New Member

Hi All;

I am new here. I have been riding for a long time, and have had four Harleys during that time, all of which were ridden through one or more rebuilds, which I did myself. I have not owned a lot of bikes, but I have ridden them long and hard. All motorcycle tires, way back, were basically car tires, if in fact they were not actually car tires - my memory fails me. My last FLH, a 1974 74ci shovelhead, was the worst handling motorcycle that I ever had, TILL I put Michelin radial MOTORCYCLE tires on it. These had a very round profile, and they turned that heavy old beast into a handling machine. What am I missing here? Was it the fact that the original type tire, which was fairly flat looking, was not a radial? Have tires changed enough that the bike does not get that wobble on corners that I used to get with that bike? Was it because I had the same tires front and back? I am very open minded, and that is why I am here. I too am fed up with 9K miles to a back tire, and am willing to do anything - within reason - to fix this. I am not willing to give up handling tho, and that is why the questions. I will not argue with anyone, so feel free to fill me in on what ever it is that I am missing. The older Harleys (I had a 1965 and a 1957) being ridden on dirt roads a lot, did not suffer handling difficulties with car tires. My present Harley, (1987 Softail custom) can only take a rear, as the front tire is a 21" cat squasher. I will be reading a lot here, hoping to find the answers to all my questions, but if anyone has answers to the questions I raised here, I would be very grateful. As I felt I should post my introduction, and did not see a lot of spots for that action here, I thought I would make it a dual use post - intro and Qs - together. Saves typing and space, lol

Congrats and welcome!

A couple of things...motorcycle have change a bunch since their beginning and geometry is one of them. The bikes you rode back then aren't the same as today and the car tires you had back then are constructed like the tires made now nor the same type of materials. So a lot has changed. Those old bias ply car tires that you could just burn off the rear of your car back then are the same tires we have today...then grip a ton better now and can't just burn them down unless you power brake the car.

So, love the discussion for sure! What I do know is my X handled good with a motorcycle tire except the mileage sucked and wet riding was a tad on the scary side to say the least with the slipping and sliding rear tire!

Since going to the car tire it handles great now, mileage is a ton improved and still going as a matter of fact and wet riding is not scary at all now! JMO