Quote Originally Posted by Teach View Post
I've run darkside CT in the past, on my Victory Vision. I see a couple of concerns with doing so on the F6B. First off it has a single side swing-arm which means there are TWO major factors that do NOT appear to have been considered; Wheel and Tire weight which do place load on the bearings, which in turn will lead to Final Drive failure. Now please do not take this as throwing stones but you can't just order a tire online because you like the pattern, and cast wheels are heavier, which leads me to the impression that WEIGHT was not considered.
Second, you may not ride on the sidewall, BUT when you lean the bike does in fact roll up over what I refer to as the hump. That's the last inch or two of the tire tread that wraps to the sidewall. Obviously it is more noticeable on a new tire than on one that's been ridden 10k. Nobody mentioned tire pressure that I saw?? What pressure are you running??
And finally for those considering this option.... Besides the aforementioned items to consider, consider riding habits. If you ride in all weather you are going to hydroplane a CT. Contact patch is MUCH wider than a bike tire and as such will ride ON the water rather than pushing it out thru grooves. Simple physics, weight versus contact area.
So while there are some very good reasons one might want to go with a CT, mainly longer mileage, there are other things to consider than just mileage.

Bob, I'd weight both my stock wheel and rim, and the CT w/rim to see how close you are. My guess is your setup is WAY heavier than Honda's. If so I'd consider revising to get as close or lower than the stock weight. Getting a flat is scary enough, tossing the FD bearing would be terrible (and expensive). Enjoy the ride!
Those issues/concerns you raise have been addressed by the numerous GL 1800 Goldwing Riders whose bikes share the identical frame, tires, wheel bearings and suspension components as our F6B's and weigh 62 lbs more. To my knowledge I can't recall anyone mentioning the failure of "swing arm bearings" or "final drives". I have however seen numerous entire swing arm assemblies with OEM wheel/tire for sale on e-bay which were removed for trike installation.

Regarding the stock OEM Stone/Wheel wight that would be 34 lbs. I didn't weigh my G-MAX/OEM Wheel prior to installation so I'm relying on, "Tire Rack", info that the G-MAX weighs 18 lbs. If the OEM wheel is 16 lbs. or a tad heavier I doubt there is any concern for swing arm or final drive bearings.

I choose to run a CT not solely based on mileage. Although it's a consideration, I'm more concerned with the overall better handling, braking, smooth ride and wet traction that the CT provides. I've had the opportunity to ride on some 150 to 250 wide MT's which were better suited for surfing when it came to wet roads

When I select a CT for my bike it's after considerable research from various Dark Side Rider and Tire Manufacturer sites. I don't "shoot from the hip" when my personal safety is on the line.

Here's some pics which compare the tire contact surfaces/sipes of the OEM Stone and the G-MAX. Not splitting hairs, the Stone has 6 each major sipes for 12" while the MAX has 12 for the same 12". Side sipes for the Stone are 7 while the MAX has 11. That fact seems to contradict your statement that a CT will hydro-plane because of a wider contact patch. There are substantially more sipes on the CT to channel water which reduces the risk to hydro-plane.

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