So, I never even heard of the "Dark Side" before stumbling on this forum, and I'm pretty interested in it, but after some googling I'm not real sure what is good info and what's not. So I figured I'd come and ask if any of ya'll had some good reading on the subject. What I'm mostly looking for is pros/cons on it. I'm a pretty chill rider to be honest so I'm not out trying to carve corners on my FLHX, but the idea of having a long life run flat on the back is pretty appealing.


Thanks in advance!

 

I don't know about reading material but, I stopped by a shop yesterday that I know the owner rode on CT's for a long time. He also has a SG, and EG's prior to it. His only answer when I asked him about putting the CT on my bike was, "it's real sketchy in a parking lot" hahahaha I wasn't feeling like a real big smartass so I didn't have the heart to tell him that the majority of my miles won't be spent in a parking lot haha. He did admit his reflexes and balance wasn't what it used to be. I don't think I'll have an issue with it. I plan on going double dark on my FLHX in the very near future.

 

LOL yeah. Pretty funny. That's what I'm mostly wondering about is how the handling changes, and I'm a decently new rider (only like 3 years on the street) so I don't know if its like a forbidden kung fu lol. I'll probably just stick with the rear, Id like to throw a 19" or 20" front wheel on.

 

Tomorrow I will mounting a CT on the rear. The tire is a Dunlop 195/55/16 RF. I use to ride a Yamaha and was a member in one of their forums. Many, many of them run CTs on the rear. I don't think I'll have a problem at all but if there is a period while one must adapt to a CT, like when doing figure-8s in a parking lot, I'll adapt. I was behind a friend on a Goldwing that had a CT on the rear and he actually scared me watching him take all the curves through the Dragon. If he can ride like that on a GW at 69 years old, I sure as hell can on my Ultra Limited.

 

If you continue reading on this part of the forum (The Dark Side) you will find a wealth of information along with some fun fluff. There is also a GoldWing forum that also has a lot of good information, but I don't currently have the link. I have seen it listed in some different posts, even one recently.

Me, I did a lot of reading before deciding if going dark might be for me. It has to be a personal decision and certainly it isn't right for everyone. I would always recommend that you at least try it before deciding against it or even condemn it. Technically, I'm a new Darksider, but had gone to the Dark Side long before I became a member of this forum. The handling characteristics of your bike will change a little, but easily adapted to. The hardest part is finding the sweet spot with the tire. That means playing around with the air pressure a couple of pounds at a time. I've had mine all the way down to 33# and all the way up to 45# before settling in on 38#. But remember, what might work for me may not always work for the next person. The same applies for the brand of the tire you decide to use.

Personally I look at several factors before considering my next CT. What I look for is the type of tread. My preference is one that is directional similar to what a regular MT looks like. That part really doesn't matter as a good number will attest to. In that department, it is just a personal preference. Next I look at the UTQG rating. The higher the number, generally the harder the rubber which results in more mileage. If the rubber is too hard, it may not handle very well especially if you live in an area of the country that has cold Spring and Fall's. My preference is running a UTQG of 560 A A or a little higher. Then running an H or V rated? Winter tires do not have that rating! I really am not seeing a lot of difference between the two, but H is more for touring and V is more for aggressive riders who tend the crack the throttle a bit much. Finally, there is the touch factor. Press your thumb into the sidewall. You'll want a stiffer sidewall especially if you run over a nail or screw. Too soft of a sidewall and you may end up riding on the rim in the event of a flat and also experience too much flex in the tire, kind of like riding on one of those exercise *****. Run On Flats have the stiffest sidewall, but can be a bear to mount and dismount from your rim if your doing it yourself.

My next rear tire will be one specifically designated for winter. Since I do like to ride year round which includes riding in snow and ice (and assorted winter slop), it only makes sense. The bad part of that is snow tires are generally made of a softer rubber so I won't be getting the higher mileage as I do with the All Season tires, but will still be better than the OEM MT's. I am running Double Dark in that I have the CT on the rear and a rear MT run in reverse on the front due to the tire being thicker than one traditionally used on the front. Thicker means more miles.

On both the front and the rear, my tires are mounted on the stock rims which I do myself. I also use Balance Beads in both which I add before seating the tires. Adding through the tire stem is all but impossible. Some prefer "Ride On" which also helps if you get a flat. Before I forget, change your rims Valve Stems over to something with a more suitable angle. Anything 45 to 90 degrees is a lot better than one that points straight up making checking air pressure on either tire a lot easier.

Do I regret leaving the MT behind and moving on to a CT? Not in the least. I'm glad I made the change, but as I said, going to the Dark Side isn't for everyone. it has to be your decision. BTW, my bike is a 2010 Street Glide with 205/60-16 on the rear and a rear MT 130/70-18 (in reverse) on the front, soon to be upgraded to 150/70-18 because I love fat tires!

Google "GoldWing DarkSide Forum" for some more reading and check out this database: http://darkside.nwff.info/?p=tires

 

Awesome, and I'll def check out the GW forum. Thanks for the reply! I hope my post didn't come off as a challenge or anything, I'm just genuinely interested and was unsure of what to be searching for and with so much "bro science" floating around I like to know I'm getting good info from people that actually do it.

 

Nah, you were fine. I was just trying to convey some of what I know to help you on your quest.

I did forget to mention, too soft of a sidewall can also result in too much flex of the tire itself. I had it happen once while hitting a curve hard. The tire flexed too much and I actually drug the frame of my bike on the asphalt, not real bad though as you can see in the picture. I probably should have went down, but I stuck with it and brought the bike back up. That was my first DarkSide tire! It was the General G-Max AS-03. That didn't dissuade me though and as you can see in the background of the picture, there is the rear tire I mounted on my bike in reverse on the front shortly after. It's a Battleaxe BT-45

 

Wow, awesome. Glad you didn't go down!

So I don't plan on riding in snow, but will probably get caught in the rain of course. And I live in Oklahoma (our roads suck), I'm not really super interested in the savings per say, I just want more upright stability I guess. So I guess, would I be okay with going with a bit performance all weather? Or are the winter tires recommended for any weather?

 

Having no experience with snow or winter tires on a bike, I would recommend sticking with All Season tires with the UTQG rating in the mid to upper mid range. The tires with the most stability I believe are the Run Flats.


The Snow tires tend to wear quickly during the warmer months due to the softer rubber compounds used and I understand this characteristic alone will also make stopping in the rain or on wet pavement more difficult. Emergency stops could result in uneven wear of the tire. During the colder winter months with snow, ice, and slush, the tire stays soft giving the additional grip needed while pushing all the crap to the side. That's information from the manufacturer (though not their exact words), but that's with 4 or more wheeled vehicles. That doesn't necessarily hold true for motorcycles and I aim to find out.


I personally will give the snow tires a shot simply because I want to know. I'll run the tire through it's paces to see what it can and can't do along with how much flex it does or doesn't have. Where I live there are plenty of twisties where I can run the tire through the paces. If I determine the tire is unsuitable for warm weather use, I can just switch over to an All Season tire when I return home. My preference would be to be able to run one tire year round without having to change the tire for anything other than wear or a serious flat.


My current rear tire, the Yokohama ENVigor 205/60 16 92V actually did well during the winter months. This season I rode though some pretty nasty chit and even though there was some slipping and sliding, I would imagine even a Winter designated tire would do the same. During the warmer months it did well with whatever I put it through so I'm pretty satisfied with it's performance all the way around. That doesn't mean I'm not always looking for something better in the grip department.

 

Awesome!

Thanks for the replies HummingBird Nut, I appreciate your insight. Guess once it warms back up I'll grab an AT and check it out!