Going Darkside Checklist... Complete! I'm on the Darkside!

Well, you guys are pretty convincing. I have been lurking here for some time and decided I am going to the Darkside this year.
I am planning a cross country trip in June and want to get a few miles on the CT before then to get the feel of it. I just want to make sure I have everythig I need and am not missing anything.

Wally-World has the Douglas 205/65/r15 for $50 right now and I think that is what my first CT will be. As far as I can tell it should mount to my stock rim. Please correct me if I am wrong. I have a '05 VTX 1300r with the stock alloy rims.

I have found a bike shop that is willing to mount the tire for me as long as I sign a waiver.
I have 6 oz of Dyna Beads on the way with an applicator kit. (3 oz for the tire, 3 oz to spare)
I have never mounted a tire but then my shop has never mounted a car tire, or used Dyna Beads so I want to know what to tell them.
I have printed off the Dyna Beads instructions off of their web site.
I have heard others say that the side wall will most likely need to be lubed all the way up to get the tire on the rim.
How many PSI should it take to seal this tire?
Am I correct that once the Dyna Beads are in the tire will not need to be spun for balance? (i.e. seal, adjust pressure and mount)

Is there any other info I need?
Thanks in advance.

You are making it way to complicated,the tire will mount just like any other by just cleaning wheel good and lubing the bead.Pressure to seat seems to vary with tire and rim.Mine seated around 40psi.Again,make sure rim surface where bead sits is clean and slick.Spin balance isn't necessary with beads.RIDE SAFE Larry S.

Mine seated at about 80psi, ten i rode about 300 miles before i put my dyna beads in just to make sure that there was no wet stuff still in the tire.

Thanks guys, just trying to be prepared. Talked to the tire guy over the phone yesterday and he had a lot of questions. So since I can't take him to the board, I figure I would bring it to him.

Should this tire mount on my rim ok? Is there another tire I should be looking into?

Again, thanks for the help. I hope to have this done some time this week as it is supposed to get up to the 50's. I just hate riding my bike with all of the sand and road salt left on the roads from winter. (Iowa lays it on pretty deep... might have 2 inches of sand standing on the street in places. Corners seem to be where it pools the most.)

It will seat just fine. 3 oz are perfect for that tire. put the tire on pour in the beads and make it seat.
heres what mine looks like on my R.



Jerry

Thanks Jedishon,

Another question for ya. I am looking at hitches for my bike as well. Do you think there is enough room for a hidden hitch on your Retro?

never looked at it. but I think a hidden would be pretty tight. Once you get that tire in there its pretty full.

Jerry

I just got my Grabber today and am planning on trying to mount it this week. Reading this post raises some questions for me as well.

Will moisture in the tire affect the beads? If there is moisture in the tire, how will it ever get out??? Should I put the beads in before seating, after seating but before I mount the tire on the bike, or wait a few hundred miles like mentioned above? Also, if I use the vegetable oil for bead seating, and some gets in the tire... seems like the functionality of the beads will be hindered. Anything special needed for seating or just water and dish soap ok?

I know I am over thinking this, but I just want to get it right.

Oh yea... I showed some of my co-workers that have bikes a picture of the tire next to my bike (cell phone pic) and they think I am absolutely looney. I told them using a CT is called "darksiding"!!!

I can't wait!!!

When i had my tire mounted, i waited a couple of weeks before i added the beads. The tire did really well with no balanceing at all for at least a thousand miles. I really could not tell any difference when i added the beads, guess i got lucky and bought a very balanced tire. But the great thing about the beads is that they rebalance the tire after every stop.

I would say it depends on how the tire is mounted. If you just use a little mounting grease, put them in right away. If you are using oil and soap and water, you might wait a little.

Jerry

I changed my mind on which tire I wanted. I liked this tread pattern better than the Douglas and I think this one has a better speed rating. (H) Not that I plan on going near that fast. But I am planning a trip across the desert this summer. You know the place... "Speed Monitord By Aircraft"... pretty much the DOT's way of saying "Welcome to the Autobahn!" Anyways I don't intend to press my luck and run this tire anywhere near it's speed rating. But for $18 more I think I get a much better tire.
This is a BF Goodrich All Season Touring Tire 205/65/R15
Please let me know if anyone has tried this tire. I changed my mind becuase of more than just the better speed rating and tread pattern. The Douglas tire had a lot of bad reviews on line as well. Let me know what you think.

Doc Rogers wrote:Thanks Jedishon,

Another question for ya. I am looking at hitches for my bike as well. Do you think there is enough room for a hidden hitch on your Retro?

I have been working on getting a hitch to mount under the fender and still have room for a 205 GYTT. So far I have had to make some modifications (probably pretty major to those on the other side of the road) to the original hitch. I've photographed the build so far and will post photos after I get it done. As of now I need to get the CT mounted and re-check clearances.

Great! Best of luck with the conversion. Keep us posted on your progress. What kind of hitch are you starting out with?

I have been looking at some external hitches as well... I ride with bags so the ones that bolt on by the passenger backrest will be mostly hidden anyways. I like the look of my bike, but that is just a bonus. I am much more function over fashion.

No Darkside yet. Confirmed with a shop that they would mount the tire on my bike before I bought the tire. Finally get there and the guy looked at the tire and the bike in the parking lot and refused to even put it on the lift.
Claiming there's not enough clearance and that as soon as I sit on the bike it would rub the tire or as soon as I hit a bump.
I offered to pay him for his time just to try and he still refused saying it was a lawsuit waiting to happen.
"Tires too wide, it will never fit in that fender."

Anyone near Cedar Rapids, IA that knows somebody? I hate pulling wrenches (which is why I have a VTX) and even if I wanted to I don't have the tools needed to do this.

It will fit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Got plenty of guys doing it!................ Just another ignorant person trying to save someone's life!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck...next time take your tire off and tell them it's for a drag bike and you want to pay cash! Take it home and put it on and slam the miles on it!

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

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Officially a member of the Darkside! Just got word from the shop, my CT mounted at 45psi and was no problem.
After the last shop refused to even put it on the lift I took it to a custom bike builder in the area. Got word they just got the tire on and were taking it out for a test ride.
The tire guy said the hardest part was getting the Dynabeads into the tire through the valve stem.

I anticipate pictures will be posted tonight.

Cool. Welcome...
As you have probably figgured out by now this is the Shiznit. My son says that. You have prolly already got the feel of the tire now too. It only took about 30 minutes for me to get comfortable with it.

Ride safe.

Welcome to the darkside......Let us know what you think of it....

Jerry

Welcome to the wonderful world of the darkside............................... Post some pics and gives us a review of what you think?????


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


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Grats on hanging in there. You'll love the darkside.

Got about 55 miles on the new CT last night. (25-40 degree weather is back in Iowa, and we are expecting snow tomorrow.)
Rides much smoother, also noticed how the bike likes to stay straight up a lot more. Little bit more attention required in a lean. But overall very happy.
Gonna show it off to the crew today. Try and get a few more converts. :pirat:

It only gets better from here.....I noticed my tire really started handling great after about 10,000 miles. Before then it was just good.

Jerry

Got over 300 miles on the CT now. Really liking it. After ridiing together the two buddies I have shown it to are now commited to making thier next tire a CT.

Only issue so far... the guy who mounted the tire din't turn around the exhaust bolt as I requested and I have a real faint blemish where the bolt rubbed. Pulled the bolt until I can get the tire off again.