Considering of going to the Dark Side....
 

No, I'm not getting an HD!

My bike turned 13k miles Friday and it became more than apparent I'm in need of new tires. I'm considering of putting a car tire on the rear of my 2010 Victory. Loads of folks on Gold Wings and BMW's have gone this route and swear by it. I also know that there is a very vocal segment against it. I'm not looking to argue the good and bad of it, I'm just curious if anyone here has done it and what your thoughts are.

If you aren't on the twisties all the time and you mostly cruise up and down the highway, go for it. Once I get my mounts for side car in I am going to a shouldered tire.

:D

http://i.imgur.com/wbYyO.jpg

what's the reasoning against car tires on motorcycles?

IIRC a big argument about contact patch when cornering.

The best you can do is try it for yourself,some like it and never come back,others hate them.
I have a triumph rocket and if I ever plan to do a cross continental ride,I would probably consider it with the dark side being 1/3 the cost of the MC tyre.

There is some impressive videos on youtube of riders going through the twisties on car tyres.

There are way too many videos regarding CT's on the twisties. All of them disprove the "lack of contact patch" argument.



As usual I've been reading too much about it and am looking for an honest opinion from folks I trust.

FWIW, it it were me, and I was riding any twisties at all, or in incliment weather of any sorts... I would stick to MC tire. For side car setup where the machine does not lean, or super slab, car tire is just fine... but my way of thinking is that really good rubber is the best protection you can get for a motorcycle, and I don't cheap out. They build them like they do for a reason.

I think the CT does have an effect as the bike leans up onto the edge of the tyre,but most seem to get used to it.
Another thing I like about it,is that the rear wheel gets better traction when braking(and accelerating).

Which model Victory? They just opened a dealership in west oz about a year a go and my brother bought a Hammer S.He is quite happy with ,he reckons it was much better value over the HD.

I went with the Cross Roads with the detachable windshield. I wasn't ready for the Cross Country with a full fairing and I still enjoy eating the occasional bug. Since I ride 2 up often, the huge saddle bags were a nice feature as well. I had the dealer add a heel/toe shifter and a passenger back rest and I was all set. Since then I've added new grips, passenger floor boards, and a small speaker set up. It's the most capable cruiser I've ever ridden.

Those Hammer's are brutes! 100+ hp and torque make it a hard to beat bike. The only known issues with Vic were the bad tranny's they made in the late 90's.

Who's your bottom?

Phil, what kind of rider are you? Meaning, do you really spend that much time laying the bike over?
I have harley buddies that will try their best to keep up with the sport bikes, and for them I can't see a car tire being a good idea. But if you are more mellow and tend not to push a bike in the corners, It certainly looks to be a good option.

Course, that is coming from a dirt guy that tries to make knobbies turn corners...

cheap out on the only part of the bike that touches the road. doesn't sound terribly wise.

I'm certainly not an overly aggressive rider, if I was I'd be riding a B-King or 'Busa. Remember I'm in the Midwest and curves aren't a huge issue here. As far as the "cheap" comment, why would even a cheap MC tires cost as much or more and last half the mileage of a car tire? I'm not being cheap regarding this. I want something that's going to last and give me more peace of mind.
Michelan introduced the Commander 2 tire which is supposed to last close to 20k miles but sizes are limited right now.

Car tires are produced in much larger batches, so they have economies of scale. Motorcycle tires use softer rubbers for better grip, and quick accelerations and more lateral force in turns probably scuffs more rubber off a motorcycle tire than a car tire. :meh:

I haven't ridden a bike with a car tire. I do know that car tires were not engineered to perform at their best when leaning over, on a wet road. I am very skeptical.

If you are still undecided, perhaps go over to ADVRider and poke around or start a thread. Certainly a lot more accumulated knowledge there, and this is the kind of answer you don't want to get wrong.

I've read way too much info regarding Car tires on large cruisers. I can understand the arguments against it, but millions of miles ridden along with video evidence refutes every argument. I still have a couple of concerns with a CT on a bike, but I think those would be addressed by just going ahead and riding it for a few hundred miles over a long weekend. If my concerns are justified then I can always go back to a regular bike tire and sell the car tire on Craigslist. It's not like I'm permanently modifying my bike.

Sounds like a plan. Bet it will work just fine for you. I would never, but I ride differently and a more sporty bike. I live for fast twisties and need all the grip I can get. For mild riding, don't see why it wouldn't work for you. Sure would be cheaper.

regardless of what type of riding one is doing, it's not a matter of if but when you're going to run into an emergency braking/cornering situation. that's when the extra $$ for good tires is going to pay off, right when you need them to perform the most. personally, that would give me far more "peace of mind".

I think of motorcycles like airplanes - the smallest detail gone wrong can kill you.
Putting a tire on a bike that was engineered for a car is a large detail.
If you do this and seek "peace of mind" --- buy life insurance.