Okay, I'll admit it, I'm a DarkSider, and been one for several years now. I'm currently running the Yokohama Envigor 205/60R16 on the rear of my FLHX and the Bridgestone Battlaxe BT45 130/70H18 sport rear tire on the front in reverse. Can we say Double Dark? I removed all of the balance weights from the rims and added Tire Balance beads. I've been running this combination for a couple of years now. Before that was a G-Max 03 for the rear which I switched out after a few months of riding. The sidewalls were too soft for my liking.

The Envigor has faired well taking on one small screw. The Envigor, even though it had 18# of air left in the tire still enabled me to ride home where I was able to fix it with a regular car tire plug. That was maybe 7,000 miles ago.

While I considered changing it simply because of the plug, I decided to leave it be until the tire is worn sufficiently to warrant changing it. And no, I don't take my bike to some shop and have someone there change it for me. I change my tires myself with the use of tire spoons and some soapy water. The hardest part is removing the tires from the bike.

My next set of tires will be a little different. Maybe a little taller for the rear and a little taller and fatter for the front. So far the speedometer comes to within a couple MPH of my GPS.

So YES, I'm a DarkSider (we have bacon!)

If any of y'all are on the edge trying to decide if DarkSiding is for you (it isn't for everyone) try it. You won't regret it, at least I know I don't.

 

I bet you would save money versus the HD tires. Is saving money a main motive for ppl going dark?

 

Saving money is always a good thing, especially these days. Figure $500 to $600 for HD tires (touring) that may be able to get upwards of 12k miles and as low as 6k miles, that's a lot of money if you need to change out the tires a 2 to 3 times a year, where a CT runs a fraction of the cost with the ability to reach 30 and even 40k or more depending on the brand of tires. But that's only a small part of the decision making. I like the better traction, especially in inclement weather like rain or snow. I ride year round. More often than not I have a lot more rubber on the road during any riding, especially curves or twisties than an MC tire would have. More rubber gripping the road equates to a much safer ride to me. There is also better stopping and acceleration with the additional rubber on the road. I also love the looks of the tire filling the rear fender. Seriously, you can't put a finger between the fender and the tire on the right side of the bike, and on the left there is maybe 2 credit card thicknesses between the tire and the drive belt.

Using a rear MC tire on the front is simply because the rear tire offers more rubber thickness. More rubber means more miles. Reversing the rear tire is due to the rain sipes and keeping the rain away from the rider rather than drawing it in and also keeps the tire on the road rather than basically skimming the surface of the road.

Then there is tire maintenance. I had learned someplace where if you had a hole in an MC tire that it should be changed to a new one for whatever reason. Yet a car tire is acceptable with multiple punctures. I currently have one such puncture with a plug in it and I'm not concerned.

There are also tales I've heard over time where MC tires failed when carrying a heavy load and/or pulling a trailer. I think I saw that over on the GoldWing forum. On the other hand a CT is able to handle heavier loads without issue.

AND way back in the day when motorcycles first came to be, there were no MC tires to be found, but car tires were easily had, so that was what was used.

I'm sure there are more reasons for going to the DarkSide, but those are just a few I can think of straight off the top of my head. Riding with a CT on the back does change the handling characteristics a little, but are easily adjusted for.

One thing I do let folks know is riding the dark side isn't for everyone. Some peoples comfort level won't let them perhaps because they believe they will burst into flames or something. But I do recommend at least trying it.

 

I don't do it for the money or the increased mileage ( I get about 25K miles on a CT).

The CT provides a softer ride, better stopping power and far better handling in the rain. As I see it unless you like run the canyons at 10/10's (who does this on a touring bike?) CT are far superior to MTs.

I am actually trying to decide if I want to go dark as soon as I get my 2018 and just say to heck with 50% of the extended tire warranty (the dealer through it in).

 

great information.... thanks guys. What tire pressure do you run and are they balanced the same? when you change a tire where do you take it, to HD and say put this on, another bike shop, or a regular tire shop?

 

This is how I got started...

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/the-d...ng-review.html

I use Ride On to balance my tires and had / forced my Indy to install the CT.

 

Go ahead and go Dark with the 2018, you know you want to

That's what I would do but it's not really my choice to make.

 

Darkside on BOTH sides??? Do you have a photos?? I'd love to see this!

 

He's got a motorcycle tire on the front..........NOT a CT......it's just a rear tire installed on the front ....but installed backwards.

 

Right now I'm running 38# each tire. Maybe start at 32# and make the adjustments from there adding or subtracting air pressure. One bikes sweet spot may not be the same as someone elses even if they are riding the same type of bike using the same type of tire.

As for installation, I installed mine myself with the use of tire spoons and soapy water. Then I used balance beads to balance the tires. I think I put in 2 ounces in the front, and 4 ounces in the rear tire. You'll want to add them before you air up the tire because all they do is clog up the valve stem.

Speaking of valve stems, you might want to change the stock ones over to some that are at a 90 degree angle. It makes it a lot easier to access the valve to air up or down as the case may be.