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Tourer
Posts: 394
Tucson, AZ | For you that know Daniel Meyer from the VRCC board he is as an experinced dark side rider that is to be found. Here is some of his views from the books he has authored;
Life Is a Road, the Soul Is a Motorcycle
Life Is a Road, Get On it and Ride!
Life Is a Road, Ride it Hard!
Life Is a Road, it's About the Ride
Life Is a Road, Volume One
Storm Rider
Like what you've read? Click the books. Buy the books. I'll write more!
The Soul Is a Motorcycle Get On It and Ride! Ride It Hard About the Ride Volume One Special Edition Stormrider
The Dark Side
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.
-Yoda (a long time ago)
Another replacement
Updated December 5, 2007.
I had a coversation with my neighbor recently. It went something like this:
Him: "You're running a car tire, aren't you?"
Me: "Yep."
Him: "I've read about that somewhere. It's controversial."
Me: "Not for those of us that are doing it. No controversy at all."
Him: "Well, it can't handle."
Me: "It does."
Him: "It's not safe."
Me: "It is for me."
Him: "It's not tested."
Me: "I've tested it all the way to Alaska and back. A bike tire couldn't have taken the abuse."
Him: "Well, I know it's just not safe. It can't work."
I know better than to argue tires, helmets, or oil with another biker. Put two of us in the same room and ask the question and you'll get 12 different and vehement answers. Still, he did ask...
Me: "I've got a lot of riding experience. It's my bike. I don't have a problem with it. Why should you?"
Him: "I've got a lot of experience too. I just know it can't work."
He's been riding for about 5 years now. He's got a pretty bike. I rarely see it move. We call those "Butt jewelry".
Me: "How many miles do you have on your machine?"
Him: "Almost seven thousand."
Hmmm. I might see the problem here. I've run more miles than that since I changed the oil last time. I've ten times that on this bike alone, and over three times that just on my rear tire...the tire he was telling me "can't work."
I changed the subject and we talked about yards for a while. That's usually a safe topic for neighbors.
Anyway, all that got me to thinking it was time to update this page, as I first put it up when I had only ridden 3000 miles or so on my first car-tire. I've now run over 100,000 or so and so I've added more pictures and information to update my experience.
Okay. This is a rather long-winded treatise on the installation of a car-tire on the rear of a Valkyrie motorcycle. With the size/weight of some motorcycles, as well as a host of new tire sizes and technologies in the car-tire world, there are tires that can fit and perform on the rear of some motorcycles.
I get many questions, lots of curiosity, and even some rather irate email over this subject so I thought I would set down my thoughts, reasoning, and experience with this project so others that may be contemplating it, or wondering why anyone would even try such a thing could know my experience with it.
Note that I have no motivation for justifying what I have done, vindicating myself, or convincing others of the validity of my decisions. All this is my experience and opinion. I assume no liability for my documentation or methods. I will try to be objective in my reporting of this experience, but do note that motorcycle tires are a pet peeve of mine. I will discuss this a bit later.
As of this writing I have put about 42,000 miles (edit 12/5/07...over 100,000 miles now) on car-tires on my Valkyrie in a multitude of extreme conditions. High-speed highway, high-speed rain, wind, dirt/gravel, twisties, congested city, construction, and emergency stops. I'll take some heat for this, but there is NO downside for the experienced rider. The car tire has been superior in every condition. I've found the car-tire to be so far superior to the MC tire for the rear of the Valkyrie that there is no point in my pretending I'll ever go back to the MC tire.
Tires are religion, and in the motorcycle arena and our litigious society are viewed very much as a "dark art" and are seldom discussed rationally. I am not looking to justify my actions or convert anybody. I am seeking to explain what I have tried and why, so those that have an open mind and some experience to go with it can understand. Frankly, like oil choices, I do not feel the emotion and anger often shown over the issue are merited. It's just not that big a deal.
Among VRCC'rs ... putting a car tire on the Valkyrie is known as, "Going to the Dark Side." | |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | Welcome to the Dark Side. You slip to the dark side
Across that line
On the dark side, oh yeah
- J Cafferty Thanks for the info | |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | What size Car Tire do you have on your Vision? I used to run a car tire on my vulcan 2000. but it was a 225/55-16. Im curious to hear about the size that fits on a visions rear wheel. | |
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Dark Side