Would you do it again??

hootmon · September 28, 2011, 07:07:46 PM

I'd never want to talk you into it... Really..
I'm the 1st to say it's not for everyone.. There are many who are doing it, especially in the Valk/GW world, and I've not heard of any disasters (I'm not saying there is not a potential) and I have heard of disasters w/ M/C tires, so it's a personal choice...
Everyone always ends a conversation about CT's with the cost... It's a factor for me, but not my primary consideration..

hootmon · September 28, 2011, 09:08:10 PM

Quote from: Gloveberg on September 28, 2011, 07:00:21 PM
Plus leaning a bike is more about centrifugal force rather than lateral force. That's why you have to lean rather than just turning the handlebars and why counter-steering is so important.

You are correct that there are centrifugal force, but it is the centrifugal force on the rear of the bike (due to the change of direction) vs the friction of the tread against the road surface that causes lateral motion of the sidewall of the tire. So the rim is thrown out, the tread is held in place, and the sidewalls are pulled between these two forces.. It is this force that instead of the tire riding up on the edge of the tire (or the sidewall) is forced to pull the tread onto the street surface keeping you with tread surface on the street.

You also stated

Quote from: Gloveberg
I ride a lot of highway miles and I know when my rear tire starts squaring off I hate the feeling and that's on a tire designed to lean.

I never had that feeling with a car tire.. There was a feeling of the rear end swinging out more than usual, but no feeling of going up on an edge, as this does not happen (as stated before)
For anyone that has more than 5K miles on a motorcycle (More than 1/2 of all motorcycles), that is not a canyon carver, has this "squaring off" that you state.. Once you have this and you go into a turn, then you are up on this bevel that is created.. SO, how much tread do you have on the road surface?? Maybe not as much as you think and surely less than when the tire was new..

Throughout the life of my last car tire, I had the same amount of tread on the street from the time it was new until I changed it out. Only the tread depth and hardness of the rubber compounds changed..

Gloveberg · September 28, 2011, 10:32:38 PM

Like I said, I cannot put my trust, faith, health, etc. into something that is not designed or engineered to do what some people are asking it to do. Again, like you said, a personal choice.

Man, is that horse STILL kicking???

Magniac · September 29, 2011, 01:04:47 AM

I have followed a m/c with a c/t, and it definitely does get up on the edge, with sometimes half of the tread width off the ground. The standard argument of darksiders is that there is still as much tread on the ground as a m/c tire. While this may or may not be true, the tire is not behaving in the manner for which it was designed. Also, most c/t's are much harder compound than m/c tires, possibly giving less traction (for the same contact patch size).

Another thing to consider is what happens after an accident, whether or not the tire had anything to do with the cause. Insurance companies are notorious for looking for ways out. It is highly likely that an investigator noticing a c/t on a bike could use that fact to get out of paying a claim, even if the rider was totally free of fault.

Magnum Magna · September 29, 2011, 02:03:36 AM

Quote from: Gloveberg on September 28, 2011, 02:46:31 PM

I ride a lot of highway miles and I know when my rear tire starts squaring off I hate the feeling and that's on a tire designed to lean. As far as cornering as good or better than a motorcycle tire that is just something I will never believe. If you feel that way then that's you (and that's fine).

I would not try to get someone to try it.
I notice the decrease cornering more on the front tire more than the back tire when they start getting a flat line.

Magnum Magna · September 29, 2011, 02:09:05 AM

Before doing the darkside I watched YouTube videos of bikes with car tires.
One video someone set a camera under the bike facing the tire. I was very impressed of the flexing of the tire.

hootmon · September 29, 2011, 05:48:52 AM

Quote from: Magniac on September 29, 2011, 01:04:47 AM
I have followed a m/c with a c/t, and it definitely does get up on the edge, with sometimes half of the tread width off the ground.
On the edge, but not the side wall.. A car does not do this on the front wheels just because of the amount of weight and force, It's actually less stress than a car would produce.

The standard argument of darksiders is that there is still as much tread on the ground as a m/c tire. While this may or may not be true, the tire is not behaving in the manner for which it was designed. see above

Also, most c/t's are much harder compound than m/c tires, possibly giving less traction (for the same contact patch size).
CT did last longer (not that much longer) and I've had every brand of M/T slip on me in a hard acceleration turn, but never had the C/T slip.. THIS is why I like C/T's

Another thing to consider is what happens after an accident, whether or not the tire had anything to do with the cause. Insurance companies are notorious for looking for ways out. It is highly likely that an investigator noticing a c/t on a bike could use that fact to get out of paying a claim, even if the rider was totally free of fault. I've heard this argument before, but have yet to hear of this actually happening.. Could it, probably, likely???

Magniac · September 29, 2011, 10:09:56 AM

You're obviously convinced, I'm not. You ride what you like, I'll ride what I like, and everyone will be happy.