First DS experience

[willtill]

This is a given and is well known to Darksiders: a car tire will track imperfections in the road much more perceptibly than a motorcycle tire.

You've got to get used to that. And if you do.. you will develop the skills required for that while you are riding. If you can do this... you will be eligible for the cookie that the Darkside offers.

You will occasionally see uneven road in front of you... you should (and will) expect non-linear movement of the bike and you should (and will) adjust your counter steering accordingly to compensate. You will find that you'll develop enhanced counter steering reaction while running a car tire, and it eventually will become second nature; a non-event for you.

Been there (many of us) Done that (many of us).

[3Chief]

Dropped the pressure to 48 psi today. That seemed to help a lot, we'll see on my swim home.

[willtill]

Dropped the pressure to 48 psi today. That seemed to help a lot, we'll see on my swim home.

IMHO.... follow Bob's recommendation. Work your way up in psi... not down.

[2wheelsforme]

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.

[2wheelsforme]

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

[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.