To join the Dark Side or Not?

GPMAZ said:

The point I was trying to make was that personal experience is not the only valid basis for having an opinion.

When it comes to tires, I see no reason to use a car tire. I have found that tires designed for the bike perform as well as I need them to perform. So far I prefer the Avon Cobras, but haven't tried the Bridgestones yet. They will be next.

Many here feel a car tire will handle as well as a motorcycle tire. I find the handling with motorcycle tires limited by ground clearance, not tire grip. As for stopping power, I've found that overuse of the rear brake is the biggest cause of traction issues. If you can't resist stomping on the rear brake, then yes, perhaps a car tire is a better choice. But if you're not taking advantage of the weight transfer and using mainly the front brake, I believe your stopping distances will suffer.

Now, if cost is the issue then absolutely a car tire is cheaper and will last longer. Coming from sportier bikes with tires that lasted 4-5,000 miles at best, I find the 8-10,000 I get on the R3T to be a luxury. When thinking about cost I equate the decision with using a quality helmet. If I couldn't afford a good one, I'd get a cheaper bike.

So, there's my opinion. Based on zero experience with car tires. But, after 51 years on motorcycle tires, I'll likely stick with what's worked so far.

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mully95 said:

Well yes here we go again.

.....Now after miles and miles I ride the twisties with the car tire but I still have a uneasy feeling about the tire. It has some characteristics that I don't like. Going through the twists from right to left the transition point is noticeable. It isn't a nice flow to the left or to the right motion. It has a "center" if you will .... a hump you have to cross to bring the over to the left lean or to the right lean. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. Another is if you look at my car tire you will see that I have been "in some cases" riding on the sidewall. It has started to look thin on the side wall I might add. It's starting to "groove" out spots. I might have fell off the turnip truck yesterday but I know that a motorcycle or car tire is NOT meant to be run on the sidewall. I'm talking about I can't read the top portion of the letters on the sidewall. ......

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CanberraR3 said:

You know, I'm so sick of hearing how fantastic a car tyre is "through the twisties". I ride my bike every dsay. It's transport, it's fun, it's recreation. I don't want to fight with it over the drive crossings I go over every day, or make it more difficult to move around in the car park or garage or have to worry about it rolling away when parked on a hill. And I don't want to ride it like I'm on a race track. I don't need a big fat square car tyre any more than I need training wheels. I know how to apply my rear brake properly and I know how to ride a motorcycle properly. I don't need some remedial aid to do that. Scraping pegs/boards proves nothing except you've had to lean your bike more. I can go through the same corner at the same speed and scrape or not scrape. It all gets down to how far I lean my body. Simple as that; riding technique/ability.

Those who have found that a bike tyre doesn't work for them only proves one thing. They have a preference for something else. It doesn't make motorcycle tyres inferior in any way. It's just a commentary on how they ride, their ability and what they prefer.

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TheMadScientist said:

I intend on trying the car tire to experience it for myself. I do appreciate all the input of people that have posted their experiences with the car tire. This allows me to benefit from others experience of others.

Mr bull you are correct about the formulae. I was thinking of the one below

F=μN=μmg
F is force of friction. μ Is the coefficient of friction and N is force pushing down in Newtons or pounds. mg can be substituted for N. m is mass and g is the acceleration due to gravity.

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1olbull said:

SWEEEEEET!
The man knows his numbers.
"N" for normal force.
One of my favs is: V1=W1 x V1 prime x cos theta 1 prime + W2 x V2 prime x cos theta2 prime - W2 x V2 x cos theta2 / W1 x cos theta1
:soapbox:
PS: wish I could type the mu symbol

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