Well, I did it!

I did it. Firestone Firehawk GT on my 'new to me' '02 Wing.
We bought the bike in March, have just short of 3 K on it since then, and have several more big trips planned for this summer.
So, took me 2 1/2 hours last night to swap out the CT equipped rim with the original. (The reason it took so long...the dealer I bought it from installed a hitch, and I had a heck of a time dealing with the crappy install....they will get an email, with pics, in the next day or two!!!) I got it finished, but had partook in a beer or three while doing it, and I don't drink and ride...ever. Anyway, got ready for work this morning, decided to take it for a test ride. I'm not sure about this tire. I'm running 40 PSI, and don't know if that might be part of the deal, or if it's just something to get used to. During my test ride, I hit some long, sweeping turns on roads that aren't the best to begin with, and I honestly thought I might have a flat tire two or three times. When I got back to decent roads, the squirrelly feeling went away...mostly. I read where one person said he could 'feel' the road much better with the CT, and maybe it really is just getting to know the tire. Also, the footprint is defiantly an issue, especially at low speeds, and even at a stoplight. I can feel the difference, the...maybe not MORE effort, but DIFFERENT effort it takes to turn corners, stay true in a sweeper, and at a stoplight, it feels similar to getting this monster on the center stand...where you get a 'flat spot' feeling...or rather a 'squared' feeling...know what I mean.

So, anyway, it cost me $110 to have this tire mounted on my 'spare rim', so in cost savings alone, I'm willing to give this tire a SERIOUS try. How long/how many miles should I give this before I'm feeling comfortable with it? I really really want to like this tire, but am afraid of the squirrelly feeling, any suggestions, comments, or ideas? Thanks

Bubba

Bubba,

Welcome and congrats on your darkside! Mostly it's a mental thing! Maybe a different air pressure will help, but give it about 300 miles and you will own it! I had one guy on here tell me that his car tire is slipping every time he shifted gears...Bwwhahahaha I told him aint no way and he swore to it! I ask him to lean leaving a driveway and before it gets straight up....double clutch it and see if the back steps out! Well it didn't! It was all mental and his mind was playing tricks on him. What was traction....he thought was slipping! So give it some time! It will show what it can do!


.............................bobby


.

Welcome to the darkside Bubba. A few lbs of air one way or the other can make a world of difference. You know you have something different back there so your mind automatically starts searching for things that feel different. Getting used to a car tire is 90% mental some one said, and they are right.

Jerry

Welcome to the Darkside ,
It took me two days to get used it the need for counter-steering with the wider-flatter tire.

40 PSI is waaaay too much air in that tire. You wouldn't run that much pressure on a car which is a much heavier vehicle. Drop it down to 30-33 PSI and then ride it a couple of hundred miles until you forget it's there. Another thing, the tire you installed is not a run-flat and the general consensus is that most riders using non run-flat tires do experience a vagueness or wander, especially at higher speeds. Learn to ride smoothly, don't do hard shifts and abrupt throttle changes in mid corner (good advice no matter what tire your running on) and that tire will impress you with it's traction and smooth ride (at 30-3 PSI). The good news is that if you keep the tire on long enough you will get used to its differences and wonder why it was such a big deal in the first place. Just know that even though it feels strange now, it will provide you with more traction than your old MT ever did and under ALL circumstances.

Welcome to the group.

Hey Folks,
Thanks for the warm welcome, and good advice. I was wondering if 40 PSI was too much, I'll drop it down to about 33 and see what happens.
By the way, where does a person get the 'darksider' decal I've seen pics of?

Thanks again

Bubba

I had decided to make the darkside decals after a patch is chosen. Keep an eye out for the voting on a patch. Once a patch is chosen I will make some decals for us. That is the joys of having a sign shop at my disposal. Ha ha ha ha.


Moon

TJRANCH has Darkside decals. HIs contact info is:

Send me $5.00 an a Business S.A.S.E. Remind me of the color.
Black or Silver
My # if you need it. 863-699-6840

T. JETER
101 BOWIE AVE
LAKE PLACID,FL.
33852

Bubba 1962,
Welcome to the enlightened darkside. Some of the issues you originally had with the C/T may be gone by now, and some of the above posts may have answered them already. Having a 2001 Wingabago, I run a C/T and it is a run-flat (see signature) an it is at 32psi. The "squirelly feeling may be because of air pressure being to high as posted above. Experiment with the pressures. This may go away or it may be that the c/t is really "digging" in an gripping the road where the Cement tire you had before was junk. The run-flat has a stiffer sidewall and we are able to run a lower pressure even with a bike that is 950 pounds. Also, the C/T will want to "feel" for the higher spots of the road, like at a stoplight or stopsign. This will not be as prominent as time goes on. You will begin to expect it and soon it will be second nature to correct it before it happens.The Kuhmo Run-flat has the least of any C/T characteristics and feels like a M/C tire would. I believe it will be the standard for the Wingabago for me.
The dealer who charged you $110.00 should never be allowed to mount another for you ever again. I buy my tire from a small local dealer and he charges me $10.00 to mount it. I balance it myself. Anyways, welcome and be safe out there. Enjoy all the added befefits that come with the C/T. There are a few downsides that also go with the tire, but the good points far outweigh the negatives. Semper-fi Mike

marine-mp wrote:Bubba 1962,
Welcome to the enlightened darkside. Some of the issues you originally had with the C/T may be gone by now, and some of the above posts may have answered them already. Having a 2001 Wingabago, I run a C/T and it is a run-flat (see signature) an it is at 32psi. The "squirelly feeling may be because of air pressure being to high as posted above. Experiment with the pressures. This may go away or it may be that the c/t is really "digging" in an gripping the road where the Cement tire you had before was junk. The run-flat has a stiffer sidewall and we are able to run a lower pressure even with a bike that is 950 pounds. Also, the C/T will want to "feel" for the higher spots of the road, like at a stoplight or stopsign. This will not be as prominent as time goes on. You will begin to expect it and soon it will be second nature to correct it before it happens.The Kuhmo Run-flat has the least of any C/T characteristics and feels like a M/C tire would. I believe it will be the standard for the Wingabago for me.
The dealer who charged you $110.00 should never be allowed to mount another for you ever again. I buy my tire from a small local dealer and he charges me $10.00 to mount it. I balance it myself. Anyways, welcome and be safe out there. Enjoy all the added befefits that come with the C/T. There are a few downsides that also go with the tire, but the good points far outweigh the negatives. Semper-fi Mike

Mike,
Thanks for your reply. I will look into the Kuhmo run flat next time, as that seems to be THE TICKET. However, the dealer didn't charge me $110 to mount...it was the tire AND the mounting that cost $110. I would have mounted it myself if a dealer tried to charge me that much for JUST a mount! LOL

Thanks again all.

Bubba