio wont allow much of cornering without very much Weight transfering of the Rider(Kneeslider). Countersteering will not be enough in to get the Bike in a Corner. Also, i believe(!!!) that such lower Ratio wouldn't allow the Thread to stay on the Road.

 

If someone is willing to give a Car Tire a Try, stay with a higher Ratio as /80 are. A Low Profile Tire is something that should be tested by an expierenced Car Tire Rider.

[flb_78]

The lower ratio will allow for more stable handling. The Goldwing riders mostly use low profile Run-Flat tires now for the stiffer sidewalls for better handling.

[flb_78]

flb_78 Maybe you posted here - - -soooo much to read to find any real facts - if any at all!!! -- what pressure in CT & how does it absorb the bumps vs MT?

 

Im running 40 psi and the CT takes the bumps much better then the MT.

[wild hair 39]

ok: i'm sold,one tire on the front,one tire on the back,you guys made it vary clear,the tires i use is,my choice,also my a$$$$$

[2WHEELSFORME]

Man I love this CT on my VTX. Several thousand miles and no noticable wear. Corners just fine as far as this bike will lean over. Would not put one on a sport bike but works fine for fat cruisers and fat touring bikes. Yea I know some of you are racers and really push these bikes and you need the high performance stuff to keep up with your skill level.

http://bigbikeriders.com/photopost/data/500/2508tire_and_tag_4_.JPG

[Guest sonat]

The lower ratio will allow for more stable handling. The Goldwing riders mostly use low profile Run-Flat tires now for the stiffer sidewalls for better handling.

 

Hi

just thought I would jump in here and give my impression of a CT on my Wing. in short, there will never be another MT on the rear of my 1800 Wing. I run a Goodyear Ultra Grip run flat and I absolutely love it. there are many on my Wing board that run a non- run flat tire and like them. I don't think my wife would allow me to remove it cause she like the ride as well. I'm sure not trying to convince others to fellow my advice, that is for each of us to decide for our selves. but as for me, I'm sure very glade I did try it. good luck with your choice in a CT, if you are like me, you won't go back.

[Guest Duck]

Thought I would jump in to a really non-controversial thread for my 2nd post

 

Here's a good shot of a CT on the road.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQtlt-HFFoo]YouTube - Riding the Dark Side[/ame]

 

FWIW - I have no strong opinion either way, and have never run a CT on an MC, I just like to keep an open mind.

 

 

Duck

[flb_78]

Thought I would jump in to a really non-controversial thread for my 2nd post

 

Here's a good shot of a CT on the road.

 

 

FWIW - I have no strong opinion either way, and have never run a CT on an MC, I just like to keep an open mind.

 

Duck

 

 

This is the real ending to the above video because it's not possible to put a car tire on a motorcycle and the only thing it will result in is a giant fiery crash, global warming, the clubbing of baby seals, al gore to become president and ingrown toenails.

 

[ame=http://youtube.com/watch?v=Nj3mWMdv978&feature=related]YouTube - 2007 Burning Man FireBall Explosion[/ame]

[wizard]

flb_78, will you please post what you find about the 175/55 or 65? I will be replacing my rear tire soon and I have been looking at the car tire option. That's how I found this forum in the first place.

 

Thanks,

Jeff

 

Hello Jeff,

What tire did you go to. My Metzler is at 8500 miles now and going fast. I'm looking at the Kumho Solus KR21 165/80R15 or the Kumho Power Star. Both are 165, and should leave me a 1/4" clearance between the shaft and the side well.

[LSupina]

Put a B.F. Goodrich 155/75 R15 on my 2005 RSV about two weeks ago. Mounting wasn't any harder than most Dunlop motorcycle tires I've mounted. As for riding, the first day was interesting as I got used to a different feel from the road and wore off the mold relese agent. Now I have over 500 miles and I'll not be going back to a motorcycle tire unless they make one that can touch the improvement I have experinced with my new dark side ride. The ride is way smoother than any motorcycle tire. The stopping power is TOTALLY AWESOME! Straight-line stability in the lovely Texas Panhandle winds is superb, but most amazing to me has been how much better the bike corners now that I have spent time and got used to the feel. Yes, you read that right, once you are accustomed to the car tire's different manners, you'll soon find you can push a big rig into corners and accelerate out of them like you never could before. Oh, did I mention how great the car tire handles in the rain? Yes, it did rain here in Amarillo last week and WOW, the CT sticks in the wet too.

[timk]

I've been thinking about 4 motorcycle tires on my car. Has anyone tried this??????

[foxman]

Has anyone put a ct on a first gen?

[flb_78]

Well, so far I have 3225 miles on my tire since I installed it. It's wearing very well for me. Most tires only last me about 8000 miles. If anything, the tire is wearing faster on the center then the edges, but I've read many a post about how this happens on other darksiders and it is fairly normal. I can ride long sweepers in the triple digits, I can drag floorboards in tight turns. Rear brake does not lock up unless I really stand on the brake. Wet traction is vastly improved.

[wizard]

What air pressure are you running? Whats the max printed on the tire? I haven't received my tire yet. I saw on a website that the tire is rated at over 1000 lbs, which I figure is good enough for the Venture! I don't see any motorcycle tires rated at that.

[flb_78]

What air pressure are you running? Whats the max printed on the tire? I haven't received my tire yet. I saw on a website that the tire is rated at over 1000 lbs, which I figure is good enough for the Venture! I don't see any motorcycle tires rated at that.

 

I am running 40psi. That is 5lbs higher then the max, but it handles better. Lowell ran his at 35psi at first, but he now is also running 40psi and likes it better. The tire is rated at 1100lbs, 300 more then any motorcycle tire that will fit the Venture.

[gibvel]

Okay, just to let you know, I know I probably won't change any one's mind, pro or con with this but here's what I did.

 

Everyone here is spouting this and that about what they learned on other forums about car tires on motorcycles. True these people have done it and are satisfied and haven't had any problems that we know of. The one person on here who has some expertise in this field has been poo pooed and "lost credibility". So, why not go to the horses mouth. The people who design and build these things.

 

I wrote to BF Goodrich, Dunlop, Michelin and Bridgestone and asked their opinions on the subject. 3 or the 4 manufacture both car and motorcycle tires, one does not. I would have written to Avon as well but there was no contact information or form on their site.

 

The first to weigh in was Dunlop and here's what the gentleman that wrote back had to say:

 

Mark,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your motorcycle tire

questions. It is considered a bad practice to mount/use a passenger car

tire on a motorcycle. The geometry of a passenger car radial (PCR) rim is

different from that of a motorcycle (M/C) rim. Mounting a PCR tire on a

M/C wheel would increase the chances of bead dislodgement. Typically, a

PCR tire would use three or four compounds while a M/C tire would contain

seven or eight. The M/C tire requires these specialized compounds for its

unique application. Most certainly, the rider would sacrifice wet weather

performance. The biggest risk would be performance at camber. The

relatively flat PCR profile would exhibit poor handling compared to a M/C

tire. The M/C tire profile is specifically designed to provide a large

foot print at all camber angles. Again, the reduced foot print of a PCR

tire at camber will reduce the size of the contact patch and result in

reduced grip. This reduced footprint would be quite dangerous, especially

in wet conditions. There are also a multitude of other performance

criteria that have never been evaluated as it is just too dangerous to

conduct a actual vehicle test. Chances are there would see a substantial

degradation in high speed stability both in straight line and camber with a

PCR tire.

As for the car tire to motorcycle tire comparison, 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

non-speed-rated tires or very low speed rated tires. 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's 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 tend wear out quicker than car tires.

If you were to compare a motorcycle tire against a high-performance car

tire, for a Porsche as an example, this would allow for a much closer

comparison. The power-to-weight ratio and speeds are closer even while

allowing for the much larger contact patch times four (x 4). Tires fitted

to these types of vehicles generally provide 10,000 - 20,000 miles of

service before wear out, much like a motorcycle tire. Throw in the fact

that motorcycle tires can not be rotated and you'll soon see that

motorcycle tires do a yeoman's job of delivering both performance, mileage

and safety.

To obtain the best mileage from motorcycle tires, please 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.

Paul

 

There you have it for what it's worth. I'll submit any other emails I get from the other companies I inquired of.

[dragerman]

That’s a good letter but it seems that his motorcycle comparison is to that of a sport bike. The same rules apply to a cruiser style MC but to less of an extreme. I can’t imagine anyone acting in an official capacity endorsing a PCT on a MC, too much liability. However I still think they can make a better MC tire then they do.

 

PS. Thanks for posting the letter, it will be interesting to see who else replies.

Edited May 30, 2008 by dragerman
PS

[Guest bsreg]

My two cents for what they are worth...

 

I personally chose to purchase and use mc tires for mc. I also purchase the highest quality tires for my 4 wheeled ones as my wallet will allow. I do a lot of miles on the road. I do not like flats and I do not like risking my life more then I need to. Those are my choices...

 

 

I personally feel that using a ct on a mc would be much more dangerous. I have attempted to listen/read with a open mind about it but I come back to the fact that mc tires will corner on their sidewalls... CT have no sidewalls to speak of. I have busted enough side walls out four wheeling on jagged rocks.

 

So for me common sense would dictate even if there are others successfully doing this and harping the praises of it, I still would have to compare it to all those who have successfully played russian roulette and have not died yet.

 

Now granted I am not a tire expert nor claim to be one. I am however a biker for 32 of my 46 years of life. I raised in Knoxville Tn and rode the dragon on a weekly basis when sl was still 55 and I have dragged parts of everything from a Yamaha 360 to Venture and nearly every crotch rocket suzuki made and goldwing from the late 90s up by pushing the extreme of the dragon.. or taking the brushy mnt ride or taking street bike across the short cut called windrock. So one could say I am/was pretty stupid, most in that era stated they felt I had a death wish due to the extremes I went to... yet I still could not see putting a ct on a mc.

[flb_78]

mc tires will corner on their sidewalls... CT have no sidewalls to speak of.

 

Ive never ridden on the sidewall of any tire, unless it was flat. It's funny that my tire is wearing out in the center and the edges still look brand new.

 

You never ride on the sidewalls of any properly inflated tire. A radial tire flexes and keeps most of the contact patch on the ground, even in a turn.

[Tartan Terror]

Give it up guys. No matter how much professional proof you give this guy you wont convince him. You can only hope all this info gets to anyone who think they want to try it but dont know the reality of how wrong the car tire thing is. What is it that Ron White says???

[Jerry W]

Isn't Ron White the guy who is usually pretty well drunked up? That is the guy I am listening to.

[gibvel]

Give it up guys. No matter how much professional proof you give this guy you wont convince him. You can only hope all this info gets to anyone who think they want to try it but dont know the reality of how wrong the car tire thing is. What is it that Ron White says???

 

 

Tartan,

 

I understand, and stated, that these letters will probably not make any difference or change anyones mind. This information is for information purpose only and may help some people, who are on the fence, make up their minds.

 

It's amazing, to me, how some will follow a crowd of those who do something and haven't had any ill effects because they've done it and it "works" and not pay attention to those who actually design, test and market something for a living.

 

 

A radial tire flexes and keeps most of the contact patch on the ground, even in a turn.

 

I'm sorry, I've watched the videos of the car tires on the motorcycles and I totally disagree with this assumption. I don't see any flex. I'll reiterate this... car tires were meant for vehicles of substantially more weight than our motorcycles. So if flex comes into play it will not be to the extent of the flex that the tire was designed for because there is not nearly as much weight on the tire. Secondly, contact patch is a result of how much rubber is actually in contact with the road. On a motorcycle tire there is less tread, more flat smooth tire in contact with the road. All the treads and siping on CT reduce the amount of rubber that comes in contact with the road. My comparison is NASCAR, formula 1 etc. race tires. Total rubber, no tread, no siping just pure flat rubber so they can get as much contact to the road as possible. MC tires are closer to those tires than your average car tire.

 

That's just the way I see things, and the way my logic sees thing. Not trying to say your wrong, not trying to change your mind, that's just how I see it.

 

I will continue to post the responses from those companies that choose to respond to my requests.

 

Again I was looking for and asked for good hard facts as to design and other aspects of tire design and manufacture that would give people cold hard facts to look at as opposed to the "bikers have been doing it for years", "these guys do it all the time and haven't had any problems" type of argument.

[Squeeze]

....

I'm sorry, I've watched the videos of the car tires on the motorcycles and I totally disagree with this assumption. I don't see any flex. I'll reiterate this... car tires were meant for vehicles of substantially more weight than our motorcycles. So if flex comes into play it will not be to the extent of the flex that the tire was designed for because there is not nearly as much weight on the tire. Secondly, contact patch is a result of how much rubber is actually in contact with the road. On a motorcycle tire there is less tread, more flat smooth tire in contact with the road. All the treads and siping on CT reduce the amount of rubber that comes in contact with the road. My comparison is NASCAR, formula 1 etc. race tires. Total rubber, no tread, no siping just pure flat rubber so they can get as much contact to the road as possible. MC tires are closer to those tires than your average car tire.

 

That's just the way I see things, and the way my logic sees thing. Not trying to say your wrong, not trying to change your mind, that's just how I see it.

....

 

I'm really thankful that your going into this and the Way you do it. I for one, i'm with you on your Description of what's happening if your cornering a Bike with a C/T on the rear.

 

Exactly your Description is it, that makes a CT wear in den middle more than on the Shoulders. The middle is the Part where the 'flexing' is happening and because it is used always, going in both left and right Corners, it wears out in the middle first. Under minor lean Angles, the Patch Area which is in Contact with the Road may be slightly bigger than with a M/T, but when you increasing the lean Angle, the smaller the Patch Area gets.

 

I won't get in a heated Discussion about this Issue, but i reiterate my Concerns. A Car Tire on a Motorcycle without Sidecar is NOT a good Idea.

[pegscraper]

Oh no! The sky is falling! Again.

 

Their explanation of why motorcycle tires don't get very good mileage does not hold water.

 

You can theory away all you want to. But the test results are not bearing out the theory. Test results from all kinds of people, on all kinds of bikes, and all kinds of riding conditions, over quite a period of time now. Pretty far from just one isolated incident. A real scientist or engineer, given enough test results that don't fit his theory, will realize that something is wrong with the theory and adjust his theory to fit the test results. He won't continue to propound a theory that doesn't match up with test results.

 

All these theories based no experience have been read and considered and reread ad nauseam. If you don't want to run a CT, then don't. Take your dead horse and go flog it somewhere else.

 

Here's a fun picture. Check out what this old Indian is running - today, not 50 years ago - on the front.

[flb_78]

What is it that Ron White says???

 

Drunk in Public or They call me tater salad.

 

Kinda ironic you bring up Ron White, he was born and raised in Fritch, TX, just 50 miles away from here.

 

http://www.spiralfrog.com/sfimages/covers/pop/cov200/drg100/g131/g13179ffor2.jpg http://www.hotmoviesale.com/dvds/16159/1/Ron-White-They-Call-Me-Tater-Salad.jpg