Darkside!

[dalph07]

Check this link out hock: .

http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h74/go...306006.flv

Very interesting movie and will give you an idea of the contact patch of the "darkside!" This was on a GW 1800.

Now, for a M/C tire:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5vk3UtVUOM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5vk3UtVUOM</a><!-- m -->

Gives a bit of an idea of the contact patch of a m/c tyre.

Metzler 180x70x16 running 41psi.

[Guest]

Anyone thinking of putting a car tire on a wing should watch that. Pretty scary.

[Jocke]

Jeeez that must be the dummest idea there is. I can´t start to imagin the difficultys when goning around bends, won´t even try to take it on a winding road. Doesn´t matter that one might save on cost.

[Guest]

Actually not a bad idea in many ways. The contact patch looks larger then on the MC tire. Also the Darkside tire is a radial not a belted tire, I.E. the sidewalls will flex more adding more area onto the contact patch. In doing this you need to figure out what sort of air pressure you want to run. I don't think they will do as well with 40PSI. People I've talked to say going in at low pressure.

Alot of people have run it, mostly being Valkery's and GL1800's, but not many other bikes are running radial tires and being asked to go that many miles in a year. Not something that is for everyone, but what I've read and seen on those videos it sure dose work for some people.

[dalph07]

Actually not a bad idea in many ways. The contact patch looks larger then on the MC tire. Also the Darkside tire is a radial not a belted tire, I.E. the sidewalls will flex more adding more area onto the contact patch. In doing this you need to figure out what sort of air pressure you want to run. I don't think they will do as well with 40PSI. People I've talked to say going in at low pressure.

Alot of people have run it, mostly being Valkery's and GL1800's, but not many other bikes are running radial tires and being asked to go that many miles in a year. Not something that is for everyone, but what I've read and seen on those videos it sure dose work for some people.

That's right about the large contact patch. People report the riding and drivability as being different and that you do need some more input on the handlebars in the corners. It's right that it's not something for everyone and I wouldn't propose that everyone go to the darkside as it is an individual choice. From all I've been seeing (on forums) is that Valkery's and GL1800's are about the only ones with enough room to get the radial tires under the rear. I've also seen that on some Valkery's there is some adjustments under the rear fender that need to be done. The people that switch over (for the most part) are real adament about liking the difference and staying with the radial tires.

I just saw the two movies and thought that they were neat and that others on the forum might be interested in watching them. So far, there is NO radial, "darkside" tires that will fit under the 1200 as it's a tight fit for the M/C tires that are supposed to fit right now.

[exavid]

Disregarding the car vs bike tire controversy it doesn't seem safe to me to try it on any Goldwing that doesn't have a rim designed to hold a radial tire. I really think it would be a bad idea with any bias ply car tire, there's a lot of tread squirm with them which might reduce the traction on corners. I don't want to get into some kind of flame war with anyone here as happened elsewhere and I'm not stating any position on the subject other than there must be some reason they design different kinds of tires for motorcycles.

[Guest]

I know on cars you can mount radials on rims that were originaly ment for bias ply. I've never seen anyone mention a difference between the to kinds of rims so I can't give a firm responce, but I do think you can safly put radials on a rim that was built for bias and vice versa.

As to mixing the tires the GL1800 (bike in the video) all run a radial tire. I'm betting the valkery's do as well, sence they are big into the darkside tires, but thats just speculation.

[exavid]

Quakeholio, your comment got me to reading more on the subject of bias vs. radial tires. I've been under a misconception for many years it seems. Radials will go on bias type rims safely but in general bias rims are generally too narrow for a similar sized radial to replace a bias. The fact is that a radial is much wider at the rim for a given size tire. So there seems to be no real problem swapping radial for bias execpt for possible clearance and load problems. If you notice, on the 1800 the rear tire is the same diameter, 15 inches as the 1500 but wider, 5.00 inches vs. 3.50 for the 1500. This is due to the characteristics of a radial tire needing to have a wider rim. The rim width and clearances are the main reasons you couldn't put a Radial EIII on a 1500 for instance.

Thanks for your posting, it got me to reconsidering something I though I knew from years ago.

[dalph07]

When did GW's start using the radial tires? With the 1800 series?

[Guest]

Thanks exavid, such is the way of science, think you understand what you are dealing with and then we investigate questions. Troubling thing science, if you follow it's method to the letter you will realize that you know nothing, but you have illiminated alot of posiblitys. BTW, you have also added to my knoledge of tires on bikes, thank you very much.

I think the 1800 was always designed with the use of radials in mind. I could be wrong. Makes me wonder at what point the decision was made for that. Could be it was made in the days of the 1500 but to much work would be required to make it work in that design.

[exavid]

The 1800 series was the first Goldwing designed for radial tires.