Car tire update

Message

paul246 · #11 Unread post by **paul246** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 9:25 am

oldnslo wrote:If there are any subscribers to Cycle World out there, dig back to the October 2004 issue "Service"section. Paul Dean, one of their tech editors, has nearly a full page of information re the use of car tires on bikes. Needless to say, the article does not support Paul 246's point of view. why a car tire hasn't been installed on the front too, though, Paul.

First, take a look at the last paragraph in my first post above. It says,
"As for doubters, that is OK, we have Valkyrie riders that doubt as well, since they have never tried it and most never will. These are the people that will read a magazine and declare themselves intellectually empowered. A far cry from being a pioneer and proving convention isn't always the way to follow."

As far as the front tire goes, well, I'm not willing to go that far as I'm quite happy with my present set-up. Lets face it, as I alluded before, the low speed handling is the only real issue here. A curved front tire attached to a moveable axle will obviously help low speed handling. On the other hand, I'm willing to bet that if I welded the steering head solid and installed a car tire up front I could still manage to run high speeds, just a matter of a little more counter steer to initiate.

Anyway, have fun debating it. I'll continue to have fun actually doing it.

iwannadie · Sun Aug 21, 2005 9:28 am

paul246 wrote:
oldnslo wrote:If there are any subscribers to Cycle World out there, dig back to the October 2004 issue "Service"section. Paul Dean, one of their tech editors, has nearly a full page of information re the use of car tires on bikes. Needless to say, the article does not support Paul 246's point of view. why a car tire hasn't been installed on the front too, though, Paul.
First, take a look at the last paragraph in my first post above. It says,
"As for doubters, that is OK, we have Valkyrie riders that doubt as well, since they have never tried it and most never will. These are the people that will read a magazine and declare themselves intellectually empowered. A far cry from being a pioneer and proving convention isn't always the way to follow."

As far as the front tire goes, well, I'm not willing to go that far as I'm quite happy with my present set-up. Lets face it, as I alluded before, the low speed handling is the only real issue here. A curved front tire attached to a moveable axle will obviously help low speed handling. On the other hand, I'm willing to bet that if I welded the steering head solid and installed a car tire up front I could still manage to run high speeds, just a matter of a little more counter steer to initiate.

Anyway, have fun debating it. I'll continue to have fun actually doing it.

ok so dont answer any of my questions. oh well.

paul246 · #13 Unread post by **paul246** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 9:53 am

[quote="iwannadie

ok so dont answer any of my questions. oh well.[/quote]

Actually, I was getting to it, from the bottom up.

The main reason I tried the car tire was to just do it for myself. A few riders had tried before me, but I wanted to give it my own shot, just to see.

I've noticed that car tires have improved greatly over the last two decades. This hasn't been the case with m/c tires.

Yes, I selected a high-performance, low profile summer radial. It is speed rated for a constant 186mph. Maxiumum cold inflation allowable is 150psi . The sidewalls are extremely stiff. It is AA traction rated for wet conditions. This isn't your WalMart special, although others have used that grade of tire with success.

I tested contact patch area with a buddies m/c tire equipped Valkyrie and my own. We both rode through a puddle on the parking lot, and then banked over to perform the same radius turn. The tracks were basically identical. Not scientific, but convincing. The real test is in actual hard use. Everyone that has used a high-performance radial claims that they feel more planted and secure with the car tire.

Every fellow rider that has actually ridden my set-up has since switched over, with only one exception, and he is still considering it.

I have switched back and forth with m/c tire equipped Valkyries on several occasions and have never felt the desire to return to the m/c tire, quite the contrary.

I use m/c tire on my other bikes, because they are small tires and wheels. I'm not advocating you run out and do this, but I'm sure there must be a few VTX 1800 riders and Goldwing pilots that might give it a whirl, too.

paul246 · #14 Unread post by **paul246** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 10:01 am

Scott58 wrote:Still not bad. And i'd be surprised if you don't get a bit better. You have no where near the weight on that tire it was designed for. can't wait to hear your long term review.

I'll post another update when this thing is worn out.

iwannadie · Sun Aug 21, 2005 10:32 am

well sounds like its good to me, if it works you cant argue with those results. if it was me id be worried bout the contact patch and sidewall but if thats not a problem then go for car tires ha. dont think i could rig one up on my bike though

BuzZz · #16 Unread post by **BuzZz** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 10:48 am

I know my memory can be hit-or-miss, but I don't remember spouting anything about car tires on a Valk before. If I did, it was probably just some smartazz comment not intended to be serious. I have heard of the use of car tires on them before I joined this forum, and while it did mildly surprise me at the time, I perform enough unorthodox experiments myself to believe that it works.

When I was a kid (like 5) I had an old Swinn Mustang that had a rear tire that was perfectly flat across the tread, as well as perfectly right-angled sidewalls. I rode it for years and can still remember the feeling of the rear lifting up slightly to ride on the edge of the flat tread as I started to lean. Do you get that from the Valk?

paul246 · #17 Unread post by **paul246** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 10:50 am

iwannadie wrote:well sounds like its good to me, if it works you cant argue with those results. if it was me id be worried bout the contact patch and sidewall but if thats not a problem then go for car tires ha. dont think i could rig one up on my bike though

Hey, thats OK, it isn't for everyone.

paul246 · #18 Unread post by **paul246** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 10:55 am

BuzZz wrote:I know my memory can be hit-or-miss, but I don't remember spouting anything about car tires on a Valk before. If I did, it was probably just some smartazz comment not intended to be serious. I have heard of the use of car tires on them before I joined this forum, and while it did mildly surprise me at the time, I perform enough unorthodox experiments myself to believe that it works.

When I was a kid (like 5) I had an old Swinn Mustang that had a rear tire that was perfectly flat across the tread, as well as perfectly right-angled sidewalls. I rode it for years and can still remember the feeling of the rear lifting up slightly to ride on the edge of the flat tread as I started to lean. Do you get that from the Valk?

Probably one of your smartazz comments, then. No big deal.

No, I don't feel any rise out of the tire while banking. Most have noticed that their car tire isn't perfectly flat..there is a gradual curve toward the sidewall..some more than others.

eugeart · #19 Unread post by **eugeart** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 5:21 pm

I've been researching tires recently and one of the manufacturers said definitely not to use m/c tires on cars. I saw a hotrod with m/c tires on the front and it looked like they belonged there. Seemed like they mentioned the reverse too.

The rims for m/c appear to be quite different and the sealing seems to mate up alittle different than auto rims. However at 180+mm on the rear approaching car tire widths maybe the stucture of the rim and the tire becomes more car-like. I don't know.

Judging from the pic- nice tire- it would seem to give more traction cause of the total planting of the tread in the straights. Leaning the bike would put it up on edge like an ice-skate, so the manuverability at slow speeds is understandable. High speed is what concerns me- the tracking couldn't be aligned. You just don't know how exactly that tire will behave or react in those conditions. Kind of risky- but so is just getting on a bike.

I'm interested to see what the wear is like down the line when the tire is no longer new; how that affects performance and wether or not you had any problems controlling the bike.

paul246 · #20 Unread post by **paul246** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 11:24 pm

eugeart wrote:
Judging from the pic- nice tire- it would seem to give more traction cause of the total planting of the tread in the straights. Leaning the bike would put it up on edge like an ice-skate, so the manuverability at slow speeds is understandable. High speed is what concerns me- the tracking couldn't be aligned. You just don't know how exactly that tire will behave or react in those conditions. Kind of risky- but so is just getting on a bike.

I'm interested to see what the wear is like down the line when the tire is no longer new; how that affects performance and wether or not you had any problems controlling the bike.

There isn't, on this tire at least, any problem with tracking at high speed, either through curves or down straights.

The tire isn't new, it has 13,000 km on it.