Going to the Dark Side

[dangerdog]

rode it to work this morning, feels nice on the road.

I think its actually rides better, the back tire i had on there before was bald as all get out and probably pretty dried out.

 

[08FJR4ME]

Not sure if you modified the brake link bar. Some tires rub. Just a reminder to check it.

Good luck and looks great. I really think I want to do this.

 

[dangerdog]

Lol of course i did. Not trying to make fun, but you wouldnt be rolling anywhere without putting a diff brake arm on her. You wouldnt even be able to get the axle back through.

 

[user 213]

Looking good DangerDog! Glad you like it. I hope I don't have to take you up on the extra lunch tray, but you never know.

Hey, for the Alaska trip you may want to sort out a bigger rear fender set up. The CT throws spray huge! And even with the stock fender will cover up the license plate and taillights with spooge.

@08FJR4ME - I've only had one tire that didn't rub, but that was a test tire I wouldn't want to actually use for all weather riding. It's an essential to replace the brake tension arm with a single sided steel, (or stainless steel), version. Very easy to make.

 

[doug5551]

Here is an update from Darkside FJR #3:

At the recent Land of Enchantment Rally, after the odometer check, our elusive forum member eeksnake got to take the Darkside FJR out for a brief test ride. Here he is getting ready:

Backing out, and note that all of my plastic still looks exactly like it did when I put on the Car Tire:

Taking off-doesn't that look like a Steamroller on back there:

He only went out for a couple of miles, and it would certainly take longer than that to get use to it, but at least he now knows what it is like for himself.

I installed the CT May 30 and now have 9K miles on it. I have used it for commuting to work, riding the twisty SoCal mountain roads, and two long road trips, first to Spokane, Washington for the IBR finish, which was about 2,500 miles and then almost 3,000 miles for the Land of Enchantment Rally, where I went 800 miles each way to and from LA, and then almost 1,100 miles during the rally.

Here are close-up pics of the tread after 9,000 miles:

another, note how sticky the rubber is by all the debris that the tire picks up:

I haven't done any precise measurements, but I think I have a few miles left.

The CT works great for me. It is stable in the twisties and it is great not to have to worry about wearing out tires quickly. It is surprising to me that many IBR riders have a hard time understanding this modification. When I last saw SkooterG, he hollered at me to "Take that Car Tire Off!!". I didn't get a chance to tell him that I will, after another 25,000 miles or so.

It performed wonderfully under rally conditions. I rode a 700 mile daytime loop with a friend who was on a BMW RT, with PR2s. The CT FJR stayed with him perfectly, on the interstates, rural two-lane roads, goat-trail paved roads, dirt roads, and sweepers. There were no real tight twisties on the route we took, but it would have been just fine if there had been.

This modification is not for newbies or hoons, but for me it works great. The additional steering effort is now completely normal and natural for me, and the grooves in the road do not bother me anymore. It did take me a while to get used to it and adjust. You should take a test ride on a CT FJR if you get a chance, but understand that it will take a some miles to get used to it.

 

[RadioHowie]

Doug, what brand tire is that, and I assume it's a 205/50-R17?

 

[doug5551]

That would be a Bridgestone Potenza 019 Grid:

 

[RadioHowie]

Dat's whudeye thought. Frankenbike is next.

 

[Cash]

what a fascinating thread!! Read through the whole things and both sides make since, I think I would have some safety concerns about the cornering ability of the bike, but for long mileage trips/ commuting it would very interesting to try. It would be nice to have a hybrid tire made.

 

[demetri]

"...a hybrid tire..."

we have our buzz word of the thread!

:clapping:

[SIZE=10pt]do you hear that goodyear, bridgestone, kumho, falken, pirelli, dunlop, firestone, hankook, lexani, yokohama, nitto, federal, general, toyo, metzeler, uniroyal, continental, sumitomo, rotalla(yes that's right), gislaved, nokian, cooper, maxxis and i wont mention the big french M that pissed me off at the Indy GP a few years ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/SIZE] i've calmed down now.

 

[dangerdog]

lol ive ridden the bike exactly three times with the Potenza, once to scrub her in, once to work and then last night to meet some freinds out.

I think ive fielded roughly two dozen questions on it. Damn i wouldnt even think people could see it that well with the bags on, but i even got asked about it sitting in traffic.

 

[Larry33319]

Well, I just returned from a week long ride. I rode from the AutoTrain in Lorton, VA to Skyline Drive to the Blue Ridge Parkway, then 441, then 75, and finally the Florida Turnpike to home. 1950 miles on this trip. A total of 5750 miles as Darksider #7. This trip took me on major highways at 85 mph, two lane roads going straight for about 2 hours with occasional slight turns, and 6 days of riding thru the mountains. 2 days were in rain on leaf cover roads. The tires never slipped once. The only complaint I have is that the CT (Yokohama Advan) chewed up the leaves on the road and covered my trunk, bags, and tail/tag assembly with a fine coating of mulch. It perfromed absolutly fantastic. The level of confidance it gave me after a few miles on the twisties in the rain was beyond belief. I would not attempt to drag my pegs under the wet conditions but I never had second thoughts about doing anything I needed to do. After you try it and develop a bit of trust, which comes by seat time, you will indeed be sorry you had not done it earlier.

 

[dangerdog]

I would not attempt to drag my pegs under the wet conditions but I never had second thoughts about doing anything I needed to do.

If you are dragging your pegs on wet roads with an FJ with any tire your asking to slide out.

I felt my GSXR 1000 give a little acting to brave in the rain, with pretty fresh rubber and that bike is half the weight, far more suited for performance riding.

I dont know about you but i dont like leaning that much when all that remains between me and several weeks of hospitalization is a wet strip of pencil eraser.

 

[Larry33319]

I did not attempt or desire to try and drag my pegs in the wet. I have no death wish. All I was trying to say is that the bike handled properly considering the conditions and I never gave the CT a second thought. My FJR is primarily for touring and mildly aggresive riding. When I want to play harder I have an 08 CBR1000RR for doing that. No, it does not have a CT on it and it never will. The CBR is pure sport.

 

[user 213]

Larry makes an excellent observation on wet traction of the CT. It's outstanding! The CT has so many more sipes and tread blocks that slippage that would be normal on a moto tire simply never occurs with the CT.

FWIW, at 24k on my 019G, it's still stable at FJR nominal and was pretty fun and stable out on the Playa, (Black Rock Desert), this past weekend. During one run, bring a slim jim to a fellow that locked his keys in his car, I was cruising across the semi-bumpy, slightly moist desert playa at about 75 mph. Judging from the other FJRs and street bikes, they were not as comfortable as I and maintained slower speeds, (except the KTM 950s, which were doing ...... err, in excess of 120, IIRC Holy Fook! Those things really roost with knobbies.)

edit - FWIW, I think we all accept our odds of getting a hybrid tire made. The retreader place that does aircraft tires too would probably be a better place to attempt to get a prototype hybrid tire. Moto carcass, auto style/thickness tread design. One issue would be to decide whether to leave it flat, or full radius. I'm thinking full radius, but with 10/32" deep tread and the same types of tread blocks instead of the traditional moto types.

 

[lnewlf]

I may have missed it on this huge thread but that is the first time deeper tread depth has been mentioned. Outside of the obvious economic concerns for the manufacturers, why the hey isn't a bike tire being produced with 15/32 tread depth or similar. It seems that squirm coud be controlled by using larger tread blocks and life would almost double as compared to my 190 spec PR2 which has 9/32 tread and will be toast at 7K or so. I'll buy stock in the first manufacturer to market a deep tread tire .

 

[user 213]

After thinking about it some more, I don't think the above mentioned hybrid tire would do the job. Part of the problem has always been wearing out the center before the sides for the LD guys or folks with no curves to ride in. Part of the reason the CT lasts so much longer is that you have a more solid base and a lot more rubber on the road to hold the load.

A full radius design with auto style tread would still suffer from the same limited contact patch and wear out in the middle faster than the CT would. The hybrid would probably need to still have a flat main section, but be radiused on the sides and on a moto tire carcass with good tread depth. What this would feel like on the road, I don't know. Might handle worse than a CT due to the sidewall differences. Some flex on the CT sidewalls helps the handling feel of the CT on a bike, IMHO.

Typically car tires have 8/32 to 10/32" tread depth when new. My quick check only found reference to 8/32 thread depth on the PR2CT HERE.

@Inewlf - Unknown. Perhaps weight. The CT does weigh 10 lbs more than a moto tire. Perhaps it's simply a matter of no demand from us so why give us a tire that lasts years for some riders, (like car tires), instead of one that for many is good enough for a season of riding in the US.

 

[ian]

I checked my CT depth yesterday and after a little less than 12,000 miles, it has 3/32 left (out of the original 10/32). Don't know if it's my riding style (I'm on my third front in the same period) or the Yokohama wears faster than the Bridgestone Potenza. What was the beginning tread depth on it?

Anyway, glad I made the switch! Ian, Iowa

 

[user 213]

I checked my CT depth yesterday and after a little less than 12,000 miles, it has 3/32 left (out of the original 10/32). Don't know if it's my riding style (I'm on my third front in the same period) or the Yokohama wears faster than the Bridgestone Potenza. What was the beginning tread depth on it?Anyway, glad I made the switch! Ian, Iowa

Very interesting. Since I still haven't worn out the 019G, the data on the Yokohama wear is still limited to you and I believe one other rider. The specs appear to be comparable to the 019G Bridgestone and it has been my intention to try the Yoko Advan S-4 next. That wear does seem a bit faster than what is being experienced on the BT 019G though. Hmmm.

The Uniform Tire Quality Grade Standards (UTQG), a.k.a. Tread wear rating for the 019G is 460, compared to the Yoko's 400. The only thing in today's search that has a higher UTQG rating in performance all-season tires in our 205/50-17 size is the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus @ 500. Problem is that each manufacturer gets to do their own testing and rating of the UTQG numbers. On paper, I expected the Yoko to hold up well.

 

[ian]

20,000 miles or a little less on the rear tire, I can live with it !!! All I wanted was a rear tire that would last for a 12,000 mile trip and we have several brands of CTs that deliver. There were a few threads on other boards with the same predictable responses from those who hadn't (and would never, ever) try a CT.

The fronts still wear out in a heartbeat but you got what you got. Thanks again Eric for testing the CT. Ian, Iowa