First Impression - Riding on the dark side

We got the Kumho 165 installed on my bike this weekend. Thought I'd write up a bit about my first impressions. First of all the 165 is about the same size as the MC tire that I took off. Size and everything. Not much of a shoulder either.

We put it on in Ennis, and I drove it home about 60 miles to Dallas. Mostly highway, but did drive it to work on Monday and a little on Sunday.

On the highway it handled just fine. Much like my MC tire. It seemed like a softer ride, but I was carrying two tires strapped to the back. It changed lanes, brakes, pretty much like the other tire.

In town, I can feel that I have a different tire on the back. Seems a bit softer. It's easier going over tar snakes and lateral groves - does not shimmy and wander like the mc tire. Front tire still catches, but not the back one. There is a more pronounced "catch" when easing up to a verticle height change. If there is a crack in the concrete and I go over it, there is a more pronounced bite when the tire meets the rise. Going down is not a problem, just the rise. And where we three lane roads in Dallas, the center lane is usually a spot where they poured asphault on the outside and the inside lanes. In the center the asphault meets and there is a ridge there. The CT doesn't even know it's there. Much smoother going back and forth over it.

I was more concerned about corniering. But the CT feels nearly identical. As I said before, I know there is a different tire down there, but I'm sure any new tire would have a different feel. This is a feel that I can grow accustomed to.

As for twisties and high speed maneuvers - I dunno. I dont' do that. Probably never will.

Kinda wish the 205 had seated. But, Oh Well. Maybe I"m supposed to get used to a narrower CT before I move up to a wide CT. I'll review that tire when I finally get it on.

Nice write up Steve-O......Boy! that 165 looks great on the back of your bike also.

Good idea about getting use to the 165 first and it's characteristics. I loved mine and it never failed me or did something I didn't expect (bad that is), but it always impressed me what it could do, that was better than a motorcycle tire.

After about 15,000 miles when you realize you can't wear the 165 out, then you can just bite the bullet cause you saved so much money not buying motorcycle tires that you can just purchase the 205 and not feel so bad about it.


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

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Steve-O, nice write up... You can have a 205.... just go buy a Douglas... I'll be real surprised if someone successfully mounts and seats a Faulken 205 on a VT1100 shadow rim without the help of one of these: Cheetah Bead Seater. But it they do, I sure want to know how they did it.

The one used by the local tire shop was nowhere that elaborate. It was definitely a homemade job.

wonder what makes this EXTRA slippery??

http://www.alltiresupply.com/p-MU-1950.html

or anybody ever use this stuff?

http://www.alltiresupply.com/p-MU-2146.html