Time to "Stir the Pot" Darth Vader is Calling.

TheMadScientist

Supercharged
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
244
Location
North Florida/ Gainesville area
I have been hearing this voice whispering to me "Come to the Dark Side". I have been wondering , is a car tire a better choice or just a cheaper choice? Or is it the same? I hate that motorcycle tires are over priced. Maybe manufacturers believe because motorcycles have half the tires as a car they should be twice the price.
If the tires were all the same price would you would anybody buy car tires or they an alternative for different reasons? I know there is a bigger contact patch when upright does this lead to increased incidents of hydro planing? Or is this a non issue? Is the the large reduction in size of the contact patch when cornering noticeable?
Are these differences so minute that they aren't really noticeable?
I would like to save money if it isn't a big sacrifice in performance. They funny thing most of us will spend big bucks getting the last ounce of power out of our bikes. But when it comes to the the performance of tires there seems to be a lot of division on this topic of tires.

I believe MC are the best choice if I were racing, but I am not racing. If the Dark Siders can tell me their experience and maybe the best brand of tire.

Unfortunately it is human nature to cheer for certain teams, XBox or Sony, Republican or Democrat, Gators or Seminoles. Once we pick a side we tend to stick to that side no matter how much it sucks. I cheer for my college team even when they embarrass me.


So guys is the Dark Side a good choice?
 
If I were you and your bike supports a 240 tire I would try the exedra max first as its not as pricey as the metx and cobra. The go ahead and try the dark side and see if its for you, The reason I say do it this way is the dark side will last a long time so your chances of actually getting to try a good rear tire will take a long time. if your ready forthe front also try the michelin commander II 140/75/17 while your running the Bridgestone exdra max240/55/16. After you try both you will be able to fairly make up you own mind instead of letting people pursuade you either way. ANd if you get half way thru the darkside and decide its not for you your throwing away a cheaper priced tire. My point is don'tletthe Metx be what you base your decision on.
 
If I were you and your bike supports a 240 tire I would try the exedra max first as its not as pricey as the metx and cobra. The go ahead and try the dark side and see if its for you, The reason I say do it this way is the dark side will last a long time so your chances of actually getting to try a good rear tire will take a long time. if your ready forthe front also try the michelin commander II 140/75/17 while your running the Bridgestone exdra max240/55/16. After you try both you will be able to fairly make up you own mind instead of letting people pursuade you either way. ANd if you get half way thru the darkside and decide its not for you your throwing away a cheaper priced tire. My point is don'tletthe Metx be what you base your decision on.

Thanks. Your right I should make my own mind. I will try the brands you mentioned. I always have believed there is no substitute for experience. At least I can benefit from your experience.

Thanks again.
 
I guess bottom line is " Does it feel much different when riding? ".

That depends.
once you find the "sweet spot" for your weight and roads, then no.
Till you find the sweet spot then yes, very noticeable difference.
I have the Riken Raptor on mine and the wifes bikes.
She likes the way hers rides with 30 psi.
I like 28 in mine.
We don't weight the same,
our bikes are set up different,
and we ride different.
I initially changed over to get more mileage out of the tire,
it'll sure do that.
i paid $100. for the Raptor vs. $330. for the metz.
After I dropped her down from 32 to 30 and it got better,
then dropped it again to 28 and she handled real good,
I kept it there.
I've riden in rain and no hydroplaning, she actually feels safer to me.
Whatever YOU decide, good luck.
skip
 
I guess bottom line is " Does it feel much different when riding? ".

They definatly look different , spend some time behind a r3 with a car tyre on it through different road situations ,I did and I also agree with warp9.9 try the Bridgestone excedra max .i have had one on my bike for just over 10'000km and still looking good ,they handle just as well as the Metz or avons with at least double the mileage and considerably cheaper.

I to was looking at going to the darksiders but after following one of the r3 riders on this site through some very steep and twisty roads my mind was made up . Some of the guys on this site love the car tyres and good luck to them.
 
Like Pete i have followed a couple of Rockets running car tyres ... was a truely frightening experience. One was ridden by a mate i've had for over 30 years. I told him if he was short of cash i'd buy him a bike tyre. He was just seeing if a car tyre was an option for him, he's now back to a Bridgestone .. thank f#ckin God. Never will i understand why blokes buy a bike that puts out 140 BHP.. nail it away from every traffic light and then complain about it chewing through tyres. Like buying a bombed V8 car and whinging about fuel consumption... of course just my thoughts :D
 
I just made the change to a car tire. So far it's been fine. I'm not a upper aggressive rider and I'm larger (260 pounds, it seems for the bigger guys it's less noticeable from what I've read)

Was it the same as a bike tire? No. When I ride anybody elses bike it's not the same and takes a few minutes to adapt, that's about how it was for me. I really only notice at very low speeds. In the interest of full disclosure my metz was boxing off quite a bit as I think the previous owner never checked air pressure. When I picked it up the rear had 29psi. So the change wasn't drastic to me. I think the only time I really give it any thought is a slow speed right into my driveway over the curb.

I won't say I found it to be better, the metz was fine for me except in the cold, the raptor is fine in the cold and maybe it'll be better when summer hits.
 
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