First DS experience

[3Chief]

I do not run a snow/ice tire but a summer tire as I believe that is where the best traction is found. I do not use a run flat and my weight is over 300 lbs. My summer tire does not squirm even a little at 42 lbs. In fact you have to really pay attention to realize it might be a little different feeling than a MT. It is perfect and looks great also, much closer to a MT in looks than many I've seen. This is my second CT on a bike and I have tens of thousands miles, mostly on one tire on a VTX. Go back and read some post of people with many miles under their belts and you will see that they do not use a run flat or a snow/ice tire. You have now tried an untried tire with poor results, if you give up on that one try something that people have already found good results from.

I misread/misunderstood somethings when I made my selection. No worries however as it's been a good learning experience. At 42 psi this tire squirms around a lot, I know generally you want to start low and raise the pressure 1 to 2 psi as been suggested. The reason I jumped to 50 was at 42 and 46 it looked like a low tire, so far at 48 it seems alright. 50 psi may have caused it to bounce/buck more or enhanced the different flexing points between the inner tire and outer tread. As I've said before this tire is really soft and tacky. I believe there are many DS disciples in both camps when it comes to RF or NonRF and winter/summer.

Chief, I'm sure you read thru this thread. http://hondaf6b.com/showthread.php?1...sing-snow-tire

I had scanned it before but I've reread it now. It'll still end up being what feels best to the individual rider. I know there are many here who like the OEM Stones and I can't stand them, however the flip is I've had good experiences with Mezzlers on my VTX and many here do not like them at all. The CT equivalent of the OEM Stones to me is Toyo's. I hate Toyo's yet I know many people who swear by them. It's our individual experiences and personal taste that determine our tire selections more so than scientific facts.

I'll play with this tire for a bit. If I get it to feel right to me I'll keep it. If I don't I'll either throw the OEM back on or replace it with a Mezzler while I figure out what CT to try next. The benefits of having a spare rim

Thank you all for your insights. I'll keep you updated with my DS experience.

[3Chief]

After nearly a month on the Darkside I have a few observations:

1) No major change in riding style, actual when I finally had a few dry days and could play it handled very well.
2) Tire pressure is critical, I finally settled at 44 psi. It's amazing how much the pressure will change the characteristics of a CT on a bike.
3) A remote TPS is a must, I spend way to much time on the ground checking the TP.

Still have a few issues:

1) Occasional side to side wobble, I'm fairly certain its caused by the grooves in the road but it is not pleasant.
2) This tire does not like deicer at all in a corner, although whatever they sprayed turn to a gel. The roads were slimy but that's the first time I'd ever slid in that corner...
3) Temperatures seem to change the way this tire feels way to much hence why I'm constantly checking the TP.
4) The occasional squirm seems to have gotten more frequent as time has gone on, although it may be more due to the fact that I've been riding it harder as I've gotten used to the tire.

Overall I think my experiment on the DS has been successful, however I think this particular tire is a bust. I'll play with it a bit longer but I think I'm going to swap it out over winter break in between house projects.

[bob109]

Thanks for your very informative feedback! Info like yours goes a long way in educating others as to the specific characteristics of a tire brand! As was earlier mentioned in this thread, not all tires are "good candidates" for Dark Siding! Based on your reported weight you my want to consider a "stiffer sidewall Run Flat" as your next tire. Both Tire Rack and Discount Tire Direct provide a broad selection of top quality run flats with excellent thread/tread patterns. With the growing number of Dark Siders on our Forum there no shortage of "DS tire use/recommendations!

Regards and Safe Riding

bob109

[2wheelsforme]

A run flat with stiffer sidewalls might help. I would think getting away from an ice and snow tire which are reported to feel more squishy would be another direction to head. I have none of those problems with my summer tire. I also think a CT will wear the corners a bit and break in to feel better as it wears.

[3Chief]

Thanks for your very informative feedback! Info like yours goes a long way in educating others as to the specific characteristics of a tire brand! As was earlier mentioned in this thread, not all tires are "good candidates" for Dark Siding! Based on your reported weight you my want to consider a "stiffer sidewall Run Flat" as your next tire. Both Tire Rack and Discount Tire Direct provide a broad selection of top quality run flats with excellent thread/tread patterns. With the growing number of Dark Siders on our Forum there no shortage of "DS tire use/recommendations!

I'm definitely going to try a RF next, although I will dig thru the DS forum more thoroughly before making my next tire selection.

A run flat with stiffer sidewalls might help. I would think getting away from an ice and snow tire which are reported to feel more squishy would be another direction to head. I have none of those problems with my summer tire. I also think a CT will wear the corners a bit and break in to feel better as it wears.

Getting away from this particular ice and snow tire will definitely be a plus a I still believe it's to soft in general for MC use. After close to 700 miles it feels fine in the corners unless I'm on the throttle. I was turning onto an onramp and got after it out of the turn and felt the tire deform/twist. I know on shaft driven bikes you can get a similar feeling under hard acceleration from a stop as the shaft torques the rim however I wasn't on it that hard. Also more than once it's felt like I was "crabbing" especially if there was a crown on the road. Live and learn

[crossbowme]

I have played around with the idea of DS tire but hesitate. First, I have the full Monty on my bike and don't want to lose that precision in my ride. Second, I'm not sure what tire and brand to put on the bike. One poster took the recommendation of snow/ice from another post and that didn't work out well. When you go to other threads the recommendations are all over the place.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[3Chief]

I have played around with the idea of DS tire but hesitate. First, I have the full Monty on my bike and don't want to lose that precision in my ride. Second, I'm not sure what tire and brand to put on the bike. One poster took the recommendation of snow/ice from another post and that didn't work out well. When you go to other threads the recommendations are all over the place.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I have the full Monty also and with my current limited DS experience I would definitely go with a run flat. The tire I'm currently running is way to soft for me. Otherwise I only noticed a slight adjustment once I actually relaxed a little on the CT. By and large once you stop thinking about it it's a minimal adjustment and the handling characteristics of the bike are pretty much the same. I personally don't care for the squiggly feeling this particular tire gives me at odd times. I'm going to swap back to my OEM this week while researching what CT to try next. I would recommend picking up a second rim if you don't already have one and use it for CT experiments until you either find one you like or decide it's not for you. That way you can readily swap back if needed. That's what I'm doing and if a run flat removes that squiggly feeling I'll most likely stay on the darkside. It's worth the experiment either way. I honestly feel that the bike is more responsive and snaps out of corners better with the CT than the OEM. I can also definitely feel the CT grabbing better in low traction situations. On the downside the squishy squiggly feeling this tire gives me is unnerving and the bike seems to crab when the road has bad grooves. I want to try a stiffer side wall tire and see if it clears up my issues before I give up on the DS.

Nothing ventured nothing gained, don't let the naysayers dissuade you from forming your own opinion. Just do your research. I'm not happy with this particular tire, which is a snow/ice tire, however I did not do enough research on my own before I bought it. Several others on this board run snow/ice tires and luv them. It appears that the particular tire I bought no one else had tried so it was a new experience for all. My next CT will be something more tried an true.