Going to the Dark Side

[Fred W]

Nice post Fred, thanks for giving us your initial input.

Thanks, and you're welcome.

Question, what front tire, and how many miles on it?

Excellent question!

It is an old PR2 with 10,500 miles on it, almost down to the wear bars. Yeah, it's due for replacement and probably that will positively alter the handling. But before taking the MT off the back it was still holding a line pretty neutrally.

please discuss balancing...ah, tire on a sober rim...

Well, I can't recall where I've ever balanced a tire on a drunk rim. But, when I mounted up the Yoko I was careful to align the light spot mark on the tire (yellow paint dot) opposite the known light spot of my rim (near the valve stem). But it still required quite a lot of lead to balance out, much more than I have come to expect using on MTs.

Significantly, the weight location is close to the valve stem and not the tire's yellow dot. :huh: Yoko's own web site specifies that the yellow dot is supposed to be the light spot of the tire. When I ran the balanced tire up to speed on the freeway it was as smooth as a baby's bottom, so I guess it's all good.

 

[08FJR4ME]

So Fred, what Darksider # are you? h34r:

I couldn't find the list.

Dave

 

[Fred W]

So Fred, what Darksider # are you? h34r:

I couldn't find the list.

Dave

I'm not sure I get a number until I am one with the force.

 

[kevins]

@kevins - What is it you are trying to convince us of, exactly? Race take offs are unsuitable for street use for the very things you mention, they are too hard from excessive heat cycles. They offer less traction than a new moto tire. The same reason they are "take offs" on the track. A CT may not be your thing, but they offer far more traction on the street than the race take offs do. More traction than a moto tire in marginal conditions too. (sand on the road, tar snakes, gravel, wet, etc)

I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I thought I would add another option for those who want to save money on tires but don't want to use a car tire. I now understand how this forum is when someone tries to help others so I will be moving on.

And for those who are thinking of take-offs, they are too hard for a top 5 finish at the race track. They work great on the street. Nice to have them a little harder than a new race tire compound as they last longer.

I guess in the end, you must be smarter than Yamaha, Honda ect as you have the perfect tire. It last 40,000+ miles, leans over till you scrape the pegs, more traction than a take-off. Yamaha must feel stupid right now that they didn't think of this first. Maybe it's the motorcycle tire companies paying Yamaha not to put this tire on new models.

 

[beemerdons]

So Fred, what Darksider # are you? h34r:

I couldn't find the list.

Dave

I'm not sure I get a number until I am one with the force.

These Darksiders are certainly a sneaky and deviant assortment of louts! Unbelievably, they have duped our Freddy Bear into joining their macabre cult. I have conversed with Fred W over the years and spent over a week riding with him last Summer, it is hard to fathom how someone so intelligent and debonair as Frederick could intermingle with this pack of sorry degenerate Bastards.

I mean, I can see Bustanut joker and RadioHowie succumbing to this car tire crap, there is barely a single brain cell each between those two Bollock Wankers! But Fred, Oh The Cruel Humanity!

 

[Mr Bill]

I mean, I can see Bustanut joker and RadioHowie succumbing to this car tire crap, there is barely a single brain cell each between those two Bollock Wankers! But Fred, Oh The Cruel Humanity!

Either he has been in the suburbs of Boston too long or there is something funny with those ceegars he's been smokin :lol:

 

[beemerdons]

I mean, I can see Bustanut joker and RadioHowie succumbing to this car tire crap, there is barely a single brain cell each between those two Bollock Wankers! But Fred, Oh The Cruel Humanity!

Either he has been in the suburbs of Boston too long or there is something funny with those ceegars he's been smokin :lol:

Great Minds Think Alike Mr. Bill, I remember Los Cubanos that Fred was smoking in Fredericton, Nueva Brunswicka did have the aroma of "Durango Diablo Destroyer" to them: Ala Mexicana Mota!

 

[Mr Bill]

the aroma of "Durango Diablo Destroyer" to them: Ala Mexicana Mota!

:lol:

I'll have to remember to stay upwind of him when he's puffing on those Diablo Destroyers!

 

[RadioHowie]

I now understand how this forum is when someone tries to help others so I will be moving on.

 

[garyahouse]

@kevins - What is it you are trying to convince us of, exactly? Race take offs are unsuitable for street use for the very things you mention, they are too hard from excessive heat cycles. They offer less traction than a new moto tire. The same reason they are "take offs" on the track. A CT may not be your thing, but they offer far more traction on the street than the race take offs do. More traction than a moto tire in marginal conditions too. (sand on the road, tar snakes, gravel, wet, etc)

I guess in the end... you have the perfect tire. It last 40,000+ miles, leans over till you scrape the pegs, more traction than...

Kevins: if I quoted you correctly, we appreciate your ringing endorsement... though I did leave out a few words as my eyesight is slipping lately. Judging by your words of wisdom, you left this forum having assimilated much learning. Though we certainly appreciate the "other option" that you offered for those seeking to save a couple bucks, it's the OTHER things you said that rubbed all the cats the wrong way. For example, a "hardened" race tire is the last thing I'd want on my bike when I had to ride 20 miles home from work in the rain. If I recall, you did say, "they work great on the street." I don't think so.

Gary

darksider #44

 

[Patriot]

please discuss balancing...ah, tire on a sober rim...

specifically, since I have no tire mount/balance equipment, are those that get a motorcycle shop to mount your CT also will balance it for you

I guess if I do find a motorcycle who will mount it, they should have no trouble balancing it

but if a automobile tire shop mounts it (I ask if they use a rim clamp machine), then should I expect they can balance it too

I heard someone at EOM happy with their CT used dyna beads (3oz?)

I plan to continue my use of "Ride On" which requires 15oz of product...I'm assuming I'll put the automotive formula and not the motorcycle formula in, even though I have yet to research what the difference in the formulas are. Beside flat preventative, they also advertise balancing.

I have a machinist friend who is going to make me a brake arm.

I do want to ride one for quite a few miles...hours and probably WFooshee will let me swap with him for awhile...just don't know any twisties on the panhandle of florida. But I'm afraid any other tire besides an Exalto might give me a vastly inaccurate impression to the negative.

my OCD is kicking in big time, I guess...

 

[user 213]

The tire pics will get posted Tues or Wed. Sorry, just spaced it.

Balancing - The car tire shops usually can NOT balance the CT on a moto rim. This is because the shaft on the balance machine does not fit thru the axle hole on the moto rim. Not an issue in mounting with a rim clamp machine, but the balance machine is another animal. My experience is that I have to take the mounted wheel to a moto shop, or a friend with their own balancing equipment.

@Kevins - It's simply that several here have direct experience with race take offs. I know, as do many, that those compounds are not what Iwould choose for the street, and hardening from heat cycles is not going to improve things, just make them more resistant to wear. However, just when you need traction the most, leaned over at peg dragging speeds or hard over in the wet, you will have the least of what a race take off has to offer. Like many, you appear to assume that CT users don't go around corners in a good lean, or only go strait.

Even if I did accept your suggestion as a valid method to save costs, it would take several free sets of take offs to equal one CT in miles. The race take offs are sub standard at lean angles you most need traction, however, the CT does not suffer from this issue. And is consistent throughout it's life.

@FredW - Thanks for the additional info. It has been noticed that the CT seems to amplify a worn front tire, or a worn shock's negative traits. Oddly, despite the feelings of push or torque to the front end that you observed, we aren't seeing a trend of prematurely worn front tires. A couple of us have gotten 15k+ from a PR2 front with only the same type of wear as found on FJRs running a pair of PR2s. I usually see the same wear life and type on front tires with the CT on the rear as I have logged with a moto tire on the rear. That said, I do have a full GP suspension set up and do have a Superbrace on the front end. That may have a significant impact on tire wear up front? Or not?

 

[doug5551]

Everyone knows Car Tires are only good for going in a straight line. Here is photographic evidence that the only advantage a car tire has over a motorcycle tire is for performing Motorcycle Aerobics...... :assassin:

 

[Patriot]

Balancing - The car tire shops usually can NOT balance the CT on a moto rim. This is because the shaft on the balance machine does not fit thru the axle hole on the moto rim. Not an issue in mounting with a rim clamp machine, but the balance machine is another animal. My experience is that I have to take the mounted wheel to a moto shop, or a friend with their own balancing equipment.

my naysayer OCD voices say that if the liability attorney kissers won't mount the tire, then they aren't gonna volunteer to balance a wheel with CT already mounted, but I dunno...

I do have an auto shop owner friend who does do tire work when necessary. I wanna say he has a bubble (static?) balancer he uses...that's what my Independent bike mechanic uses.

 

[SkooterG]

Everyone knows Car Tires are only good for going in a straight line. Here is photographic evidence that the only advantage a car tire has over a motorcycle tire is for performing Motorcycle Aerobics...... :assassin:

I don't know about motorcycle aerobics. Looks to me like it is proof positive that riding a car tire equipped FJR will turn you into a zombie-esque whack-O of a MORON. :lol:

The next thing you know, Fred W will be opening up a store specializing in little girl's dresses.

 

[doug5551]

And while we are talking about people who are coming out of the closet:

 

[SkooterG]

Photoshop!

 

[Bustanut joker]

The next thing you know, Fred W will be opening up a store specializing in little girl's dresses.

and you will be the first in line chimp dik

 

[Brodie]

I thought I'd add a bit more CONTENT to this wayward thread...

This is my Exalto. I lost track how many months ago I put it on, so I looked it up in my event log. I re-discovered it went on 9 months ago, 22k miles ago. Wow, time flies when you are having a great time.

I put it on last December when the OEM spec 'Stone went away about 5 weeks after I bought this replacement bike. I couldn't get that thing off fast enough. The bike is an '06 Advanced Edition - 2 months older born date on the vin. from my bike of many colors. With 5 months off recovering from that bug splat head on with the Silverado, I have to admit the round profile helped me get used to riding again after the torn ligaments in my left knee and the multiple compound fractures in my left arm. I was a bit stiff at first but it didn't take long to feel at home in the saddle. I had fun spooning that meat on the rim. Gave me a scare when a few days later my left arm felt funny, I kinda stressed it a bit so soon out of the cast. No harm no foul.

No way would I put a race track take off on my bike. I ride all year all weather. This tire will take me into February before it will need replacing. On my other FJR, before I spooned on the 019 Grid, I would go through an Avon Storm every 5 or 6 weeks. I commute on this bike, I ride in the hills whenever I get a chance, I run long days in the saddle - San Jose to San Diego in 10 hours is nothing to me, I've done it many times running several different routes depending on how much time I have allotted.

My biggest reason for mounting this tire is the replacement interval. I finally have a cost effective alternative to buying an old car with good gas mileage. That helps me justify my passion. At $190 per rear every 5 weeks this bike would be parked much of the time.

The mere fact that I forgot when I installed it demonstrates how much its a non issue when riding this bike. When the roads get wet this thing feels planted! When hot tar snakes are in the path ahead its the front tire that I have to manage. I have no problem keeping up with the fast guys in the hills - within reason, this thing is still a fat pig. My favorite roads are the goat trails. This thing just plows through them as long as I let it do its dance. So far I am over 30K on these 2 car tires and I ain't going back to the motorcycle tires if I can help it. Too bad my CBR 600 F4i doesn't have the room for this big thing.

The next bike I get will have to have the capacity to mount one of these.

Brodie

 

[beemerdons]

The next thing you know, Fred W will be opening up a store specializing in little girl's dresses.

and you will be the first in line chimp dik

Yeah right Bust, as if YOU didn't already know everything about it. The new shoppe is called "Fred's Fancy Feminine Frilly Frocks" and it is located in New Hampshire.

FJR Forum Members get a 10% discount on all dresses and accessories, car tire FJR Zombies get a full 15% discount!