Need new tire, going dark side

Howdy! I have been lurking for a while, but now I need to take action.

I have a 2007 V Star 1300, and I have the tire choice narrowed down to a General Altimax HP or a Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread. Does anyone have experience with either one of these that could give some insight? I would greatly appreciate any info.

I was going to switch to the dark side next month, but this happened today: " alt="" />

I'd mushroom plug it and ride on. Or put RideOn in it and get the life it has left: that's a lot of tread to go yet. That said, I took off a Pirelli Night Dragon at 3k to go Dark.
It was half worn out, but we ride pretty hard. Still have it as a spare. I never looked back.
The GYTT has been changed in some way lately.

Hey, are you a Bruce Lee lookalike?

Well, it didn't go all the way through. Rode about 30 miles after i took the screw out and no leaks. It is hard to see in the picture, but the center tread is getting thin, so i am just gonna take the leap now, especially since i will need to replace it soon aftet the beginning of the season anyway. I'm really anxious to get it changed.

Whats GYTT?

I'm a 6' 2", 220 lbs., full blooded American Hoosier with Scotch/Irish ancestors, so i don't look too much like Bruce Lee I just wish i had even a little bit of his talent. It's just that we study some of his techniques, so i thought he would make a good avatar for me. He was truly a master in his trade. Do a youtube search for "bruce lee nunchucks ping pong". Simply amazing.

Just figured out what GYTT is. How has it been changed?

Dunno; was just reading some comments on it. In here, I think.
Ol' Bruce was a phenomenon - saw that ping pong vid years ago, I recall. I used to be pretty good with chucks, but I'd probably kill myself now!
I'm from German/Chzecloslovakian stock myself...named after my great great grandfather, an appalacian coal miner.
I dunno if that's a bad thing or a good thing!

General Altimax HP or a Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread or Michelin Hydroedge are all good tires for your bike. I don't think you could tell the difference in ride, so get one that closely fits the stock tire size and take a look at the tread patterns to pick the one you like the best.

Looks like I will be going with the General Altimax HP 205/60/16 with the "V" rating. They have one at our local sears for $109. I thought about doing it myself, but a local shop will change it and balance it for cheap.

Good looking tire and you'll get a LOT of miles out of it. Test out the back brake with the new tire. Start at 10mph and lock it up. Your back should not wander around any more. Increase the speed and test again if you like. I've gotten up to 35mph (by accident) and the back still tracks safe. One of the reasons I want dark.

Good to hear you found someone to change it for you. Finding someone can sometimes be as difficult as doing it yourself!

Let us know how you like the tire and take before and after pictures.

Steve-O wrote:Good looking tire and you'll get a LOT of miles out of it.
Good to hear you found someone to change it for you. Finding someone can sometimes be as difficult as doing it yourself!
Let us know how you like the tire and take before and after pictures.

I was going to do it myself, but I just talked to the shop and he said he would charge $30 to change the tire and balance it. SOLD! I don't think I can buy the tools for that price.

I talked to the tire dealer today and he said the GYTT actually HAS changed. It has 3 different types of rubber, one for outer tread, one for the next-to-center tread, and one for the center tread, and that the outer tread is a harder rubber than the two inner treads for improved stability in cornering. While that may be great for cars, it seems that a motorcycle would want a little more flex for cornering?? I dunno, but there seems to be a lot of General users here, and the General was $30 cheaper, and the tire guy thought it would be better for what I want than the Goodyear. He rode bikes for many years, so he had a somewhat of an educated opinion on it. I should have it on the bike within the next few days......can't wait to test it out!! I've been looking into the Dark Side since I bought the V Star new last year, and now it's happening.

I'm from German/Chzecloslovakian stock myself...named after my great great grandfather, an appalacian coal miner. Ok. Back from Chattanooga. Put 1900 miles on. Rode the Dragons Tail, the Cherohala Skyway and the Devil's Triangle. Loved every bit of it. cheers Would have never known I was riding on a car tire if I didn't put it on myself. Glad I made the decision to switch. The tire looks like new."If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." Samuel Adams, 1776

Got about 7,000 miles on it since I started this thread and absolutely love it! We did some of the hills in Southern Inidiana last summer and it peformed great. I keep it at 42psi and it seems happy right there. My oldest son and I are planninig the same trip you mentioned (Dragons Tail, the Cherohala Skyway). I am so anxious to get there it's about to drive me crazy!