I have been using the Dunlop 185/65/16 on my Honda VTX 1800 since 2006 and get 3x the mileage and the cost of $185.00 compared to 385.00 will never go back.
I have run the darkside for around 35 years or so on many bikes. Currently I have four VN2000 Kawasaki cruisers, two with std bike tyres and two with light truck tyres. My 2007 VN currently has 130,000 kilometres with various car and truck tyres but have found that the LT tyres with approximately the same width as the original rear tyre works superbly. Also LT tyres typically have 10-11 mm tread depth. I actually go for the higher profile tyres as it corrects for the inaccurate speedo readings. The std tyre is a 200/60/16 and the LT tyre is a 195/75/16, a considerable increase in total diameter. With the 195 LT tyre, there is next to no standup affect as I call it and I literally cannot feel it now. So much so, when I do ride the other two bikes they actually feel loose on the road and much prefer to ride the LT tyre now. The grip is just insane in every aspect and the rear brake can be used extremely hard in emergency braking as it just wont let go. The other aspect I like is the ride is so much smoother and softer on bumpy roads especially on corrugated dirt roads. I wont go into any detail, but myself and another friend on a Goldwing both towing trailers in the pouring rain unexpectedly ran out of road at a T junction with a 30 meter drop off. We both managed to pull the bikes and trailers up literally feet before going over the edge and we both said simultaneously if we never had the truck tyres on we would have gone over or locked the front brakes and dropped them. Because the rear has so much grip, we could brake the rear so much harder we saved our skins. Just really lucky no one was on the continuing road. You could say that were going too fast for the conditions and that may have been true, but we may have been doing the same on std rubber and we both know that would not have ended well in that particular situation. For me cost was a pretty large reason I went down this road, but ultimately its the inconvenience of changing tyres and more so finding tyres. In Australia the 200/60/16 is only available in the capital cities and some times even have to come from other states. So no chance of anything in the country or outback area's. Car / truck tyres are available everywhere. I don't want to be stuck on the Nullarbor a thousand Kms from a tyre supply. In 35 odd years of running the so called "darkside " I have never had any issues and have never regretted going that way.
@@gur262 That is true, but in the wet you are not going to lift the rear as you will be on your arse well before the rear comes up especially in a turn or lean. Keep the rear on the road and use the extra braking power offered. Ok in the dry a bike may get the back end up, but why would you?? having the rear tyre on the road not only stabilizes the bike but you may as well use what braking power and grip that's on offer. Remember we are talking about braking in scary times, the last thing you want is a wheel off the ground. Make use of what you have. A wise pilot friend of mine once said " THERE IS NOTHING MORE USELESS THAN THE RUNWAY BEHIND YOU"
My experience riding on the darkside.. It does last much longer. But, in inclement weather, it does have a slight tendency to hydroplane. Especially when the tire is 50% worn. As long as you ride for conditions you'll be ok. Ride safe everybody.🙂
That's good info to know. Never thought a car is much heavier and the contact surface to the road on a motorcycle tire is narrower then the car tire. So this would make sense. But still 20 thousand miles is far better then 8000 miles on a cycle tire. That is if I ran the car tire tread half way down. I'm doing it.
Great video. I ordered a car tire for my 2016 Kawaski Vulcan Voyager. It's my daily and my touring bike. My other bikes are more for around town fun. I rode my neighbors goldwing with a car tire. Like you say, takes getting used to but no issues. He rides mountain roads no issues with it. Even 2 up. I'm getting 5-6k tops out of a tire. Providing I don't pick up nails or road debris. So I'm not even making oil change cycles. I'm changing tires more than my oil and it's brutal lol. So I'm trying dark side too. Not gonna knock it until I try it on my ride. I have a new bike tire coming to switch back if I don't like it. But I think I'll be more than happy! Great video. Subscribed! Thanks sir and ride safe!
I am running dark side. My bike weighs 600 lbs. It took a little getting used to, but it's not bad. The traction is surprisingly good. I have put 30k miles on my bike and it shows no wear. Some guys with goldwing say they get as much as 100k miles.
I once fitted a car tyre on one of my R1's out of boredom,it ran quite well to be honest,used it for a long time thereafter till the tread was worn.Just make sure its a soft compound tyre though....
@@motardsquid like i said if anything the handling felt a little more stable to be honest.With wheelies it would be more stable as well including bikes built just for the straight line.I am from southafrica and have like 30 years riding experience now,there are some guys heres who also darkside and never had an issue be it on a cruiser,sport tourer or full on sportbike.Also remember a lot of 'you have to fit the proper motorcycle tyre' nonsense is just pure marketing strategies like 'you gotta fill only fully synthetic oil' garbage.Been filling 20W50 oil for years and never ever had issue with that as well on all different types of motorcycles,ride safe man and do whats best for you at the end of the day ✌
I put one on a vtx1800 I owned. It was awesome. Took about 40 miles to feel it out then it was like normal to me. I rode all types of roads from interstate to the tail of the dragon. Lasted 30,000 miles before I changed it out.
I started using car tires on my Yamaha Venture 8 years ago. I get about 20K on each tire, at about 60 dollars a pop. I install it myself. The only dangerous part about it is that you have to put a lot of pressure in it for the bead to seat. I bought a locking device for the air intake and I can fill the air in the tire remotely. The car tires handle great and the braking seems exceptional as there is more contact to the road. I do have a heavy bike so I only get 20k, but I was only getting about 7k with a motorcycle tire. I consider it a step up. There is a lot of ignorance out there when it comes to darksiding. I started putting a rear motorcycle tire up front as a rear tire is built for more wear. The current front tire has 15k on it and looks like it's good for another 15k. It's recommended that you reverse the rotation of the tire (the arrow going backwards), as the stress on the tire is now for braking instead of accelerating.
Im pretty happy darksiding, but everyone on the internet tells me it's stupid. The current tire i have i have 13k and took me all overt he place. I would have changed the tire by now, but now i still get to ride it.
The reason bike tires have a round cross section has to do with passive steering. Think of an ice-cream cone rolling across a table. It doesn't roll in a straight line like a coke can, it rolls in an arc. This is why a motorcycle turns when you lean it over. The tire is like two ice-cream cones stuck together at the widest part. Roll it across a table, lean it left it goes left, lean it right it goes right. Putting car tire on the rear of a bike will, like the coke can, want to travel straight ahead because it reduces the amount of passive steering. That load will simply transfer to the front tire. That load may affect the available front tire traction at a time when you need it all. Car tires work but nothing is for free when it comes to physics
If you find a tire with a radius, you won't notice .much difference. Pick a square flat profile, it will feel different and requires more counter steer input .
I just recently bought a cruiser. It has the car tire on it . I've ridden on it for around 4000 miles. I live on the west coast of America and it just doesn't work if you are an aggressive rider in the twisties. This dark side is for riders that dont go low enough to scrape thrir pegs. I'm changing back to what it is designed for. Much safer if you get in a bind and have to maneuver out some road trouble.
Also another thing to note is that a good rider on a darkside tire will outride you if he is a better rider. It has more to do with skill than what tires are on your bike.
@@motardsquid yeah great point Valentino Rossi Would beat me on a car tire.... if a car pulls out in front of you and you have a split second to counter steer to avoid it, I'd rather be relying on a Dunlop not a sedan tire.
Great video, thanks. I don’t understand all the haters, it’s not like anyone is trying to force them to do it. I’m tempted to do it now, just to piss people off! 😂
Here are the couple of Reasons I decided to try it, from Chris Caliente Videos here on UA-cam. 1. Increased Stability at a Stop. 2. Wet Weather Riding Stabilty Inceased due to Wider Patch on Roadway. 3. Greater Stability on Grooved Pavement $. Last but not least, 30-40,000 mile Tire Life. While it will Turn a little differently, most say within a few hundred miles you begin to get used to it, I Believe that, it's ALL in What You Get Used to. I hope this Helps.
@@sandybryson1211 I've watched many 'DarkSide' videos, and I've not seen anyone doing it on any Bikes other than those at the heavier end of the scale. I'm guessing the excess weight helps deform the Tyre when cornering, so it conforms to the Road surface better. I doubt a lightweight Bike would do that as much. The weight probably helps 'mask' the odd feeling when cornering too. Anyone seen a middleweight/lightweight Bike that's been 'DarkSided'?
@J Jimenez Did you write that all by yourself? You're happy to ignore the hundreds of videos showing just how well car tyres work on the larger, heavier Bikes then, or the many, many testimonies of those who have tried it? Maybe you need to look up the definition of imbecile.
won't be long with all the Darksiders out there using social media to tell how pleased we are with CT's on bikes that insurance companies will soon give notice that they will NOT cover bikes using car tyres. Also, keep in mind that tyre companies do not want us using them either as they make millions selling us overpriced bike tyres and they will use any excuse to get the governments to ban it for financial gain. I am a DS rider and I love how the tyre rides. So many safety advantages over the bike tyre i used
The tread block form on a car tyre looks way more suitable for 4 season riding than the race oriented bike tyres that have almost no tread and only grip optimally when they're warmed up from riding way faster than is possible on the street. Bike manufacturers and tyre makers have steadily become more race replica oriented but that doesn't mean those things perform well on the road. So I'm ready to believe a car tyre can outperform a bike tyre for everyday riding, especially on wet roads.
It’s kind of funny most people think MC tires are radius edge for cornering. They actually started radius after Burt Munro put radius on his own tires to get less road contact;thus less drag to go faster on the straight salt flats to set a world record. If you countersteer(good habit because constant positive response of bike that lean steer. Doesn’t give)you will find bike actually corners better without more effort on a good car tire than on a good MC tire. I’ve been cyclist 56 years and biker 54 years.
@@robertlund5694 yup, in other words anything will work as long as ridden within its limits. With wooden wheels you would just have to go slower just as you should be if riding on car tires on a motorcycle.
I have over 60,000 miles dark side on a n R1200RT, my set up it is with an adapter plate and a car wheel, have the stock wheel with motor cycle tire mounted, For serious curve riding I install the MC tire, extended road trips install the car tire, 20 minutes either way. Bought a K1600B a year ago, bought a used rear wheel off eBay and now have the same setup for the K-B. Specific tire for specific type of riding. But then the BMW have single sided swing arms and the tires are attached with lug bolts like a car.
I put a Firestone 195 75 16 on a vtx 1800. The profile of the Firestone has a nice radius profile that doesn't feel weird cornering. I have a Valkyrie with a darkside that the profile is flat and square, it does require more countersteering. It feels weird. So if you are going dark, get a tire that has a radius profile.
I'm thinking about doing this. What size wheel and motorcycle does your bike call for and what car tire did you put in place of it? On a cross country trip, you could save enough money to actually pay for the gas or much of it. Thanks guy!
I tried it on my Gl1800 and I love it, it provides a more secure feeling in the twisties and more comfort on the straights. Getting 26,000 miles from it is just a small benefit to me, it's about the handling! Naysayer's have no ground to speak from unless they've actually tried it.
Ross Delaney That is true but I think it also depends somewhat on the choice of tire chosen. I did a lot of research in deciding what I was going to put on my Goldwing and I knew after two miles that I loved it. I experienced none of the slow speed handling difference in turns that some report because of the tire being more squared on the outside. I was cautious in the early miles especially in the twisties (with a grin) and after I got 100 miles on to break in the tire I rode like I normally do, which is fairly spirited and I knew that I would most likely never go back to the MC tire. I used a General Altimax R43 195/55/16 tire and I couldn't be happier with it. It has a more rounded edge than others that I'd looked at. I can see the outside wear marks from corners and there's a good 1/2" of edge left that's clean, which shows me the tire gives me plenty of good tread for increased traction. Ride safe everyone no matter what you choose!
@@ssng1I totally agree. Great comments. Goes without saying to do your research well, before taking the plunge into the darkside. I suggest that rather than ride a friend's darkside for xxx miles or so, consider it the new normal and really commit to the experience completely. It's only then that you'll truly understand and know how good it actually is.
Blah blah. If you don't want to then don't. In the hundreds of thousands of miles riding heavy cruiser and after 5k miles on darkside, im not going back to a bike tire for a cruiser.
The tread on the tire in the link does not look like the tread on your bike. Just to confirm: BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2 Radial Tire - 205/50R17 89Z SL is the correct tire...right? By the way...I'm grateful for all the time you've spent putting together your darkside videos> I also have a 2008 DL-650 Vstrom...best bike I've ever owned!!!
It wholly depends on the bike. Part of the "safety" is the having enough weight to deform the tire to the road at operating PSI. The wear rate of dedicated moto tires is due to the extra grip you'd get from a softer compound. The problem is, I cant imagine anyone suffering a catastrophic loss of traction and then going online to tell about it, and get mercilessly roasted for the choices theyve made. Its worth noting that you can camber the tires on a vehicle to 20°-30° to intentionally throw all rear traction out the window.
Toss a car tire on a sport bike or light cruiser I agree with you. Not enough weight to deform the tire. I could only see doing this on a heavier bike with a rider that hardly ever corners hard. Imagine scraping foot boards with a car tire... No thanks lol.
@@jasonvsd Ya...But You are only that guy who actually Does it and has Done it for thousands of miles...Where all of these arm chair experts and key board warriors ....Like "love pc gaming"...just naturally know so much more that any of us who actually ride....That is how bigotry and prejudice work!...
I tried a car tire on a Valkyrie and did not like it, it felt strange to me not to mention the bump steering you get with a car tire. bump steering is when the tire runs over something that is not right in the center of the tire, it lifts that side of the tire and pushes the bike in the direction opposite the side of the tire that it contacted, a slight rise in the road or an uneven surface that only one side of the tire runs over. This really shows up when at slow speeds or coming to a stop. Hard to explain but very noticeable.
@@motardsquid It's a flat tire how could you not notice it, instead of moving down the sidewall it moves across the tread in a turn, that shifts the rear of the bike upward an is the very reason it takes more effort in the turn. The rear no longer tracks the center line of the bike in a turn, a mc tire does this also but to a very small degree...
I've owned many bikes, and ridden thousands of miles on bikes and I've always liked this idea of car tyres on bikes, because bike tyres are too expensive and don't last long. I wanted to do that with my bike, but no tyre company would fit the tyre for me. I agree with you totally, dude.
Two options ...1. Buy your tire online...I did 45 bucks delivered...2. Try some independent tire shops if no one else will mount it for you...I was lucky I just carried the wheel and tire down to my local independent bike ship and they mounted and balanced it for me...
Couldn’t bring myself to do that. But then again, a ride a GSXR 1000 and a 83 Xl600r. Funky but if you guys like it I’m find with that. Just don’t go around saying that tire companies are trying to scam motorcycle riders by making them wear faster. Motorcycle tires are actually engineered for motorcycles and are technically part of the suspension.
Most likely motorcycle tires compaies are not directly scamming riders. But they can certainly make tires that are sticky and durable like car tires that are just as sticky that are on sport cars. Also if motorcycle tires are part of the suspension, wouldnt the same be true for car tires?
I know I'm late but good video. I'm not going to try it. Not for me. But interesting to hear your experience with it. Good to hear it's not as dangerous as it is rumored to be.
Yeah, i think i did it more out of curiosity at first. But on the internet all you hear is doom and gloom opinions and from people that don't have experience.
I've often wondered if a car tire would work on a bike...well presented...my '86 Aspencade runs Dunlop Elites and I usually get 25k out of the tires: that being said, I like to throw the bike around in the corners so that I grind the floorboards! Thanks for the experience!
@@toadamine, I have come across a lot of "super"-riders in my life. Some have been killed. I keep asking myself what the intention is to drive your machine to the limit on public roads. Nowadays penis extensions are quite affordable.
Thank You for a Great Video and an Honest Opinion. I have just installed a Bridgestone DriveGuard Run Flat Tire on the Rear of My GoldWing and have not had a Chance to Ride it yet as I am doing several Modifications along with the Tires. I installed a BridgeStone BT45 Battlax on the Front (Double Darkside) and I am looking forward to the new Ride. Just as a Reference or if you might be interested in seeing More Videos on DARKSIDING check out the Chris Caliente Dark Side youTube page also, he has many Videos that also Support DarkSiding on Large Motorcycles (GoldWings) with Great Actual Tire Foootage. Again, Thanks for a Great Video.
I get a huge laugh out of the ignorant (but probably well meaning) people out there that think that the only reason the thousands of us that run car tires is just to save money! 250,000 miles on three bikes all running dark. Love it so much!
I really never noticed the difference when going to the "Darkside" on my 1100 Shadow. Not only the better price, but the increase mileage you get. The traction is a lot better also. It's so hard to slip taking off, more so than the stock tires. And riding in the rain, it sticks like glue.
David Regnier It definitely won’t give you more grip in the rain! The larger contact patch of a car tire will make you aquaplane at a much slower speed than if you ride on motorcycle tires! You have clearly never been close to “slipping” either on the motorcycle tire or the car tire...
@@AndreasBrOlesen Wrong. First, have you tried it yet? And yes it does have alot better traction, especially in the rain. My stock Dunlops would slip in the rain at 65 mph. I know because my wife and I could hear the engine rev up going down the interstate during a downpour. With a car tire on, I could not get the tire to break loose. I've never had "hydroplaning" with a car tire. Motorcycle tires are just not as good.
David Regnier I’m sorry. I trust physics more than I trust you. My car aquaplanes much easier than my motorcycle even though it weighs 8 times as much. And it makes sense, the water have to travel much further under a car tire to evacuate than under a motorcycle tire. Maybe you should try a different motorcycle tire.
A friend of mine has a VTX 1800 and rides nearly 30k miles a year on it. He darksides. When my rear tire needs replacing on my Royal Star I'm going to give it a try.
Hey you have three wheels bike whit car tire like the ( can-am/spyder-f3 spyder ) and the ( T-REX from campagna canada ) so i'm willing to try . I always hated the fact that the motorcycle tire do not last long enough for the price
Those of us that convert our motorcycles to Voyager trike conversions nearly all ride "DARK SIDE." With this conversion the bike's rear wheel is NOT allowed to lean when operated as a trike. Converted bikes that do not install a auto tire wear out their rear tire even sooner because the tire wear is limited the the tire's center. cmtVoyager, the conversion manufacturer, recommends to their customers that they ride "DARK SIDE."
You seem to contradict yourself: 3:47 - "When you're leaning left or right the tire kind of actually bends with the road, and there's actually more contact patch down on the road than a motorcycle tire." 4:47 - "I would probably not take this tire on the track, because I would want to have a little bit more edge, I guess, when cornering." Comments?
For track riding id definatly do a motorcycle tire, i feel much moreconfident riding it in corners hard. There is a limit, when you are scraping pegs you would want a moto tire. But for the majority of riders that are not dragging their pegs around a corner, i would do darkside. I would say you love 10% of aggressive riding in corners with the darkside. But for me i do sport riding, adventure, road and commuting and i never feel like i need more. But ive done many track days and i know there is a limit to it if you are pushing it. Hope that makes sense.
@@motardsquid Thanks for your reply. Keep in mind I'm not arguing with you. What I'm hearing you say is that you subjectively prefer mc tires for hard cornering. You talk about a "limit" when you are cornering, but you don't say any more. What is that limit? Is it that you get too near the edge of a car tire and actually do run off the tread, or is it that you feel there is less traction at higher lean angles, or is the amount of feedback not reassuring, or is it something else? Or, have you never run a car tire at extreme lean angles, before, and simply don't know what it actually feels like? You've never done a track day with a darksided motorcycle?
I just put a car tire on my GW today! Got tire of the outrageous price for tires for a GOLDWING pickup a Firestone for $99.00 A 55,000 mile tire will get me at least 30,000 miles
I’ve done it , don’t recommend it ,I was on a triumph rocket 3 and the one thing I didn’t like was it sucked me into the ruts created by gravel haulers , I did not like the feeling also I noticed I had to push in the turns harder , tried it done that and I don’t like it
Thanks for your input! I'm looking to go Darkside soon. In the video footage of your ride, was this on the car tire? It looked to be a very aggressive ride through the Twisties.
i can't tell if that's a joke or not. motorcycles have bearings. the axle is a solid none movable part. why it would need grease is beyond my understanding.
There’s a whole bunch of forums where ppl discuss what fits and works. Finding tables of full tyre dimensions is a pain. Finding a tyre shop that will do the extra work is tricky as well.
Curious as to why you went with such a wide car tire? Stock width is 150, and you went with a 205 car tire. A common "complaint" with Darksiding is the transition from flat to edge when leaning over, I would think going with a car tire narrower than the stock mc tire would mitigate this. Further, I would be concerned about tire weight and would want to keep it as low as possible. The Valkyrie/Goldwing/cruiser guys get car tires about the same width as stock, but you went a full 2" wider. Comments?
This tire only came in 205. So i was stuck with it. But so far it actually works. Its a soft compound and can handle aggressive corners, and is massive. I've gtotten a flat before, and no patch kit. And witht he mass of the tire i was able to ride it home slowly.
Worked at a shop where someone asked us to do this. He came back in saying the bike road weird and that it had to be us putting the axle on wrong. This is so stupid, good luck getting insurance to pay out on any accidents w a car tire on your bike.
@@motardsquid all that matters is its fuxking stupid.... No manufacturer of any tire would recommend this type of use. We would never mount one at our shop for liability reasons exactly because no manufacturer would recomend doing that. Better believe if anyone if anyone riding on a car tire caused an accident involving me I'd have a lawyer on them asap for Operating a vehicle on unsafe equipment not recommended by the manufacturer. If you has the same bikes only difference one had a car tire you wouldnt get off saying "wow it's almost the same!" Quit being cheap and but a good touring tire.
@@motardsquid bwahahahaha yeah apples to apples..... let make riding less safe by riding a tire that is complete shit to turn on and has no contour for the road because it's cheaper! You know what else is cheaper? Driving a car...
It's better than most people think. There are a couple places to get it done. I got it done at a car tire place in Beltsville. But Brooks cycles also puts them on. I'd suggest taking the rim with the tire to them. Let me know how it goes
What pressure do you run? I have a great 2005 s83 which recommends 29 lbs on recommended tires. How to convert? Rider in my org. has a Victory and he went CT. Aftef short transición he swears he will never go back. ...
I've got a Benelli trk 502 and I've been looking to go darkside for a while now but I just can't find the right tyre. My stock is 160/60 r17, any suggestions ?
One caveat to this, I cannot imagine an insurance company taking a loss if you were to wreck while using non approved tires, I could see this on a big heavy HD or some other similar antique motorcycle being a viable option for those that cannot corner anyways. Part of being a motorcyclist is buying tires, get over it, buy the right tires.
There are ton of pundits screaming all kinds of catastrophic events etc and I find most of those people have no experience.They just regurgitate what they read on the net.I run bias rear radial front and again same dire warnings and I ride without any ill events and now I 'll get almost twice mileage from my bias rear then radial.
Can you tell me about sizing? I am looking to go dark on Suzuki Bandit 1200. My rim is 5.5inch wide and I am looking at 175-195mm width, but that greatly limits the choice of rubbers for 17 inch wheel. DL650 rim is even narrower but somehow you have managed to wrap a 205mm rubber around it. I am afraid to go so wide. Have you done anything during the installation to keep this tyre in the narrow rim?
Keeps the tire on the rim has never been an issue. The issue with the 205 was it rubbed the chain guard and chain. But after a bit of wear it was nothing. My super tenere i have a 175, and anything wider i need to widen the rear brake arm.
@@motardsquid I am looking at 175/65-17 all seasons (some no-name) and 165/45-17 summer from Achilles which is know in Darkside world. DO you have any experience with the height of the tyre? Would 65 be any better/worse compared to 45?
Pretty common on old choppers/bobbers around here but that’s more for looks and have seen this on sidecar outfits including front which is a very practical solution for the low wearability and expense of motorcycle tires. Definitely wouldn’t look good on the Duc and doubtful it would handle well. I’d think cos car tires are heavier, the ability to flick the bike back and forth would be compromised a little from added gyro affect. But then most of the comments here refer to very large and heavy bikes and where straight line mile eating riding is the goal, not knee dragging or seeking steeper lean angles. I also find it odd that the author of this post as well as a few commenters remount the motorcycle tire before setting out on spirited rides meaning your confidence isn’t 100% with this setup which to me says a lot coming from the advocates of this practice. Doubtful track day scrutineers would allow anyone with this set up to mingle with other riders in fast cornering conditions anyway. Never heard the term Dark Side so apparently there’s something for everyone on UA-cam. To each his own😁
Hi @Motard Squid , the size of my rear OEM tire is 160/60ZR17 , i wannt to put a car tire on the rim, but i cannot find the size, what would you recommend?
@@MrJonnyp107 @Pippinshnifter Hi I own a tire repair shop in Romania and it's the only size i can think of that i might be able to squeeze on that rim 205 is the narrowest 17 inch tire i could find and 50 has a much softer sidewall than lets sai a 45 so you cant go any lower than that,obviously a 185 or 195 would be better if there is such a thing.Sorry for my English it's not the best.
I tried it for about 500 miles and switched back. The bike would not settle in the curves and felt unstable to me. My bike is 900 lbs without me and any gear. Really felt bad two up. Maybe on a lighter bike it’s ok, but not for me.
you should look up the darkside database, its a collection of tires and bikes. That might be a good starting point. But also there are communities out there with the same bike i bet. Darksiding is more pop than people think.
Leaving aside the fact that this is illegal in many countries. I don't see it having trouple gripping in dry weather, but what about cornering grip in the rain? Also parking lot maneuvering how's that? Like can you still do a U turn between the cars in a tight spot? You need quite a bit of lean angle for that...
@@motardsquid How is my question in any way related to speeding? I was looking for an actual feedback, from real riding perspective, but you seem to be mocking instead.
@@theodorstravels Because you said it was illegal. But speeding is also illegal. For the other questions, i never thought it was harder or more difficult than a regular moto tire. It isn't that much different, the only difference i see is riding offroad in gravel the tire tends to track straight in ruts. In rain i don't corner hard at all, but i never do in a moto tire. So in reality, i have never ridden this tire different than a moto tire.
You seemed to be keeping up with the sportsters on those twisties. I just don't get the physics of more traction than bike tyres on turns. If that's the case, why do we have bike tyres at all?
Yes I hear you but I don't want "it's not so bad" while riding. I want " damn awesome" all of the time. I rather plan a few stops for tyre changes and enjoy the ride more.
I've run through dozens of moto tires, and i never thought any were awesome, and i tried them all. To each his own. This works really well for me, more riding. Less stopping.
@@motardsquid I hear you man. But if you don't find a Daiblo Supercorsa awesome on any superbike then I don't know what will be. And on my BMW GS I run Metzelers (as supplied by BMW) and I get up to 10 000miles on a set which is damn good I think. And I guess we're not talking s portbikes here but if we were then what is wrong with Michelin's Road 5 rubber which give me up to 8000+miles on a middleweight naked. Okay darkside make more sense on a cruiser and yes there is no wrong to this just preference.
I ran car tires on my Goldwing... ran the Dragon in Tenn, fully loaded.. loved the tire. Run one flat.. very safe, you won't dump the bike. My wife thought it was a smoother ride. I now have a Valkyrie, it will get a car tire when it is needed. No tire shop will mount them in Columbus, Ga area.
Ask yourself why are the profiles different? car flat and square mc rounded ? maybe on cornering the mc tyre puts more rubber on the road. just a silly thought
You would think that would be the case. But in most tests the same amount of rubber is on the ground in corners. The car tire flexes and the moto tire doesn't. I was suprised i liked it as much as i did.
I have never got more than 6000 miles out of a motorcycle tire since tires on motorcycles became radials. 4500 miles my front tires get close to the tread depth bars. Then I changed both tires. I always do them in pairs. in the 70s and 80s, before radials, I would get 9000 miles out of a 400/18 rear tire on my CB 750 Honda, and the front tires seemed like they would go maybe 12 to 14,000 miles. since bikes top speeds have increased, tire manufacturers have had to increase the speed rating which means, less tread depth because centrifugal force at those high speeds that bikes are capable of make the tires grow too much and overheat and possibly fail. once I figured out that speed rating S/H/V/Z meant less tread ,I have always tried to buy H rated tires for all my machines when possible because, H rated tires have almost twice the tread depth of a V or Z rated tire. But now that bikes are so capable of high speeds, I don’t think you’re going to see deep tread depth on the radial tires due to liability insurance risks
Very good video. I've been thinking about going "dark side" on my big Victory Tour bike. I enjoy going across the continent on it. Which means that I end up waiting way too long before I change my tires (just over 14,600 miles on my current set. I'm guessing that you only dark side your rear tire, is that right? Do you still use a motorcycle tire on the front? Thanks for doing this.
you are at 14,600 miles on your back tire? I get about 1/2 that. Yes, I spent 4-5 cents per mile on back tires, or 6 -7 cents per mile on keeping tires on my bike while cars tire run 2 cents a mile or less. Running dark could save me $2,500 in 100,000 miles
@@RBAERO its bf goodrich 205/50zr17 hope that helps. its a good tire. im going to try another tire after this one is done, but so far 20k on it and its still good "
Hello my name is Alex, I have a 2008 DL1800 Dark Side in the back, and 70/30 in the front (70% road, 30% off road), I'm 295 pounds, and I'm using 35 PSI on the back, last week end I was riding my bike and when I go more then 100 miles a wobble appear, did you have this same situation with your bike, what did you do? what is your rear tire pressure...Regards
@@motardsquid no I'm not sure if the tire cause the wooble that is why I'm asking I appreciate your time and answer I will keep looking to find the root cause .....regards
@@rogereastman3187 It's been great. I've ridden across the u.s. on it, done alot of offroading on it and super twisties like the dragon. Even have ridden deals gap with a passenger. Never slipped, slid or anything on me. Tons of traction.
Riding The Darkside is awesome. I have 80000 mile experience. I've never slipped in the rain on the dark side but I have on motorcycle tires.
I went dark side years ago on my Goldwing, won’t go back
Instablaster.
The tire looks good on the bike and if you are comfortable with it, Keep on Trucking, I have a 84 Goldwing and is planning on doing the same.
I have been using the Dunlop 185/65/16 on my Honda VTX 1800 since 2006 and get 3x the mileage and the cost of $185.00 compared to 385.00 will never go back.
Any downsides so far?
02 1800C Here
I have run the darkside for around 35 years or so on many bikes.
Currently I have four VN2000 Kawasaki cruisers, two with std bike tyres and two with light truck tyres.
My 2007 VN currently has 130,000 kilometres with various car and truck tyres but have found that the LT tyres with approximately the same width as the original rear tyre works superbly.
Also LT tyres typically have 10-11 mm tread depth.
I actually go for the higher profile tyres as it corrects for the inaccurate speedo readings.
The std tyre is a 200/60/16 and the LT tyre is a 195/75/16, a considerable increase in total diameter.
With the 195 LT tyre, there is next to no standup affect as I call it and I literally cannot feel it now.
So much so, when I do ride the other two bikes they actually feel loose on the road and much prefer to ride the LT tyre now.
The grip is just insane in every aspect and the rear brake can be used extremely hard in emergency braking as it just wont let go.
The other aspect I like is the ride is so much smoother and softer on bumpy roads especially on corrugated dirt roads.
I wont go into any detail, but myself and another friend on a Goldwing both towing trailers in the pouring rain unexpectedly ran out of road at a T junction with a 30 meter drop off.
We both managed to pull the bikes and trailers up literally feet before going over the edge and we both said simultaneously if we never had the truck tyres on we would have gone over or locked the front brakes and dropped them.
Because the rear has so much grip, we could brake the rear so much harder we saved our skins.
Just really lucky no one was on the continuing road.
You could say that were going too fast for the conditions and that may have been true, but we may have been doing the same on std rubber and we both know that would not have ended well in that particular situation.
For me cost was a pretty large reason I went down this road, but ultimately its the inconvenience of changing tyres and more so finding tyres.
In Australia the 200/60/16 is only available in the capital cities and some times even have to come from other states.
So no chance of anything in the country or outback area's.
Car / truck tyres are available everywhere.
I don't want to be stuck on the Nullarbor a thousand Kms from a tyre supply.
In 35 odd years of running the so called "darkside " I have never had any issues and have never regretted going that way.
You've master the dark side my son
@@zee9709 Bring balance to your new empire😂
Yeah but that's. On a cruiser as you say. Most somewhat sporty bikes are so short the rear lifts with a full emergency brake maneuver
@@gur262 That is true, but in the wet you are not going to lift the rear as you will be on your arse well before the rear comes up especially in a turn or lean.
Keep the rear on the road and use the extra braking power offered.
Ok in the dry a bike may get the back end up, but why would you?? having the rear tyre on the road not only stabilizes the bike but you may as well use what braking power and grip that's on offer.
Remember we are talking about braking in scary times, the last thing you want is a wheel off the ground.
Make use of what you have.
A wise pilot friend of mine once said " THERE IS NOTHING MORE USELESS THAN THE RUNWAY BEHIND YOU"
Could you please suggest a dark side tyre for 190 55 17
My experience riding on the darkside.. It does last much longer. But, in inclement weather, it does have a slight tendency to hydroplane. Especially when the tire is 50% worn. As long as you ride for conditions you'll be ok. Ride safe everybody.🙂
Todd just Todd -I use a all season tire car tire on my bike. Drains the water xtremly well even when its worn more than 50%
That's good info to know. Never thought a car is much heavier and the contact surface to the road on a motorcycle tire is narrower then the car tire. So this would make sense. But still 20 thousand miles is far better then 8000 miles on a cycle tire. That is if I ran the car tire tread half way down. I'm doing it.
Great video. I ordered a car tire for my 2016 Kawaski Vulcan Voyager. It's my daily and my touring bike. My other bikes are more for around town fun. I rode my neighbors goldwing with a car tire. Like you say, takes getting used to but no issues. He rides mountain roads no issues with it. Even 2 up. I'm getting 5-6k tops out of a tire. Providing I don't pick up nails or road debris. So I'm not even making oil change cycles. I'm changing tires more than my oil and it's brutal lol. So I'm trying dark side too. Not gonna knock it until I try it on my ride. I have a new bike tire coming to switch back if I don't like it. But I think I'll be more than happy! Great video. Subscribed! Thanks sir and ride safe!
I am running dark side. My bike weighs 600 lbs. It took a little getting used to, but it's not bad. The traction is surprisingly good. I have put 30k miles on my bike and it shows no wear. Some guys with goldwing say they get as much as 100k miles.
Well there's that.
Now do a car with motorcycle tires!
Well it's not very uncommon. Most electric conversions use bike tyres.
Spare tire is a motorcycle tire.
Great fuel efficiency.
Actually, in the early days of auto racing, they did that. They put MC tires on the car rims and shellacked them to keep them on the rim.
Car still has a two wheel advantage over bike...thats one very forgiving difference.
I got the same tire for my Fury. Looking forward to many miles
It's only the motorcycle shops and the people that sell motorcycle tires that are against it
I once fitted a car tyre on one of my R1's out of boredom,it ran quite well to be honest,used it for a long time thereafter till the tread was worn.Just make sure its a soft compound tyre though....
That is interesting. I had an r1 too. Alot of guys around this area who just do wheelies on 1000cc bikes, i wonder if it helps with wheelies.
@@motardsquid like i said if anything the handling felt a little more stable to be honest.With wheelies it would be more stable as well including bikes built just for the straight line.I am from southafrica and have like 30 years riding experience now,there are some guys heres who also darkside and never had an issue be it on a cruiser,sport tourer or full on sportbike.Also remember a lot of 'you have to fit the proper motorcycle tyre' nonsense is just pure marketing strategies like 'you gotta fill only fully synthetic oil' garbage.Been filling 20W50 oil for years and never ever had issue with that as well on all different types of motorcycles,ride safe man and do whats best for you at the end of the day ✌
@@mohammedgangat5799 where in SA are you from? I'm from Cape Town
@@Not_alex_jones from durban bud ✌
@@mohammedgangat5799 awesome, I'm hoping to upgrade to an R6 from my 125 when I'm 18
I put one on a vtx1800 I owned. It was awesome. Took about 40 miles to feel it out then it was like normal to me. I rode all types of roads from interstate to the tail of the dragon. Lasted 30,000 miles before I changed it out.
Same here, running DoubleDark on my 03 1800, General GMax 205/55-16 and the Shinko 712 up front.
I will be getting an 04 VTX1800 I a couple of days! I will be going dark side with it. Mainly cause I plan on riding to and from work 75% of the year.
@@stirch9
How well did this work for you?
I just got a 02 1800c.
Still a few thousand miles left but willing to go dark side
I started using car tires on my Yamaha Venture 8 years ago. I get about 20K on each tire, at about 60 dollars a pop. I install it myself. The only dangerous part about it is that you have to put a lot of pressure in it for the bead to seat. I bought a locking device for the air intake and I can fill the air in the tire remotely. The car tires handle great and the braking seems exceptional as there is more contact to the road. I do have a heavy bike so I only get 20k, but I was only getting about 7k with a motorcycle tire. I consider it a step up.
There is a lot of ignorance out there when it comes to darksiding. I started putting a rear motorcycle tire up front as a rear tire is built for more wear. The current front tire has 15k on it and looks like it's good for another 15k. It's recommended that you reverse the rotation of the tire (the arrow going backwards), as the stress on the tire is now for braking instead of accelerating.
Im pretty happy darksiding, but everyone on the internet tells me it's stupid. The current tire i have i have 13k and took me all overt he place. I would have changed the tire by now, but now i still get to ride it.
The arrow should point in the direction of rotation to properly evacuate water from the center of the tread. At least for car tires on cars.
Good video he actually tried it then commented if you have not tried it keep your mouth shut
Fuck you
Great comment Jim Wortham!!
Good idea if going cross country.
@@toadamine fuck off
@@bluettr250 that's how it starts... 😂🙌
Thanks for sharing your experience 🙏❤
I liked the car tire so much I'm now going double darkside.👍🏍️🏍️
Thats too hardcore for me!
@@motardsquid I'll let you know how it works out leaving for a ride out west from PA soon.👍
The reason bike tires have a round cross section has to do with passive steering. Think of an ice-cream cone rolling across a table. It doesn't roll in a straight line like a coke can, it rolls in an arc. This is why a motorcycle turns when you lean it over. The tire is like two ice-cream cones stuck together at the widest part. Roll it across a table, lean it left it goes left, lean it right it goes right. Putting car tire on the rear of a bike will, like the coke can, want to travel straight ahead because it reduces the amount of passive steering. That load will simply transfer to the front tire. That load may affect the available front tire traction at a time when you need it all. Car tires work but nothing is for free when it comes to physics
Spot on. The darksiders never want to hear this.
But yet, it rides fine. So far 2 cross country trips, riding deals gap, route 16 yada yada.
Use a good physic to cure constipation.
If you find a tire with a radius, you won't notice .much difference. Pick a square flat profile, it will feel different and requires more counter steer input .
I'm getting ready to do this to my Gold Wing.
@@j.t.5826 wait. There is a darkside website??
I just recently bought a cruiser. It has the car tire on it . I've ridden on it for around 4000 miles. I live on the west coast of America and it just doesn't work if you are an aggressive rider in the twisties. This dark side is for riders that dont go low enough to scrape thrir pegs. I'm changing back to what it is designed for. Much safer if you get in a bind and have to maneuver out some road trouble.
If you are riding hard enough to hit pegs on the street, you are riding too hard.
Also another thing to note is that a good rider on a darkside tire will outride you if he is a better rider. It has more to do with skill than what tires are on your bike.
Pablum. Look up some of Yellow Wolf's vids from the Dragon...and yes, he ran a car tire on that Wing.
@@motardsquid yeah great point Valentino Rossi Would beat me on a car tire.... if a car pulls out in front of you and you have a split second to counter steer to avoid it, I'd rather be relying on a Dunlop not a sedan tire.
@@stevemasterson7776Dunlaps make CT's too.
Great video, thanks.
I don’t understand all the haters, it’s not like anyone is trying to force them to do it.
I’m tempted to do it now, just to piss people off! 😂
Here are the couple of Reasons I decided to try it, from Chris Caliente Videos here on UA-cam. 1. Increased Stability at a Stop. 2. Wet Weather Riding Stabilty Inceased due to Wider Patch on Roadway. 3. Greater Stability on Grooved Pavement $. Last but not least, 30-40,000 mile Tire Life. While it will Turn a little differently, most say within a few hundred miles you begin to get used to it, I Believe that, it's ALL in What You Get Used to. I hope this Helps.
@@sandybryson1211
I've watched many 'DarkSide' videos, and I've not seen anyone doing it on any Bikes other than those at the heavier end of the scale.
I'm guessing the excess weight helps deform the Tyre when cornering, so it conforms to the Road surface better.
I doubt a lightweight Bike would do that as much.
The weight probably helps 'mask' the odd feeling when cornering too.
Anyone seen a middleweight/lightweight Bike that's been 'DarkSided'?
@J Jimenez Did you write that all by yourself?
You're happy to ignore the hundreds of videos showing just how well car tyres work on the larger, heavier Bikes then, or the many, many testimonies of those who have tried it?
Maybe you need to look up the definition of imbecile.
@@Docv400 There is a video on youtube I watched where someone did this on a lighter/mid sized bike...
ua-cam.com/video/hEZeR9E3JyY/v-deo.html
@@Docv400 I ran darkside on Honda VTX 1300R for over 35,000 miles with no problems, my son ran darkside on a Suzuki M50.
won't be long with all the Darksiders out there using social media to tell how pleased we are with CT's on bikes that insurance companies will soon give notice that they will NOT cover bikes using car tyres. Also, keep in mind that tyre companies do not want us using them either as they make millions selling us overpriced bike tyres and they will use any excuse to get the governments to ban it for financial gain. I am a DS rider and I love how the tyre rides. So many safety advantages over the bike tyre i used
I agree with You!!
All you need is a DOT certification. That is all insurance in the continental U.S. needs.
Yeah and soon everyone will agree with flat earth theory, anti-vax and fake moon landing.
Why would they give up loyal customers?
The tread block form on a car tyre looks way more suitable for 4 season riding than the race oriented bike tyres that have almost no tread and only grip optimally when they're warmed up from riding way faster than is possible on the street. Bike manufacturers and tyre makers have steadily become more race replica oriented but that doesn't mean those things perform well on the road. So I'm ready to believe a car tyre can outperform a bike tyre for everyday riding, especially on wet roads.
who gets 40,000 to 50,000 miles on a motorcycle tire. i only got 3,000 out of my diablo rossa 2's and at $143 per wheel i am going dark side
Been riding 40 years. Never done a burn out, ever. Never got 10k out of a bike tire, ever.
I'm certainly going to. To hell with the keyboard naysayers out there.
@@natashahancock9896 👏👏👏👏
I'm going to the gay side I mean dark side too lol..jp bro
@Cj that's impossible
I’m thinking of adding Air Conditioning and Keyless entry on my motorcycle...I mean, why not?
Considering both exist for bikes why not?
AC doesn't make any sense when you're outside.
michael sitko uhhhhhh...you’re kidding right? 🤦🏽♂️
@@oso_nomada no it's basic common sense
@@ertai222 are you joking do you ride?
It’s kind of funny most people think MC tires are radius edge for cornering. They actually started radius after Burt Munro put radius on his own tires to get less road contact;thus less drag to go faster on the straight salt flats to set a world record. If you countersteer(good habit because constant positive response of bike that lean steer. Doesn’t give)you will find bike actually corners better without more effort on a good car tire than on a good MC tire. I’ve been cyclist 56 years and biker 54 years.
"it is really, not that bad"
Wow sounds awesome... 🙄😂
Oh I get it--riding on wooden wheels on my motorcycle would not be that bad as long as I keep speeds down to 10 mph LOL
@@ironcast wood ?
@@robertlund5694 yup, in other words anything will work as long as ridden within its limits. With wooden wheels you would just have to go slower just as you should be if riding on car tires on a motorcycle.
@@Charlemagne1367 whoosh... 🤣
I have over 60,000 miles dark side on a n R1200RT, my set up it is with an adapter plate and a car wheel, have the stock wheel with motor cycle tire mounted, For serious curve riding I install the MC tire, extended road trips install the car tire, 20 minutes either way. Bought a K1600B a year ago, bought a used rear wheel off eBay and now have the same setup for the K-B. Specific tire for specific type of riding. But then the BMW have single sided swing arms and the tires are attached with lug bolts like a car.
hey what size tire did you use on the bagger. I have one am prob going to instal one.
I put a Firestone 195 75 16 on a vtx 1800. The profile of the Firestone has a nice radius profile that doesn't feel weird cornering. I have a Valkyrie with a darkside that the profile is flat and square, it does require more countersteering. It feels weird. So if you are going dark, get a tire that has a radius profile.
I'm thinking about doing this. What size wheel and motorcycle does your bike call for and what car tire did you put in place of it? On a cross country trip, you could save enough money to actually pay for the gas or much of it. Thanks guy!
Awesome, I would have never thought to do this. I've burned thru so many tires. I'm going to try it.
I tried it on my Gl1800 and I love it, it provides a more secure feeling in the twisties and more comfort on the straights. Getting 26,000 miles from it is just a small benefit to me, it's about the handling! Naysayer's have no ground to speak from unless they've actually tried it.
Naysayers who've tried darkside really need to have committed to it for a decent time though.
Ross Delaney That is true but I think it also depends somewhat on the choice of tire chosen. I did a lot of research in deciding what I was going to put on my Goldwing and I knew after two miles that I loved it. I experienced none of the slow speed handling difference in turns that some report because of the tire being more squared on the outside. I was cautious in the early miles especially in the twisties (with a grin) and after I got 100 miles on to break in the tire I rode like I normally do, which is fairly spirited and I knew that I would most likely never go back to the MC tire. I used a General Altimax R43 195/55/16 tire and I couldn't be happier with it. It has a more rounded edge than others that I'd looked at. I can see the outside wear marks from corners and there's a good 1/2" of edge left that's clean, which shows me the tire gives me plenty of good tread for increased traction. Ride safe everyone no matter what you choose!
@@ssng1I totally agree. Great comments. Goes without saying to do your research well, before taking the plunge into the darkside. I suggest that rather than ride a friend's darkside for xxx miles or so, consider it the new normal and really commit to the experience completely. It's only then that you'll truly understand and know how good it actually is.
Yeah that secure feeling is just a feeling. You have less traction
@@grren1782 Less traction with a bike tire. Car tire has way more contact area and more traction. And a smoother ride.
Just look for a smaller and lower rim so you can use a higher tire .
This way you make it more like balloon .
Motorcycle tires are made with two different compounds. softer on the edges for better sticking to the road.
Some motorcycle tires.
Blah blah. If you don't want to then don't. In the hundreds of thousands of miles riding heavy cruiser and after 5k miles on darkside, im not going back to a bike tire for a cruiser.
The tread on the tire in the link does not look like the tread on your bike. Just to confirm: BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2 Radial Tire - 205/50R17 89Z SL is the correct tire...right? By the way...I'm grateful for all the time you've spent putting together your darkside videos> I also have a 2008 DL-650 Vstrom...best bike I've ever owned!!!
It wholly depends on the bike. Part of the "safety" is the having enough weight to deform the tire to the road at operating PSI. The wear rate of dedicated moto tires is due to the extra grip you'd get from a softer compound. The problem is, I cant imagine anyone suffering a catastrophic loss of traction and then going online to tell about it, and get mercilessly roasted for the choices theyve made. Its worth noting that you can camber the tires on a vehicle to 20°-30° to intentionally throw all rear traction out the window.
Toss a car tire on a sport bike or light cruiser I agree with you. Not enough weight to deform the tire. I could only see doing this on a heavier bike with a rider that hardly ever corners hard. Imagine scraping foot boards with a car tire... No thanks lol.
@@lovepcgaming2335 I scrape the pegs on my Goldwing with a car tire on the back. No problem at all.
@@jasonvsd Ya...But You are only that guy who actually Does it and has Done it for thousands of miles...Where all of these arm chair experts and key board warriors ....Like "love pc gaming"...just naturally know so much more that any of us who actually ride....That is how bigotry and prejudice work!...
I tried a car tire on a Valkyrie and did not like it, it felt strange to me not to mention the bump steering you get with a car tire.
bump steering is when the tire runs over something that is not right in the center of the tire, it lifts that side of the tire and pushes the bike in the direction opposite the side of the tire that it contacted, a slight rise in the road or an uneven surface that only one side of the tire runs over. This really shows up when at slow speeds or coming to a stop.
Hard to explain but very noticeable.
You might be more sensitive to this than I am. Haven't noticed it in the 20k i ridden on the darkside.
@@motardsquid It's a flat tire how could you not notice it, instead of moving down the sidewall it moves across the tread in a turn, that shifts the rear of the bike upward an is the very reason it takes more effort in the turn. The rear no longer tracks the center line of the bike in a turn, a mc tire does this also but to a very small degree...
@@Bass.Player lol, never noticed it.
You are way sensitive
Car tire is the only thing I will use on my Goldwing. And I get run flat capability to boot!
Got one on my super tenere now
I’m just curious as to if you were get into an accident would insurance still cover the accident if you had a car tire on your motorcycle
I've owned many bikes, and ridden thousands of miles on bikes and
I've always liked this idea of car tyres on bikes, because bike tyres are too expensive and don't last long.
I wanted to do that with my bike, but no tyre company would fit the tyre for me.
I agree with you totally, dude.
Hummmm, wonder why the tyre companies won't fit the tire for ya?
Two options ...1. Buy your tire online...I did 45 bucks delivered...2. Try some independent tire shops if no one else will mount it for you...I was lucky I just carried the wheel and tire down to my local independent bike ship and they mounted and balanced it for me...
I'd suggest taking the loose wheel to the Tyre Fitter, and tell them it's for a Sidecar Outfit...
Couldn’t bring myself to do that. But then again, a ride a GSXR 1000 and a 83 Xl600r. Funky but if you guys like it I’m find with that. Just don’t go around saying that tire companies are trying to scam motorcycle riders by making them wear faster. Motorcycle tires are actually engineered for motorcycles and are technically part of the suspension.
Most likely motorcycle tires compaies are not directly scamming riders. But they can certainly make tires that are sticky and durable like car tires that are just as sticky that are on sport cars. Also if motorcycle tires are part of the suspension, wouldnt the same be true for car tires?
Motard Squid the same is true for car tires. That’s why they too are engineered for cars
I know I'm late but good video. I'm not going to try it. Not for me. But interesting to hear your experience with it. Good to hear it's not as dangerous as it is rumored to be.
Yeah, i think i did it more out of curiosity at first. But on the internet all you hear is doom and gloom opinions and from people that don't have experience.
I've often wondered if a car tire would work on a bike...well presented...my '86 Aspencade runs Dunlop Elites and I usually get 25k out of the tires: that being said, I like to throw the bike around in the corners so that I grind the floorboards! Thanks for the experience!
You're the first person I've ever heard say they get 25k out of Dunlop. I have Elite 3s on my Victory and I didn't even get 10k.
I don't use car tires on my bike, but I know someone who does and he could out ride me on any twisties on his Goldwing. With enough safety margin too.
It's all rider!
How the fuck do you get out run on twisties by a goldwing with a car tyre?
@@m.b.82, boy's on a 150cc outride my Vulcan on a mountain road. Some died ... but they do it.
You must be an awful rider... Lmao
@@toadamine, I have come across a lot of "super"-riders in my life. Some have been killed.
I keep asking myself what the intention is to drive your machine to the limit on public roads. Nowadays penis extensions are quite affordable.
If you are happy with a car tire on your bike it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Your bike.
Might matter what your insurance provider thinks.
No MOT in EU for that ...
You're not a real darksider until you put a car tire on the front!
Excellent video. I’m glad you brought up how with some people you have to do what they do or you’re stupid. I agree with you-I would rather ride!
Sheep. The US is full of them, esp here in AZ.
Thank You for a Great Video and an Honest Opinion. I have just installed a Bridgestone DriveGuard Run Flat Tire on the Rear of My GoldWing and have not had a Chance to Ride it yet as I am doing several Modifications along with the Tires. I installed a BridgeStone BT45 Battlax on the Front (Double Darkside) and I am looking forward to the new Ride. Just as a Reference or if you might be interested in seeing More Videos on DARKSIDING check out the Chris Caliente Dark Side youTube page also, he has many Videos that also Support DarkSiding on Large Motorcycles (GoldWings) with Great Actual Tire Foootage. Again, Thanks for a Great Video.
That's the same setup I have on my Goldwing, two trips to Sturgis and running strong!
Are there any suspension adjustment required, I would the imagine the unsprung weight would be heavier.
I get a huge laugh out of the ignorant (but probably well meaning) people out there that think that the only reason the thousands of us that run car tires is just to save money! 250,000 miles on three bikes all running dark. Love it so much!
I really never noticed the difference when going to the "Darkside" on my 1100 Shadow. Not only the better price, but the increase mileage you get. The traction is a lot better also. It's so hard to slip taking off, more so than the stock tires. And riding in the rain, it sticks like glue.
David Regnier nice, i have the same bike.
Since one of my bikes is a 1100 shadow, I'd love to know how you got the power to slip in the first place. Those bikes are famously underpowered.
David Regnier It definitely won’t give you more grip in the rain! The larger contact patch of a car tire will make you aquaplane at a much slower speed than if you ride on motorcycle tires! You have clearly never been close to “slipping” either on the motorcycle tire or the car tire...
@@AndreasBrOlesen Wrong. First, have you tried it yet? And yes it does have alot better traction, especially in the rain. My stock Dunlops would slip in the rain at 65 mph. I know because my wife and I could hear the engine rev up going down the interstate during a downpour. With a car tire on, I could not get the tire to break loose. I've never had "hydroplaning" with a car tire. Motorcycle tires are just not as good.
David Regnier I’m sorry. I trust physics more than I trust you.
My car aquaplanes much easier than my motorcycle even though it weighs 8 times as much. And it makes sense, the water have to travel much further under a car tire to evacuate than under a motorcycle tire.
Maybe you should try a different motorcycle tire.
A friend of mine has a VTX 1800 and rides nearly 30k miles a year on it. He darksides. When my rear tire needs replacing on my Royal Star I'm going to give it a try.
Hey you have three wheels bike whit car tire like the ( can-am/spyder-f3 spyder ) and the ( T-REX from campagna canada ) so i'm willing to try . I always hated the fact that the motorcycle tire do not last long enough for the price
Those of us that convert our motorcycles to Voyager trike conversions nearly all ride "DARK SIDE." With this conversion the bike's rear wheel is NOT allowed to lean when operated as a trike. Converted bikes that do not install a auto tire wear out their rear tire even sooner because the tire wear is limited the the tire's center. cmtVoyager, the conversion manufacturer, recommends to their customers that they ride "DARK SIDE."
I think you said why we don’t like it. You said it doesn’t handle smoothly. We ride for the smoothness.
You seem to contradict yourself:
3:47 - "When you're leaning left or right the tire kind of actually bends with the road, and there's actually more contact patch down on the road than a motorcycle tire."
4:47 - "I would probably not take this tire on the track, because I would want to have a little bit more edge, I guess, when cornering."
Comments?
For track riding id definatly do a motorcycle tire, i feel much moreconfident riding it in corners hard. There is a limit, when you are scraping pegs you would want a moto tire. But for the majority of riders that are not dragging their pegs around a corner, i would do darkside. I would say you love 10% of aggressive riding in corners with the darkside. But for me i do sport riding, adventure, road and commuting and i never feel like i need more. But ive done many track days and i know there is a limit to it if you are pushing it. Hope that makes sense.
@@motardsquid Thanks for your reply. Keep in mind I'm not arguing with you. What I'm hearing you say is that you subjectively prefer mc tires for hard cornering. You talk about a "limit" when you are cornering, but you don't say any more. What is that limit? Is it that you get too near the edge of a car tire and actually do run off the tread, or is it that you feel there is less traction at higher lean angles, or is the amount of feedback not reassuring, or is it something else? Or, have you never run a car tire at extreme lean angles, before, and simply don't know what it actually feels like? You've never done a track day with a darksided motorcycle?
Do the car tires measure true to size? Do they narrow up at all on the narrower motorcycle rim?
Really great video, rational experienced look at darksiding.
Thanks Ryan
I just put a car tire on my GW today! Got tire of the outrageous price for tires for a GOLDWING pickup a Firestone for $99.00 A 55,000 mile tire will get me at least 30,000 miles
I'm with you I'm old school and I do it the best way I think
BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2 Radial Tire - 205/50R17 89Z SL
I wish I knew the car tire used on the Burgman 400 you mentioned in the beginning. I have one.
I’ve done it , don’t recommend it ,I was on a triumph rocket 3 and the one thing I didn’t like was it sucked me into the ruts created by gravel haulers , I did not like the feeling also I noticed I had to push in the turns harder , tried it done that and I don’t like it
How about the speedo? The circumference should be a lot different, is it still sufficiently exact?
No its about the same as before which is inacurate.
I think it looks bad ass, not a easy feat putting car tires on a bike, good job man 👍
Thanks for your input! I'm looking to go Darkside soon. In the video footage of your ride, was this on the car tire? It looked to be a very aggressive ride through the Twisties.
Just remember to check your axle to make sure it still has grease lol especially after 20k+ miles
The Axle doesn't need grease. It's just for pulling it out easier the next time and rust prevention.
i can't tell if that's a joke or not. motorcycles have bearings. the axle is a solid none movable part. why it would need grease is beyond my understanding.
@@kallumbmx Only as antisieze!
How do you pick the right profile for your bike ?
This is a great idea
There’s a whole bunch of forums where ppl discuss what fits and works. Finding tables of full tyre dimensions is a pain. Finding a tyre shop that will do the extra work is tricky as well.
Ive coped so much flack for mine too. I have it on my boulevard c90 1500cc.
Ask the motorcycle manufacturers and the tire manufacturer why they don't use them.
Because they have engineering degrees. An understanding well beyond righty tighty lefty loosey gearhead mentality. Math, physics, design engineers
Curious as to why you went with such a wide car tire? Stock width is 150, and you went with a 205 car tire. A common "complaint" with Darksiding is the transition from flat to edge when leaning over, I would think going with a car tire narrower than the stock mc tire would mitigate this. Further, I would be concerned about tire weight and would want to keep it as low as possible. The Valkyrie/Goldwing/cruiser guys get car tires about the same width as stock, but you went a full 2" wider. Comments?
This tire only came in 205. So i was stuck with it. But so far it actually works. Its a soft compound and can handle aggressive corners, and is massive. I've gtotten a flat before, and no patch kit. And witht he mass of the tire i was able to ride it home slowly.
Worked at a shop where someone asked us to do this. He came back in saying the bike road weird and that it had to be us putting the axle on wrong.
This is so stupid, good luck getting insurance to pay out on any accidents w a car tire on your bike.
Checkout my new video regarding insurance. No one cares about it, its DOT and that is all that matters.
@@motardsquid all that matters is its fuxking stupid....
No manufacturer of any tire would recommend this type of use.
We would never mount one at our shop for liability reasons exactly because no manufacturer would recomend doing that.
Better believe if anyone if anyone riding on a car tire caused an accident involving me I'd have a lawyer on them asap for Operating a vehicle on unsafe equipment not recommended by the manufacturer.
If you has the same bikes only difference one had a car tire you wouldnt get off saying "wow it's almost the same!"
Quit being cheap and but a good touring tire.
@@stevemasterson7776 What is stupid is riding a motorcycle when we know that cars are much better and safer. To each his own right?
@@motardsquid bwahahahaha yeah apples to apples..... let make riding less safe by riding a tire that is complete shit to turn on and has no contour for the road because it's cheaper!
You know what else is cheaper? Driving a car...
@@stevemasterson7776 This tire isn't cheaper lol. If you watch my other videos you will see i can turn fine. And it even handles well offroad.
Great Vid Sir! I live in the Washington DC area. We’re did you get your car tire mounted? I’m planning on going dark side soon. Thanks!
It's better than most people think. There are a couple places to get it done. I got it done at a car tire place in Beltsville. But Brooks cycles also puts them on. I'd suggest taking the rim with the tire to them. Let me know how it goes
Lets get a gangsta darkside ride going
What pressure do you run? I have a great 2005 s83 which recommends 29 lbs on recommended tires. How to convert?
Rider in my org. has a Victory and he went CT. Aftef short transición he swears he will never go back. ...
Brooks, Chantilly?
Motard Squid please help choose the right car tire size for my fz07 rear Moto size is 180/55/17. Need help
P I have a 2014 Harley Davidson Limited do you have any suggestion with dark side tires I should use my fronts of 17 in my rear is a 16
I've got a Benelli trk 502 and I've been looking to go darkside for a while now but I just can't find the right tyre. My stock is 160/60 r17, any suggestions ?
One caveat to this, I cannot imagine an insurance company taking a loss if you were to wreck while using non approved tires, I could see this on a big heavy HD or some other similar antique motorcycle being a viable option for those that cannot corner anyways. Part of being a motorcyclist is buying tires, get over it, buy the right tires.
Believe it or not, certain insurance companies have no quarrel with motorcycle riders using car tires
DOT certified is all they care about
Rocket 3 owners swear by DS as R3's eat rear tires at a rate of every 3-6 thousand miles. High Torque bikes love CT DS'ing.
Yep. Is going great on mine.
There are ton of pundits screaming all kinds of catastrophic events etc and I find most of those people have no experience.They just regurgitate what they read on the net.I run bias rear radial front and again same dire warnings and I ride without any ill events and now I 'll get almost twice mileage from my bias rear then radial.
Can you tell me about sizing?
I am looking to go dark on Suzuki Bandit 1200. My rim is 5.5inch wide and I am looking at 175-195mm width, but that greatly limits the choice of rubbers for 17 inch wheel. DL650 rim is even narrower but somehow you have managed to wrap a 205mm rubber around it. I am afraid to go so wide. Have you done anything during the installation to keep this tyre in the narrow rim?
Keeps the tire on the rim has never been an issue. The issue with the 205 was it rubbed the chain guard and chain. But after a bit of wear it was nothing. My super tenere i have a 175, and anything wider i need to widen the rear brake arm.
@@motardsquid I am looking at 175/65-17 all seasons (some no-name) and 165/45-17 summer from Achilles which is know in Darkside world. DO you have any experience with the height of the tyre? Would 65 be any better/worse compared to 45?
Pretty common on old choppers/bobbers around here but that’s more for looks and have seen this on sidecar outfits including front which is a very practical solution for the low wearability and expense of motorcycle tires. Definitely wouldn’t look good on the Duc and doubtful it would handle well. I’d think cos car tires are heavier, the ability to flick the bike back and forth would be compromised a little from added gyro affect. But then most of the comments here refer to very large and heavy bikes and where straight line mile eating riding is the goal, not knee dragging or seeking steeper lean angles. I also find it odd that the author of this post as well as a few commenters remount the motorcycle tire before setting out on spirited rides meaning your confidence isn’t 100% with this setup which to me says a lot coming from the advocates of this practice. Doubtful
track day scrutineers would allow anyone with this set up to mingle with other riders in fast cornering conditions anyway.
Never heard the term Dark Side so apparently there’s something for everyone on UA-cam.
To each his own😁
Hi @Motard Squid , the size of my rear OEM tire is 160/60ZR17 , i wannt to put a car tire on the rim, but i cannot find the size, what would you recommend?
205/50/17
@@deniszeldesan1819 just out of interest how did you get that size
@@MrJonnyp107 @Pippinshnifter Hi I own a tire repair shop in Romania and it's the only size i can think of that i might be able to squeeze on that rim 205 is the narrowest 17 inch tire i could find and 50 has a much softer sidewall than lets sai a 45 so you cant go any lower than that,obviously a 185 or 195 would be better if there is such a thing.Sorry for my English it's not the best.
@@deniszeldesan1819 Your english is fine.
Thank you for your reply
Bike weighs 750lbs. 6700 miles and due for its 3rd $220 dollar tire. Definitely considering it.
I tried it for about 500 miles and switched back. The bike would not settle in the curves and felt unstable to me. My bike is 900 lbs without me and any gear. Really felt bad two up. Maybe on a lighter bike it’s ok, but not for me.
So just how does a person figure out what tire fits your bike? Suzuki V-Strom 1000, or Honda ST 1300 ?
you should look up the darkside database, its a collection of tires and bikes. That might be a good starting point. But also there are communities out there with the same bike i bet. Darksiding is more pop than people think.
@@motardsquid Tks for the info.
All good and well for the outside,how does the profile work on the inside or does one get a special rim?
Go watch the video from Fortnine, they thoroughly explain the details of this setup.
This is a great video too btw!
I went dark side on my 2018 CTX 700 for my kind of riding I will never go back to a motorcycle tire
Can you please post a video, Sound interesting
Leaving aside the fact that this is illegal in many countries. I don't see it having trouple gripping in dry weather, but what about cornering grip in the rain? Also parking lot maneuvering how's that? Like can you still do a U turn between the cars in a tight spot? You need quite a bit of lean angle for that...
Yeah, speeding is also illegal.
@@motardsquid How is my question in any way related to speeding? I was looking for an actual feedback, from real riding perspective, but you seem to be mocking instead.
@@theodorstravels Because you said it was illegal. But speeding is also illegal. For the other questions, i never thought it was harder or more difficult than a regular moto tire. It isn't that much different, the only difference i see is riding offroad in gravel the tire tends to track straight in ruts. In rain i don't corner hard at all, but i never do in a moto tire. So in reality, i have never ridden this tire different than a moto tire.
You seemed to be keeping up with the sportsters on those twisties. I just don't get the physics of more traction than bike tyres on turns. If that's the case, why do we have bike tyres at all?
There isn’t more tire. It is a myth. Fortnine does a video on this.
I have a 2019 VStrom 650 but with spoked rims. Could I run the same tire you did?
Fortnite, UA-cam, actually shows you how.
Yes I hear you but I don't want "it's not so bad" while riding. I want " damn awesome" all of the time. I rather plan a few stops for tyre changes and enjoy the ride more.
I've run through dozens of moto tires, and i never thought any were awesome, and i tried them all. To each his own. This works really well for me, more riding. Less stopping.
@@motardsquid I hear you man. But if you don't find a Daiblo Supercorsa awesome on any superbike then I don't know what will be. And on my BMW GS I run Metzelers (as supplied by BMW) and I get up to 10 000miles on a set which is damn good I think. And I guess we're not talking s portbikes here but if we were then what is wrong with Michelin's Road 5 rubber which give me up to 8000+miles on a middleweight naked. Okay darkside make more sense on a cruiser and yes there is no wrong to this just preference.
I ran car tires on my Goldwing... ran the Dragon in Tenn, fully loaded.. loved the tire. Run one flat.. very safe, you won't dump the bike. My wife thought it was a smoother ride. I now have a Valkyrie, it will get a car tire when it is needed. No tire shop will mount them in Columbus, Ga area.
Throw a 20 to Jose in the shop. Done.
Ask yourself why are the profiles different? car flat and square mc rounded ? maybe on cornering the mc tyre puts more rubber on the road. just a silly thought
You would think that would be the case. But in most tests the same amount of rubber is on the ground in corners. The car tire flexes and the moto tire doesn't. I was suprised i liked it as much as i did.
I have never got more than 6000 miles out of a motorcycle tire since tires on motorcycles became radials. 4500 miles my front tires get close to the tread depth bars. Then I changed both tires. I always do them in pairs.
in the 70s and 80s, before radials, I would get 9000 miles out of a 400/18 rear tire on my CB 750 Honda, and the front tires seemed like they would go maybe 12 to 14,000 miles.
since bikes top speeds have increased, tire manufacturers have had to increase the speed rating which means, less tread depth because centrifugal force at those high speeds that bikes are capable of make the tires grow too much and overheat and possibly fail. once I figured out that speed rating S/H/V/Z meant less tread ,I have always tried to buy H rated tires for all my machines when possible because, H rated tires have almost twice the tread depth of a V or Z rated tire. But now that bikes are so capable of high speeds, I don’t think you’re going to see deep tread depth on the radial tires due to liability insurance risks
What ever floats your boat, but I pretty sure your insurance would reject a claim, if the became aware of you using a car tyre on a bike.
You all talk about how great it is but no one tells you how to size the tire for your motorcycle rim width.
Very good video. I've been thinking about going "dark side" on my big Victory Tour bike. I enjoy going across the continent on it. Which means that I end up waiting way too long before I change my tires (just over 14,600 miles on my current set. I'm guessing that you only dark side your rear tire, is that right? Do you still use a motorcycle tire on the front?
Thanks for doing this.
you are at 14,600 miles on your back tire? I get about 1/2 that. Yes, I spent 4-5 cents per mile on back tires, or 6 -7 cents per mile on keeping tires on my bike while cars tire run 2 cents a mile or less. Running dark could save me $2,500 in 100,000 miles
I have the same bike DL650. You can tell me what tire or tires id good um my bike, dimension and what pressure os used? Thank's
bf goodrich comp 2 sport, 205
@@motardsquid Thank's bro. But the height (55, 60?) And tire pressure you using?
@@RBAERO its bf goodrich 205/50zr17 hope that helps. its a good tire. im going to try another tire after this one is done, but so far 20k on it and its still good "
@@RBAERO im using 35psi, some people run really low psi
@@motardsquid Manu Thank's I Will try with a Michellin
Hello my name is Alex, I have a 2008 DL1800 Dark Side in the back, and 70/30 in the front (70% road, 30% off road), I'm 295 pounds, and I'm using 35 PSI on the back, last week end I was riding my bike and when I go more then 100 miles a wobble appear, did you have this same situation with your bike, what did you do? what is your rear tire pressure...Regards
I'm using 35psi too. I have never gotten a wobble before. Are you sure it's the tire?
@@motardsquid no I'm not sure if the tire cause the wooble that is why I'm asking I appreciate your time and answer I will keep looking to find the root cause .....regards
I'm a Darksiders big believer....for years.
I'm curious.....what brand and make of car tire do you have on your bike....it looks perfect !
Hey Roger, i got a BF goodrich comp 2 sport. Great very good tire for aggressive riding.
@@motardsquid ya...I've heard that too......great tire brand also
How do you like riding it ?
@@rogereastman3187 It's been great. I've ridden across the u.s. on it, done alot of offroading on it and super twisties like the dragon. Even have ridden deals gap with a passenger. Never slipped, slid or anything on me. Tons of traction.
Just one question .... Why? But how do you fold with a flat tire?
Dang, i guess i forgot to answer why i did it. I guess i'll make another video.