Tires - What am I doing right?

[RiderX]

Dear Mr. Radio Howie in the Hills,

You are so sadly mistaken. Out of the Tampa area we typically ride about 300 miles every Sunday. Good ride leaders, like me tie in twisty no crowded roads so that at least 50% of the ride you can go as fast as your skills allow. We know where the cops patrol and moderate in those areas. My play ground is from Arcadia to St. Augustine. I'm not gonna post my secrets on any forum, but roads around Arcadia, Frostproof, Brooksville, Ozello, Agricola, Polk City, Land O' Lakes, Floral City, Haines City, Lake Wales, Starke, Gainesville, Dade City, San Antonio, Avon Park to name a few that come to mind. Some of the secondary roads like 182nd Ave thru the Ocala National Forest and several others do not have excessive traffic and if so is it's easy for the FJR to pass them on the first opening. I suggest that you really don't know what Florida has to offer. All it takes is getting a detailed map like Delorme and do some ride planning. Oh I almost forgot Howie in the Hills has some awesome roads around it. You are not the first long term Florida resident I've known that has no idea what's out there. Bill

Gosh if everyone played that game, this forum would be extremely lame. I'm sure if you posted your **secrets** all your roads would be flooded with riders and cops and everything would be ruined. Oh well, I did my South/Central Florida riding for the year.

I think your definition of twisty differs from others (mine, anyway). You are certainly making lemonade out of lemons, good on ya. To me, elevation change is directly proportional to fun had. Are you seriously comparing those secret squirrel roads to roads in say. . Northern Georgia?

 

[Top_Speed1]

My Bridgestone fronts went a whopping 4,000 miles and barely at that. The center is still good but the outsides are WTFO. So they lasted just this past summer for me ...yeah I was a bit hard on them in the twisties, but aren't ya supposed to?

Now Trying PR2's F&R and I oversized the rear to 190/55

 

[RiderX]

Oversized? I have not heard of this.

 

[Top_Speed1]

Oversized? I have not heard of this.

Not a darksider move by any means but just wanted to "explore" the bigger tire in the back. It's 10mm wider, a bit taller and I have noticed a lower RPM on high(way) speeds. Seems MPG is a bit better too but I will have to document that out yet... GPS MPH/Tach documentation to stated mileage/fuel usage.

 

[JamesK]

Dear Mr. Radio Howie in the Hills,

You are so sadly mistaken. Out of the Tampa area we typically ride about 300 miles every Sunday. Good ride leaders, like me tie in twisty no crowded roads so that at least 50% of the ride you can go as fast as your skills allow. We know where the cops patrol and moderate in those areas. My play ground is from Arcadia to St. Augustine. I'm not gonna post my secrets on any forum, but roads around Arcadia, Frostproof, Brooksville, Ozello, Agricola, Polk City, Land O' Lakes, Floral City, Haines City, Lake Wales, Starke, Gainesville, Dade City, San Antonio, Avon Park to name a few that come to mind. Some of the secondary roads like 182nd Ave thru the Ocala National Forest and several others do not have excessive traffic and if so is it's easy for the FJR to pass them on the first opening. I suggest that you really don't know what Florida has to offer. All it takes is getting a detailed map like Delorme and do some ride planning. Oh I almost forgot Howie in the Hills has some awesome roads around it. You are not the first long term Florida resident I've known that has no idea what's out there. Bill

Gosh if everyone played that game, this forum would be extremely lame. I'm sure if you posted your **secrets** all your roads would be flooded with riders and cops and everything would be ruined. Oh well, I did my South/Central Florida riding for the year.

I think your definition of twisty differs from others (mine, anyway). You are certainly making lemonade out of lemons, good on ya. To me, elevation change is directly proportional to fun had. Are you seriously comparing those secret squirrel roads to roads in say. . Northern Georgia?

:lol: of course you can't not even jokingly, I've ridden both many, many times. But when you're exiled like I was in South FL, and the only mountain (well a big hill actually) for over 200 miles in any direction is a land fill, which is blocked to traffic or I can assure I'd tried it than like I said unless you've got at least 3 days at your disposal to ride out to North GA spend a couple of days on real roads and ride back, you are grateful for even the squirrel roads. Well dodging the sand in the apex of a few of the corners on the various squirrel roads at least added some element of excitement :blink:

 

[mdisher]

Are you sure your odo works normally?

+1 must be set for Kilometers or just flat out broke.com

 

[FJR Bill]

Dear Mr. Radio Howie in the Hills,

You are so sadly mistaken. Out of the Tampa area we typically ride about 300 miles every Sunday. Good ride leaders, like me tie in twisty no crowded roads so that at least 50% of the ride you can go as fast as your skills allow. We know where the cops patrol and moderate in those areas. My play ground is from Arcadia to St. Augustine. I'm not gonna post my secrets on any forum, but roads around Arcadia, Frostproof, Brooksville, Ozello, Agricola, Polk City, Land O' Lakes, Floral City, Haines City, Lake Wales, Starke, Gainesville, Dade City, San Antonio, Avon Park to name a few that come to mind. Some of the secondary roads like 182nd Ave thru the Ocala National Forest and several others do not have excessive traffic and if so is it's easy for the FJR to pass them on the first opening. I suggest that you really don't know what Florida has to offer. All it takes is getting a detailed map like Delorme and do some ride planning. Oh I almost forgot Howie in the Hills has some awesome roads around it. You are not the first long term Florida resident I've known that has no idea what's out there. Bill

Gosh if everyone played that game, this forum would be extremely lame. I'm sure if you posted your **secrets** all your roads would be flooded with riders and cops and everything would be ruined. Oh well, I did my South/Central Florida riding for the year.

I think your definition of twisty differs from others (mine, anyway). You are certainly making lemonade out of lemons, good on ya. To me, elevation change is directly proportional to fun had. Are you seriously comparing those secret squirrel roads to roads in say. . Northern Georgia?

Well you're right about saying my "secrets" on this forum shouldn't cause any problems as there are not that many Florida riders on this forum. Also many of my roads are known in my memory but to provide correct instructions I'd have to consult a map for road names and that would take time. If someone wants to PM me I'd love to provide some suggestions.

I agree about elevation change sensations. I've got many a mile in North GA,SC,NC,TN,KY,VA,WV,NM,AZ,CA,and AR so I know what twisty is. In Florida there are some really nice twisty county roads, some very tight. Unfortunately they usually last for only a few miles so it takes some creativity to tie them together with less than great roads. In the dead of winter I have a ball in Florida driving traffic free roads with little LE involvent, bucolic views, and some challenging curves. Mabe its lemonade from lemons but I've never had any complaints from those that share my rides, for newbees its more like "I've lived here for years and never knew these roads existed. Visitors to Florida seldom experience what I'm talking about.

Best wishes, Bill

 

[wheatonFJR]

Some people post so much, they forget that there's riding to do. <kick in the balls smiley>

:lol:

Thank You, Mister 10,669 posts!

Actually, it's 13174, but some of them are so lame that they don't even count. They're even lamer than the lame ones that do count.

All that being said, atleast I've had even the minimal amount of curiousity to sit on my FJR while the engine is running and actually go out and scout local roads<doink>...even in corn country there are a coupla good ones.

 

[FJR Bill]

Dear Mr. Radio Howie in the Hills,

You are so sadly mistaken. Out of the Tampa area we typically ride about 300 miles every Sunday. Good ride leaders, like me tie in twisty no crowded roads so that at least 50% of the ride you can go as fast as your skills allow. We know where the cops patrol and moderate in those areas. My play ground is from Arcadia to St. Augustine. I'm not gonna post my secrets on any forum, but roads around Arcadia, Frostproof, Brooksville, Ozello, Agricola, Polk City, Land O' Lakes, Floral City, Haines City, Lake Wales, Starke, Gainesville, Dade City, San Antonio, Avon Park to name a few that come to mind. Some of the secondary roads like 182nd Ave thru the Ocala National Forest and several others do not have excessive traffic and if so is it's easy for the FJR to pass them on the first opening. I suggest that you really don't know what Florida has to offer. All it takes is getting a detailed map like Delorme and do some ride planning. Oh I almost forgot Howie in the Hills has some awesome roads around it. You are not the first long term Florida resident I've known that has no idea what's out there. Bill

Gosh if everyone played that game, this forum would be extremely lame. I'm sure if you posted your **secrets** all your roads would be flooded with riders and cops and everything would be ruined. Oh well, I did my South/Central Florida riding for the year.

I think your definition of twisty differs from others (mine, anyway). You are certainly making lemonade out of lemons, good on ya. To me, elevation change is directly proportional to fun had. Are you seriously comparing those secret squirrel roads to roads in say. . Northern Georgia?

:lol: of course you can't not even jokingly, I've ridden both many, many times. But when you're exiled like I was in South FL, and the only mountain (well a big hill actually) for over 200 miles in any direction is a land fill, which is blocked to traffic or I can assure I'd tried it than like I said unless you've got at least 3 days at your disposal to ride out to North GA spend a couple of days on real roads and ride back, you are grateful for even the squirrel roads. Well dodging the sand in the apex of a few of the corners on the various squirrel roads at least added some element of excitement :blink:

For me then fun ends going south of Arcadia in Florida. Like I said my play ground is Arcadia to St. Augustine. I've been all over the most remote roads in South Fl and find them as exiting as crossing the desert on I10. The same cannot be said of central Florida. I wish my southern Fl riders the best but I'm damn glad I live north of there. Bill

 

[JamesK]

Oversized? I have not heard of this.

Not a darksider move by any means but just wanted to "explore" the bigger tire in the back. It's 10mm wider, a bit taller and I have noticed a lower RPM on high(way) speeds. Seems MPG is a bit better too but I will have to document that out yet... GPS MPH/Tach documentation to stated mileage/fuel usage.

Just wondering how the fit on the rim is and the various clearances?

 

[Top_Speed1]

Oversized? I have not heard of this.

Not a darksider move by any means but just wanted to "explore" the bigger tire in the back. It's 10mm wider, a bit taller and I have noticed a lower RPM on high(way) speeds. Seems MPG is a bit better too but I will have to document that out yet... GPS MPH/Tach documentation to stated mileage/fuel usage.

Just wondering how the fit on the rim is and the various clearances?

The additional Height is no problem but the Width now has the 190/55 almost touching the rear arm. I had a motorcycle shop do the change-out as I wanted spin balancing, they never said anything about the tire not fitting so not really sure on the fit on the rim? ...thinking the fit was normal or I would have heard. It just looks fat and mean. I plan on making a thread on this change as soon as I document and gather more rpm/mpg stats.

 

[Fingerflicker]

Just changed out my tires and recorded the mileage as well when they were last changed. Got 17, 600 out of the original road smarts and will compare that to the new RS2 that I just got. I do lots of boring commuting on my bike, 120 mile round trip for work. Average about 80 mph on the freeway. Only check my air pressure on the weekends.

 

[Top_Speed1]

17K out of rubber is a mega lot, if I even tried to come close, this would mean I would have to ignore all twisties... well guess what wins out? Yep, my still crappy distance/mileage for my rubber. Oh well, happiness costs money :thumbsup: