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[PFWiz]

Anybody out there riding their CVO on the Dark Side?

While my 2018 is not due till sometime next year I would be surprised if I make it for entire season without swapping over.

For those of you who are gonna tell me that I am going to spontaneously combust, or that it just plain doesn't work save your breath I had nearly 35,000 trouble free Dark Side miles on FLTRU.

[Para Bellum]

Dark side of the moon?   

[r0de_runr]

We just cant seem to find an 18 inch tire.  Having to buy a 16 inch wheel just to run Dark is silly.

[PFWiz]

2012s had a 18 rear wheel???

[r0de_runr]

2012s had a 18 rear wheel???

180/55B18 Dunlop D407

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2009-Later-Harley-Davidson-Agitator-Touring-Rear-Wheel-18x5/222673052152?hash=item33d85921f8:g:TuEAAOSwgkxZ29js&vxp=mtr

[PFWiz]

This is the rear tire spec for my soon to come limited CVO - 180/65B16 81H.

But now I see that your 2012 specs are as follows - 180/55B-18 80H....

I am not sure what is available in 18".

[grc]

I suppose if you just ride in a straight line it probably won't hurt to run an automotive radial tire, but from an engineering standpoint it is not a wise modification.  The benefits claimed by all those Gold Wing riders about improved tire wear and fewer tire failures might be due to the comparison to the stock Honda tires, which have a significantly lower load rating compared to what will come on your new Harley.

The whole idea started way back in the 50's and 60's on "choppers", because tire companies didn't make wide tires for bikes back then.  Considering how evil the handling was on a severely raked out front end, I guess the chopper riders didn't mind that the car tires sucked for anything other than straight line low speed cruising.  Try some high speed cornering and the pucker factor increased exponentially.  Thanks, but no thanks.

Jerry

[PFWiz]

I suppose if you just ride in a straight line it probably won't hurt to run an automotive radial tire, but from an engineering standpoint it is not a wise modification.  The benefits claimed by all those Gold Wing riders about improved tire wear and fewer tire failures might be due to the comparison to the stock Honda tires, which have a significantly lower load rating compared to what will come on your new Harley.

The whole idea started way back in the 50's and 60's on "choppers", because tire companies didn't make wide tires for bikes back then.  Considering how evil the handling was on a severely raked out front end, I guess the chopper riders didn't mind that the car tires sucked for anything other than straight line low speed cruising.  Try some high speed cornering and the pucker factor increased exponentially.  Thanks, but no thanks.

Jerry

As usual someone who has never done it is going to tell someone with 35,000 successful miles on a HD full bagger that it does not work. Yeah, I am going believe someone who is just guessing over my own anecdotal evidence. Don't forget to tell me about the part where I will spontaneously combust because of this.

I have ridden the Dragon, the  Cherohala Skyway, Ohio's 555 and many more with my CT. Can I keep up with the Rice Rockets? No, but then neither can anyone else riding a full dress bagger. No one in my group has ever had to wait for my bike when riding roads like these.

So once again, before you tell anyone something you have never tried to do is impossible maybe you should just save yourself the embarrassment and keep your trap shut....

[DesertHOG]

As usual someone who has never done it is going to tell someone with 35,000 successful miles on a HD full bagger that it does not work. Yeah, I am going believe someone who is just guessing over my own anecdotal evidence. Don't forget to tell me about the part where I will spontaneously combust because of this.

I have ridden the Dragon, the  Cherohala Skyway, Ohio's 555 and many more with my CT. Can I keep up with the Rice Rockets? No, but then neither can anyone else riding a full dress bagger. No one in my group has ever had to wait for my bike when riding roads like these.

So once again, before you tell anyone something you have never tried to do is impossible maybe you should just save yourself the embarrassment and keep your trap shut....

Bless you PFWiz, you are truly one with the “Dark Side”.

[PFWiz]

Bless you PFWiz, you are truly one with the “Dark Side”.

I am, aren't I? 

[grc]

As usual someone who has never done it is going to tell someone with 35,000 successful miles on a HD full bagger that it does not work. Yeah, I am going believe someone who is just guessing over my own anecdotal evidence. Don't forget to tell me about the part where I will spontaneously combust because of this.

I have ridden the Dragon, the  Cherohala Skyway, Ohio's 555 and many more with my CT. Can I keep up with the Rice Rockets? No, but then neither can anyone else riding a full dress bagger. No one in my group has ever had to wait for my bike when riding roads like these.

So once again, before you tell anyone something you have never tried to do is impossible maybe you should just save yourself the embarrassment and keep your trap shut....

You assume much, grasshopper.  I guess you are much like those other people who bad mouth me because I piss all over their suggestions to run tires with much lower than stock load ratings.  I would suggest you educate yourself on the differences in design principles for automotive versus motorcycle tires, but I'm guessing I'd be wasting my time.  You are obviously another one of those folks who think they know more than the engineers and scientists. 

Jerry

[kojak]

You assume much, grasshopper.  I guess you are much like those other people who bad mouth me because I piss all over their suggestions to run tires with much lower than stock load ratings.  I would suggest you educate yourself on the differences in design principles for automotive versus motorcycle tires, but I'm guessing I'd be wasting my time.  You are obviously another one of those folks who think they know more than the engineers and scientists. 

Jerry

You're wasting your time, Jerry.  I had a dude a few years ago that wanted to argue with me online about how "countersteering" was made up and didn't exist. I just wished him good luck and let it go, lol!

[OBB]

You assume much, grasshopper.  I guess you are much like those other people who bad mouth me because I piss all over their suggestions to run tires with much lower than stock load ratings.  I would suggest you educate yourself on the differences in design principles for automotive versus motorcycle tires, but I'm guessing I'd be wasting my time.  You are obviously another one of those folks who think they know more than the engineers and scientists. 

Jerry

You're wasting your time, Jerry.  I had a dude a few years ago that wanted to argue with me online about how "countersteering" was made up and didn't exist. I just wished him good luck and let it go, lol!

The OP stated in his first post that he has over 35k miles running a CT on his previous bike.  Was simply asking if anyone else on here was doing it and our resident grouch had to offer his opinion on it. Many times  GRC has provided great info and most people appreciate it. This time is not one of them though.

If you don't like the thread, move along. Pretty damn simple concept.

[r0de_runr]

This is the rear tire spec for my soon to come limited CVO - 180/65B16 81H.

But now I see that your 2012 specs are as follows - 180/55B-18 80H....

I am not sure what is available in 18".

I'm not surprised that the CVO no longer has the 18in rear wheel.  So many of the things that make the "older" CVO's what I will call REAL CVO's no longer exist.  They are built on the same assembly line as the non CVO-bikes.  I'm not real sure, but I think paint and the 117 motor are about the only thing, perhaps wheels.

I too have loved my darkside equipped bikes, my Valkyrie with over 44,000 miles and my Vulcan 2000 with nearly 36,000 miles. --almost all of them in the Rocky Mountains.  I never once had a problem that I would attribute to the profile or shape of the tire, nor did I ever have any issues with the bead or the sidewall.  I sure loved to leave the wide black mark on the blacktop that the Vulcan would do when it would smoke that car tire.

My sister talks to me about riding a Motorcycle the same way some folks insist car tires are a death trap.


We accept a certain amount of risk in everything that we do and we weigh that risk against whatever perceived rewards we seek.  The OP was not seeking anyone's opinion on his decision to run a car tire, and to insert it into the conversation is unwarranted and rude.

It's a CAR Tire....we know that.  It was not designed to run on a motorcycle....we know that.

How many of us run automobile oil in our motorcycles instead of motorcycle oil?  Or a different size tire on our car or truck?

Anyway --->PFWiz, here is the link to the database of tires that have been reported to fit.  Lots of HD FLH bikes with 16inch tires fitted.

http://darkside.nwff.info/?p=tires


My only suggestion is to get one a tiny bit narrower that the widest one that will fit, and make sure it is a run-flat design.

Ride Safe (Manage your risk).

[Ironhorse]

I had the opportunity to ride a DarkSide bike, it belonged to one of the riders in my class. He liked to ride coast to coast non stop eating Skittles, and drinking RedBull all the way.

In a straight line his bike felt solid. Running the weave at 14 feet was a challenge. I felt myself having to wrestle the bike up off the flat bottom up onto the corner, or edge to go around a cone, then back down onto the flat bottom, then up onto the edge on the other side to go around the next cone. I was unable to do it when the cones were 12 feet apart.

In the circle I could not achieve full lock with a hard inside lean. The bike kept wanting to tip back outside.  During the times I did get it up on the edge, I had a teetering sensation. I was unable to do the offset as the quick back and forth quick handlebar transition needed to negotiate the exercise came too slowly. I could not flick the bike back and forth, side to side. The full lock U-Turn from a standing stop went wide and upright.

He and I talked about it for a while, and for what he wanted to do, the car tire served him well. He wanted to buy one tire, make it last for several seasons, and run super slab all the time. With the amount of miles he racks up, he didn't want to be bothered with having to change tires several times in the riding season.

Now that's my experience, and it was very limited. For anybody who rides DarkSide and swears by it, go for it. Enjoy. I was curious to know that since you like running a car tire on the rear, have you ever considered running one on the front too? If not, why? You would get the same extra long life out of the front that you do with the rear, with no fear of cupping whatsoever.