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Cruiser
Posts: 258
Akron, Ohio | Well I have read most of the posts here and also on the Darkside Forum and today I pulled the trigger and mounted up a Bridgestone Potenza G019 195 55 16 Tire. I didn't get to take a ride on it yet, but am planning to go this Saturday. I am starting out with the pressure at 38 and go from there. I was planning to get new tires this winter any way and found the tire on E-Bay for under $70 shipped. The tire shop down the street from me said they had never mounted a car tire on a motorcycle rim before but they would give it a try. Mounted like a champ and they also ballanced it for a total of $20 including disposal of the old tire!! Which I found out had a nail in it!!
After I give it a good ride Saturday, I'll post my opinion good or bad, I really will try to be as honest as I can in the review. Next summer my brother and I are planning a trip the length of the Blue Ridge Parkway and taking in the Tail of the Dragon. To me this will be the true test if I like the tire or not. I have been to the Dragon twice before but not on the VV.
Just as a side note, it is amazing how flat the center of the old tire was, I could stand it up and it did not try to fall over. You got to love Northern Ohio roads, flat and straight. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | i went dark recently and most of the time i forget i went dark! i say most because alot of the time i get people that say , Is that a car tire on your motorcycle? Then i remember Oh yeah thats right ! LOL |
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Cruiser
Posts: 101
Cold Lake Alberta Canada | I went Dark Side back in July and I too forget that there is a different tire on the back. I used the same tire as handyhiker. Ive been to the Rockies and the Praries, never had a problem. Wait till you try it in the rain, major improvement over a stock tire, I noticed that braking is improved as well. I'm 6 foot 280lbs and run the tire at 32psi. Wait for the highway cruising ride it's awsome.
Welcome to the Dark Side
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Cruiser
Posts: 258
Akron, Ohio | Jim Millington - 2010-10-12 7:32 PM
I'm 6 foot 280lbs and run the tire at 32psi. Wait for the highway cruising ride it's awsome.
Welcome to the Dark Side
I had read where under 34 psi makes the bike feel soft in the back, do you think that 38 is too much pressure? Just trying to get some feed back on pressure settings. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 215
orrick, mo | I'm 240 and i'm running 34psi. with the same tire your using. Have just over 17000 miles on it.
I like the highway feel on it but Love the twisties with it also. Enjoy the Darkside!
The tire got some great hook to it. I've pulled several wheelies with it. Something I never did with the mt.  |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 623
| you darksiders...stay off the twisties, your gonna make the vision look bad!!
ride safe! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 258
Akron, Ohio | jeffmack - 2010-10-13 1:56 PM
... your gonna make the vision look bad!!
ride safe!
I don't think this can be done!!! :-) |
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Tourer
Posts: 576
, IA | Any darksiders out there pull a trailer |
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Central Wisconsin | sonicbluerider - 2010-10-13 5:11 PM Any darksiders out there pull a trailer 
Yes, last month went from Wisconsin-Tennessee/North Carolina-Wisconsin without any issues. 
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Cruiser
Posts: 215
orrick, mo | Trust me the ct does just as good as mt in the twisties. I've rubbed floorboards at 70 around corners on Push mountain road and have the pics to prove it check out my gallery pics. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 258
Akron, Ohio | Here are my first impressions with the CT on.
First I tried with 32 PSI, the bike really likes straight riding. It centers itself quickly. Turns are not a problem, but do require more work.
Then I tried 35 PSI. The bike now feels much better to me. Still SLIGHTLY more effort on turns, but could easly forget I have a CT on the back.
I will say that the back end is smoother over bumps. This is very noticable!
I will take a longer ride tomarrow, but todays ride was 20 or so miles and from what I felt, I am happy with the CT. I plan on playing with the pressure more tomarrow, but I think I am going to like this DARK SIDE thing!! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 102
Parkersburg WV | Hi Guys, Ive only had my 09 vision for 2 months but I have a question that may not have come up yet. I see the pic of Thomas's bike and notice that he has different rims than I do. I have the polished wheels with the rounded edges. Do you think it matters whitch rims you have ?
Thanks, Bob |
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Central Wisconsin |
azllerbob - 2010-10-15 7:18 PM Hi Guys, Ive only had my 09 vision for 2 months but I have a question that may not have come up yet. I see the pic of Thomas's bike and notice that he has different rims than I do. I have the polished wheels with the rounded edges. Do you think it matters whitch rims you have ? Thanks, Bob Hi Bob, I'm thinking you'll be okay because the factory mounted the E3's on both our bikes with that said the seating surface on our rims should be similar or the same. Thomas 
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Iron Butt
Posts: 741
Central New York | Thank-you for the "proof" pic. After reading some of the post on "darkside" I was giving it some consideration. After download your "proof" pic and blowing it up 800% I was able to see the tire/road contact of your darkside. Now I am again convinced that car tires belong on cars where they are not forced to bear all the weight on the outside 5% of the tire belt. Maybe they "feel" just fine but your are literally riding on the edge of darkside. And I would also venture to say after seeing that pic that darkside puts you on the downside of liability. I really hope that anyone considering darkside will first take a moment to download and blow up that pic and see for themselves the edge they are staking they're lives on. To each, they're own. Just do your own research.
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Iron Butt
Posts: 741
Central New York | Cropped
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I'm with you g, but I don't think you'll win over an arguement with the darksiders. I've given serious consideration to going darkside and I'm a perfect candidate putting on at least two rear tires a year. Without ever trying the darkside I have gathered the evidence I need to rule in my decision; it gives a different ride, which to me would be anti-Vision.
This pic may prove something to darksiders, but it proves something else to me, though it is not based off your weigh bearing comment. To my knowledge, there is little or no weight on the liability argument either, but again, I don't need any of those to convince me. |
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Central Wisconsin | glighto11 - 2010-10-15 9:05 PM Thank-you for the "proof" pic. After reading some of the post on "darkside" I was giving it some consideration. After download your "proof" pic and blowing it up 800% I was able to see the tire/road contact of your darkside. Now I am again convinced that car tires belong on cars where they are not forced to bear all the weight on the outside 5% of the tire belt. Maybe they "feel" just fine but your are literally riding on the edge of darkside. And I would also venture to say after seeing that pic that darkside puts you on the downside of liability. ...
I would suggest that you stay with a motorcycle tire so you can have 6% tire contact in the turns and stay on the upside of liability.
Edited by Thomas 2010-10-15 9:55 PM
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Tourer
Posts: 412
Fargo, ND |
I've been darkside for quite some time...It's a 'great life'
Here's a photo of my car tired Vision. I couldn't find car tires to fit my trailer or I'd put them on that also.
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Central Wisconsin | John you have a nice looking set up. Did you black out the brushed aluminum yourself? Looks like the two front grill trim pieces is flat black and your windshield access panel is black power coated? |
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Tourer
Posts: 412
Fargo, ND |
Thank you...Everything you can see was powder coated. The panel on the rear between the exhaust (which you can't see) was 'rattle canned' by me. That even looks OK from 30 or 40 yards away!
:-)
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | definitely a nice rig. I'm curious on the trailer tires, though it is a wider stance creating a little more drag, it seems it would offer more stability on the road, who makes the trailer? |
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Tourer
Posts: 412
Fargo, ND |
Here's 'my take' on pulling a trailer with your motorcycle for those that have never done it.
To me the bottom line is this...
If I am one-up, I normally remove my trunk and hook my trailer on. You get rid of sooo much 'high weight' without your trunk, back seat and saddle bags packed full of stuff. When I travel my saddle bags are pretty much empty, except for the easy access stuff, which includes my hat, camera, rain suit, etc. The 150 - 200 lbs. of 'high weight' (up by your waist or shoulders) goes in the tailer and becomes 25 - 30 lbs. of 'low weight' (same height as the axle of your bike) when you hook the trailer to your bike. You will not believe the difference in the way your bike handles without all that weight on the bike and especially up high. The difference is more pronounced with a rider. If my wife goes along, the trunk goes back on, however, I still pack the same way getting the weight in the trailer. (she doesn't like it much in there so I'm thinking about cutting in a window for her) :-) I've had many trailers and will say this 'Road Dog' is a fantastic trailer. It tucks in behind the bike and you do not even know it is there. BTW, I am in no way associated with Road Dog Trailers...just a happy user.
http://www.roaddogtrailers.com/default.asp
That's my story and I'm stickin to it!
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Thanks FS- that is a great looking trailer and I like the prices over any other comparable trailer. To keep the thread on topic, maybe if I ever get the wife out on the long highway I may go to the Darkside. Maybe by then they'll come up with a car tire specifically made for a motorcycle...  |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| WHAT real chains on that trailer?? YOUR CRAZY for doing that.
I spent a lot of yesterday on youtube watching the dark side on motorcycles and even went to there web site. I want to but then I scrap now and then in corners so would I have to not corner as hard. Wish I could ride one before doing a CT |
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Cruiser
Posts: 127
OHIO | glighto11 - 2010-10-15 9:05 PM Thank-you for the "proof" pic. After reading some of the post on "darkside" I was giving it some consideration. After download your "proof" pic and blowing it up 800% I was able to see the tire/road contact of your darkside. Now I am again convinced that car tires belong on cars where they are not forced to bear all the weight on the outside 5% of the tire belt. Maybe they "feel" just fine but your are literally riding on the edge of darkside. And I would also venture to say after seeing that pic that darkside puts you on the downside of liability. I really hope that anyone considering darkside will first take a moment to download and blow up that pic and see for themselves the edge they are staking they're lives on. To each, they're own. Just do your own research.
Before I did my car tire, I leaned my mt over at the same angle as the car tire and did not notice the mt having any more contact with the pavement. Now compare both tires straight on and see which has more pavement contact!! You are right though,,,, to each their own. |
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Today I went DARK
