First Darkside thread
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,196
Likes: 10
From: Shenandoah, TX
28 to 30 lbs is all I ran the Bridgestone. 99% of my riding is straight down the road. Not many twisties in the East TX area to wear out the sides. I'm thinking when running the low pressure, at high speeds the centrifugal force makes the tire grow in the middle, thus wearing out the middle.
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 93
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From: Central Michigan
I have friends who ride Darkside on Honda VTX Cruisers and love it. One of their preferred tires is a Yokahama Avid. I don't know if this is available in the sizes needed for a Harley tire. My friends say they like the rounded edges of this tire.
G'day,
Vinish
G'day,
Vinish
Supporter
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,196
Likes: 10
From: Shenandoah, TX
None that I can tell. Its only a 1/2in per side. The ride is not a smooth due to the increase in pressure. 28 verses 32 psi.
Let me help put one thing straight...or two...
As a long time study of the DS, and on my second tire, I'm convinced of two things:
1.) Edges DO NOT MATTER, since we DO NOT RIDE on the sidewalls. My front tires have NO chicken strip and my CT's both have all the side nipples, I live on the boards (with head bolts welded beneath for sliders). That said, there are some tires like the Austone, Dunlop Signature, and others that are rounded and there is less "crossover" effect - my term for feeling the left-right transitions, and requirement of countersteer pressure.
2.) Wider tires give more crossover effect. Period. So if you want more MC feel, go narrow as you can.
3.) "Tracking", or following grooves, off-camber pavement, cracks and such, are worse when running a wider tire or too much pressure. Too LOW pressure, and any CT will tend to wallow in a hard sweeper, although I do NOT have experience with the light truck tires that have stiffer sidewalls. And do not wobble at speed.
4.) Traction is not as dependent on contact patch size as most DS'ers think. In layman's terms (there are blogs with the math too) this should clear things up on that argument: http://www.stevemunden.com/frictiontopics.html
Hope that helps.
As a long time study of the DS, and on my second tire, I'm convinced of two things:
1.) Edges DO NOT MATTER, since we DO NOT RIDE on the sidewalls. My front tires have NO chicken strip and my CT's both have all the side nipples, I live on the boards (with head bolts welded beneath for sliders). That said, there are some tires like the Austone, Dunlop Signature, and others that are rounded and there is less "crossover" effect - my term for feeling the left-right transitions, and requirement of countersteer pressure.
2.) Wider tires give more crossover effect. Period. So if you want more MC feel, go narrow as you can.
3.) "Tracking", or following grooves, off-camber pavement, cracks and such, are worse when running a wider tire or too much pressure. Too LOW pressure, and any CT will tend to wallow in a hard sweeper, although I do NOT have experience with the light truck tires that have stiffer sidewalls. And do not wobble at speed.
4.) Traction is not as dependent on contact patch size as most DS'ers think. In layman's terms (there are blogs with the math too) this should clear things up on that argument: http://www.stevemunden.com/frictiontopics.html
Hope that helps.
Last edited by Quadancer; Sep 2, 2012 at 08:38 PM.
Thread Starter
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Banned
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,323
Likes: 1
From: Arizona
Let me help put one thing straight...or two...
As a long time study of the DS, and on my second tire, I'm convinced of two things:
1.) Edges DO NOT MATTER, since we DO NOT RIDE on the sidewalls. My front tires have NO chicken strip and my CT's both have all the side nipples, I live on the boards (with head bolts welded beneath for sliders). That said, there are some tires like the Austone, Dunlop Signature, and others that are rounded and there is less "crossover" effect - my term for feeling the left-right transitions, and requirement of countersteer pressure.
2.) Wider tires give more crossover effect. Period. So if you want more MC feel, go narrow as you can.
3.) "Tracking", or following grooves, off-camber pavement, cracks and such, are worse when running a wider tire or too much pressure. Too LOW pressure, and any CT will tend to wallow in a hard sweeper, although I do NOT have experience with the light truck tires that have stiffer sidewalls. And do not wobble at speed.
4.) Traction is not as dependent on contact patch size as most DS'ers think. In layman's terms (there are blogs with the math too) this should clear things up on that argument: http://www.stevemunden.com/frictiontopics.html
Hope that helps.
As a long time study of the DS, and on my second tire, I'm convinced of two things:
1.) Edges DO NOT MATTER, since we DO NOT RIDE on the sidewalls. My front tires have NO chicken strip and my CT's both have all the side nipples, I live on the boards (with head bolts welded beneath for sliders). That said, there are some tires like the Austone, Dunlop Signature, and others that are rounded and there is less "crossover" effect - my term for feeling the left-right transitions, and requirement of countersteer pressure.
2.) Wider tires give more crossover effect. Period. So if you want more MC feel, go narrow as you can.
3.) "Tracking", or following grooves, off-camber pavement, cracks and such, are worse when running a wider tire or too much pressure. Too LOW pressure, and any CT will tend to wallow in a hard sweeper, although I do NOT have experience with the light truck tires that have stiffer sidewalls. And do not wobble at speed.
4.) Traction is not as dependent on contact patch size as most DS'ers think. In layman's terms (there are blogs with the math too) this should clear things up on that argument: http://www.stevemunden.com/frictiontopics.html
Hope that helps.
Stock was 150/80/16, I run the 175/75/16's - although the Austone is suspected to be just a tad higher aspect ratio. I won't run another due to mine and a few others with speed wobble problems. Dunlop is probably next, from Universal Tire, if I ever can wear out this Aussie - 7k on it and looks almost new.
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,326
Likes: 2
From: scurry, TX
Not sure what kind of scoot you are runnin but I have a 2011 Ultra Classic and run a 195/60/16. Some folks are running 205's.
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,000
Likes: 5
From: S.E. NC
28 to 30 lbs is all I ran the Bridgestone. 99% of my riding is straight down the road. Not many twisties in the East TX area to wear out the sides. I'm thinking when running the low pressure, at high speeds the centrifugal force makes the tire grow in the middle, thus wearing out the middle.
Mine was low and showed feathering on the edge. It may be too much pressure now. Gotta find a "calibrated" tire guage.
Posted this in another thread here.
After reading the thread about tire gauges not reading right, I checked my tire with two guages. One showed 24 lbs, the other showed 20. I had it at 28 lbs and thought it was a little different. Guess it was.
Not knowing what guage to believe, I put 10 lbs of air in it. 30 or 34 lbs I guess. It rode harder than before and seems to have put a good bit of wear on the center on my 1600 mile round trip. Looks to be about at the wear bars now.
Used tire with unknown mileage. I put around 14,500 miles on it so far. Probably put another 1k on it before I get it changed.
Good call on gauges - best to chalk the tire, or go by sweet spot pressure. Once found, always use the same gauge, & check the pressure differential between that and your backup gauge, so you can always get the same pressure if the primary gauge fails.
I corner hard, so performance orientation is more important to me than tire life - BUT - they fortunately DO go together, at least on bike tires. The Darkside gives mileage regardless, IMO.
I corner hard, so performance orientation is more important to me than tire life - BUT - they fortunately DO go together, at least on bike tires. The Darkside gives mileage regardless, IMO.