Radials on stock 15 inch rear wheel

[Fire-medic]

size 160/60R15M/C
speed rated 130 mph Load rating 677 lbs

http://www.bridgestone.com/products/motorcycle_tires/products/battlax/th01.html

But for a much-larger rim width than our stock wheels at the rear especially, the tread profile will not be what you need to enjoy the stability and benefits of radials. It wouldn't be safe on our width rims. Think of a three-sizes too-small suitcoat-you may be able to button it, barely, but it won't look good or be comfortable. So, if you have to widen the rim, go to a larger-rim, 17" or 18" too.

 

[davesax36]

Plug numbers in here to compare all the parameters. I've found this very handy when choosing my next set of radials (still haven't decided yet)...

http://tire-size-conversion.com/tire-size-calculator/

 

[frank5079]

The closest sized radial tire I've found comparable to the stock 150/90-15, is a 165/80R-15 which is......a car tire. I know the flame throwing will start, but I think I'm going with an Avon AV55 ST Storm 2 110/80R-18 for the front and a 165/80R-15 Nexen radial tire for the rear....

For a 150/90-15,
Diameter = 25.6
Width = 5.91
Sidewall = 5.31
Circumference = 80.5
Revs/Mile = 787.3

For the 165/80R-15,
Diameter = 25.4
Width = 6.5
Sidewall = 5.2
Circumference = 79.7
Revs/Mile = 794.6

 

[frank5079]

After checking this forum out, I have decided that I too will step to the "Dark Side"...

this

 

[DMAN999]

Frank,
While I won't tell you Not to run a car tire on your VMax, I will say that it will NOT handle as well in the curves as a GOOD motorcycle tire will.
Car tires and Motorcycle tire have completely different constructions, car tires are made to run flat and MC tires are built to be able to run at an angle.
So as long as you don't ride the twisties hard you will probably be very happy on the Dark Side.
Let us know how you like that tire after you get a few thousand miles on it, I'd be interested to know.
That video shows him Only going about 10-15 mph.
I'd really like to know how it handles in the curves at 1.5-2x the posted curve speed. (55-60 in a 30 mph curve, 75-85 in a 45 mph curve, etc.)
And looking at that forum all I see using car tires are 800+ lb cruisers that probably only ever do the posted curves speed, so I'd really be shy of running through the twistes at any higher speeds.

Personally, I run way too hot in the twisties, way too often to trust my life to a car tire without some real world feedback.

 

[srk468]

If your going to use a car tire then why waste the time and money to even bother going with radials? A bias ply tire like a Metz or Shinko will handle better than those radials.. Just my $.02

sent from my HTC Rezound using tapatalk

 

[frank5079]

Frank,
While I won't tell you Not to run a car tire on your VMax, I will say that it will NOT handle as well in the curves as a GOOD motorcycle tire.
Car tires and Motorcycle tire have completely different constructions, car tires are made to run flat and MC tires are built to be able to run at an angle.
So as long as you don't ride the twisties hard you will probably be very happy on the Dark Side.
Let us know how you like that tire after you get a few thousand miles on it, I'd be interested to know.
I'd really like to know how it handles in the curves at 1.5-2x the posted curve speed. (55-60 in a 30 mph curve, 75-85 in a 45 mph curve, etc.)

Personally, I run way too hot in the twisties, way too often to trust my life to a car tire without some real world feedback.

Thanks for the input Dennis. I don't ride that aggressively on my bike(getting older I guess) and even when I had my Suzuki RF900, I rarely leaned far enough to put any wear on the outer edges of my tires(120/70R-17 and 180/55R-17 Metzlers) so much that the little rubber pips were still intact. I do like the idea that rear braking is improved with a car tire, not to mention that car tires last more than triple the life of a comparable bike tire.

So I will try it and give my own evaluation report....stay tuned!!

 

[DMAN999]

Thanks for the input Dennis. I don't ride that aggressively on my bike(getting older I guess) and even when I had my Suzuki RF900, I rarely leaned far enough to put any wear on the outer edges of my tires(120/70R-17 and 180/55R-17 Metzlers) so much that the little rubber pips were still intact. I do like the idea that rear braking is improved with a car tire, not to mention that car tires last more than triple the life of a comparable bike tire.

So I will try it and give my own evaluation report....stay tuned!!

Nice, I really am curious to see how you like them.

 

[ZackDaniels]

"It doesn't handle worse, it just handles different" says every darksider ever.

It handles like ****.

 

[Fire-medic]

Just because you can doesn't mean you should. The time when you need to make a rapid evasive maneuver, and the bike goes-up on the side of that rear tire, and you have an accident? It could have been avoided. "Be One with The Darkside?" Nah, in the interest of self-preservation, "just say-no."

Yes, your choice, but not a good choice when you consider the deterioration in emergency handling.

 

[davesax36]

Just be sure to post pics and ride reports.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

 

[frank5079]

Just because you can doesn't mean you should. The time when you need to make a rapid evasive maneuver, and the bike goes-up on the side of that rear tire, and you have an accident? It could have been avoided. "Be One with The Darkside?" Nah, in the interest of self-preservation, "just say-no."

Yes, your choice, but not a good choice when you consider the deterioration in emergency handling.

May be so but I guess the way to find out is to take the plunge....

Check out what this Gold Wing rider says....

Check out this thread as well.....

 

[davesax36]

Some of the wing guys ride the hell out of some car tires.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

 

[DMAN999]

Some of the wing guys ride the hell out of some car tires.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

From what I've read 99% of Dark siders all say the same thing:
That as long as you don't ride too hard in the curves, the car tire works well.
Those same guys on 800+ lb. bikes don't ride very hard in the curves, even on Motorcycle tires.

PS
I don't call doing 30 mph or so in the curves, riding the hell out of it (Goldwing riders probably would though, LOL).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNMEv7VoH04

 

[Rollie]

A good attorney would have a ball against a " biker " with a car tire on the rear.

unk:

May be so but I guess the way to find out is to take the plunge....

Check out what this Gold Wing rider says....

Check out this thread as well.....

 

[one2dmax]

I've ridden a few car tire equipped bikes and will tell you handling in any sort of curvy environment at any sort of speed is complete ****. Handling going straight down the road or highway type driving/curves isn't bad.

Take it to Eureka Springs and try and keep up will have me waiting close to an hour while you catch up at many of the stops (I already wait a good length of time as it is on many in the group).

Here's the most recent car tire bike I rode around on.
Sean

 

[leroycp]

+1

 

[DMAN999]

Here's another Goldwing Dark Sider really Tearing up the curves, he must be doing at least 20 mph !!! :rofl_200:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvtUbSg9XF8

 

[Fire-medic]

I think I would liken it to working on an energized electrical circuit, sure, you can do it but it's not safe, any way you try to rationalize it. Ask any IBEW member. And again, I reiterate that in the event of a panic stop while cornering or having to swerve to avoid something, and braking at the same time, the car tire is gonna fail you in your moment of need. Don't you want to give yourself every opportunity to avoid being injured/killed? "He lost-control when that crap fell-off the overloaded trailer in-front of him, and he panic-braked, swerved, and that bike spit him off, where he hit that oak. But they say he saved $400 in tire-replacements!"

Better max-out your health and life insurance (yeah, 'that's cold').

 

[frank5079]

I've ridden a few car tire equipped bikes and will tell you handling in any sort of curvy environment at any sort of speed is complete ****. Handling going straight down the road or highway type driving/curves isn't bad.

Take it to Eureka Springs and try and keep up will have me waiting close to an hour while you catch up at many of the stops (I already wait a good length of time as it is on many in the group).

Here's the most recent car tire bike I rode around on.
Sean

90 percent of my riding is to and from work. The other times(especially now that I am in my 50s) are just pleasure riding at a very subdued pace. I've always told people that the V-Max is the "big block Chevelle" of the motorcycle world, and those cars were never meant to handle like a small block Camaro....