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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | just for the hell of it i went online and started looking up prices on a new replacement rear tire... wow!! $200 for a rear tire. when i had my 250/40-18 tire, it wasnt even $200. Then if you factor in tax, labor etc.. thats some chance for a short tire life, that is compared to a car tire... |
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Visionary
Posts: 3204
Memphis | I rode a Valk with a car tire on it and it hated curves. It would do it but there was no such thing as setting your line and holding it there. You always had a lot of forward pressure on the lower grip. I had ridden that bike prior to the car tire and it handled much better before the change. The car tire lasted forever, braked better in a straight line and would be a great option for pulling a trailer on the interstate or mild backroads. My .02. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 721
| Check out wwwdirectlineparts.com
Use the GL1800 Goldwing page and you will find a great assortment of tires (tires for the GL1800 are the EXACT same size as used on the Vision) with FREE SHIPPING from Dunlop, Metzler, Avon, and Bridgestone, here is the direct link to the tire page:
http://www.directlineparts.com/byProduct.asp?prd=Tires&str=4
I have to agree with Songfan, I've ridden a Honda VTX 1800 with a car tire, slow speed handling sucked with MUCH more effort to control the handlebars and curves at speed you have to apply constant heavy pressure to keep the bike leaned over, on the plus side the car tire handled straight line rain riding better and braked better in both wet and dry conditions. It seems to me the biggest reason that most people use for going with a car tire is cost. With the handling characteristics in mind, how much cost is your safety worth? I got over 15K miles on a set of Dunlop Elite 3s on my Goldwing, I expect to get similar results on the Vision although my front tire is cupping pretty bad at 12K miles. Other than the cupping I still have lots of tread life left before I reach the wear bars. I run my tires at 41 psi front and rear and check them every few days. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | that link fort the goldwing tires are still $200 EACH for a rear tire! plus labor and shipping etc. would it be safe to say that afterwards it would cost you Over $300 just for a rear tire after it is installed? What is the average rear tire life anyways on a Vision. (average) |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | my side walls on my E3's are great its the center that is really wearing quickly. i have just under 8000miles on them. Im not sure they are legal to pass inspection. Does anyone know whats involved or how hard it is to remove the rear wheel. If i can do the labor and just give the dealer the wheels to install and balance the new tires that might help.. I had no idea that rear tire was MORE money that my 250 rear tire was. and they are both E3'S |
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Visionary
Posts: 3204
Memphis | I got 15K rear, 22K front. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | if i can get 15K i would be happy.. now was that 15K and you were still with in legal safety inspection limits? or 15K bald ?
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | Arkainzeye - 2009-06-02 2:15 PM
my side walls on my E3's are great its the center that is really wearing quickly. i have just under 8000miles on them. Im not sure they are legal to pass inspection. Does anyone know whats involved or how hard it is to remove the rear wheel. If i can do the labor and just give the dealer the wheels to install and balance the new tires that might help.. I had no idea that rear tire was MORE money that my 250 rear tire was. and they are both E3'S
You can go to my gallery and on page two I posted pictures and comments last year how to remove the rear wheel. It may help you if you decide to do it yourself. Also, if you have the service manual, that would help, I think it is here on the site somewhere. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Arkainzeye - 2009-06-02 4:38 PM
if i can get 15K i would be happy.. now was that 15K and you were still with in legal safety inspection limits? or 15K bald ?
For me I ran 15/22 but it should have been 14/21. I'm at like 13/21 and the front is done, the rear got's another 1K on it. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 721
| Arkainzeye - 2009-06-02 2:11 PM that link fort the goldwing tires are still $200 EACH for a rear tire! plus labor and shipping etc. would it be safe to say that afterwards it would cost you Over $300 just for a rear tire after it is installed? What is the average rear tire life anyways on a Vision. (average) That is possible, I usually change tires as a complete set as my dealer (a Honda dealer and former Victory dealer) charges $150 to change tires if I bring the bike in, if I bring in the wheels it's $35 per wheel to mount and balance.
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Iron Butt
Posts: 721
| Arkainzeye - 2009-06-02 2:38 PM if i can get 15K i would be happy.. now was that 15K and you were still with in legal safety inspection limits? or 15K bald ? That was 15K with the wear bars just starting to touch, most states that I know of that do inspections (thankfully not here in Illinois yet!), usually check by the built in indicators or use a tread depth gauge with 1 mm rear and 2 mm front being the minimum tread depths. If you got only 8000 miles on your rear and it needs replacement I would politely suggest that you consider running your tires at higher pressures than what Victory recommends. In the first couple of years of the Honda GL1800 Goldwing, Honda was recommending 38 psi for the rear and 36 psi for the front and when the tire manufacture was consulted (Dunlop) the factory reps stated you can NEVER go wrong by running the tires at the max cold pressure as is molded in the tire sidewall, for the Dunlop E3s this is 41 psi. Once most GL1800 owners started running the higher pressures tire life went up dramatically.
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | VisionTex, thank you so much for sharing the photos and the info on removing the rear wheel! Now i dont think im afraid to do it. just wondering are you able to remove Both wheels at the sametime and balance the vision? Just wondering.. |
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Tourer
Posts: 495
Carrollton, TX | Arkainzeye - 2009-06-02 2:15 PM my side walls on my E3's are great its the center that is really wearing quickly. i have just under 8000miles on them. Im not sure they are legal to pass inspection. Does anyone know whats involved or how hard it is to remove the rear wheel. If i can do the labor and just give the dealer the wheels to install and balance the new tires that might help.. I had no idea that rear tire was MORE money that my 250 rear tire was. and they are both E3'S Hey Chris how you doing? I got 13,000 miles on my last rear tire on the Vision and you know I ride fast and hard. One thing that helped is using the Dyna Beads for tire balancing. They say they increase the tire life about 25% and I agree as I only got 9,000 to 10,000 miles on the first two rear tires. I buy my Dunlop Elite III's for $179.00 on-line and you can find some dealers who will install the back tire for $55.00 or less. You also have to remember that tire prices have gone up over the last two years. I just got tires priced for one of my cars and I was shocked. I would never go with a car tire on a two wheel motorcycle unless you don't care about safety or handling. Don't let a few bucks cause you loose your life or your enjoyment. My Dad said it best "The bitterness of a poor product or service will linger long after the sweetness of a low price". |
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Visionary
Posts: 2027
Brighton, TN | MetalfabricatorGuy, my inquiry was just, that an inquiry, had never heard of such, couldn't see why you couldn't do it. I've thoroughly enjoyed the rat rod bike, wish I had the skill set for it. Why would you build a rat rod bike, never heard of it and my mind doesn't wander to far out to question you can build something like that. Very cool, would probably build one, if I could figure it out. Adding a car tire, would just add to the dynamic of that bike. I have never seen a car tire have a rolled edge like the bike tires. I noticed on the last set of E3's before I put them on, that the tire has a distinctive center piece to it where I wind up having a raised center section. Apparently it is done for mileage purposes. I am watching this thread just to learn. Thanks and Go, America!
I just replaced both tires. I Dropped the front and the rear at the same time. Balanced the bike on a motorcycle jack.
I got 16K on the rear and it was bald and well overdue. The front also 16K and the tire was down to the wear bars, with some pretty heavy cupping. New tires and it drives like a champ.
You will need a 16mm allen wrench with a socket head, but of course you won't be able to find one for the front axle, so a 5/8 allen works perfectly. Sears has them, in a set of course. While your there pick up some allens with the socket end that go from 4-10mm, you'll need them to work on some of the other parts.of the bike, this is from my mechanic and not Snap-On.
For the rear, two bolts for the shock, and remove the axle nut, hopefully you don't have to mess with the adjusters, I didn't have to, WHEWWWWWW!!!!!!!!! Thank goodness and still no squeak.
I bought mine from the dealer. He was able to match the online price for a few bucks over and then he mounted them for free. Out the door at a little over $400. I still had to take them home and put them on the bike. Not too bad surprisingly.
FYI - I did not remove the front calipers, I slid the tire out at a little bit of an angle when the rotor cleared the calipers and slid the tire right out. It took me a moment to figure out how to put the tire back in. Everything slid right back together. Oh yeah, don't forget to lube your axle just for rust prevention and slipperyness. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Thanks for the comeback Spock, I've decided I cannot bring myself to go dark, to each their own. If I was riding just a motorcycle I might do it, like if I had a GoldWing or a Harley. To me, it would be an insult to the Bentley of bikes. It had little to do with cost, it was more of a utility move, ride longer on a tire. But hey, I knew what it needed when I got and it give the opportunty to stop for a day or two and check it over while it is down. I'm at the point to put it in the hanger, keeping a close eye on the front tire. Rear tire still has meat, but the front is a peeled onion right about now, spotted with tread. I figure I've got a slick that sticks to the road unless it rains. When it goes into the hanger, it'll be there for about a week or so, new tires, belt and exhaust gaskets. I'm keeping the pulley for another run, I can't see the harm it is doing, my belt is still perfect. I almost hate to change it but I'm sure it is stressing on the inside even though it looks great on the outside, sort of like a lot of people I know.
Podude, that is indeed a 5/8 inch allen, but I got the single ratchet attachment verses a set, Craftsman has them and they are pretty too. I searched high and low and I don't think no one makes a 16 mm, I think it is a Vision plot by Harley, but I'm please to know that most of the Metric hardware will actually cross-reference to AMERICAN STANDARD, just as the Vision is.
Talking about confused, but that is what we get owning a Vision. The japper bikers won't talk to us because we ride an American V-twin and the Harley guys won't talk to us because, well, we don't ride a Harley. So I guess it's clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck, in the middle with you.! |
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Tourer
Posts: 550
Tacoma, WA | Pollo-dude,
"building" the rat was easy. Take one weather-worn $200.00 Honda v-twin, scrape the rust off the forks, replace all leaking seals, fix gummed up carbs, replace battery, add fresh fuel....ride! I sprayed everything rusty with flat black when I got the rat, and took off the parts I found to be dorky. I really didn't care for the two-up seat, and removed the rear...and found electronics under the rear seat! (ignitors) So...I relocated them under the front seat by removing the resivoir for the "reserve" tank, which never told me I was about to run out of gas, anyway....And installed an old Harley rear fender on the rat with Lowe's mail boxes for saddlebags. When i installed the huge rear tire, I had no clearance for the fender-to-tire, so I ditched that fender, and bought a $22.00 trailer one from Grainger, and added sides to it, frenched the plate 1/2", and added L.E.D. lights for the tails, brake, and blinkers. I then addressed the no reserve tank issue, by finding a Sporty tank with cap and petcock on craigslist for $150. I found out last night that the reserve does indeed work! Yay! I also replaced the headlight with one from a Russian truck I found while in Iraq. Very unique. I will do some changes this winter to it as well. I want to make a guage cluster (Speedo, etc.) from a 105 MM Howitzer round I got from an AC-130 gunship. Should be ...interesting.
Back to the tire... I have some theory work on why my rat doesn't seem to have the handling issues mentioned on a Valk, and VTX above. My rat weighs a whole lot less, for one, and I believe that has a whole lot to do with it. Also, it would depend upon the width of the tires on those bikes tested, and the profile, too. The tire on the rat is quite square in profile. Some, like the Goodyear triple tread have a curve to the bottom, and seem to be favorites for the larger bikes. If/when I go darkside with my Vision, I will search for a tire with a rounded profile. 500 miles on the darkside so far, the rat is diggen it.-------Metalguy |
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | I dont think you'll find anyone riding a Boss Hoss in anything less than perfect riding conditions. Dont want to be the first to try something and find out it doesen't work. Im at that age where getting down is no problem, getting back up is a BIG problem. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaIj1XrmvLM&feature=youtube_gdata_pl... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 233
flagstaff, AZ | Arkainzeye - 2012-03-28 9:55 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaIj1XrmvLM&feature=youtube_gdata_pl...
curious how far you were laying the bike over in those turns. seems there is quite a bit of tire contacting the road. |
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Tourer
Posts: 388
Salisbury, NC | I have been using the Michelin Primacy 195/55/16 for the last year. 22,000 to 25,000 before I need to replace. It still pulls the center out of the tire, must be the torque. ET |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| ets, I used the Potenza in a 185... It worked fine while I had it on but I hated the way it felt. Reminded me of riding on a bike tire after the center goes flat from too many hwy miles. On the plus side it was easier to balance the bike at a stop light, lol.... |
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Tourer
Posts: 388
Salisbury, NC | The Primacy has rounded shoulders, it rolls over with less effort. No trailer hitch. Only bad thing is that it is a summer only tire, not made for snow( varyder?). Does well in rain also. ET
Edited by etspastimes 2012-03-28 7:37 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | etspastimes - 2012-03-28 8:36 PM The Primacy has rounded shoulders, it rolls over with less effort. No trailer hitch. Only bad thing is that it is a summer only tire, not made for snow( varyder?). Does well in rain also. ET I figure if the E3 does well in the snow, so would Primacy, but I don't know if I'd ever find out. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 185
Rhode Island | Went with the 175/60R16 Dunlop Winter Sport; I don't even know it is on there. I have set up cones in a parking lot and see no difference in handling at slow speeds. This tire was designed for a 5" rim, is narrower and initiates turns with little effort. I seems that much of the "different feel" may be because of pressure; 34-36psi seems to work for me with this tire. It wasn't about money for me, I got pissed with the Dunlop when it started cupping between 7&8k; I ran 41psi and checked 3 times a week. That tire was so loud in an agressive corner that there is no way that contact area was what it should be; how can that be safe.
Jim |
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Tourer
Posts: 395
Moravia, IA | Been dark on the Vision since after the first tire change.....love it and see no reason to go back. The bike corners just fine with the car tire. Its just different, you have to get used to it. When I try a different brand of MC tires on my other bikes it takes a few miles to get used to the new handling.....same thing with the car tire.
Nothing wrong with the E3s......they just didnt last, cupped horribly and cost to much. There are some E3s out there that are just about as square as my car tire....usually mine would start cupping bad at about 6K. |
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Darksiders?
