Next tire - choices in the 185 size....

My Douglas is beginning to show some wear at 20k miles...might only last another 10k miles so I need to start thinking about the next one. I wanted to go with a 185 tire to see if there is a sweet spot between the 165 which acts just like a motorcycle tire, and a 205 which looks cool and has great stability on the superslab. So, last night I went to a bunch of tire sites and shopped.

Looking for a tire with a cool tread pattern. Goodyear Triple Tread is by far my favorite. But the narrowest it comes in is the 195. Might still go with this, but looking at other tires too.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Sizes.jsp?make=Goodyear&model=Assurance+TripleTred

Micheling HydroEdge comes in a 185. It's $110 or so. This may be my next tire. I like it a lot and as much as I ride, there's something to be said for riding on a Michelin.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Sizes.jsp?make=Michelin&model=HydroEdge

The General Altimax HP has a nice tread pattern and is only $55.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&tireModel=Altimax+HP

The Bridgestone Potenza G 009 is an interesting looking tire. But, not sure this one has been tested on a bike yet.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Potenza+G+009&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=865HR5G009&fromCompare1=yes&place=11

The Perelli "Winter Carving Edge" is interesting in that it touts "rounded shoulders". Studs are optional. Hmmm. (Insert your "badmoon" joke here)
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Pirelli&tireModel=Winter+Carving+Edge&vehicleSearch=false&partnum=865TR5WCE&fromCompare1=yes&place=43

Some other interesting 185 tires from Tireeasy.com (no direct url):
Toyo PROXES TPT
Yokohama AVID T4
Yokohama AVID H4S

I was leaning toward the triple tread, but since it does not come in a 185, I need to look at other tires. The Hydroedge is my favorite, but at $110 I dunno. It's twice as expensive at the Altimax, and I kind of like the looks of the Goodyear Altimax better. Still looking, but now that I know what's out there, I can go to a store and check them out, measure, and make a decision.

Any input on the above tires is welcome.

I've been shopping too Steve-O. I'm going wideside though, and going with the 205/65/15. Here's what I found:

Wallyworld has the beloved Douglas for 65, but they also have a good year viva2 that is rated at 65K miles for the same price. I love the tread on the douglas, so I'm probably going to go with looks over a tire that may last longer.

I spare the rest of my results, with excpetion to one story. I called Discount Tire to check on pricing and what they had in house. I told the guy the size, and he then asked what it was for. I told him it was for a project I was working on and that I just wanted the tire only, no install or anything like that. He pressed me again and asked what it was going on. I replied that it was going on my motorcycle. He then kinda went blank. He muttered that he had "all kinds of tires in that size" and spouted off a few brands. I asked him for specific tires and prices and he just muttered more vague info "all kinds from 50 and up". I tried again to get him to be specific and asked him if he had any barum's. "yeah I think we do" was his reply. So I said thank you and got off the phone with him. Funny how things changed.

The guy from walmart was the exact opposite. "You got a drag bike?" was his first question. "Nope, putting it on my shadow" was my reply. He responded with "a tire that wide will fit??" When I told him it would, he just said "That's kinda cool". He told me that when I come in he wants to see my Kuhmo.

Looks like I'll be getting the douglas for 65 from walfart.

Hey Steve-O, have you informed David that we're coming to Ennis for an install party yet? Better wash that monkey suit david!

Steve, check other sites. I found the hydroedge for $92 some where. Looked at to many to remember. Or is it old age?

Tim Wally world has the Douglas 205/70/15 for $50. Dont know how set you are on the 65 series though.

I paid $40 for my xtra trak just under 24,000 miles ago. I hit the wear bars in the center of the tire a couple thousand miles ago (well that was the first time I noticed any way) Been looking myself. I figure the second or third week in July is when I'll put a new one on.

Jerry

Hmmmm ... that's interesting Uncky Jerr. So by my calculations:

165/80 = 132 mm height.
205/65 = 133.25 mm
205/70 = 143.5 mm.

That puts an extra half a centimeter of height on the bike (since only half the height difference will be between the center of the rim and the ground). I got the room, and the mud/dirt road I manuever every day means I can use the extra clearance. I anyone else using this tire?

I guess the real question is ... can I use the 15 bucks I'll save on something else and deal with the bike being an extra .5 cm off the ground?

ttexastim wrote:I spare the rest of my results, with excpetion to one story. I called Discount Tire to check on pricing and what they had in house. I told the guy the size, and he then asked what it was for. I told him it was for a project I was working on and that I just wanted the tire only, no install or anything like that. He pressed me again and asked what it was going on. I replied that it was going on my motorcycle. He then kinda went blank. He muttered that he had "all kinds of tires in that size" and spouted off a few brands. I asked him for specific tires and prices and he just muttered more vague info "all kinds from 50 and up". I tried again to get him to be specific and asked him if he had any barum's. "yeah I think we do" was his reply. So I said thank you and got off the phone with him. Funny how things changed.

Tim, I had the same experience at a Tire Kingdom here in St. Cloud. The manager was a biker himself and, as soon as I told him that it was for a motorcycle, he just started mumbling and spouting all the rhetoric that I have dealt with from the HSN board for the last eight months. I was glad that I had read and had responses to his unfounded fear. I told him that I was sure that his boss appreciated him supporting the business by buyinig overpriced motorcycle tires. . I pressed him and got a price on a single brand/siz and thanked him for not being judgemental and left. I ordered my Federal off the internet an hour later.

Eric

i had a Nexen 165/80-15 on my Aero 1100 and it worked out great. I went to the Wideside with a Nexen 205 65 15. This tire is far better then the 165. It has a firmer sidewall and I think it is just a little taller. I think this is a far better tire of you have the room under the bike to run it. With it mounted on a 3.5 wide rim the tire is 7 1/8 wide. I believe I could go with a 205 70 15. My bike seams to run better witht he taller tire. If you want to know how much room you have for clearance try this it worked for me. I took a socket and taped it to the tire that was mounted on the bike and then rolled the bike a few feet to make the socket go all the way around the tire. I started off the a 1/2 in socket and then when up to 5/8 before it hit the swingarm and came off. Then I figured I have 5/8 on each side of the tire (I used calipators to measure a 9/16 socket) so 5/8 on each side was just a little over an inch total wider then the tire I had mounted.
I can go up to 7 3/8 wide tire with out any rubbing. And the wide tire loks great .
Brett

Bought the General Altimax HP today. $62 including shipping from
http://www.onlinetires.com/

All of the local brick and motar places were in the $80 range. Lot's of difference online too.

I'll be putting it on in a couple weeks...as soon as the guy in the blue monkey suit has a free weekend.... Looking forward to my third tire.

Got the altimax for the price. I'm going to try out the 185 and see how it feels. I really wanted the Michilen, but decided to "test" out the 185s with the cheaper tire. I'll be needing a new one in a year or so anyway....

I love the fact that I can swap a tire at 15k miles, before it's spent, knowing it's just $100 for a brand new tire installed and everything....

Steve-O wrote:I love the fact that I can swap a tire at 15k miles, before it's spent, knowing it's just $100 for a brand new tire installed and everything....

AMEN. That is an incredible advantage. If I wanted to try a new tire and I was running a m/t, it is a capital investment in something that I may or may not like.

Eric.

dang federal of mine now has 5600 miles and no sign of wear, I may never get to the 185 stage,

why were you guys up so late or rather up so early

mark f

Otis56 wrote:why were you guys up so late or rather up so early

mark f

Don't know about the clock on this website. I wrote that at about 6:20 A.M. Thats when I go to work on Saturdays.

Eric

I was multi tasking. Watching the end of the baseball game and surfing the net.

So Steve-O ... when are you putting the new tire on? I'm busy this weekend, but maybe next we should plan a shin-dig in Ennis. Should we shoot a flare gun over into the goldwing forum to let David know we are talking about him?

My local wally world has lots of the Douglas 205 in stock, so I can pick one up anytime.

Call the man in the blue monkey suit! I have my tire coming in and have tentative plans with David for the weekend of the 11th if he has time.

You can have my old tire if you want it. 10k miles left on it probably.

I'll just get my own new one! I like the weekend of the 11th though. I can probably do that. We swap tires in the morning then go for an afternoon ride? Guess I better confirm that I'm coming with the man with the monkey suit.