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Current hot ticket on the Darkside?

7K views 29 replies 15 participants last post by  SteelMonkey 
#1 ·
About time to start thinking about a new rear tire on the 2K. Currently have a Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and it's been a good tire but they don't make the same one any more.

What's the hot ticket these days on the darkside for 205/55 or 205/60?
 
#2 ·
Going darkside opens a HUGE can of worms with riders. The consensus is close to 50/50 split.

I like the idea of going darkside purely for the tire longevity. However, car tires are not designed to handle the angles motorcycles can achieve. Care tires are fine as long as the bike is going in a straight line; but, once it starts taking a corner, the amount of tread touching the pavement reduces dramatically.

I'd spend some time reading about darksiders and weighing in on the pro's and con's of each side of the topic.
 
#4 ·
Hehe yeah this is a huge topic. the only thing i have seen people get hotter about is religious debates.

Now as a darksider myself i have to weigh in lightly here and this is no stab at anyone. but the note about the contact patch. it really dont reduce that badly. the tire flexes with you and you never hit the sidewall or anything like that the peoples try to speak about. as with any tire you lean you will loose some contact. but with a CT you still have double if not slightly more tread on the ground then a MT. personally i found that my cornering is a whole lot tighter and i can lean a lot harder on a CT then a MT. when i had a MT on the back i always felt like it was slippery . with the CT i feel confident that i have the traction i need to power through a corner. and with as much TQ as these bikes throw out rolling on in a corner can feel a litter nerve racking.

THAT being said. i understand people who dont feel comfortable with em. when i made the swap i thought it was the dumbest damn thing i ever tried but i gave it about 250 miles and after that i learned how to ride on it because it dose take a little different technique i find myself pushing the bike into a corner more then leaning it.

NOW for the OP . i run a 205/60 on mine this is the tire i use https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...iMAX+RT43+(T-Speed+Rated)&partnum=06TR6AMRT43 i swear by them if you want to go that route. its affordable and the durability and grip in all weather is great. even in wet weather i never feel slippery or have grip issues and i run between 28-35 psi depending on where i am riding and if im 2 up or not. i found that if its too full of air that the handling gets stiff but if you let out a little air the tire softens and get better in the corners.

hope something here helps. ive put close to 20k miles on this brand of tire and ive only changed it twice. . once was because i abused it one summer a lot with burn outs and show related stuff after a vegas run from mid ks. but im avg 3-4 years per tire on them right now if i dont abuse the hell out of it.
 
#7 ·
Nitto 225/50 R16 on mine.
Great thread look and nice rounded edges, really fills out the rear fender, absolutely steady on the highway courtesy of the width (I heard somebody say I could almost leave the bike without setting the sidestand down).
:grin2::grin2::grin2:
The thing that improved the feel of the bike the most was the front fork oil change, can't eve tell I am darkside riding trough the corners.
 
#11 ·
Clearance is tight but with no problem, it does rub a little on the inside plastic thingy but not on the top (even though I am a bit of a load by myself at 240 'ish going on 250) Luckily the wife is barely above 110 and I rarely feel it bottom'n out.
The rubbing has dug a couple of wholes in the thing but toward the front, I consider it the cost of the great look and feel.
:grin2::smile2::laugh2:

The pix barely show the tire but I could not resist.
 

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#12 · (Edited)
I'm running the Nitto 225/50/16 as well...and my rear is lowered 2". Only concession I had to make to clearance was removing the outer bolts for what was the turn signal mount brace (not using OEM signals, have integrated taillight/signals) I have LOVED the tire, been on for about 9,000 miles, not even seeing significant wear. The ONLY traction degradation I've experienced is my braking distance is very slightly worse, as I'm double darkside, running a Metzler rear backwards up front...with both tires of a slightly harder compound, I can still outbrake most of the sport bikes in my club.
 
#15 ·
There are 3 major groups of riders when it comes to DS

1. Those who are currently riding DS and love it and swear by it, and have not at any time, spontaneously exploded into a fiery death ball.
2. Those who have NEVER had or rode DS but swear it is the worst thing ever and warn that at any time you might spontaneously explode and everyone you have ever met will most likely die.

and

3. those who never had or rode DS but would like to.

the are other groups, but those are the ones I most likely see on every DS topic.
 
#16 ·
Just about sums it up, I started riding DS on my 1600 out for longevity and to get the widest look possible on a shaft restricted ride, the fact that my current ride was already DS when I got it for me was a Plus when one reason nobody snatched it b4 me was pro'bly the car tire on the rear.
On the V2K the 225 car tire gives me a wider look than the 240 MC tire or pretty close to the same look, already put close to 8,500 miles on the car tire and barely shows it, I don't think I will have to buy another tire in a couple of years, at least.
 
#17 ·
Falken Zeix 205/65R16

Went narrower and taller.....
Slightly rounded profile, strong sidewall, good tread design for type of use.....:devil2:
 

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#18 ·
Just wanted to throw a little opinion about DS into the fray as well. Never, never got more than 4000kms (2500mi) out of a M/C tire on my V2K, not hotdogging, no burnouts, just crap roads and extreme weight.... Put 10 M/C tires before I got a chance to ride a Boss Hoss with a Falken Zeix on it. Bike was so damn heavy that you checked your lean angle each time and the tires were lasting about 10000km (6000mi) on that beast. I have put 3 DS tires on now, one of them destroyed because I put a tour trunk on and failed to check how far the mounting bolts penetrated into the tire well....(two black rooster tails of rubber on the first big bump). I average 30000km (20000mi) before tire changes now.. Front tire is M/C, they last about 15000km (9000mi). You do have to watch your lean angle a bit, especially on wet or icy roads. I don't drop the pressure much, run about 35psi when running 2 up. (over 500lbs of meat and then some luggage...):devil2:
 
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#22 ·
If you're new to the dark side I would recommend you stick to a tire that has some background on it rather than trying it out first.

I found that the difference in feel of the bike on handling is very little but it is there, you adapt fairly quick. I used to mention the feel as the bike tries to stand to vertical a little more with the DS tire but to tell you the truth it has been a long time since I felt it. I can take any road or curve the same with the car tire or the motorcycle tire.

I am NOT an aggressive rider but have been known to scrap a floorboard every now and then when I get carried away or get "in the zone" when "dancing" with a mountain road. :grin2::wink2::grin2::wink2::grin2:

Even did it with the trailer behind me last April going down a beautiful curvy road trough vineyards on my way to San Luis Obispo. Scared the crap out of My wife when she felt/heard the board scrape, she did not know what it was. Lucky we were at te end of the ride just about to stop for coffee so the anxiety did not last long. :devil2::devil2:
 
#23 ·
There is a site you can visit that list a lot of tires used by different bikes, it is a good source of data for research. I used it when initially thinking about going DarkSide, do not use it much but it is nice to know that it is there.

If I had gone by advice of the people around me I would have not gone to a car tire, the prevaling idea here is you will burst into flames if you dark side.

here is the link:
Darkside Tire Info Center

Enjoy.
 
#28 ·
FWIW, to the original poster: I run a General G-Max AS-03. Not sure of the size exactly, but it's a 55 profile.
I chose the G-Max after physically inspecting a handful of tires from the DS tire info site to see which one appealed to me.
I chose it because it has a more rounded edge than some others, and the directional sipes seemed ideal for my first trip to the DarkSide.

I was on a Ride for Dad rally yesterday and spent nearly every stop telling somebody or other how/why I went over to DS. Amazing
how many had heard of this mystical option but never thought to see it in the wild............
I'm not running around preaching, but if asked I'll also tell anyone asking that it's my 3rd season running DS and the tire still looks great.
With the miles I put on, it'll probably dry out and crack before I wear it out.

My main advocacy for it comes from scraping pegs in Montana and driving through torrential washout rain and not feeling the butt scoot in the least, which is my one and only hangup when riding. I went down in a rain storm many-many moons ago and I'd rather not try it twice.
 
#29 ·
Thumbs up on the DarkSide questions at rallys lol.... Converted my neighbor last week (OLDE Goldwing) Harder for him to find a tire to fit but he did! Apparently it fits an Austin Healy pickup in the real world? I went dark simply because of money. Shelling out $460cdn every 4400kms (2600mi) for a rear tire is ridiculous. No hot-doggin, no burn-outs, just a fat pilot and a heavy 2-up.:devil2:
I have 3 seasons on my Falken Zeix 912 and wouldn't switch back to M/C for the world on the V2K. On the Keto diet now and have decreased bulk to a svelte 270lbs from just over 300. If I can get my former cheerleader down under 200, maybe a bike tire would last more than a few months:nerd:
 
#30 ·
+3 on the Darkside questions... maybe it's just an Alberta thing, but once they see it, they have to ask. My first was a 225/60 General Evertrek (Canadian version of the Altimax) back in '09 when I had to replace the stock tire after only 9500 km. Like Danad, the idea of paying $400+/- every year for new rubber was unfathomable to me. Just replaced it a month ago with a little over 40,000 km's on it. Decided to try a 205/60 this time to see if it might feel a little more like a bike tire, being as it's a little narrower. The 225 did, after several years of bottoming out over bumps etc. while riding two up, wear thru the inside plastic fender liner but other than that there were no issues and it served me well. The new one is also an Evertrek that I picked up on sale a LONG while back in preparation but from what I understand General has discontinued making them on both sides of the border. Seems I'll be looking for something new in about 8 years or so.
 
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