Me and My Shadow.... Coming To The Darkside?

There's a glitch in the first section of the forum, any thread in the announcements, perhaps because they are all stickies, is snapping to a grey-screen page after loading all the components... so... I apologize for not reading all I can before asking some of these questions which are no doubt already answered elsewhere.

Okay, so much for the awards speech.

I have a 2000 Honda Shadow Aero, spoked wheels.

What brand and size tires should I be considering?
Can I use innertubes or do I need to swap out my rims for solid ones?
What, if any, fender modifications do I need to make? (I'd prefer not modifying the bike if that's strictly a size issue.)

Am I better off with a CT on the front or can I choose a rear MT (and roll it backwards?) And again, what sizes are recommended here.

There are many darkside forums... and some make a lot about tire pressures and break-in periods. Can someone post links to (non-sticky) threads here I should be reading.

I won't be doing the mounts myself... is there a list of darksiders who have their own equipment by region? Is there a list of DS-friendly shops?

Thanks in advance.
-Oz

Welcome Oz,
Unfortunately the board got hacked back in August and a lot of threads are not available. You can seal your rims or run tubes, either way works. Most of us pick a car tire size for the rear that works without requiring any modifications and run a motorcycle tire on the front. For my VTX it was a Grabber 205/70/15 on the rear and a Metz 880 in stock size up front. Tire pressure is sort of individualized, but a lot of us find a sweet spot some where between 32psi and 40psi. Mine's at 38psi. Start with 40psi and drop down about 2psi at a time till you find yours. Good luck and enjoy your ride.

What 00Doc said, we got hacked and ruined a lot of great info and data. Oh well, what the heck! We wouldn't be hacked if it didn't work so well......

Secondly for the shadow 750 you should run the VW tire! 165/80/15! It just the right size and lighter than the 205 so it will not compromise performance and the with the 750 the VW tire should last you forever!!....



..................Valk

glad to see you got over here ozme52,,

the vw tire size is what I run too

mark f

The 2000 Aero is an 1100cc bike. (Or at least mine is...) I'm over 250 lbs wringing wet, you'd swear it not true... but yeah. I'm a big fella.

Same recommendations?

steve-0 and texas tim both run the 1100 shadow, both not heard from for a while due work i think, but both of them have used the 165-70-15. an d both have move up to the 185 or 205 i believe.

mark f

So by "run the VW tire"... you mean that size (165/70/15) or a manufacturer or model name?

And I'm seeing, so far, two different aspect ratios mentioned for the 165mm wide tire. 70 and 80. Which are we really meaning?
Obviously, I'd love to not make speedo changes... wouldn't mind the better gas mileage that comes with a taller tire, but mostly I don't want to have to modify the bike.

Kumho 165/80 r15 is what is called the volkswagen tire. You can get them on line or wall mart. I put 10k on mine before I switched to a 205 douglas.

For the front tire, you can run a mc tire backwards. You'll have to get the current size and buy a rear tire that is similar.

You have an Aero which is a nice looking bike. Take a look at some of our rear tire pics. I think you would be happier with a tire that has a cooler tread pattern. a 185/65r15 is just a bit shorter and you have several tires to choose from...but you will need to order on line.

Thanx Steve-O.

Now... because I have a bud who is a Valk darksider who "thought" I might need to grind down some protruding hardware inside my rear fender... and because no one else has mentioned it online (at least not yet,) are there any issues with these sizes you've mentioned? I really am intent on not modifying the bike. I'm a "if it ain't broke - don't fix it" sort. So I'd like to not start down a path that will lead from one mod to another to another. (I was scarred by a horrible experience as a youth, modifying a car over and over again because I started with the wrong equipment. )


AND... I would most appreciate if you could list some of the brands (and models) of that "several tires to choose from" list you mentioned. (or a link to same.)
I'm not lazy... just at that point where I know what I need to know. I'll pay-it-forward. (Hell, you'll probably eventually want to shut me up. )