I'm Considering a trip to the dark side

ragtop69gs Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:03 pm

Hello

I''ve been researching the darkside option for my '98 VT1100T (Ace Tourer) . I am currently running a Valk sized 180/70/16 Dunlop E3 and have seen others put a Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread...205/60/16 on their Valk. I think I may have a problem with the width as it's 8.2 compared to 7.13 for the E3 Anyone have any experience going to the DS on a VT1100T ?

Heres a pic of my ride.

I'm Considering a trip to the dark side 100015523ip

I'm Considering a trip to the dark side 100015523ip

ttexastim Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:24 pm

That's a nice lookin' ride. I don't have experience on the ace. Maybe DarkShadow can help you with your question.

Welcome to the site. Is your tire really a 16 inch rim? Like I said ... I don't know much about the ACE. Welcome, and hopefully one of us can help you.

Toasted_311 Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:26 pm

Welcome to the site. Love the avatar.

Are you running a 16 inch rear rim? Thought the 1100s were 15.

+1 on Darkshadow..i'm sure he can be of help.

I'm running a 205/65/16 on my 1300 with an 1800 wheel/brake combo....measurements help you figure it all out...you might be a first.

ragtop69gs Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:16 pm

Thanks for the compliments on my scoot Very Happy

I have added a mustang seat with backrest and a trailer hitch since that pic was taken. The Shadow Ace Tourer came stock with a 16x4.5 rear wheel. Stock tire sizes are 130/80-18, front 170/70-16, rear. I am running a Valkrie rear at 180/70HR16 now. I only have about 1/2 an inch clearance to a few bolts inside the fender so I think the 205/60/16 car tire will be a bit to wide.

Toasted_311 Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:29 pm

ragtop69gs wrote:Thanks for the compliments on my scoot I have added a mustang seat with backrest and a trailer hitch since that pic was taken. The Shadow Ace Tourer came stock with a 16x4.5 rear wheel. Stock tire sizes are 130/80-18, front 170/70-16, rear. I am running a Valkrie rear at 180/70HR16 now. I only have about 1/2 an inch clearance to a few bolts inside the fender so I think the 205/60/16 car tire will be a bit to wide.

Dunno about that...i've got a credit card's width clearance on the drive shaft and plenty up under the fender...that's the big thing....test it with 205 and the suspension compressed but up on the stand to find what might need trimming.

Some have trimmed the inside of the fender support to give more clearance....that's not an issue.

I did use some shorter bolts to make them not stick into the wheel well so much.

My stock was a 180/60/15 and I'm now running a 205/65/16. Wink

Steve-O Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:24 am

ragtop69gs wrote:Thanks for the compliments on my scoot I have added a mustang seat with backrest and a trailer hitch since that pic was taken. The Shadow Ace Tourer came stock with a 16x4.5 rear wheel. Stock tire sizes are 130/80-18, front 170/70-16, rear. I am running a Valkrie rear at 180/70HR16 now. I only have about 1/2 an inch clearance to a few bolts inside the fender so I think the 205/60/16 car tire will be a bit to wide.

The 165 Kumho is on my bike. It's almost exactly the same size as my old dunlop. It's a proven tire if you want to go for that. If you go fatter, you might stay with what's been done before. Dark Shadow has a Douglas on his.

If you are pulling a trailier, it sounds like you are putting some miles on your bike. A CT will last a lot longer for you, save you money, time, etc. If you go wider, there is some experimentation on width and tire brand. Some tires are difficult to "seat the bead", while others are a piece of cake.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

ragtop69gs Mon Mar 24, 2008 3:59 pm

If you go fatter, you might stay with what's been done before. Dark Shadow has a Douglas on his.

If you are pulling a trailier, it sounds like you are putting some miles on your bike. A CT will last a lot longer for you, save you money, time, etc. If you go wider, there is some experimentation on width and tire brand. Some tires are difficult to "seat the bead", while others are a piece of cake.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

" you might stay with what's been done before" There-in lies the problem, I can find nobody with an Ace Tourer who has gone to the darkside yet, mostly because there is no clear fit on tire choices. Most of what I've found is either too short or too wide. With a trailer and a passenger, I would not feel comfortable with credit card width's clearance to bolts inside the fender some of which also hold the hitch on. I am going to pull the rear wheel and get some exact measurements then see what I can find.

The Goodyear Assurance TripleTred 205/60/16 car tire specs a 6" rim for a section with of 8.2
5.5 to 7.5 rim is acceptable. If I can get the tire to seaton my 4.5" wheel, how much would it reduce the section width ? The 180/70HR16 Dunlop E3 has a section width of 7.13

Jay

ttexastim Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:06 am

you might check our other postings. Darkshadow posted the numbers for his 205. It was exactly like you are talking about. The width was spec's for a 6 or 7 inch tire, but he actually measured it at 4 1/2 inches, and posted it. That may give you an idea of about how much the overall width will suck in by putting it on the smaller width rim. I don't have time to look and post a link. Does anyone remember when darkshadow posted that? Was it on Twin's page on the VTX1300 forum??

ragtop69gs Tue Mar 25, 2008 4:44 am

Thamks for the heads up on that post Tim, I'll search it up.

Jay

Steve-O Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:38 am

If the search turns up empty, you can PM Twin. He's pretty quick to reply.

twin1300 Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:45 am

Hey Ragtop!!!!!!!!!

I am not real sure about the 16" rear tires. I am a 1300 guy and most of my investigations and workings has to do with our narrow rims that are 15". So, let me dig around and see what I can come up with. Sorry, for the delay with this thread.

But if you are a 1100 tourer, how come you got a larger rim size than other 1100's????????? You did post you have 16" rims???????

..................twin

.

ragtop69gs Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:55 pm

Hi Twin,
The tourer came stock with the 16" x 4.5" rear, hard bags and windsheild. Setup more for touring than crusing. Seems alot of you 1300 riders are switching to 1800 rears to get a 16" wheel. I have never compared mine to a VTX to see if I have the same room inside the swing arm.
The search engine sucks on this forum Rolling Eyes

I came up with nothing.

Jay

twin1300 Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:12 pm

ragtop69gs wrote:Hi Twin,
The tourer came stock with the 16" x 4.5" rear, hard bags and windsheild. Setup more for touring than crusing. Seems alot of you 1300 riders are switching to 1800 rears to get a 16" wheel. I have never compared mine to a VTX to see if I have the same room inside the swing arm.
The search engine sucks on this forum I came up with nothing.

Jay

Jay, You have to do an advanced search when you do the search engine and then it has to be a good day and the wind has to be blowing the right speed for it to work.....hehehehehe

I will look it for you and give you the link! But remember....the 1800's have wider rims (8"), than what you have, so it might NOT be an option to use the tires they use.

.

ragtop69gs Tue Mar 25, 2008 4:22 pm

the 1800's have wider rims (8"), than what you have, so it might NOT be an option to use the tires they use.

.[/quote]

I was not aware that it's 8" wide wheel on the 1800 ! I have room for about 7 3/4 total tire width without clearance issues. I think I may need to get some throw aways from the tire shop to mount and try.

twin1300 Tue Mar 25, 2008 4:59 pm

"ragtop69gs"]the 1800's have wider rims (8"), than what you have, so it might NOT be an option to use the tires they use.

.

I was not aware that it's 8" wide wheel on the 1800 ! I have room for about 7 3/4 total tire width without clearance issues. I think I may need to get some throw aways from the tire shop to mount and try.

I hope I am not confusing you.....When I say 8" wide (that is inside to inside on the rim itself where the bead seats to the tire. The actual rim measurement). Not swing arm to swing arm measurement!

What is your rim inside to inside measurement?

.

smokey2255 Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:13 pm

twin1300 wrote:
"ragtop69gs"]the 1800's have wider rims (8"), than what you have, so it might NOT be an option to use the tires they use.

.

I was not aware that it's 8" wide wheel on the 1800 ! I have room for about 7 3/4 total tire width without clearance issues. I think I may need to get some throw aways from the tire shop to mount and try.

I hope I am not confusing you.....When I say 8" wide (that is inside to inside on the rim itself where the bead seats to the tire. The actual rim measurement). Not swing arm to swing arm measurement!

What is your rim inside to inside measurement?

Whoa there fellas. I have an 1800 rim on my 1300 and it is not even close to beong 8 inches wide. More like under 6inches. Will measure when I get home tonight. ohh wait. I will go measure now as the rim is in the truck .

.

smokey2255 Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:36 pm

Five and a half inches on the inside bead on the 1800 wheel.

See you out there
Smokey

ragtop69gs Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:50 pm

Mine is 4.5" bead to bead, only 1" less than the 1800 wheel.
I may be able to use the same tire as an 1800..
the tires I am looking at call for between 5.5 & 7.5" rim,
the section width of 8.2 on a 205/60-16 tire is based on a 6" wheel width.

twin1300 Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:56 pm

ragtop69gs wrote:Mine is 4.5" bead to bead, only 1" less than the 1800 wheel.
I may be able to use the same tire as an 1800..
the tires I am looking at call for between 5.5 & 7.5" rim,
the section width of 8.2 on a 205/60-16 tire is based on a 6" wheel width.

I don't know why I thought it was 8".....When we did the darkside on 1800Vtwin's 1800, I thought's that what we measured. I was wrong and I am sorry about that. Now, it looks like you got a good idea what you need. You just have to chose a tire now with the correct amount of measurements to fit what you need and a tread pattern you like and then post it on here to help others.

.

ragtop69gs Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:22 pm

You just have to chose a tire now with the correct amount of measurements to fit what you need and a tread pattern you like and then post it on here to help others.

.[/quote]
Tread pattern Rolling Eyes

probably like askin about what the best oil is scratch

everyones opinion is different. BUT I'm gonna ask anyhow...... What handles best ? I am not an overly agressive rider but do enjoy the twisties Twisted Evil

This type Tread http://www.falkentire.com/#/Tires/AllSeason/ZE-512

OR

This http://www.goodyeartires.com/goodyeartireselector/display_tire.jsp?prodline=Assurance+TripleTred&mrktarea=Passenger&treadwidth=205&aspectratio=60&rimdiameter=16&sidewall=VSB

or

This http://www.toyo.com/docs/tires/tires.asp?lpid=18969&name=Proxes%20TPT

&category=passenger

smokey2255 Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:48 pm

I like this one myself.
http://www.toyo.com/docs/tires/tires.asp?lpid=18966&name=Proxes%20T1R™&category=sport

There are all kinds of sizes for our rides.
185-50r16 81z 245730
195-55r16 91v 245650
205-55r16 91w 245670
the last 6 didgits are the product code for the website linked above. I think I am gonna have to have that 205 myself. It is rated for a 5.5 in rim.
The 185 is rated for a 5 in rim so it should go on the 4.5 easy enough.

Good luck
Smokey

Steve-O Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:25 am

When we say "pick a tread pattern you like" it means "looks cool to you".

Something to consider on car tires is symetrical. Make sure the tire is not made for right or left side. Make sure the tread pattern is symetrical or a mirror image from left to right side...if that is clear.

Lots of us like the "Falken 512" pattern where there is a "v" down the center line.

As to what works best in Twisties, I dunno. I'm a cruiser and my kumho works great on teh road, has a nice tread pattern, is symetrical, is all season, and most importantly it went on and was free.

My "Opinion" on twisties is that if you are a high speed twisty kind of guy, I"m not sure a CT is the right choice. But you have a cruiser with a tow hitch, so methinks you are a cruiser as opposed to a "rice rocketeer", so a CT is probably just the thing.

If you have the time to experiment with tire store throw aways, that may be just the trick. Sometimes you find ones with lot's of tread left!

Recommend dynabeads also......when you go to balance the tire.

smokey2255 Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:27 pm

a CT will tear up the twisties. Even the khumo I had on to start with was a hell of a lot better tire to ride hard on than the dunflops i had before. My confidence in my bike shot off the charts after I wentdark side. twisties sweepers cruisin, or flying too low. The car tire sticks where you know a mc would step out from under you. I have 2 sets of double s curves I ride every day. After the first time i rode the mt in the rain I always slowed way down in them. Put the ct on and gradually ran through them until now I blast them just as hard wet or dry. A few of the guys here have rode with me when I am riding hard and can vouche that when I blast a set of twisties I am throwing sparks and pushing it hard. I ride prettty aggressive all the time anyway but with the ct my confidence in the bike is where it needs to be to push it like I do..
See you out there
Smokey

jedishon Wed Mar 26, 2008 1:13 pm

Smokey, your an animal. You should live in the Smokey mountains with SmokinJoe.

Jerry

ragtop69gs Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:08 pm

My "Opinion" on twisties is that if you are a high speed twisty kind of guy, I"m not sure a CT is the right choice. But you have a cruiser with a tow hitch, so methinks you are a cruiser as opposed to a "rice rocketeer", so a CT is probably just the thing.

I am a cruiser that likes throwing fire off my running boards when the time is right Twisted Evil

Performance in the rain is high on the list of things for any tire I choose

When we say "pick a tread pattern you like" it means "looks cool to you".

I really like the Goodyear triple tread. Lots of rubber on the road and It is supposed to be good in the rain too.I also am looking at the Falken ZE512

i rode the mt in the rain I always slowed way down in them. Put the ct on and gradually ran through them until now I blast them just as hard wet or dry.

You don't have a problem with the ct pushing the front mt past it's abilities?

I'd like to thank all of you for taking the time to help me sort thru the options I have before me. I have many other T riders waiting to hear if I can get this done.

Jay

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