Guess What! I went Shopping and Got a New Tire!!

Bobby, does it look familiar?

I haven't mounted it yet of course, but I dont' see any reason as of yet that it won't fit. All measurements work out great. It is a Douglas 205/65/15 Xtra-Trac A/W. My wallyworld had several of them. I was taking tires down and measuring them in the isle way all morning. Took me about 45 min. to decide on the Douglas after checking on alot of other. the size and sidewall just make sense!! I've put together some pictures and a video/movie showing how pliable the sideway is on this tire, compared to the high performance tires with STIFF sidewalls. Oh yea! only $55.00 out the door!

My New Douglas 205/65r15


Whatta ya Think???

When will I mount it? Not sure... I'm sure real soon. If all goes well I will have a kumho 165 with less than 1,000 miles on it available to give away. Steve-0, it a great tire to start on, do you want it? It's yours if you do!! Free of charge and I'll even put it on for you. This is of course that the new tire fits and all. But if you'd rather go straight to the 205 then that is fine as well. We can go to my local Wallyworld and get you one.

Tim, Looking Good So Far. Hey it was good chatting with you this moring! I'll go get a pic of my windshield for you too!

David W.

If you really want to see something cool take a 205 MCT and press down on it with the heel of your hand then do it to your 205. You cant budge the other one, yours will fold like a taco. You can tell how soft the rubber is, and how it will asorb some of the bumps in the road before your shocks even get a chance to react.

Hi Muntz,

I did that exact thing with that old MCT you see in the pics... It did just as you said... the new 205 is Soft!!

".... and they say CT rubber is too hard...." HA!! buhwahahahaaaa!!!


Tim,

You have a new PM with a link to some pics of my Windshield for your use.

Good Luck!

David W.

Yeah, and the common misperception is that MCT are softer than our tires and thus handle the road better, and the other is that our tires are built like I_I when they are more (_). Stupid people, gotta love that "herd" mentality.

I got a little request, Before you mount that 205. Put the 165 next to the 205 with about an inch or two between them. Get a tread shot. Then place them tread 2 tread and get a top down shot. Just so we can compare the "meat on the street".

Muntz wrote:I got a little request, Before you mount that 205. Put the 165 next to the 205 with about an inch or two between them. Get a tread shot. Then place them tread 2 tread and get a top down shot. Just so we can compare the "meat on the street".

Wilco!!

(that means I will comply)


Good Idea!


David W.

Darkside-Shadow,

Dude, I think I have seen one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait for you to get it on and mounted. Nice job giving your 165 away! Congrats, this car tire stuff is addictive! Plus it's fun to ride and it will impress you ever time you get on it and ride. Yes, only the clowns that don't know or understand car tires are the only ones that say something as stupid as motorcycle tires are softer.

Man....you got it bad................ Darkside fever!!!!!


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


ps....my lap top will not show the vid, so I will see it Monday!

Nice. I didn't think the sidewalls were that soft.

Nice work today David,

It was good to chat with you this morning. That tire looks pretty. No offense Twin, but I think it'll look better on a VT1100 then a VTX .

While you were busy measuring tires for the day, I spent the day pricing windshields/progressive springs/highway bars/Avon Venom-x tires(for the front)/turn signals/ boots/chaps/gloves/ and sent an email to Gary for dynabeads. The tax return gets here this week and the bike will get it's yearly update. (soup it up good enough to last me another year!!). So here is why my shopping list actually is: (Any feedback is welcome. I'd rather hear if something is crappy before I buy it).

- Item (Part Number)
- Cobra Highway bars(01-1120).--> Picture Here
- Avon Venom-X (110/90-19) --> Picture Here
- Progressive fork springs (11-1126)
- Cobra Turn signal adaptor(04-3120) --> Picture Here
- turn signals (ebay has a set of 4 with chrome covers that will expire in a few days. 60 bones for all 4 if it goes well) --> Picture Here
- National Cycle Plexifairing 3 windsheild --> Picture Here

Add to that all the little stuff like: oil/oil filter/spark plugs/air filter/Belray 15W(for forks)/silverstar headlight bulb/sealed beam light(replacement for one on my lightbar that is burnt out).

Who says shopping isn't fun!!!

We gotta get together sometime David. I'd love to see that 205 on the shadow.

Tim

Timmmmaaaaaay!
I like the windshield. It looks like a clear fairing. I might could go for that look myself. Although there is a quick release fairing I could get, it looks like it will be next tax season before I do anything major to my bike.

I like the blinkers too. The chrome grills set them off and I bet they look even cooler at night.

Nice ideas......I think you should get them ALL!

That windshield has it all....Hand shields and lowers...its all you'll need.
Jerry

DarkSide-Shadow wrote:
Whatta ya Think???

When will I mount it? Not sure... I'm sure real soon. If all goes well I will have a kumho 165 with less than 1,000 miles on it available to give away. Steve-0, it a great tire to start on, do you want it? It's yours if you do!! Free of charge and I'll even put it on for you. This is of course that the new tire fits and all. But if you'd rather go straight to the 205 then that is fine as well. We can go to my local Wallyworld and get you one.

David W.

I'll take the old tire David. Let me know when you plan on putting on the 205. Now, I have to say that when we put yours on, if it looks too cool, I may have to bo buy one myself..... either way, I'll be down ot help you put it on.

Probably need to order some dynabeads.....

Muntz, and everyone else.....

I went for a ride this morning as a way to say goodbye to the 165!! 100 miles later and I pulled her into the garage. After lunch, I couldn't stand it anymore and put her up on the lift and removed the rear tire and started the change over to the 205!

here are the pictures you requested... they are deceiving.... but interesting....


Side by Side: 205 and 165


Believe it or not, this is the 165 on top of the 205, deceiving picture... the camera doesn't capture the actual width difference.


165 in front of the 205, still doesn't show the width difference.. it is minimal but there is a difference I promise.

This one you can start to see that the 205 is actually wider......



I test fit the tire, not on the rim into the wheel well.. Should not be a problem... It's going to FIT!!!

Well lets see the final product.

It's not done.... I'll mount and seat, but I need to get some more dyna beads.... I'm going to email our contact here.


Thanks!

David W.

Awesome work david!! I can't wait to see the final product. Great pics!

Gary in Indiana is going to be pretty busy this week. There's a bunch of us wanting orders.

David: when you get it mounted and balanced, tim and I need to come see you. It will be interesting to have three "like bikes" together, each with a different tire. Would make a good handling comparison.

Would make a good picture with the three bikes side by side from the rear and see what the tire's look like.

I like the tread pattern on the 205. Hope it works out.

Steve-O wrote:David: when you get it mounted and balanced, tim and I need to come see you. It will be interesting to have three "like bikes" together, each with a different tire. Would make a good handling comparison.

Would make a good picture with the three bikes side by side from the rear and see what the tire's look like.

I like the tread pattern on the 205. Hope it works out.

Steve-O;

Sounds like a great Idea... I think we can find a place we can all meet in the middle at, as Tim, myself and you are spread out.

You're North, I'm south and Tim is East. We can find a good place to meet up I'm sure.

Sorry about going ahead with the tire change! I just couldn't stand it anymore! Bad thing is I gotta go buy a new compressor or borrow one! We'll see how it goes.

David W.

Steve-O;

Sounds like a great Idea... I think we can find a place we can all meet in the middle at, as Tim, myself and you are spread out.

You're North, I'm south and Tim is East. We can find a good place to meet up I'm sure.

Sorry about going ahead with the tire change! I just couldn't stand it anymore! Bad thing is I gotta go buy a new compressor or borrow one! We'll see how it goes.

David W.

Don't forget to wear some "Depends".....you remember what happened last time the bead seated..........

I like what you guys are doing with the darkside and please take pics if you get all three of them together. Ride on!

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

.

DarkSide-Shadow wrote: Sounds like a great Idea... I think we can find a place we can all meet in the middle at, as Tim, myself and you are spread out. You're North, I'm south and Tim is East. We can find a good place to meet up I'm sure. David W.

I think Tim and I are fine headed to Ennis some weekend. Not too bad a ride for either of us. I might want to put that 165 on and see how it does, document the process and such. May opt for a 205 after I see yours! I sure Tim would like to see three VT1100Cs together with a wide CT, a smaller CT, and a Stock MC tire all side by side. I'll definitely bring my camera.

I think next Saturday is open. Next couple actually. Sundays too. Let me know I'll work around your schedule. Maybe we should wait for the dynabeads to come in..... I'll order mine on Monday. Enough for a 205 just in case.

Ok, sounds good. I'll check with the little lady of mine and get back to you on one of those days.

good thing about the dynabeads is .... i can put them in anytime.... when i get them etc...

I have stick on weights and I know how to ballance the wheel. So, if I don't have my dynabeads in time I'll ballance it with stick-on weights and then when they come in, just remove them and insert dynabeads. works like a charm. I send Gary one question on the beads though that i was concerned about.....

My question was this...."When I took the 165 off the other day I noticed that there was quite a bit of left over oil and grease from what I used to get the bead seated, and that alot if not all of the beads were what appeared to be stuck in the grease. So, if I only use oil in the future will this continue to still be a problem?" I'm worried the beads aren't doing their job with the oil and stickiness slinging around inside the tire.??


So, we'll see what he says... I think I will not ever use grease again that is for sure!

Sidenote: Once that beads seats on these tires, THEY ARE SEATED!!! it was somewhat of a chore to get it to pop loose!! But I got it, once i got it propped up on a 2x4 for more leverage. Then it popped just fine...


I'm going to try and mount tonight or tomorrow night... so, I'll keep everyone posted.....

This next weekend (Feb 23 and 24) I will be in Houston, so that is a no-go for me. The weekend after that I will be camping. It turns out ol' Timmy darksides is a scout master with the boy scouts. I'll be camping the weekend of Feb 29-Mar 1. The weekend after that I'm free though.

Wait a second. I just thought of a brilliant idea. On Tuesday Feb 26 - Wed Feb 27, I will be in Dallas for some training. I'll be in Addisson (right off of the tollway and arapaho). How about we meet tuesday night? I'd love to swing by Davids and see the 205, even if Steve-O can't make it. Let me know what you think.

BTW ... I found a new place for parts!! A little boneyard type place in Greenville. He can get me anything I want ordered and in house next day. I just picked up my new clutch lever (a chrome one for 28 bucks). Can't beat that compared to online with next day air. This guy is a real cool old guy and has been riding for years and years. When I went in the shop, he was really pissed off at a newer Vulcan bike. It was a nice bike, and he was trying to take the rear tire off. I think he was cussing cuz they engineered the bike so that it isn't quite an easy thing to do. You know you've got a great mechanic when you are greated with some expletives!!!

I'm back on the road (without a windshield) tomorrow.

Well... tonight I got what I consider the hard part done! the tire is on the rim... Now I just gotta seat it... Have to wait till tomorrow.

as far as meeting:
I can ride to work next tuesday.(feb. 26th) (my office is on the tollway and 635) It is an hour drive to my house so it will be easier for us to get together that evening if Steve-O can join us as well. if not, I can meet you Tim. I'll find a good place and let you guys know.

I test fit the wheel and tire into the rear tire area.. appears to fit fine and should have plenty of room!!

Can't wait to see it on there and RIDE on it...

David W.

Tuesday is good. I think Tuesday is 2 for 1 day at Hooters if you ride a bike...it is in Irving, i'll check in Addison. 635 and the Tollway is fine with me. Looking forward to meeting you two.

there is a hooters at Beltline and the tollway in Addison. Been there!