Car tyres????!!!!

[mike wilson]

FWIW, I agree with this guy's sentiments regarding the life, development and pricing of bike tyres.

 

He rides a behemoth of a touring bike, so the paradigm possibly doesn't apply here.

 

But...................

 

http://lifeisaroad.com/stories/2004/10/27/theDarkSide.html

[Dr Gil]

Yup, flaming death...

[gthyni]

A GoldWing is not a bike,

it's a bus on 2 wheels!

[mark.gilmore]

Yup, flaming death... 

67574[/snapback]

Never know till you have a go,Be ok if you were doing a million mile around some place.Then you would have to think about it at least.

Cheers

[Martin Barrett]

It seems to work for him

 

I think for a number of factors that are specific to his bike and not motorcycles in general

 

In cross section it's not going to be much different than a Avon Speedmaster they are the squarest tyres I can remember and I'm sure that the ones on my RS100 and RD200 were pretty square. I know there's difference in the sidewall strength. But he's talking about low profile car tyres that might make up some of the sidewall difference. I don't know what angles of lean he achieves on max lean on a Valkarie, I don't think its quite the same as non mega cruisers to sports.

 

It would be intresting to see photos in cornering action to see how the carcass actual performs, re sidewall flex keeping the flattish foot print on the road. Would repeated cornering ie race track cause it to fail due to heat build up in the sidewall. Or perhaps the side wall doesn't flex that much with the angles of lean.

 

 

a reread and check of his link he goes in excess of 75mph - pic of 75 indicated on a straight road most of us would be excercising great restraint going that slow

[jrt]

A GoldWing is not a bike,

it's a bus on 2 wheels!

67575[/snapback]

 

I agree in principle, but there have also been some impressive examples of Goldwings travelling around the globe. I'll see if I can dig up pictures.

[Guest ratchethack]

I like it! The man's logic appears to be complete, even compelling. It's hard to dispute such a strong personal testimonial. In fact, if I were bound for the Yukon on a Valkryie, I'd give this some serious consideration. 'Course, there aren't any circumstances under which you could consider a car tire a reasonable choice for any Guzzi, IMHO.

 

On the other hand, seems to me that when "handling characteristics" reside in the realm of the Freightliner, load carrying capacity, sheer strength, and durability trump what most motorcyclists think of as "handling". When he's dragging pegs with his rig, it's with relatively little ground clearance to start with.

 

What he didn't mention in his extensive justification and well-written analysis is that car tires have a very powerful advantage over motorcycle tires. I don't know what the ratio of unit manufacture of car tires to motorcycle tires is, but what would you guess? A million to one? Ten million to one? Whatever it is, such a staggering economy of scale provides a tremendous amount of leverage in terms of value. I reckon he's found a rational way to take advantage of it where the rubber meets the road, so to speak... I like the idea.

 

Roger his comment on motorcycle tires being designed for and tested on racetracks being inappropriate for road tires. This fact has long been a sore spot with me. Two different applications entirely, and seldom do the twain meet. A heavily loaded Valky lumbering down a gravel road at 70 mph for hundreds of miles at a stretch for days on end ain't even in the same ballpark with a test track. As the man pointed out so well, a car tire would seem to be a superior choice for his application from several important perspectives.

 

Now I can probably come up with a dozen other bikes I'd much rather have on the Yukon Highway. In fact, I'd happily make plans for several motorcycle tire changes on the trip with any of 'em before giving any thought to a Valkryie, car tire or not.

 

BAA, TJM, & YMMV

[Guest Nogbad]

Er.... Mmmmm......

 

I don't think I'm going to fit one to the V11. Nuff said. I have heard of this before, but only on sidecar rigs.

 

I think the essence of why it works for this guy is that the amount of lean you can get on a Valkyrie is very limited.

[bigbikerrick]

Er.... Mmmmm......

 

I don't think I'm going to fit one to the V11. Nuff said. I have heard of this before, but only on sidecar rigs.

 

I think the essence of why it works for this guy is that the amount of lean you can get on a Valkyrie is very limited.

67597[/snapback]

Ive actually seen some Valks leaaned pretty far over on the "Dragon" (deals gap) they are pretty good handling bikes considering their size! I had a hard time passing one there on my cbr 600 ,and I consider myself a pretty fair rider, though deffinitely not a "knee dragger"

[Guest Nogbad]

Ive actually seen some Valks leaaned pretty far over on the "Dragon" (deals gap) they are pretty good handling bikes considering their size!  I had a hard time passing one there on my cbr 600 ,and I consider myself a pretty fair rider, though deffinitely not a "knee dragger"

67610[/snapback]

 

Ah but did it have a car tyre on the back?

 

Actually, I'm not convinced by the guy's complaint about touring bike tyres. Compared with the tyres I had in the eighties modern rubber of whatever sort seems better to me. I don't find bike tyres to be crap.

[Martin Barrett]

There was the "dancing hippos" videos of Goldwings doing the Dragon I think they were posted on wild guzzi

 

But here's the links to the videos

 

http://media.putfile.com/Riding-the-Dragon-Part-Two

 

&

 

http://media.putfile.com/Riding-the-Dragon-Part-One

[Guest Nogbad]

Martin,

 

I would have thought that fitting a car tyre to a bike in the UK would cause it to fail the MOT, and wouldn't your colleagues have something sarcastic to say if one was stopped with such a thing? Whether it works or not?

[Martin Barrett]

Martin,

 

I would have thought that fitting a car tyre to a bike in the UK would cause it to fail the MOT, and wouldn't your colleagues have something sarcastic to say if one was stopped with such a thing? Whether it works or not?

67661[/snapback]

 

Two G&T's aren't helping this, they were pints

 

I think the failures would be on ones endorsed "not for highway use". I think it would be fit for purpose and depth of thread - m/cycle still om 1mm across 3/4 width and visable tread as opposed to car 1.6mm across central 3/4 width and sod the rest- I allways had difficulty working out how that was an improvement, Hey stupid - the bit thats in contact with the road is the bit thats worn surely you want thread to displace water on that bit. but thats what happens when politians make laws and why the trail riders are about to lose the right to ride on unmade up byways as they are all made footpaths or bridele ways.

 

A motorcycle includes 3 wheelers up to 245kg (off top of head) and no one would bat an eye on your combination. In fact most have't a clue about motorcycles.

[Dr Gil]

Interestingly in this month's (Dec) Rider magazine Clement Salvadori (a man of unimpeachable creditentials IMHO) chose to do an article on motorcycle tires.

 

And I quote, "I've been riding a lot of years, gone through a lot of tires, fallen down a few times. If someone asks me what the most important advance in motorcycle technology has been in the last 50 years, I say tires. Though brakes are a close second."

 

[rant mode on]

To dismiss these huge advances in tire shapes, sizes and compounds by putting tires on your bike that were designed for completly different type of vehicle (they're designed for a vehicle with FOUR wheels fer christsakes) on a motorcycle is insanity. I don't really care how much money he's saving (yeah, bike tires are pricey and they don't last long), or how well he says they handle. Iit's all foolishness and I believe I will continue to put the best possible motorcycle tires I can on my bike that I can find.

 

If I can't afford motorcycle tires for my bike I can't afford to ride...simple as that.

 

[rant mode off]

[Guest ratchethack]

Take it easy, Gil! You didn't see anyone here either advocating a car tire over a motorcycle tire as their own preference or recommending such.

 

I tend to agree with Salvadori, and I've posted a few times about the tremendous leaps forward in tire quality and value over the last 20-some years. Strange as it may seem, the advent of steel radials for motorcycles is actually what inspired me to get back into motorcycling after a 15-year hiatus. I posted once that I think guys would have given a kidney 20 years ago to race on "Sport" tires that anyone can pick up at the local moto-store today. Heck, they're so good that lately I'm using Z6 "Sport Touring" tires for "Sport" and I think I've died & gone to heaven!!

 

Let's not forget that many of the same quantum leaps have been made in car tires over the same period. I don't think the Valky guy's dismissing the current high quality of bike tires. It appeared to me that he'd done valid comparisons, and that it's more of a value thing and a convenience thing with him, and I understand this. He evidently considers the advances made in all tires to be better than a wash in the direction of a car tire for his particular use, different though it may be. To each his own, eh?

 

I've always admired independent thinkers who have the ability to match a unique solution to a unique need and provide solid justification for it in the process. Did you read the guy's whole schpiel? I think he presented a pretty strong case. For some of the "heavy cruiser" pilots out there, It'd be pretty tough to argue with 23,000 mi. for $95!!

 

As for me, I'll always do what I've always done - put the very best tires on my bikes that I can find, regardless of cost. Myself, I'm a Metzeler guy.

 

BAA, TJM, & YMMV.