A few questions before going darkside....

I am strongly considering going darkside on a VTX 1300S. Just want to make sure I am clear on a couple of things so that it's right the first time.

1) I have read a good bit about using dyna beads to balance the tire. However, I am assuming if I don't seal my rim and use a tube, I can balance the tire in the normal fashion. If this is true, what's the big deal with the beads?

2) The Michelin HydroEdge and Goodyear Grabber have been specifically mentioned to work well. However, will any 205/70/15 CT work as well?

3) May I expect the mileage rating on the CT, or will it be much better than MT and just be happy with that?

4) Local non-dealer MC repair shop mentioned breaking in the tire by varying the pressure every 200-300 miles, but, I have not found anything about that on the site. Please Advise.

5) Switching to the 205/70/15, may I use the same MC tube?

Forgive this newbie, just wanna make sure I get it right the first time.

Sounds like you are making it way more complicated than it is.Most of your questions are personal choice,you can seal rims and run tubeless or use mc tube in tire either will work.You can static balance or use beads either way.Mileage will be way better than mc tire as wellas traction.You need to ride sensible for 100 miles or so to get rid of mold release on tire and get used to counter steer. The mitch.hydroedge and the gytt are both good tires,again personal choice usually determined by looks,tread pattern ect. You will be wondering why you didn't do it sooner.Enjoy.

First I've heard about counter steering, but sounds like something the bike will teach me during the first couple of hundred miles....LOL

Hello and Welcome to the board.

First, you can use weights or beads to balance your tire regardless of if you use a tube or not. A few of the advantage I have found for the use of Dynabeads are; That they continuously balance your tire over time. No need for rebalancing. I think the lead weights on a rim or spoke look ugly and Dynabeads eliminate that. The local tire shop charges $15 per tire to balance a tire with the stick on weights and I can buy enough Dynabeads to do the front and back for less than that.
Second question, Yes. I think most have chosen the Michelin or the General tire because of the looks of the tread pattern.
Thirdly, We have observed that the car tire will last longer than a motorcycle tire. How much longer I think depends much on your riding style. I have heard reports of guys who ride very conservatively getting 30,000 or more miles out of them. Others who like to tear it up 15,000 or less.
Forth, I advise anyone with a new tire, car or motorcycle to take it easy the first 100 miles or so. Some call this wearing the mold release off, since not many tire manufactures actually use a mold release agent, I believe it is just the heat cycling that finishes curing the rubber that eliminates the slickness.
Either way this period is a good time to adjust your air pressures to find what is called your "sweetspot". It is not the same for everybody and is dependent on your riding style, weight, bike. It is that spot where the tire just feels right. I advise to start at about 38psi and drop it down in 2psi increments. Ride it a couple of days at each level, These are cold pressures. You might want to go up and down a few times to evaluate what you are feeling. I am happy at 35psi in my Michelin.
Lastly, Yes use a motorcycle tube, it will expand to fit. A car tire tube has the valve stem in the wrong location. I would use a new tube, just for the peace of mind.

No forgiveness necessary! This is what the board is for, and we welcome newbies to come ask questions.
Not like the old days when we were newbies and asked about it and were told "We would Crash and Burn"

Requires a little more intentional pressure on the bars in a curve (bike wants to stand up instead of leaning) nothing major but noticable was a blessing on my nomad as I had a tendancy to lean to much and have to pull it back up.I necglected to address pressure on previous. Again it a matter of preference according to tire and riding style what we call (sweet spot) .Usually higher pressures make the tire more sensetive to uneven road surfaces,cracks ,ect.,not a good thing.Most run between 32 and 38 some a little lower.

scvmc578 wrote:First I've heard about counter steering, but sounds like something the bike will teach me during the first couple of hundred miles....LOL

No sir!! Counter steering is you teaching the bike to go where you want it. It's NOT about leaning the bike to get it to go through the turns! That is how you just go along for the ride and get hurt. Take a local MSF training course on riding and they will teach you about it. JMO



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

When I think of countersteering I think of grand prix racers taking a curve on a track. I am a conservative rider of 35+ years and have never had to do that.

scvmc578 wrote:When I think of countersteering I think of grand prix racers taking a curve on a track. I am a conservative rider of 35+ years and have never had to do that.

countersteering is by definition, the act of turning the handlebars 1 way, in order to make the motorcycle turn the other way. So for example, when you enter a right hand turn, what do you do to initiate the lean into the corner, you countersteer to the left, making the bike lean right. My guess is, when they say a darkside requires slightly more countersteer, they are saying that because the bike leans up on the edge of the tread on a car tire, that it takes slightly more force on the handlebars to countersteer the bike into a turn. This is just a guess, and the people who have mentioned countersteering, may have been using the word to describe something completely different, I honestly dont know.

Just looked up a training video on youtube about countersteering, and guess what? I've done this before, just didn't think about it, just came natural. In fact wife just reminded me that I countersteered to avoid a piece of lumber in the road today. I guess I do it without thinking.

Not the same kind of counter steer you are talking about.You have to make a conscience effort to counter the tendacy of the bike trying to stand straight up instead of leaning into a curve thus adding more down pressure on the bars to lay into a curve.

Larry Simpson wrote:Not the same kind of counter steer you are talking about.You have to make a conscience effort to counter the tendacy of the bike trying to stand straight up instead of leaning into a curve thus adding more down pressure on the bars to lay into a curve.

to be honest, sounds like riding a sportbike to me. with a 190 rear tire on my gsxr 750, it was never effortless to throw it in the turn, it required force into the turn, and all the way through the turn, to keep the bike from standing itself up. Personally, i liked it, because a little resistance goes a long way to keep you from dropping too fast into a corner and missing the apex.

There you go ,that is exactly what I was refering to and I agree it is a good thing.

Larry Simpson wrote:There you go ,that is exactly what I was refering to and I agree it is a good thing.

well hell, sounds like a steering damper and removal of the saddlebags might make this bike a knee dragger!

Sounds about right,I found myself dragging hard parts on the nomad accidently,it was so much easier with better control.The bad ,when I do it on the nomad it sounds like I am taking out the undercarriage.

Larry Simpson wrote:Sounds about right,I found myself dragging hard parts on the nomad accidently,it was so much easier with better control.The bad ,when I do it on the nomad it sounds like I am taking out the undercarriage.

Yep...makes a heck of a sound! People think you are wrecking....LOL


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