Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[jarubio]

I have been skeptical about Dark Side. Many people swear by it. I have always said HELL NO!!!!!.....but after seeing this video, I'm almost convinced that I should do it. I'm still a little skeptical, but I'm almost convinced. For those who went to the Dark Side, what where your first impressions? How is the handling? Is there any compensation that you have to do? Any other advice is appreciated, oh, one last thing. Do they make White Wall Dark Side 

Riding the Dark Side

[HeadGuess]

I put a CT on my old 1300 at about 8000 miles. I think any difference I noticed was preconceived by what I had been told. After riding it a while I never thought about it. I noticed more of a difference when the bike was setting still. Wanted to set straight up more. I sold the bike with 14000 miles to my brother-in-law. He put a new tire on at about 24000. He ran the tire low on air to long and it started cupping real bad. I think he still could have got at least another 15-20000 miles on it.

I now have a 1800T when the tire goes I will go to a CT you can count on it.

[beaux43]

I read article after article and have buddies that went   Dark...  I just put on a Kumho RunFlat C/T on the rear of the Wing and put a Battalax BT-45 sport bike tire on the front (just a bit more rubber on the road).  So I actually went Double Dark as they say...

The Wing rides super smooth (of course I have whell balancers but will use Dyno Beads on the X), took a couple of short runs to get used to the feel in the curves and the quicker stand-up coming out; but since riding about 5 times now...I don't really feel a difference, except that I have more confidence up-front.    

I will definitely go Dark on the X    when the Metzlers run-out of tread.  Go for it, just do the research on the tires that others have had success with on the VTX, that is what I did for the tires on the Wing.      

[Xwrecker]

Go here and get ALL the info you would ever need.  http://mcdarksiders.forumotion.com/index.htm
I've been riding on a Good Year Triple Tread for about 14,000 miles so far and love it. I barely have any wear on the tire and probably will need to replace it because of the tires age long before it wears down. One thing you do need to remember is to service your final drive splines every 7 or 8,000 miles or so. I try to do mine every oil change, I use syn oil and change it every 7 or 8,000 miles. 

[jmdaniel]

I read article after article and have buddies that went    Dark...  I just put on a Kumho RunFlat C/T on the rear of the Wing and put a Battalax BT-45 sport bike tire on the front (just a bit more rubber on the road).  So I actually went Double Dark as they say...

The Wing rides super smooth (of course I have whell balancers but will you Dyno Beads on the X), took a couple of short runs to get used to the feel in the curves and the quicker stand-up coming out; but since riding about 5 times now...I don't really feel a difference, except that I have more confidence up-front.    

I will definitely go Dark on the X    when the Metzlers run-out of tread.  Go for it, just do the research on the tires that others have had success with on the VTX, that is what I did for the tires on the Wing.     

Hmmm.... you may do better at this year's Coloradical Go Slow race?

[no-one]

I was only getting about 4500 miles from MT so I went to the darkside about 2 months ago. there is a difference in the amount of counter steer, requires more. what I noticed was coming out of a curve or corner you notice how much longer you hold pressure on the steering. slow speeds there is a different feel. when I 1st put the CT on i had a wobble that started around 95. I changed the shock bushings and went up one setting on the shocks and no more wobble. I have about 1500 miles on the CT now and don't even notice. the biggest difference is in the wet conditions, I now have alot more grip. You can see by the tire scrub how far the tire is wearing on the edge of the tire, the scrub marks are not even close to the edge of the tread and I drag my floor boards alot, so much so i am about to take them off and have hard metal applied to the bottom.

[GOG]

Here are a couple more vids from keywasted on the OA board.

Car Tire

Honda VTX 1800R with a Car tire.

I will be going dark as soon as my dunflop is dead......

[hipshot]

I won't say yea or nay. What I will say is that if you really want to understand the difference in handling, ask someone who has been running a car tire for awhile and switched back to a motorcycle tire what difference he/she felt. I'll wager that most will report significantly better handling when switching back to the bike tire.

You pays your money and you makes your choice................

[Isorg]

as many have said and in videos i have seen, you will start to drag hard parts when using a car tire before you really get over on the sidewall on a bike like the VTX.  But i have seen some ct videos and that sidewall is flexing way to much for my liking.

when i see folks claim that they are only getting 4k out of a rear MC tire, i got to ask.... what tire are you running?  I have so far gotten about 10k some times 13k out of my rear tires, i did have one that only gave me 8k, but it was a emergency, i need a new tire now, and was take what we got situation.

[beaux43]

I had E 3's on the Wing and the X, both only lasted about 7-9000 miles.      I went to the Metzlers on the X and they are still running great at 7000 miles.       I rode this summer on the Wing with the E 3's and you would be amazed at how bad     the tread wear was after the trip.
 
As far as sidwall flex, just run a higher psi (that works for the way yo handle the bike) and not all tires flex the same (aka. Runflats);    crap even m/t tires flex; especially with my fat cranberries.     

So, it comes down to what works for you.     I am sold for now on the C/T...but will let you know at 12,000 if it was worth it.   

***And Jeff...I would have done great this year if I wouldn't have popped the dang clutch, but the C/T could definitely work to my advantage.   

The icons are for Kenny...

[Isorg]

this July i hit some roads in small town USA where the pavement were so badly rutted from the cars that i was swinging back and forth bouncing from one side of the rut to the other.  It was kind of fun just to let the x fall down one side of the rut, climb up the other side, only to fall back down to the middle again.  This was 20, to 30mph stuff, and these ruts were big giant U shaped troughs in the road.   It took a noticeable about of counter steer to ride a straight line, and at the time, i was wondering how a car tire would have felt on that road.

The dunflop that first came on my bike very quickly squared off, and i do recall hitting uneven pavement on the freeway that would grab and try to run off with the rear tire.  a new "better" MC tire, same road, and i don't even feel the uneven pavement.

but, i have never tried a CT, and most likely never will, If i can get 10k to 12k out of my rear tires, and am a very satisfied man.

[jedishon]

I'm on my second ct. What I noticed was a little more counter steer, not much just a little. Better braking, smoother ride. Yes the tire likes to ride flat so when you hit a rut it will want to run on the high side. Getting used to the darkside is 95% mental 5% handling. I think it handles a little better. But that is just me.
I do know that Kermits husband went back to a mt this last change and wondering why he did. I know others have gone back. Its not for everyone. Some just cant get past the idea that its a ct.

[CouldBFaster]

Alex,

I went to the darkside, But I came back. I perfer the MC tire to the CT, I think they handle better and there is not chance that an Insurance angent could say I wrecked my bike due to the fact that I had a tire on there that was not intened for a motorcycle. Just me 2cents.
When it comes to riding motorcycles we aren't doing it to save money we are doing it because we enjoy riding, So I will replace my tire's more often then the darksiders but that's my choice.