My dark Shadow ... I'm still alive!!

I just thought I'd check in and report my initial thoughts. On the ride home from work today, I really found myself having fun on the freeway. The feel is a little different, but enjoyable at high speeds. Thanks again for the help guys!! Below is what I posted on www.hondashadow.net :

Just thought I'd post my first thoughts on riding with a car tire on my VT1100C.

I am riding right now with a Kuhmo 165/80/15 on my rear tire. The tire cost me $46.00. I spent $25 at a local shop to have the tire put on the rim and balanced. I seated the tire myself and it took ~97 PSI to seat using dish soap and a little wheel bearing grease (this is discussed in another thread).

So here are my first impressions.

Right now, my overall impression is pretty good. It handles just like it did before, but it feels a little different doing it. It's kind of hard to explain. It's like the bike keeps me upright more, even in turns. When I was playing around yesterday, I was swerving through the lane markers, and it felt like when I was a kid on my BMX and you'd kick your rear tire out to the side to skid to a stop. The tires handled really well, but it kept me in more of an upright position, rather then having my torso angle with the bike. Once again, it's really hard to explain.

I noticed a big change in riding in wind. On my Dunlop cycle tire, when I'd get hit with a good wind, it would make my bike lean to one side, and I'd adjust. With this car tire, the bike doesn't lean, it stays upright, and the entire bike tries, very slightly, to shift to one side.

Another difference is how easy it is to keep my balance when crawling up to a light. I haven't had to turn my wheel from side to side to keep my balance when moving at the slowest of speeds, like I did before. I can be barely rolling, and it's easy to keep the bike upright. I like this.

When going around 15-30 MPH, I noticed that the rear end of the bike tells you exactly what the road conditions are. My bike tire would move you through rough road keeping you perfectly upright. This car tire makes the bike lean ever so slightly when it hits rough spots. Basically, the tire is trying to stay perpendicular to the surface it is driving on. This isn't a good thing or a bad thing, just a difference. I think I kind of like knowing what the surface really is like rather then what my eyes tell me.

Traction is AWESOME!! The minute the clutch starts to release and the shaft engages, I feel the bike move foreward. I also noticed that when driving down my dirt/muddy half mile of driveway, that the rear tire didn't tend to slip down into the ruts when it was on the edge like my bike tire did. It wanted to stay wherever the front tire led it. I like this as well.

Once again, these are my first impressions as I've only been riding on it for 2 days. Only time will tell if this is a good idea or not for me. So far I haven't had any negative reactions to it. I don't feel like I've had to "re-learn" how to ride or anything. I ride just like I used to, it just feels a tad different.

(I've got pictures on my home computer. If anyone can tell me how to post them here, then I'll put them on.)

Great write up texatim.......Thanks.

You need a photobucket somewhere to post your pics so you can upload them here. If you want to, just send them to my email address and I will upload them for you.

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

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http:/photobucket.com Go there set up a free account and load the pics. Then when posting go to that photo, click the [img] one then come to the message area right click and and paste.
It's fun to do !!

Your play by play is great !!

I busted myself up 9 months ago and now I just like to accumulate info !!!!

49.00 for a tire that will go to max millage has just got to be a winner !!

Great to hear. Here's to many happy miles.

Congrats on the darksider. Glad you are liking it and adjusting to it. It is different. And see no flaming death or nothing.
Welcome to our world.
Smokey

Thanks for your detailed description of the differences you felt. Please post some more as you get more miles on it.

shebear