Going to the Dark Side
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LDRydr
A Homeless Nomad
Bummer, I can't see your final pictures (tank and tire) in full-size. (link shows https://www.catfishracing.com/Bikes/FJR%20P...T/CT_FJR_9.jpg)
No clearance issues? OT, but what are you using for a fuel pump and check valve? I'll be mounting/plumbing/wiring mine soon.
No clearance issues? OT, but what are you using for a fuel pump and check valve? I'll be mounting/plumbing/wiring mine soon.
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Catfish
Well-known member
No clearance issues. I'll fix the link when I get home.
I can also take more pics from different angles if you'd like.
I can also take more pics from different angles if you'd like.
Catfish
Well-known member
I think I've fixed all the links.
Catfish, did you have to use a new rear brake arm with the Aurora?
Man, you guys are tempting me. I'm heading to the left coast on a 5-week ride the end of August and would like to skip the 1/2 day lost at Sonora Yamaha (or some other dealer) for a rear tire and then another in Arkansas.
OCfjr, your post about dragging pegs tempts me even more, I seldom drag pegs-maybe only 1-2 times a day at the most (even less with my Penske rear shock) in the twisties. If you can run that hard, doesn't seem like there is much of a downside! Ian, Iowa
Fastfar
Well-known member
OK, time to compare performance...car tire vs. m/c tire in the twisties...I'll give $100 to anyone with an FJR running a dark side tire who can ride Ebbetts Pass/SR4 from Markleeville to Alpine Lake faster/safer than I can...that should settle the question...
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RadioHowie
I Miss Beemerdons!
Calling Valentino Rossi....
Mr. Rossi to the white courtesy phone please.
You didn't put any smilies in your post, so I'll assume you're serious. So I'll seriously tell you why your challenge is bogus. Who's to say anyone who's currently riding Darkside is as accomplished a rider as you? So let's make it a real test....you race a Darksider one way, see who wins, then trade rides and come back the other way.
That way, if there IS a difference in performance between "normal" and Darkside, then you'd be eliminating the bike and rider combo and then any difference could be attributed to the CT.
Oh....what WAS the question?
dcarver
Well-known member
Damn, FastFar, gauntlet tossed, eh? You might be surprised, but my money is still on the mc tire, at least for the first 4,000 miles of the twisties. After that, mc tire guy will be at the shop and darksiders will still be riding.. just sayin' apples n' oranges and all..
edit to add...and OcFjr can run a pretty good pace when he wants to; not that I would run that pace after visually examining the tire/lift/edge/contact patch thing. Then again, I've not ridden darkside, and the feedback may be much better than what it looks like from a mc tire-biased perspective.
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dcarver
Well-known member
can't pass this up..
...and think of all the money SkooterG would save instead of running them worse than satan Azarro tires!
...and think of all the money SkooterG would save instead of running them worse than satan Azarro tires!
Rossi won't ride on the street. Says it's "too dangerous".
@FastFar - I've ridden Ebbetts Pass/SR-4 on the CT. Beats me if I can keep up with you, since I have no idea how you ride, and faster/safer is quantitative. I'm not interested in watching you auger in out there trying to stay ahead of me either!
@Howie - Can we use your bike? Oh wait, never mind.... Getting up to the comfort level on the Darkside isn't something most people could do on the first ride. Most tend to swing a tad wide on the first few turns and be somewhat hesitant until they experience for themselves how much grip is available.
You can ride the CT hard. I normally don't spend a lot of time riding that way, or even shooting the 20 mph twisties, but this is not to say I can't.
I have always said that for tight twisties, the moto tire is better. Not necessarily any better for traction, but for feel. You transition smoother and with less input on a moto tire.
I'm more comfortable with the CT and what it will do now than I was the last time I posted about tight stuff. And understand, I wasn't trying to ride fast this last bit, I just kept in my zone until I surprised myself by scraping pegs.
The CT is better in loose and marginal stuff. No sliding on tar snakes, etc. More stable in gravel, dirt, hardpack, loose stuff of any kind.
The downsides are more bar pressure needed to initiate turns, (you get used to it quickly and forget about it), and it wants to track in deep grooves more than a moto tire. Not a big deal. It's much less different than you expect.
@Ian - Pretty much everyone needs to change the brake tension arm for a single sided version out of steel or stainless steel. Easy to make and swap in. There may be a tire that fits with the stock piece, (the Cooper test tire did fit), but you'd probably want to do it anyway, since it's going to be close. I'm looking forward to trying a Yokohama Advan S4 all season tire to see how it does and if it fits with the stock bar, but I'll run my custom bar after checking the stock piece for clearance.
@FastFar - I've ridden Ebbetts Pass/SR-4 on the CT. Beats me if I can keep up with you, since I have no idea how you ride, and faster/safer is quantitative. I'm not interested in watching you auger in out there trying to stay ahead of me either!
@Howie - Can we use your bike? Oh wait, never mind.... Getting up to the comfort level on the Darkside isn't something most people could do on the first ride. Most tend to swing a tad wide on the first few turns and be somewhat hesitant until they experience for themselves how much grip is available.
You can ride the CT hard. I normally don't spend a lot of time riding that way, or even shooting the 20 mph twisties, but this is not to say I can't.
I have always said that for tight twisties, the moto tire is better. Not necessarily any better for traction, but for feel. You transition smoother and with less input on a moto tire.
I'm more comfortable with the CT and what it will do now than I was the last time I posted about tight stuff. And understand, I wasn't trying to ride fast this last bit, I just kept in my zone until I surprised myself by scraping pegs.
The CT is better in loose and marginal stuff. No sliding on tar snakes, etc. More stable in gravel, dirt, hardpack, loose stuff of any kind.
The downsides are more bar pressure needed to initiate turns, (you get used to it quickly and forget about it), and it wants to track in deep grooves more than a moto tire. Not a big deal. It's much less different than you expect.
@Ian - Pretty much everyone needs to change the brake tension arm for a single sided version out of steel or stainless steel. Easy to make and swap in. There may be a tire that fits with the stock piece, (the Cooper test tire did fit), but you'd probably want to do it anyway, since it's going to be close. I'm looking forward to trying a Yokohama Advan S4 all season tire to see how it does and if it fits with the stock bar, but I'll run my custom bar after checking the stock piece for clearance.
Catfish
Well-known member
Yes I needed to swap the brake arm.
Carmine is making them up in steel and stainless and I'll most likely have them listed on my site.
I believe Joe also said he was going to be making up a batch.
That way if anybody who can't make their own brake arm but still wants to try the CT out now has a choice.
Carmine is making them up in steel and stainless and I'll most likely have them listed on my site.
I believe Joe also said he was going to be making up a batch.
That way if anybody who can't make their own brake arm but still wants to try the CT out now has a choice.
FastJoyRide
Well-known member
@FastFar - I've ridden Ebbetts Pass/SR-4 on the CT. Beats me if I can keep up with you, since I have no idea how you ride, and faster/safer is quantitative. I'm not interested in watching you auger in out there trying to stay ahead of me either!
Eric you crack me up - that right there is some funny **** - I don't care who you are!
@FastFar - I've ridden Ebbetts Pass/SR-4 on the CT. Beats me if I can keep up with you, since I have no idea how you ride, and faster/safer is quantitative. I'm not interested in watching you auger in out there trying to stay ahead of me either!
Eric you crack me up - that right there is some funny **** - I don't care who you are!
You've got to have a sense of humor around here.
Frankly, I exceeded my comfort level climbing up the pass and slowed down to wave another rider by me. I'm more comfortable with the CT now, but a healthy dose of common sense is a good thing.
Larry33319
Well-known member
Add another rider to the Darkside. h34r: I have not posted here much since I first picked up my 06 FJR. I have been following a friend on a Goldwing with a CT for the past year. We have ridden Deals Gap and 2 weeks in the surrounding area. We rode Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway then 441 all the way back to Florida. After watching him for the past year, I know what the CT is capable of. He showed me a link to the Glodwing 1800 site where someone had put a CT on an FJR. That brought me back to this forum and this thread in particular. I have read all 30 pages and I must say it is an interesting read. Skipping over some pages will allow you to miss a few bits of nice info. I am now awaiting arrival of a Yokohama Advan S 4, 205/50/R17. I have a shop lined up to mount it and a couple people to help do so. LOL.
OCfjr, you have kept good notes and I truly appreciate all the research you have done with the CT. So, I guess you can add another to the FJR Darkside. :assassin: I will claim number 7 if I am not late. I also have a line on flame proof riding gear for when I crash and burn for doing this. Damn, I forgot, it WORKS.
Thanks again.
Larry
h34r: I have not posted here much since I first picked up my 06 FJR. I have been following a friend on a Goldwing with a CT for the past year. We have ridden Deals Gap and 2 weeks in the surrounding area. We rode Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway then 441 all the way back to Florida. After watching him for the past year, I know what the CT is capable of. He showed me a link to the Glodwing 1800 site where someone had put a CT on an FJR. That brought me back to this forum and this thread in particular. I have read all 30 pages and I must say it is an interesting read. Skipping over some pages will allow you to miss a few bits of nice info. I am now awaiting arrival of a Yokohama Advan S 4, 205/50/R17. I have a shop lined up to mount it and a couple people to help do so. LOL.OCfjr, you have kept good notes and I truly appreciate all the research you have done with the CT. So, I guess you can add another to the FJR Darkside. :assassin: I will claim number 7 if I am not late. I also have a line on flame proof riding gear for when I crash and burn for doing this. Damn, I forgot, it WORKS.
Thanks again.
Larry
Larry33319
Well-known member
Thanks Eric. I will definitely let you know how it mounts, clearance, and how it handles. I think the main thing I read that really sold me on the tire was something I believe you said in an early post. "If you get 10,000 miles out of a rear tire, maybe a CT is for you. If you get 5,000 miles out of a rear tire, do not consider it." That made perfect sense to my pretzel logic mind. I live in South Florida and the only curves we get are called exit ramps. All the mountains have these white pipes sticking out of them with large amounts of birds hanging around. So a CT seemed right to me. I now have 58,000 miles on my 06 FJR and look forward to many more.
Carmine
Member
cut grind drill sand and shape. seems that buying 304 stainless in very short lenths is not a viable option. So I guess I gotta make a few more. I have been drawn to the darkside and I aint never goin back. Its like power steering for my fjr I love the new handling characteristics and more than that I really get a kick out of the fact that everyone thinks its "crazy, not safe and all the other hoopla" My other cycles have regular moto tires and they dont turn or handle as cleanly as my fj running a c/t . Great idea thank you for your willingness to go into uncharted waters and take the chance.
doctorJ
Well-known member
If'n I were to decide to go to the dark side, I doubt I'd make my own brake swing arm. So who to get from and about what price are we talking about? I'm getting a bit tired of close to or right at about $300 for a set of PR2s a couple of times a year for each of two bikes :angry: .
doctorj
CRMH Eagle
Well-known member
My initial reaction of you mouting a car tire on the FJR was "what the ?" Yet I have realized that the Boss Hoss offers both a small & big block v-8 for the the powerplant. The goldwing is 2 wheels short and a roof from being a civic. We add cruise control, driving & fog lights, dash shelves, and luggage racks. So why not? I applaud your ingenuity and desire to do something different.
However I think we should consider drawing the line at adding parking brakes, ski racks, and windshield wipers.
However I think we should consider drawing the line at adding parking brakes, ski racks, and windshield wipers.
Catfish
Well-known member
I'm in the process of trying to add a bicycle rack.
Is that bad?
Is that bad?
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