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thebighop

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  1. thebighop
    I have over 9000 miles on mine, and there is no noticeable wear... I am curious as to how many are running CT's on their Ventures too.... Last spring, there were only a couple of us here that had converted to the Darkside. I see the ranks growing, ever so slowly, but growing none the less. Aside from a couple of riders that have tried it, and didn't like it...for whatever reasons, I haven't heard of anyone having any problems. I have pulled into a rally or two, where people have noticed the BF Goodrich T/A Radial on my Venture, and they tell me it won't work... I just grin and ask...'how do you think I got here?'
  2. thebighop
    For the record... What I should have written is.... the OEM sized tire I took off the front this past spring is a 150/80/16 E3 and it also has raised lettering saying for "rear wheel use only".... But I am not looking to argue about it.
  3. thebighop
    Fact...the E3 on the front of my Venture has raised letters that say for "rear wheel use only"...and it is a 130/90/16...which is smaller than the OEM 150/80/16 that came with the bike and which is the factory recommended replacement size as per my owners manual... Fact...the OEM tire I took off the front this past spring is a 150/80/16 E3 and it also has raised lettering saying for "rear wheel use only" Fact....I stated that most are listed as rears...including Dunlops...I did not all all are listed as such. Obviously, Dunlop lists them as both... I deal with OEM car rims on a daily basis...as a service rep for several rim manufactures, and I can safely say that if you are checking in the thousandths for rim dimensions , you will find variances....they will fall with-in a standard dimension that any tire can fit, providing it is the proper diameter and width. But in re-reading your original post...I note that the warning is to not use an MT on a car rim.... I am guessing here, but I believe what they are warning about is....a car rim is wider than a motorcycle rim, so a MT may not span the width of a car rim. A CT mounted on a narrower motorcycle rim, would easily fit, once past the bead. Fact...a stock rim on the rear of a Venture is 4 inches wide, and the narrowest 15 inch car rims I know of are 6 inches wide. Let me clarify that...I said the "narrowest 15 inch car rims I know of "...that means there are probably some that are narrower...I just don't know of them. I will look into the dimensions for the car rims..as I have access to the manufacturers specs...and I will see if I can pull up some motorcycle rim specs as well. Sorry dude...I didn't mean to get your hackles up like that...
  4. thebighop
    I have stated this in the past.. Having worked with engineers and company reps for most of my career at General Motors and Delphi...I believe I can say quite confidently, that no engineer, or company rep, is going to say a damned thing, about using their products, on anything, but that which they expressly developed for , out of fear of liability. I run a rear on the front of my Venture...anyone that runs a OEM sized tire on the front of their Venture does likewise.... Now, there are some manufactuares that list them as fronts, but the majority...Dunlop included as I recall, list the 150/80/16 as a rear As for comparing the rims of a Venture to an automobile...you would have to look at nearly every manufacturer of auto rims, as they all have some design differences... I have ran CT's on my bikes since the late 60's, when I picked up the practice from some old timers that could never find a decent MT for their Harleys and Indians.... I have never had any problems using CT's, and that goes all the way back to the days when tires weren't anywhere near as good as todays tires... The biggest difference was we didn't have all the pavement we have today and we rode on a lot of dirt roads back then... I think Peg settled the arguement a few posts back, when he said... "I really question Dunlop's statement though. There are too many of us around doing this."
  5. thebighop
    I went from 40-43mpg with the MT's, to 47-50mpg with the CT.... That's at running speeds of 55-65mph...I get a couple mpg variance over a 10 mph range. When I get up over 65..it heads down hill. At 70mph...I get about 44-45, over 80 mph and it goes down to 38-40. It depends on the weather, traffic, and road condition. On a hot day in moderate traffic on fairly flat roads...the mileage is usually lower...On a cooler day under the same traffic and road conditions...there a couple mpg improvement. I don't care what you put on the rear...if you hot rod...you'll get lousy mileage. It is a carburetor, V-4 ya know...
  6. thebighop
    I ran my BFG at 45lbs for the first 1500 miles , but run 32-33lbs now and ride 2 up on every surface you can ride on in Michigan including sand and it handles great.. I get a bit of wobble now and then...especially if I am leaning hard in a rain grooved curve on the super slab pushing 90mph....otherwise the tire tracks pretty normally. It tries to follow the grooves and ridges somewhat...but you have to remember who's in charge here...I am! It's only a matter of getting past that fear that you are going to crash and burn in a huge ball of flame. Once you experience the sensation that you are losing control and get past it at few times. you'll calm down and ride with confidence... Just don't do anything bone headed like swerving around traffic cones at 100mph or taking 30mph curves at 80mph and you won't have any problem. Like they say... Don't bring no trouble, and there won't be no trouble....
  7. thebighop
    Sorry it's taking me so long to reply...I am in the middle of a divorce and spend most days at my girl friends house.... I used one of those spares on one of my cars and it lasted about 75 miles before it came apart... It literally disintegrated... As I recall, it was somewhat like a solid rubber tire. There was a hollow core but it wasn't inflatable. I suspect the center was hollow to allow it to be flexible enough to steer with if it was used on the front... I am not too sure that I would want to try it on a motorcycle.... I totally agree with you, that someone else should try it first...
  8. thebighop
    If you are referring to the compact spare tire available in most newer cars...stay away from them. They are not meant to be used on a continuous basis, and never over 55mph. Other wise I am not sure what you mean by an emergency tire.... That name a lone sounds threatening, and would make me think twice about using one.
  9. thebighop
    I like the looks of the Continetal.... My only concern is the profile... In comparing a 155/80 to a 155/60 both in 15 inch dia. there are notable differences, that while they may not seem like much...they will make huge differences in more than just tire performance... See chart below for reference... The overall diameter changes from 24.76in. to 22.33in., Sidewall height changes from 4.88in to 3.66in, Radius changes from 12.38in to 11.16in, Circumference changes from 77.78in to 70.12, and (really important) Revolutions changes from 840 per mile to 931.8 per mile ( your engine will run at a higher RPM, and probably use more fuel as a result Don't take me wrong...I like that tire and would love to try it...but you have to look at all aspects of the tires you chose before you change it out... That size tire will make the bike sit about an inch or so lower at the rear end...which will change the way the front end feels and handles... Your speedo will become a cool looking ornament, because it will no longer be even close to accurate... I am running BFG T/A Radial 155/80 and the difference between the 80 and stock or OEM 90 is, I sit a tad lower, and I hear my engine running a bit harder.... I really like the looks of the Cnti in the 60 profile...it would be way cool on a Venture...if only we could find front tires to match the look... Stock Tire >Search Tires Tire 1 - 155/80R15 >Search Tires Tire 2 - 155/60R15 >Search Tires Section Width: - - Section Width: 6.10 in 155 mm Section Width: 6.10 in 155 mm Rim Diameter: - - Rim Diameter: 15 in 381 mm Rim Diameter: 15 in 381 mm Rim Width Range: Rim Width Range: 4.5 - 5.5 in Rim Width Range: Unrecognized tire size. Overall Diameter: - - Overall Diameter: 24.76 in 628.90 mm Overall Diameter: 22.32 in 566.92 mm Sidewall Height: - - Sidewall Height: 4.88 in 123.95 mm Sidewall Height: 3.66 in 92.964 mm Radius: - - Radius: 12.38 in 314.45 mm Radius: 11.16 in 283.46 mm Circumference: - - Circumference: 77.78 in 1975.6 mm Circumference: 70.12 in 1781.0 mm Revs per Mile: - Revs per Mile: 840.0 Revs per Mile: 931.8
  10. thebighop
    I am running a BF Goodrich T/A Radial 155/80 R15....It has a slightly lower overall height. The width is pretty close to the 150/90 Elite III I took off the bike when I went to the "Dark Side" (that sounds so evil...LOL), the main difference, in reference to the width, is I have gained maybe, 3 or 4 times the foot print, so there is much better traction. The width being measured at the widest spot on the tire which would be the side walls on the CT and the edge of the tread on the MT. In starting, stopping , curves, and rain, I have found the CT to be much more capable than the MT's I have used in the past...bar none. I am not entirely new to the use of MT's on a motorcycle...I owned a 54 Harley Hydra Glide back in the early 70's, and ran VW bus tires, because MT's weren't readily available back then. Todays tires are a far cry from the tires of the 70's...they are engineered and built much better today. Back then we didn't have options, and you learned to hang on tight and muscle the bike through twisties... Also back then, the Dragons Tail wasn't something we'd plan a vacation around, so tires were looked at more as something we needed to have in order to ride, and not so much for performance. Currently I have around 5000 miles on this tire. The only thing I have really noticed about it's performance since I found my sweet spot is, there is a very distinct difference in the 'feel' of the tire in cool and hot weather....The cooler the temps, the firmer the tire feels, the hotter it gets (air temp) the softer it feels...But, it doesn't change the handling. I can feel a slight wobble in some but not all curves in 80 degree weather, and I can feel the rain grooves trying to guide the tire on hot days...cooler days gives a more responsive feel and doesn't feel like it is trying to correct itself in the rain grooves. Those comparisons are chiefly expressway experiences, the majority of my riding is secondary roads which tend to be cooler due to less traffic and seldom have grooves...I have no problem with handling on these type roads regardless of temps...oh and it does gravel and sand roads 1000 times better than the MT's ever thought of doing... I have had to make a couple panic stops , where one of the vehicularly challenged has pulled out in front of me, the CT , having more surface traction, made those stops with no problem. I have gone into curves a little hot and really had to lean into them to stay on the road and the CT held firm and didn't kick out from under me...in fact I had one incident where the front MT broke loose for a second, scared the crap outta me, but the rear CT held on and brought it back under control... Is a CT for everyone? I have to say it could be...but you'd have to understand going in that it is gonna feel different and it takes a minute to get used to it...after the second or third time rolling with it, you won't notice it, unless you are purposely looking to fault the tire....
  11. thebighop
    If you want some more info on which tires are working and those that we highly recommend that you stay away from...go to this site and read up on the subject... http://forums.delphiforums.com/DarkSiding/messages/?start=Start+Reading+%3E%3E (the first page will probably be a promotion, page, just go to bottom and click skip, and it will open the Dark Side Delphi forum) There are hundreds of examples and first hand experience in there...
  12. thebighop
    I might just have to agree with that notion...seeing as how I worked with engineers for some 32 years before retiring, and on more than one occasion was able to point out flaws in their engineering skills. I don't claim to be an authority on car tires and the engineering there of, but I am well versed on first hand experience...and thus far, the experience has been nothing short of grand... I can think of several products on the market that are used for a purpose other than what they were engineered for.... Could it be possible that a car tire, while engineered for the exclusive use on an automobile, could also work even better on a motorcycle? The possibilities are endless.. And what about something like the Boss Hoss? The motor was engineered to power an automobile, but it found it's way into a motorcycle frame. Should it labeled as unsafe along with the use of a CT, because the appliances were engineered for something else? I can understand if you are reluctant to run a CT...I go through a similar thought process when it comes to okra...I hate it, but I have never tasted it....so I don't recommend eating it to anyone. Who knows, a CT on your bike and my mouth full of okra might just change the opinion of the world on those two subjects...
  13. thebighop
    I have seen several videos that have the camera mounted so as to record the action right where the rubber meets the road... The vids show the tire going through it's paces, and nowhere have I seen where the tire is being ridden on it's side. Most CT's have a tread pattern the wraps around the 'edges' of the tire. When in motion, the sidewalls flex enough to allow the tire to stay on it footprint, and never go beyond the edge of the tread. Most MT's are harder and don't have the sidewall flex a CT does, so it has no choice but to roll on it's sides. I can lay my RSV over and scrape the pegs and the CT never comes close to losing it's grip, where as trying the same amount of lean with EliteIII's or Metzlers, they broke loose and slid on me.... Actually, as Greg points out, CT's are designed to be ridden somewhat on the sides, because there is no way to keep them flat footed in a high speed curve of sharp cornering maneuver.. I know that some of the things we say about how the CT's handle are unbelievable...but I don't need to make up stories to convince anyone...all you need to do is follow someone with a CT and see for yourself...
  14. thebighop
    I did, and it was scary at times... When I first installed the CT I ran 36 lbs and it was like riding on jello...I went to 45 lbs and it made it feel firmer, but still wobbled at 80mph pretty bad... A friend rode behind me on the expressway one day and said the tire kept doing a wave motion..The bike appeared pretty stable but the tire was constantly trying to correct itself on the rain grooves and ridges... I ran maybe 1400 miles before I had a good opportunity to start trying some lower pressures, and when I finally tried it, I hit on 34.5 lbs and it feels great. What's that saying? Well, I guess you really need a long break-in period, for starters... I always babied my MT's for the first 300 miles, before I really rode hard on them, and that's what I thought a CT should be like, except maybe a little longer because of the extra tire surface being used with the CT.... I suggest a good 500-800 miles of break-in...My Opinion...but if you are experiencing wobble, try going up another 5lbs and run it for a while then drop back to 36 and start feeling around for the sweet spot....
  15. thebighop
    Not a problem Don... I will refrain from any sarcasms, and even edit my post to bring it in line with your wishes... Steve
  16. thebighop
    Yesterday I hit the back roads heading north in Michigan, 2 up and traveled every type of road you'd expect to find here...including wash board dirt/gravel/sand roads...just under 600 miles in about 15 hours. I am happy to report that by using a CT, specifically, a BF Goodrich T/A Radial...I had a great day of riding... We hit some rain, and I am talking intense rain, where I could only see the white line a few feet ahead of me, and the tire performed flawlessly... The sun was beating down on the road bed, at about 91-95 degrees, except for the periods of rain and when riding along the shore line of Lake Huron, and Lake Michigan, where the temps dropped nearly 20 degrees. The tire didn't seem to mind the continuously changing environments in the least.... I am more convinced than ever, considering my ride style, and penchant for long distance riding...that I'll never go back to a MT and it's limited cornering abilities and low mileage lifetime.... I had been concerned about how the tire would handle at speeds above 70-80mph, which is where I usually cruise. I came up on a group of three vehicles, that were doing maybe 45mph, and as soon as I had a shot, I passed them, I hit a smidgen over 100 as I cleared the group and eased back into my lane... I was totally freakin out, but to my utter relief and great satisfaction, the tire did it's job and never even blinked.... The center line on most of the secondary roads in northern Michigan have warning slots cut across it , to alert drivers that they are wandering into oncoming traffic, I was a little worried at first the tire would react violently when it crossed them at 100 mph, but it didn't complain...not once. I had similar results on the rain grooves too...the tire tracked as well if not much better than any MT I have used.... I would have to do some cipherin' to be sure, but I am guessing I have around 3000 miles on it now...maybe a little over, the tire shows no wear and is still pegged at 34.5psi. I feel compelled to include this disclaimer: "Warning : The use of a CT on your motorcycle may cause you to buy more chrome for your motorcycle, with the money saved on tires.":cool10:
  17. thebighop
    I have some major cracking in my 1st Gen trunk and used a liquid plastic polymer that is used to repair Corvette bodies...I found it at a auto body supply outlet..it's a bit pricey, but worked better than anything I had tried before that...
  18. thebighop
    I respectfully disagree with your last comment...at least in relation to a 2nd Gen without a side car... I installed the leveling links which raise the rear end of the bike approx. 3/4 of an inch. The result is a lighter feeling front end and loss of the top heavy feeling, due to the change in rake...It is minor to say the least, but had a huge impact on the handling, especially in slow maneuvers like parking. I don't know how much having a side car changes all that, but I do know that regardless of side car or not..changing to a V-Max rim is going to drop your rear end by .66 inches, based on using a 155/80 R15 BF Goodrich T/A Radial, and that is going to change your rake, maybe not so you notice with the side care, but without it, it would be a considerable difference.
  19. thebighop
    If I remember correctly , my 85 Venture ran a 140/90 16 rear.... and the comparable (85)V-Max was a 150/90 15 (I am pretty sure anyway)... Running the Max rim will change a lot more than just the tire size you can use. You will be changing the entire attitude of the bike and that could have a lot of effect on handling...I can't say if it will be good or bad...but you'll change the rake or angle that the forks will align to the profile of the bike, because you will force the rear end to sit lower by however much smaller the Max rim and tire are compared to the Venture rim and tire...Like I said, that may result in a difference in handling....I just don't know if it will be good or bad....but probably worth finding out about.... My first concern would be width of the CT on a V-Max rim you are thinking of running... Since the First Gen ran a narrower tire than the V-Max, I have to believe that the clearances under the First Gen fender would be narrower as well.... The best thing to do here, would be pull your rear off the the First Gen and do some measuring... I have a BF Goodrich T/A Radial on my 99 RSV, and I have a good half inch clearance on either side, measuring in the tightest area, (shaft to tire). Keep in mind the second Gens run the same size rim as the V-Max, so clearances would be appropriate to accommodate same..... I am guessing that a quarter inch of clearance will be sufficient, depending on the loads you'll carry and the air pressure you'll run... I can give you some measurements from my tire/rim if it will help you decide the way to go...since you'd be going to that approx size anyway if you use a V-Max rim.... Lemme know if you want to measurments
  20. thebighop
    I had an 83 that did that exact sort of thing...turned out to be the kick stand switch....if I am remembering correctly it was just loose enuff to vibrate to a position that allowed it to complete the circuit and shut the motor off, I would pull over drop the kick stand and that would move the switch back just enuff to allow it to start but once I was rolling again...it would vibrate back to an open position... It's worth a look see...
  21. thebighop
    I haven't posted as much here as I have on another site in Delphi (Dark side) about my experiences with the CT... But to clear it up...when you first install a CT the mold release agent will make the tire squirm a bit...much the same as an MT but since you have so much more foot print with the CT it is going to be more pronounced...thus the reason for a longer break in period. A MT has a scant foot print, as witnessed by running it thru water and looking at the trail left behind on dry pavement...now do likewise with a CT and you'll see a huge difference.... At 35lbs, I didn't feel like it was stable...but keep in mind I also put a 130/80 on the front at the same time as the CT on the back so the handling was way different to begin with regardless of what the CT was gonna do, plus I installed leveling links to raise the rear end at the same time, again changing the rake, and the handling and over all feel of the bike...so it wasn't just the tre that I had concerns about... Not to mention I was extremely tense while testing the tire...due to my fear of dying in a fiery crash...I was so tense you couldn't have shoved a knitting needle up my ass with a sledge hammer, and that had an effect on how the bike handled...I wouldn't allow the bike to run it's course and was constantly trying to force it in to the groove... I ran my tire up to 45lbs where I felt the side walls were a bit stiffer feeling, and because of my wife being hospitalized I didn't really have time to mess with it...it got me from point A to point B with out me dying in a fiery crash, so no big deal. When I did get a chance to adjust the air and take it down to 34.5 (which is where I landed by chance...I was aiming at 35) the tire was well broken in and now runs like any normal MT would feel...except, I don't lose traction in tight fast curves, I have far better control in the rain, and now I won't be changing tires in mid July like I always have in the past.... But understand that I respect your opinion...I just want to be sure you understand the facts and details of my experience... Is this for everyone...without a doubt pretty much anyone could adapt to it, but I know as well as you, a lot of folks just won't try, so no..it's not for everyone...but I found out a long time ago, riding my old Harleys, that CT's are as safe as any MT, so I have no problem using them myself... Having had a few MT's blow apart and fail miserably at mileage...I was more than willing to 'risk my life' on a CT...No difference than wrecking on a MT, which we already know are not of the quality that their price would indicate... If you don't wanna do it...no biggie...
  22. thebighop
    Keep us posted on this..if you go to a front radial...I have been thinking about that move myself...but at present my 130/80 Elite III is doing what I want very well.... Once I got my sweet spot on, everything else just went away...but I am still curious about the front radial, but more so for the mileage side of the idear....
  23. thebighop
    Great looking tire and bike Peg... I wanna hear all about how it's working out...
  24. thebighop
    I'll kick this off, and we'll see where it lands... I ran CT's front and back on my 54 Harley Hydra Glide. I cornered like a tank, but back then we weren't into the Dragons Tail attitude...and the bikes and riders weren't really cut out for that anyway....not like riders and their machines are today... I wasn't too concerned with dragging my floor boards...still ain't into it, but I never had a problem with the CT on the front of that bike... I don't know how a RSV would do with one...for starters, I am not too sure you'd find a narrow enuff 16 inch tire to really make using a CT on the front practical...But I really don't see any reason why it wouldn't work and last for 40K miles if you could find one that fit the criteria.... BTW...I would take my RSV with the CT on the back nose to nose with any RSV running a MT through the twisties and prove that mine either paced as well or even better through them...I have never been able to lay the bike over as far with an MT as I can now with a CT...it's just freakin wild, how much better the bike corners and takes tight curves with the CT...
  25. thebighop
    For the purpose of this particular forum...it is someone that runs a CT... I have been riding Ventures since 1983, and when I bought my 99 I didn't think I was entering the DarkSide...I thought I was stepping up.... But then I loved both generations equally, for what each offers.... I don't play 1st and 2nd...I ride...on a CT...period.
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