Risks of going darkside

greetings all, new to the forum. I have an 02 C and am considering converting. but I have several questions - and I apologize if these have been addressed on other posts. there are just too many to read (which is a good thing I think).

i'd like to learn more about the safety risks of going darkside. would anyone be willing to elaborate on some of the things I should be aware of if/when I convert?

I've seen a few vids on youtube of X's with a CT and road contact on turns and leans. I've also seen several riders suggest a lower tire pressure. is this to allow for more of the tire to remain in contact with the road? if not, what is it for? and how does it feel to take more aggressive turns/leans on a CT?

Are there certain common CTs that are better for handling turns/leans? I would like to pick a tire I know will give me confidence enough to take those leans/turns in both dry and wet conditions.

I've also heard/read that you can go darkside with the front tire as well? can you do that using the stock wheel that comes with the X or are there more mods that need to take place in order to do that? if stock, what's the best size/make/model of tire to do that? along with that (dumb question but I just want to confirm), you can go dark side on the rear tire using the stock wheel, correct?

I'm not sure i'd like to tackle doing the tire swap myself. will any bike shop be able to put on the CT for me or will I be forced to go at it on my own?

thanks a ton for your feedback guys. looking forward to responses and trying it out.

Mark

Hey Mark,
I'm on my 3rd DS and can honestly say that I've had no safety issues.
I think the bike stops better, corners better, rides better, and handles dirt roads better than
a MC tire.  I don't even slow down in the rain.  I've had the bike follow a swale in the road.
Like near intersections where heavy trucks make hollows in the road. When i see them, I just ride in the bottom of them and no problem. If I don't see them coming up, the bike naturally goes to the bottom. Ya don't fight it, just go with it.  Tire pressure plays a big role with this. You have to find what's right for you & your bike.
The place I buy my tires, a car/truck place, mounted mine.  Some people won't touch them, others will.  I know some riders tell them it's for a trike or side car and they'll do it. Try an independant MC shop maybe.
As far as tire choice...I tried Maxxis and 2 Hankooks. The Maxxis was the best for traction, but only went around 20k.
Brouse tire web pages and find one you like. Or see what others are running on forums.
Good Luck,
Craig

Mark,
Even though there is a lot of information about the "darkside" on the web, asking questions will give you more recent and possibly different information.

I agree with everything written in the previous post.  However, I've experienced one problem with a CT on my ST-1300.  I pulled off the side of a subdivision street onto a rounded, concrete curb and stopped with my rear tire partly on the curved top of the curb.  Because the bottom of the tire is flat and the curb was rounded, the bike started tipping toward the road, and I couldn't hold it up.  No harm done to me or the bike.

I have heard of a couple of instances when the owner of the bike found the CT flat, due to the bead breaking away from the rim.  I don't know if the cause was due to under inflation, improper seating of the tire on the bead, or something else.  No real problem in either case, because the bikes were parked at the time.

I just installed a CT on my 1800S VTX after replacing the rear wheel with a cast aluminum wheel from an R modle.  The tire (205-65/16) ever so slightly rubbed on something under the rear fender when riding with a passenger.  I set the rear shocks from #3 to #5 and that cured the problem.

I had a rubbing problem on my 1800F VTX and cured it by removing the helmet lock under the rear fender.  That tire is 215 mm wide and about the only size that I can use on the F model because of the 18 inch rear wheel.

I run my CTs around 35 psi on my 1800 Wing and two VTXs.

Darkside on the front means using a rear motorcycle tire on the front for longer life, because rear tires have deeper threads.  I am doing that on all of my Hondas.  Bridgestone BT-45 is what I use.

Some people prefer certainly CT brands, based on experience or hearsay.  At this point, I don't find much difference between Contintal, Hankook, Toyo, or Cooper.  I don't ride aggressively so that's probably why.

Some independent bike shops will mount a CT.  I haven't found one Honda dealer that will.  The last tire I had mounted was put on by Walmart where I bought the tire.  But I told them the wheel was from a homemade trailer (no brake disk and no drive splines).

Good luck.

Mike

Go darksiders or DD AND enjoy it.

I've had no issues at all re' safety, and I ride like a hooligan sometimes.

The ONLY safety issue I know of re' using a ct on a moto is to make sure the air pressure is up to snuff. Especially IF one is give to smokin' off from a standing start.
You DONT want the tire blowing off the rim.

Duug wrote:I've had no issues at all re' safety, and I ride like a hooligan sometimes.

The ONLY safety issue I know of re' using a ct on a moto is to make sure the air pressure is up to snuff. Especially IF one is give to smokin' off from a standing start.
You DONT want the tire blowing off the rim.

Never happen,at least on a Wing.Guys have let all the air out in their shop and tried to get a tire to come off the rim with a burnout(strictly for test purposes) and it didn't happen.Can't speak for other bikes,but being as tires are the same size the rims must be the same so if it won't come off of a Wing rim then they shouldn't come off any rim.

Perhaps some members here knew of Chris Cloe aka Cool Pop,.... a member of the 'Oa.
He had just finished a run on the dragstrip at Moroso here in florida and the rear tire failed on decal from 95mph.

From Palm Beach Post:

Saturday, January 27, 2007

"JUPITER — Gary Cole, 61, knew that his motorcycle could be a dangerous machine.
So to protect himself Cole, 61, took precautions like wearing a helmet and limiting his need
But Friday night, after pushing his 2003 Honda motorcycle past 95 m.p.h.
during a practice session at Moroso Motorsports Park, in Jupiter, danger found him.
Seconds after he crossed the finish line around 8:10 p.m. Cole, who'd been riding motorcycles since his early 20s, lost control of his bike and was thrown 300 yards, said Paul Miller, a spokesman with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office..."

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localne...0127racer.html

The ONLY issue that I've ever had with running DD is gravel roads and uneven surfaces.
Due to the flat riding surface, the bike does not take gravel roads well. I've put on almost 100k on darekside tires.
My comfort lbs is 42. Every one is different. Lower tire pressure? I've never heard that.
I switched our my rear wheel from a spoke to a cast for easier tire mounting. After seating the tire, you will need to deflate
it in order to install it, then reinflate it. Some fenders get out of whack and need readjusting. Check for rubing. I run a GY TT 205/60r 16 on my 20021800S
Enjoy