Your rear wheel is a 16X3, yeah?

If it is, there are not many choices, the wheel is just too narrow. But there are many people running a Vredestein Comtrac 175/75R16. This is a cargo van tire, but according to the people that use it, it runs very good at low pressure. This cargo tire, believe it or not, is made with softer rubber than a motorcycle tire.
I was stationed in Honduras at one time, and I remember the roads around San Pedro Sula. The Vredestein would probably be ideal for you because of the roads, it would keep you from getting flats so easy. Plus the good ride, cargo capacity, etc.


Regards,

 

Hmmmm, very interesting... Is there any down side to using a car tire?

 

A short learning curve

 

Nothing will fit this bike...believe me, i have looked all over...Unless you do a fat tire kit...I looked at the Vredestein Comptrac tire and it's a bit too wide.

 

I sure would love to ride one with a CT for a minute or two

 

Awww, yes. Should have given it a little more thought before I posted. Interesting thread.

 

Good post TooEasy! As I have said in the past todays car tires are way ahead of the car tires we ran in the 60's and 70's.All we had was biased tires and the rubber compounds were nothing like todays.We never had a problem and rode our bikes to the limits.The tires never gave us any issues.You can bet you will hear from the pro's that have never tried car tires but think they are the experts.So be it with free speech.My 155" RK's next tire will be a radial and just for the extra traction.

 

I actually live near Seagoville in Talty. I'd love to know when you head this direction again.

I am also PGR (North TX and East TX) since I am "convenient" and "inconvenient" to both. Maybe I will sign up for alerts in CenTex as well.

 

Remember that the narrow rim will pull in the tire and it will not be as wide. Look in the Softail section for the posts by Quadancer. He already made it happen.

Regards,

 

Ok guess I'm going to play devils ad. on this one.
Let me start by saying I have tens of thousands of miles on DS tires, on numerous models and makes of bike, the last being a 08 Victory Vision with the Bridgestone Potenza 195/55/16 mounted.
The good side to the DS tire is it "feels" really planted but don't let that fool you. A MC tire offers FAR better traction in rain and on dry surfaces... it is simple physics. A MC tire has very little contact patch (about 1/4-1/2")and as such hydroplanes far less than a DS tire with a 6-8" contact patch. DS riders ALWAYS rave about traction which does not exist, I've tested it. The MC tire will out-perform the DS tire in emergency stopping, wet or dry. You also won't break the MC tire loose as easily in a extremely wet (standing water) curve as you will a DS, again tested. Don't get me wrong the rear of the bike isn't gonna go flying out from under you, but riding safely with either is the appropriate recommendation.
The DS tire because of its flat nature will "hunt" out any road imperfections. So if there is a groove in the road the rear tire will suck the front into that track. And contrary to the tire bending in a curve assertion, the tire rolls over the hump leading to the sidewall, hence the need to push harder to lean the bike over. Recommended psi is 32 which is right where you'd run a car tire, BUT most experienced DS riders put 100+ miles on the tire at 40 psi to soften the sidewalls before dropping to 32 psi. It simply softens/breaks in the tire quicker.
Advantages are the DS tire lasts about 30k miles, are easy to plug if you get a flat, and "feel" very planted.... If you have ridden a bike with a 250-300 series tire it is that same extra push to lean the bike into a curve and avoid the tires tendancy to stand the bike back up, not bad, just different.
You either really LIKE the DS tire, or you don't. It is purely a personal feel type thing and each tire DS or MC trades something off for that feel. I don't tow as often as I use to, so for "me" the DS tire is not an appropriate choice given my "current" riding habits. If I was towing more frequent, I'd be running a DS, so this isn't a diss the DS tire reply.
Hell use to be the only tires available for bikes were a car tire (think WWII) and through the years the MC tire evolved. Heck I remember running Continental MC tires on a bike of mine that lasted 30k and still looked new (hard as a rock rubber). Terrible traction but no wear, lol... The DS tire trend came back when Honda Valk riders couldn't get more than 4k out of a rear tire and decided to try another option, the Wingers joined in on the fun.
There are numerous video links on Youtube that show the tires reaction in a curve/turn, so please look into stuff yourself if this is something you are leaning towards. You'll also come across a DS tire blowout scare video, maybe two. We all know this happens on MC tires as well.

ps... using dyna beads for balancing them works best