Trying to go darkside, help!

Mich hydroedge 205 70 15, two tubes have popped as soon as the bead seats, will going to a bigger tube help? I'm at the tire shop now, any help is appreciated. 678-756-7136

Never heard of that happening but bigger tube should help.

Bigger tube was not available. Bead just seated, going back together now. Fingers crossed.

Sorry can't help, but this is also why I sealed my rims instead of using a tube because of the high pressures needed to seat the bead I had read about.

I would suggest if you want to change your rear wheel with someone from R or buy one, also you can seal it, the instructions are out there.

What pressure did you have to have to bead????

Larry Simpson wrote:What pressure did you have to have to bead????

you ready for this?

130 psi is what it took for the bead to seat. And at that, we had to leave the tire sitting in the sun for 30 minutes before it finally popped the bead on.

I think if they had oversized tubes, it might have helped alot, but ultimately, ive learned that if i do come to like this new tire, and decide to stick with darkside tires, I will be buying a spare spoke wheel, and sealing it so i can run tubeless. Id hate to imagine if i had a flat while im on a long trip, the kind of trouble it would be to replace the tube and reseat the tire.

Initial impression is neither positive nor negative. Straight line is certainly smoother, and much better traction, cornering has alot more rear end trailing than im used to on a cruiser, so it gives a false effect of the back tire washing out. Once i finally got the balls to drop it hard into a corner though, it felt good, just different, and traction did not seem to be an issue as i came out of the turn full throttle, which almost always broke the stock dunlop loose, and the darkside didnt wobble the slightest bit. I think its ultimately just going to take some getting used too before i can fully unlease the potential of the tire and make an accurate assessment. I will be doing alot of riding this weekend, so i should know by next week.

thanks to everyone who has posted information that led me to this point. the mounting process was a major PITA, but now i can just enjoy the ride.

Now I know why the tubes were popping,I don't think I would have gone there proubably would have looked at different tire.Mine beaded less than 50.Good luck just give it a little time to get used to it .I think you will like it.

Glad you got it on ok! Wow 130 is 10 more than it took on my Goodyear Triple Tred. You don't have to buy an extra spoke wheel, just use the winter down time to seal the rim it is really very easy I was nervous to do it at first, but once I did it thanks to the great advice here and on other sites it was really no big deal. I am going to pull my wheel off the bike again this winter to put new moly paste on the splines anyway, i should have between 12 and 15k on the bike by then and it will need to be done.

now, you will experience as more you're riding it the better feeling you will have for it.

I do drag my floorboards on every corner I take and usually riders who ride with me sometime on sport bikes are amazed how can I lover bike with scrapping foorboards with that tire.
I like my general grabber.

When you have chance on empty road, try to lock your rear wheel (don't go to fast) and see if you feel difference between regular mt and ct, but be safe.
I went few times on empty parking lot of old warehouse building and tried out to brake, cornering, make 8's ..... just to have better feeling for this setup.

dino wrote:now, you will experience as more you're riding it the better feeling you will have for it.

I do drag my floorboards on every corner I take and usually riders who ride with me sometime on sport bikes are amazed how can I lover bike with scrapping foorboards with that tire.
I like my general grabber.

When you have chance on empty road, try to lock your rear wheel (don't go to fast) and see if you feel difference between regular mt and ct, but be safe.
I went few times on empty parking lot of old warehouse building and tried out to brake, cornering, make 8's ..... just to have better feeling for this setup.

yep, i stopped in an empty parking lot to do some RLAP style figure 8's and cone weaves (without cones), and tire felt good there. I also locked it at 45 mph on the way home and it took ALOT more force to lock than the dunlop did. Lastly, i dumped the clutch from a stop and the tire didnt break loose, certainly would have with the dunlop (possibly why mine had no center tread left.......)

What's about braking with ct?? How did it feel to brake?? Shorter or longer distance than reg mt??
What psi are you running in??
On mine I put 42psi and feel it's good for me.

dino wrote:What's about braking with ct?? How did it feel to brake?? Shorter or longer distance than reg mt??
What psi are you running in??
On mine I put 42psi and feel it's good for me.

i started at 36, feels a bit soft, gonna up it to 38 and try that. Braking is substantially better on the rear tire with a CT vs MT. Took alot more braking force to lock the tire into a skid with the CT than the MT.

When you up the pressure you will proubably feel uneven road surfaces more tar snakes cracks ect. so be ready. 32- 36 usually is a good all round pressure when you get used to it. It doesn't take long.

Larry Simpson wrote:When you up the pressure you will proubably feel uneven road surfaces more tar snakes cracks ect. so be ready. 32- 36 usually is a good all round pressure when you get used to it. It doesn't take long.

its funny you mention that. I will admit, i was scared of it on the way home, so while i tested it alot in straight lines, i didnt go any further than draggin the boards. I just got back from a short sprint through some nearby backroads. Decided i either get out and learn the tire, or be afraid of it. I made that poor bike do things no cruiser is meant to do, and the tire took every bit of it in stride. As strange as it feels compared to what im used too, i have no worries now, just a matter of getting used to it. Im gonna take the wife to get ice cream in a couple minutes and see how it rides 2 up.

She will proubably apreciate the softer ride (you might actually have done something right )

Help! I have my tire HE 205/70 15. It WON'T bead...the guy is afraid to put more pressure in it! This is at a service station that does car tires & repairs. They won't go any higher with the pressure....even though I said it takes over 100#. Any idea as to where I can take it to try to get it to bead???? They tell me my rim is too narrow...I need a 5" rim for this tire.... (mine is 3 1/2") I told him there are lots of guys with this tire & this rim! Where do I take it now?!?!

I don't know other than leave it out in the sun with pressure.I personally don't blame him for not going there,I wouldn't either.I would be measuring inside dia.and looking for better fitting tire.

Do you know anyone with a compressor? You could bring it to their house and have them put the air to it. Had a guy today on here and his took 130 psi to seat the bead. Mine seated at 120 psi don't listen to the naysayers. The guy today though did pop a tube trying to bead his. That is why I sealed my spokes first I was afraid at the high pressure the tube would not hold. If it is hot out you could lube the tire again and bring the pressure up and let it sit in the sun for a while that helps. 205/70-15 is the right size, I used the 205/65-15 on mine it will seat the bead.

[quote="exlax Im gonna take the wife to get ice cream in a couple minutes and see how it rides 2 up.[/quote]

Icecream? Hell that aint a goldwing Enjoy the ride Bro


See you out there
Smokey

vtx biker chick wrote:Help! I have my tire HE 205/70 15. It WON'T bead...the guy is afraid to put more pressure in it! This is at a service station that does car tires & repairs. They won't go any higher with the pressure....even though I said it takes over 100#. Any idea as to where I can take it to try to get it to bead???? They tell me my rim is too narrow...I need a 5" rim for this tire.... (mine is 3 1/2") I told him there are lots of guys with this tire & this rim! Where do I take it now?!?!

Chick, just set it out in the sun for a while. If the rim were cleaned good it should of slipped right on. Try the sunshine thing if that dont work after a few hours it may take dismounting the tire and cleaning it again then using a vege oil as the lube.

Good luck

See you out there
Smokey

smokey2255 wrote:

vtx biker chick wrote:Help! I have my tire HE 205/70 15. It WON'T bead...the guy is afraid to put more pressure in it! This is at a service station that does car tires & repairs. They won't go any higher with the pressure....even though I said it takes over 100#. Any idea as to where I can take it to try to get it to bead???? They tell me my rim is too narrow...I need a 5" rim for this tire.... (mine is 3 1/2") I told him there are lots of guys with this tire & this rim! Where do I take it now?!?!

Chick, just set it out in the sun for a while. If the rim were cleaned good it should of slipped right on. Try the sunshine thing if that dont work after a few hours it may take dismounting the tire and cleaning it again then using a vege oil as the lube.

Good luck

See you out there
Smokey

mine was a BITCH to get to seat. popped the original tube like nothing (it was worn out), then put a new tube in, popped it. The third tube held. had to set pressure to 130 psi and let it sit out in the sun for a half hour before it seated. Used dishwashing soap on the lip. I am fairly certain the tube is the problem. I think if you were to install a larger tube, it would help. The stock tube in our tires is 170 80 15, if you could get one in the range of 180-200, it would help immensly with keeping the tube from popping, imo.

The reason why the beads are so hard to seat sometimes on these, is because a car tire bead is wider than a motorcycle tire bead, and as a result the overall inner diameter of the car tire is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of a motorcycle tire for the same rim, making it a tighter fit. It will go, as i have mine installed and have put about 70 miles on it today. Best bet would probably be to have them set it out in the sun for an hour or two tomorrow, and then put the pressure to it. The worst that will happen, is when the bead pops on the rim, the tube may pop, in which case the tire has to be pulled BACK off and a new tube installed, OR, the rim sealed.

and just to clarify, you do not need a 5" rim for it to work, it would be jsut as hard to bead on a 5" due to bead diameter, as on a 3 1/2".

So what did the wife think????

Larry Simpson wrote:So what did the wife think????

its gonna take some time. she is far too caught up on the fact that there is a car tire on the back of the motorcycle, to focus on the ride. I did get her to admit that it was smooth, but she was too busy cringing in every corner, afraid that it was gonna just lose traction or roll off the bead, to notice much else.

I will say, that this is not something i would recommend to a new rider. I like it so far, but im afraid a less experienced rider would have problems telling the difference between that distinct rear end shift the car tire gives the bike, and losing traction in the rear.