Going to the Dark Side

[RadioHowie]

True, very true. sorry for being so abrupt with my first post. I was just a bit excited to finally have done this and not killed myself. Ok some background on WHO-T-F I am. Not a troll.

Been riding for 23 years. I moved to Florida from Virginia 10 years ago. Riding is a totally different story down here then up north. I've had my share of 8 or so bikes. First was an 82 interceptor 750, then an FJ1100, then brand new GSXR1100 in 1990, then ZX11, blah blah blah blah... Moved to Florida and guess what... No curves anywhere to be seen. Hills? no hills either WTF? So I went with an old Cruiser down here, got bored, got another cruiser - HD, bored, another and another, and finally got me a used ZX11 again.

I'm on my 11 day and night commuting, relaxing, enjoying the finer things in life. I average anywhere from 16K to 23K annually. Oil and brake pads are not a big deal but since I do my own stuff - including tire changes - I thought I'd look up if anyone had ever tried a CT on a bike. Guess what a bunch had and were happy. The overwhelming majority seem to be Wings and cruisers. I figured i'd be one of the first to try it on a sport touring bike. Well then I discovered a bunch of FJR guys were doing this as well.

Got the tire, installed it, and I like it. Thats all. Just wanted to get a number since the folks at the ZX11forum ended up poking fun at me and just about made me cry. Glad to be here (I think).

Now that I've tried it I think I'll run it as it is for a short while, maybe a few weeks, and then go back to my MC tire. Just wanted to see if it could be done, what the big deal was, and how it would feel. Is that too much to ask?

Ok thats it. See I'm not a troll.

ZX11, I think you've confused two posts shortly after yours from TriggerT and Floridave, thinking they were referring to YOU as a troll.

Not so! They were both referring to a post from "Trooper", two posts below yours, exhibiting some very "trollish" language/behavior.

BTW, GREAT motor in that ZX11.....I oughta know -- same motor in my ZRX1200R! :yahoo:

 

[Bustanut joker]

Motorcycle tires are built for specific reasons. You know that m/c tires have evolved the way they have for a REASON! I'M NOT GOING TO YOUR FUNERAL. YOU ARE THE REASON WHY INSURANCE PRICES ARE SO HIGH. please listen to reason put m/c tires back on your MOTORCYCLE! At least try to prolong your stay on earth. Good luck...god bless you.

Oh, go bite a toad, ya frog molester!

I'll bet you can not come up with one single instance where anyone's insurance rates are based on what kind of tire someone runs on a motorcycle.

Since I joined the forum in mid-2005, I can with complete certainty say yours is the most stupid post I've read on this forum....and that includes some real doozies!

Where the hell did I put that link to ABBA's Super Trooper?

I know I feel a whole lot better about the stuff I've posted after reading that ****..

Next thing ya know he'll be chatterin' aboot how riders with shorts and tee shirts are drivin' up rates. :lol:

 

[garyahouse]

Hey Mr. ZX,

We're glad to have you here on the forum. You bring a little different experience to the table as you are doing this on a different bike. That makes you sort of a pioneer, at least in OUR eyes. Could you tell us a little about the tire... the pressure you run, any adjustments you had to make to the bike to make it fit, etc. You mentioned that you're running a Falken ZE 502. Not sure how that compares with the Michelin Pilot Exalto that I'm running. What do you think of it? Could you describe the differences you've noticed thus far?

Looking forward to hearing from you again.

By the way, I'm up by Spring Hill, about 35 miles north of Clearwater. Where are you located?

Gary

darksider #44

 

[TriggerT]

ZX11, sorry if you thought we were dumping on you. That was not in anyway my intention. I give you a lot of credit for trying a car tire on that bike, and I am sure you did get a TON OF CRAP on a sport-bike forum for trying it. Hope you stick around for a little bit.

 

[RadioHowie]

ZX11, sorry if you thought we were dumping on you. That was not in anyway my intention. I give you a lot of credit for trying a car tire on that bike, and I am sure you did get a TON OF CRAP on a sport-bike forum for trying it. Hope you stick around for a little bit.

Gunny!

 

[LowAndSilent]

So...about 440 miles knocked out yesterday with the CT. Followed this route: Ride With GPS Route.

It covered slab, grooved slab, concrete, tar-snack ridden highways, two-lane backroads, potholed one-lane backroads, twisty transitions, a grated bridge, sand, a ferry, etc etc etc. This was one dry, damp, and soaked pavement in temperatures ranging from 33 - 48 degrees. Tire pressure at 39 psi on the Avid ENVigor.

My impression: :thumbsupsmileyanim:

Absolutely no issues the entire way. Felt a bit squirmy on the grated bridge and during a section of tarmac just before the turn on I5 heading south towards Fife. I think that was grooved pavement, as the tire felt all kinds of twitchy. Was going to pull off (to check for a flat) but the pavement changed and it felt planted again, so I continued on.

Otherwise, felt just like a moto tire, even through quick transitions on the 101 and 105. No confidence issues what-so-ever.

 

[TriggerT]

I thought most people were running lower pressures than that. Like around 32-35?

Good to hear you liked it. I don't care what tires you are running, grated bridges always feel squirmy IMHO.

 

[RadioHowie]

I thought most people were running lower pressures than that. Like around 32-35?

I agree with Tim-uh! Try 32psi and see what that feels like.

 

[mattster31]

I thought most people were running lower pressures than that. Like around 32-35?

I agree with Tim-uh! Try 32psi and see what that feels like.

30 psi works great for me............although I now weigh 180 (down from 210), so I might try 28 in the spring.

 

[RadioHowie]

I thought most people were running lower pressures than that. Like around 32-35?

I agree with Tim-uh! Try 32psi and see what that feels like.

30 psi works great for me............although I now weigh 180 (down from 210), so I might try 28 in the spring.

In the immortal words of "Curly" from "City Slickers".....



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IfzRf1DtxQ

 

[LowAndSilent]

I'll be testing out different pressures since it is easier to start higher and lower it from there. Don't have to keep breaking out the air pump as much that way. I'm going to try 35 and 32 psi next to see if there is any change. I'd be happy to keep it at 38 though...it performed pretty good yesterday.

 

[user 213]

From what I can tell, most of us are running around 30-32. My take on pressure is that you want the sidewalls to flex enough to allow easy transitions, but not so much that things get sloppy feeling. What I felt with higher pressure on the BT 019G was more resistance to turn in. Too low and I got some weave at higher speeds and things felt 'loose' in quick transitions.

Every tire is different. The stiffer the sidewalls, the less pressure you can run. Load is a factor, but not a tremendous one since we are so far under the load rating for the tire. I would suggest that you'd need to lose a heck of a lot of weight before you need to adjust your tire pressure. Like 25% of your total, minimum.

Bottom line, try different pressures and see what you like. Too low and you'll wear the edges of the tire noticeably. Too high and it's just a little harsher than it needs to be and in some cases there will be more turn in effort. L&S is breaking new ground with the Avid ENVigor, so it's interesting to hear his feedback and how the tire feels to him. Keep up the reports guys. Good stuff like this can be added to the FAQ when we have a new consensus on a tire.

 

[TriggerT]

That is if we don't all die flaming horrible deaths, which our insurance company will prosecute us for before we can report in.

 

[zx11darkside]

Wow big difference from that other forum where they kicked my *** pretty badly for even trying this out.

So, glad to be here among normal people that "seem" to be a bit more accepting of a little experiment. The tire is a Falken ZE-502 I got for $26 used. Although it is used it came in almost new conditions. Tread, at time of delivery, was 7/32. Since I've been mounting my own tires for the past few years I figured this wouldn't be any different. I purchased a tire mounting stand from Harbor Freight last year but I prefer mounting tires by hand. Don't ask me why. After wrestling this car tire for about 45 minutes it finally popped onto the rim. Whew! man was I tired. I did use 2 standard tire irons.

Trusting my life on essential tools in pic - basic screw driver, tire irons, and Pledge to mount a freaking car tire. Sounds kinda nuts.

Hey Mr. ZX,

We're glad to have you here on the forum. You bring a little different experience to the table as you are doing this on a different bike. That makes you sort of a pioneer, at least in OUR eyes. Could you tell us a little about the tire... the pressure you run, any adjustments you had to make to the bike to make it fit, etc. You mentioned that you're running a Falken ZE 502. Not sure how that compares with the Michelin Pilot Exalto that I'm running. What do you think of it? Could you describe the differences you've noticed thus far?

Looking forward to hearing from you again.

By the way, I'm up by Spring Hill, about 35 miles north of Clearwater. Where are you located?

Gary

darksider #44

 

[zx11darkside]

Once mounted on the rim and fitted in place I could see the rear caliper stabilizer needed repositioning. Flipped the position to the outside, as a temporary fix, and it cleared.

 

[zx11darkside]

Couldn't wait to try it. The tire mounted onto the rim with 48 psi. I backed the pressure down to 42psi, no reason other then its what I run on my normal Pilot Roads. So I slowly exit my driveway and make a left. Already knew what to expect from reading what others had to say. It was a bit strange but to my surprise it was working.

 

[zx11darkside]

the pressure you run,

Slowly adjusted down from 42 to 32 psi. Big difference in the way the whole setup feels. At 32 psi I can barely tell its a car tire

any adjustments you had to make to the bike to make it fit, etc.

Rear caliper holding arm, too close to tire. Adjusted mounting points.

You mentioned that you're running a Falken ZE 502. Not sure how that compares with the Michelin Pilot Exalto that I'm running. What do you think of it?

Dont have another CT to compare it to but so far it seems to have at least as much traction as the Pilot Road MT, probably more so. Corning is starting to fee near normal. Today I was able to lean the bike to where I was before. I don't normally go crazy and scape pegs on this bike. Doing so means the tires are already off the pavement.

Could you describe the differences you've noticed thus far?

Tracks perfectly straight on the highway. Takes a bit to get it to lean. Once into the curve it stays in position. Oh and irregularities and bad surfaces upset the hell out of the bike. Takes more effort to keep it in line when the road is bad.

Other then that it's working out great. I'll keep it on for a while longer but I am planning on switching back soon.

 

[wfooshee]

It's a car tire. Run car tire pressure in it. I run 31 on mine.

 

[LowAndSilent]

It may be a few days before I get to test any different pressures. Snow has hit the area, so I had to take the bus (BLAH!) in to work today. Stupid snow...

Also noticed my front tire is getting pretty worn after 17.5k miles. I guess I need to change that out soon. Hmmm...perhaps I'll try out the PR3 to go with my new CT.

 

[SkooterG]

It may be a few days before I get to test any different pressures. Snow has hit the area, so I had to take the bus (BLAH!) in to work today. Stupid snow...

Also noticed my front tire is getting pretty worn after 17.5k miles. I guess I need to change that out soon. Hmmm...perhaps I'll try out the PR3 to go with my new CT.

Why not put a car tire on the front? What's good for the goose, is good for the gander...............