Here's a question I have not seen answered yet .....

15K+ miles on my "B" and getting ready for new tires.

After lots of reading and research I have decided to go dark-side. I have a Bridgestone Drivegaurd run flat mounted on a spare rim waiting to be installed.

I live at the back end of a rugged, 1.5 mile, 1 lane dirt/gravel road. Lots of up and downs as well as 6 90deg turns.

My question, does anyone here regularly go "off road" with their dark-sided B ????


Most people that know me think I am crazy riding in and out of my road; but I think it makes you a better rider overall. If you can handle gravel and NC mud after (or during) a good rain storm, you can handle most anything the road throws at you.

I would think a CT would do better off road than a MC tire simply because of the tread pattern.


Anyone have any thoughts ???

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Originally Posted by Navvet

15K+ miles on my "B" and getting ready for new tires.

After lots of reading and research I have decided to go dark-side. I have a Bridgestone Drivegaurd run flat mounted on a spare rim waiting to be installed.

I live at the back end of a rugged, 1.5 mile, 1 lane dirt/gravel road. Lots of up and downs as well as 6 90deg turns.

My question, does anyone here regularly go "off road" with their dark-sided B ????


Most people that know me think I am crazy riding in and out of my road; but I think it makes you a better rider overall. If you can handle gravel and NC mud after (or during) a good rain storm, you can handle most anything the road throws at you.

I would think a CT would do better off road than a MC tire simply because of the tread pattern.


Anyone have any thoughts ???

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It takes ten minutes to lay your six over on its side! Put the car tire on and run your road several times! You'll know immediately if the DS tire works for you! If not, re-install the OEM. There is nothing like "First Hand Experience"! What have you got too loose????

I can not say I do that regularly but I have done it and a CT is much more stable and reassuring. There has been a lot of talk and banter about empirical evidence...for me stuff in a book is normally written by someone who has no ideal how to do what they're writing about. I'm all about the seat of your pants data. Now that you can take to the bank as fact and move forward. The rest is just mere speculation and bull shit. Until you can tell me you have __________ . Then I think you are a bull shitter also.

Between my sisters house on 2 miles of dirt road and one of my daughters on a long dirt hill drive I have enough time off asphalt to get a feel for the CT on dirt. If it is a heavily rutted road the rear will still wiggle and follow the rut. A MT will drop into narrow ruts that a wider CT may roll over and not slide into BUT the wider contact patch of the CT will bump steer the rear end as it rolls into a rut so just like any bike with any tire on a loose surface, stay on the throttle slightly to always keep the bike pushing forward.
I will say going down my daughters drive I get much less rear wheel slide and a bit more traction going up.

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Originally Posted by DMAGOLDRDR

Between my sisters house on 2 miles of dirt road and one of my daughters on a long dirt hill drive I have enough time off asphalt to get a feel for the CT on dirt. If it is a heavily rutted road the rear will still wiggle and follow the rut. A MT will drop into narrow ruts that a wider CT may roll over and not slide into BUT the wider contact patch of the CT will bump steer the rear end as it rolls into a rut so just like any bike with any tire on a loose surface, stay on the throttle slightly to always keep the bike pushing forward.
I will say going down my daughters drive I get much less rear wheel slide and a bit more traction going up.

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The ruts aren't bad on my road, but the real challenge is the first 100 yds, 15deg incline straight up. That's where I hope the CT really shines (as well as coming down that hill).

In 40+ years of riding, I have not worried about taking a bike just about anywhere ... but have never tried a CT on a bike.

I am going to try to put the CT on this weekend and see how it performs.

Welcome to the Dark Side ! We have cookies !!!

'dark-side'

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Originally Posted by Steve 0080

Welcome to the Dark Side ! We have cookies !!!

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Chocolate Chip ????

My Michelin CT makes it a LOT easier to get up my 110yd gravel driveway. When I ordered my CT the salesman asked why I needed a mud & snow rated tire. When I hit a little mud it'll sling it out. The factory tire just turns to a slick & spins. Lots of guys talk bad about the CT but I have my reasons for using it. And I hate having a flat on a bike & feel a lot more comfortable going dark. Welcome to the Darkside!!

Welcome to the Darkside. I'm running the same tire and have about 4 thou on mine. I love the Driveguard. The runflat will give you added piece of mind. I would consider running tire pressure monitors. I have the FOBO ones.

As for the gravel, I definitely think it helps to have the wider footprint...but if there are ruts, most car tires will tend to wander. As long as you're expecting it, it isn't too bad.

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Originally Posted by Navvet

15K+ miles on my "B" and getting ready for new tires.

After lots of reading and research I have decided to go dark-side. I have a Bridgestone Drivegaurd run flat mounted on a spare rim waiting to be installed.

I live at the back end of a rugged, 1.5 mile, 1 lane dirt/gravel road. Lots of up and downs as well as 6 90deg turns.

My question, does anyone here regularly go "off road" with their dark-sided B ????


Most people that know me think I am crazy riding in and out of my road; but I think it makes you a better rider overall. If you can handle gravel and NC mud after (or during) a good rain storm, you can handle most anything the road throws at you.

I would think a CT would do better off road than a MC tire simply because of the tread pattern.


Anyone have any thoughts ???

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Navvet, Sounds like you win the bad driveway award. I live 1 mile off the blacktop and I may be a better rider for it, at least I know my bike better for it. My bike however is not better for it.

In the dry most bikers would not mind the 1 mile ride no matter what the tire. Shell rock then a bit of sand that turns to deep sand for 100' then a dirt track with grass in the middle. The last 1/4 mile it climbs 30'. The crowd would thin in the wet. The shell rock washes (my neighbor owns an old motor grader for this) and where the drainage is bad the shell rock (orange dirt) turns into a bar of mushy soap. The last 1/4 mile of dirt track looks like a creek in a downpour. I have ridden up it on the 6 in all conditions before and after Dark Side without a problem. I do ride the deep sand for practice and in dry conditions it has made me put a foot down more than once to keep from dumping it. A plowing front tire on a 6 will get your full attention.

In my travels at times I'll ride Forest Service Roads and have been so far back in the wilderness that a Colorado Ranger once stopped me to ask "what in the #**!+ are you doing on THAT thing back here? The 6 had stock tires on it at that time, the dirt was dry and I proceeded to enjoy the rest of my ride. I have no less than 1,000 off road miles on the 6 and likely much more which seems a normal thing for me coming from 40 years of dirt bikes. I understand why others may not think so. A slow ride on a "Closed in Winter" Roads can provide beautiful sites and nice places to take a bike nap on the 6. I'll also pull off the interstate and cross the ditch if it's shallow and have climbed some long and steep grass hills if it's tea time or I want a break. I'm currently studying the Dalton Highway and hope to ride it some day.

So which is better for off road? You decide. Me, I'm down to the wear bars on my 2ed set Double Dark siding and life is good in the wind. My machine is every bit as capable under any design condition as it was with the stock tires in my experience. In addition my 6 now has more ability when I feel like going off track. In addition to that my tires last a lot longer. So what's all the fuss about? Nothing. We would just have more oil threads without Dark Siders.

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Originally Posted by Drive Jehu

Navvet, Sounds like you win the bad driveway award.

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I hate to admit that because i am the one maintaining the road.

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Originally Posted by Drive Jehu

I do ride the deep sand for practice and in dry conditions it has made me put a foot down more than once to keep from dumping it. A plowing front tire on a 6 will get your full attention.

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I pulled off the road at a little gift shop in Monument Valley, Ut. There was a good 6" of soft, fine sand in the parking area (cars were having troubles negotiating it). Definitely a learning experience.

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Originally Posted by wiggy

Welcome to the Darkside. I'm running the same tire and have about 4 thou on mine. I love the Driveguard. The runflat will give you added piece of mind. I would consider running tire pressure monitors. I have the FOBO ones.

As for the gravel, I definitely think it helps to have the wider footprint...but if there are ruts, most car tires will tend to wander. As long as you're expecting it, it isn't too bad.

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I also run the Driveguard with about 4000 miles on it. Don't believe I will ever go back to a M/C tire. I run mine at 32 psi but am wondering what psi other Driveguard riders are using?

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Originally Posted by SierraKen

I also run the Driveguard with about 4000 miles on it. Don't believe I will ever go back to a M/C tire. I run mine at 32 psi but am wondering what psi other Driveguard riders are using?

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Ken, I started out at about 36-38 but now I'm also down to about 32lbs cold pressure. My TPS shows both tires increase 4-5 psi when warmed up.

Put the Drivegaurd on tonight, we will see how it rides.

Close to 500 miles "Darkside" and I can honestly say I will never go back on this bike.

I don't know how to explain it, but I actually get a better feel of the road than with MC tires. Definitely more responsive while at the same time stable.