|
|
Tourer
Posts: 394
Tucson, AZ | Over 50,000 miles on two different bikes, 2000 Valkyrie Tourer and 2008 Vision with no issues, and no it's not because of money! |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 401
| Don07tncav - 2013-11-19 3:47 AM
Darkside on my Valk IS and Standard, darkside on my VTX 1800r and Vision. Well over 100,000 darkside miles one and two up on four different bikes and no flames yet. The VV handles just as well darkside or motorcycle tire.
I have a CT on my bike, and it doesn't handle as well. A MT can turn much easier and just a little faster, but since I live in an area that has almost no twisties, then using a CT makes sense for me. |
|
| |
|
Cruiser
Posts: 207
| I run the CT at 34psi and it handles quite well on twisties. Took the advanced motorcycle course on the VTX and out maneuvered all the Harleys and other cruzers that were there.
Is there a difference? Sure, but to me not enough to go back to a motorcycle tire. On the type of two up long distance riding I do, the CT works out best. I can plug leaks without having to worry, like how it handles under all weather conditions, enjoy twisties on it, the wife is a happy camper with CT because of the smoother ride and the cost of riding is a bit lower. I commute over 100 miles a day on either the VTX or the VV. |
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 1340
Gainesville Fl Home of the Gators | sgiacci - 2013-11-20 7:40 PM
Don07tncav - 2013-11-19 3:47 AM
Darkside on my Valk IS and Standard, darkside on my VTX 1800r and Vision. Well over 100,000 darkside miles one and two up on four different bikes and no flames yet. The VV handles just as well darkside or motorcycle tire.
I have a CT on my bike, and it doesn't handle as well. A MT can turn much easier and just a little faster, but since I live in an area that has almost no twisties, then using a CT makes sense for me.
Most people run the 195 on the rear of a Vision, and IMHO it pretty much sucks for low speed handling, and it takes getting use to in high speeds. I have several customers that run 175 tires, and the CT is invisible to me. Handles, rides, and slow maneuvers as well as the stock tire |
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I can see where a 175 would be closer to the handling of an MT. |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 401
| kevinx - 2013-11-21 10:40 AM
sgiacci - 2013-11-20 7:40 PM
Don07tncav - 2013-11-19 3:47 AM
Darkside on my Valk IS and Standard, darkside on my VTX 1800r and Vision. Well over 100,000 darkside miles one and two up on four different bikes and no flames yet. The VV handles just as well darkside or motorcycle tire.
I have a CT on my bike, and it doesn't handle as well. A MT can turn much easier and just a little faster, but since I live in an area that has almost no twisties, then using a CT makes sense for me.
Most people run the 195 on the rear of a Vision, and IMHO it pretty much sucks for low speed handling, and it takes getting use to in high speeds. I have several customers that run 175 tires, and the CT is invisible to me. Handles, rides, and slow maneuvers as well as the stock tire
I have a 195 on it, and it handles like a fat tire bike. I also agree that low speed handling is a real bitch, and on hard broken surfaces it likes to toss you around like a toy. But my loose gravel driveway is a very different story, at low speed it is solid as a rock. At speed I don't see any difference over a MT. |
|
| |
|
Tourer
Posts: 401
| Don07tncav - 2013-11-20 7:57 PM
I run the CT at 34psi and it handles quite well on twisties. Took the advanced motorcycle course on the VTX and out maneuvered all the Harleys and other cruzers that were there.
Is there a difference? Sure, but to me not enough to go back to a motorcycle tire. On the type of two up long distance riding I do, the CT works out best. I can plug leaks without having to worry, like how it handles under all weather conditions, enjoy twisties on it, the wife is a happy camper with CT because of the smoother ride and the cost of riding is a bit lower. I commute over 100 miles a day on either the VTX or the VV.
Don't confuse my statement that handling is related to its ability to take a turn. If anything a CT provides great traction in any hard corner, as well as great rain performance. It just doesn't do it as easily or as quickly.
I wouldn't compare your performance at an MSF course to other riders as an example of how good the tire is, but really at your ability to manage your bike better than they were. There is no way I would get a high performance sport bike and put a CT on the back with the expectation of being competitive.
With that said, a CT does what I need it to do; smooth straight line running, good rain performance, and long life.
Edited by sgiacci 2013-11-21 12:28 PM
|
|
| |
|
Cruiser
Posts: 207
| I didn't confuse your statement Steven G. Just throwing my two cents out there too. Some folks like the darkside, some don't. Like you, the CT does what I need too. |
|
| |
|
Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | kevinx - 2013-11-18 1:57 PM
......and all this time I thought the Darkside was what happened when you hit the horn at night; while riding an English bike. with Lucas electronics
Made me laugh! 
Darksiding in the motorcycle world means putting a car tire on a motorcycle. Darksiding in the LBC world (Little British Cars) means putting a good ol' American V8 in a little british car. Carroll Shelby had some luck doing that with the AC ACE (Shelby Cobra). These days, it's fairly popular to put V8s in MGBs, which I'm in the process of doing.
Still have to do something about those Lucas electronics.................
Ronnie |
|
| |
|
Iron Butt
Posts: 825
, WI | I started to plan the Key West, FL to Prudhoe Bay, AK trip in July of 2011.
One concern for that trip was having a tire that would last more than 11,000 miles and be able to do interstate, two-lane mountain roads and almost 800 miles of gravel road. It would also need to have good wet weather traction and be repairable.
The answer was using a 195/55R16 Dunlop Winter Sport run flat snow tire. I completed that trip in 2012 and also did a two day 1000 mile trip around Lake Michigan with my wife and also rode to Spirit Lake, IA.
That tire worked so well that I installed another new Winter Sport in 2013 and rode to Mount Evans, Death Valley, Independence Pass and Pikes Peak in June and then in July did a 4600 mile trip with my wife to Nova Scotia, including a ride around the Cabot Trial and then in September I did a one day 1000+ mile ride around Wisconsin.
Next year - The weakness on the Alaska trip was the front tire so for 2014 I'm going "Double-Darkside". On the rear will be another Dunlop Winter Sport and on the front will be a dual-sport rear tire. I'm planning a short trip that will have some extremes. I can't wait!! |
|
| |
|
Iron Butt
Posts: 752
Broken Arrow, OK | We'll look forward to hearing about your next adventure Steve!
I've been running a Dunlop Wintersport DSST 3D ROF in the 175/60/16 size. Because I have a hitch doc trailer hitch installed, this is the car tire size of choice for clearance. As Kevin said, it's also the tire size most closely replicating the characteristics of a stock MC tire with the bonus of run flat technology + 82H load rating.
Unfortunately, Dunlop discontinued this size in the US online markets earlier this year and they've been available only in Europe. But fear not, I just received 2 of them last week from a Mini Cooper dealership in New Jersey.
I also know another Vision rider that called a Mini Cooper dealership on the west coast, close to his home, who said he can have this tire in 4-5 business days.
Those of us who've run the 175 Dunlop Wintersport Runflat know what a great ride this tire provides on the Vision and I wanted to pass along that it can still be found through Mini Cooper dealers. |
|
| |
ok, I give...
