Thanks to someone here mentioning putting a car tire on the bike and guiding us to the darkside forum, we are almost there !!!
I bought all the tires and am ready to get this going. My first few choices would have had to been ordered and take 7 - 10 days to arrive, so I went with what was in stock.
My rims are all being powder coated white to match the bike, they should be done Tuesday and then the tires will be installed. And I even splurged and bought into the Dyna Bead thing, we'll see how that works. $40.00 for beads for all 3 tires, applicator, valve stem caps.
I'm just excited to get the hack back on the road, friends want rides NOW !!!
Here are the tires going on the darksided Wing with hack !!!
Bridgestone Potenza G019 195/55-16 BACK
Battle Ax BT-45 130/70/18 FRONT
CLASIC LL800 155/80R12 HACK
I have a Valkyrie I/S that I installed a Motorvation Formula II onto this spring.
Prior to that I had approximately 30,000 mi. on car tire with the Valk. With the sidecar it just makes more sense.
Yeah, and now I'm wishing I'd have put a ct on the front also instead of the crotch rocket rear tire up front, oh well. When it wears out I'll go car tire up front. I think my 2 wheel Harley Ultra is getting a car tire on the rear next tire change too !!!
When you find a cheap way to mount that to your Harley let us know, wanted to do the same with mine, but overall cost, compaired to buying harley rear tire, which I now have over 5500 rather spirited and highspeed miles on, looks to last manybe another 3000 if I am lucky, it just isn't worth the cost.
Hmmm, I wonder if car tires have the same bead design as a motorcycle? I was under the impression that the beads had a different design.
Obviously a car tire would give more mileage than a motorcycle on a dedicated sidecar rig. I wouldn't use one on a solo machine, although I know that some people have done that with success.
this horse has been beaten to death on various forums, even as we speak. I did a lot of research when I first got started and will with what I have found so far, I will run OEM Harley Dunlap's. Until I find that it is really safe and my insurance will cover it.
turtleman57 - 8/9/2010 5:10 PM
this horse has been beaten to death on various forums, even as we speak. I did a lot of research when I first got started and will with what I have found so far, I will run OEM Harley Dunlap's. Until I find that it is really safe and my insurance will cover it.
Yeah, I'll stick with motorcycle tires. I've never been able to determine the difference in the rim bead. I guess someone knows but I haven't found it yet.
As long as Harley Davidson has been marketing factory sidecar rigs, it sure seems some one would have developed and marketed a proper flat profile tire for the HD rear wheel. But then again, some rider would likely use such a tire without the hack mounted, slide out and call his "trial lawyer." 🙁
Lee
MB5+TW200+CRF250L+GTV300+INT650
XL883R w/Texas Ranger Sidecar
Zuma 50F + Burgman w/Texas Sidecar<Mrs. SwampFox
There's a forum DEDICATED to guys that use car tires on their bikes, MOST of which are 2 wheel, NO HACK !!! Some guys have over 100,000 miles on this set up. I'm 110% confident in it on the hacked rig, but I'm undecided on the 2 wheel bike. When I posted about the tire I bought to put on the rear of the Goldwing/Hannigan, I got what they call a Darkside #. I'm #728.
So, 727 guys before me have been running car tires on the rear, again, 98% 2 wheelers, and some even run a car tire up front !!! WITHOUT INCIDENT !!!
Why wouldn't I run a flat car tire on the back of a hacked bike? And the front for that matter?
And the bead seats fine, they don't even lose air. I've done ALOT of reading/research on the matter.
Dunlops on Harleys??? Seriously??? I don't know many guys that continue to run a Dunlop after the first rear wears out. Some are trying the E3 now tho'.
Run what you want, if I don't agree with your choice, I can promise, I won't feel the need to type a reply anywhere in the thread, to each his own.
We run car tires on 2 of our 3 rigs. Even Jena's scooter has a car tire on the rear. But we just haven't found a suitable tubeless tire to mount on the 16-inch HD wheel.
Lee
MB5+TW200+CRF250L+GTV300+INT650
XL883R w/Texas Ranger Sidecar
Zuma 50F + Burgman w/Texas Sidecar<Mrs. SwampFox
I run into the same problem, 16's are tough to find, I did find this tire and am using it but it's on a 1100 Honda shadow with a 5 1/4 rim, it set real good and it not that expensive. they say it's a tube type tire but I have had no problems running it without a tube but if you have spokes this tire might just work for you.
http://store.cokertire.com/525-550-18-excelsior-blackwall-tire.html
Shadow1100T - 8/10/2010 1:58 AM
I run into the same problem, 16's are tough to find, I did find this tire and am using it but it's on a 1100 Honda shadow with a 5 1/4 rim...
My dilemma is looking for a 25.4"+/- tire with 5.5"+/- width for a 3"x16" wheel.
Even Coker's 4.50/4.75x16 is 26.2" tall, but only 4.75" wide - but tread width is 3.8". 🙂 However, the 3%+/- "up" in gearing would about eliminate the 4%+/- reduction already in place.
Oh well, the HD Dunlops to wear well. Reckon the FLH touring tires would wear longer? Or do they just have heavier load capacity/thicker sidewalls?)
Lee
MB5+TW200+CRF250L+GTV300+INT650
XL883R w/Texas Ranger Sidecar
Zuma 50F + Burgman w/Texas Sidecar<Mrs. SwampFox
UltraRodHack - 8/10/2010 4:50 AM
I feel right at home here now, it's just like the Harley forum. Someone is tired of a certain "topic" yet they post in it, why? And then the name calling starts. I'll pass.
Actually, it does resemble a Harley forum sometimes, also the GWRRA, the Yamaha Virago, the BMW and the Suzuki fora, to be more concise.
I think anyone who wants to use a car tire on a motorcycle is....is....is....well, ahh, ...entitled to do so. LOL.
🙂
Hell you should have seen the fights and almost knock down drag out fights, we had as Twin Eagles. We were an intertribal group formed in S'port la in the late 80's talk about putting 20 native american woman in one room and trying to control that group, these forum are boy and girl scouts compared to "fightin injuns"............lol
SwampFox - 8/10/2010 5:03 AM
Shadow1100T - 8/10/2010 1:58 AM
I run into the same problem, 16's are tough to find, I did find this tire and am using it but it's on a 1100 Honda shadow with a 5 1/4 rim...
My dilemma is looking for a 25.4"+/- tire with 5.5"+/- width for a 3"x16" wheel.
Even Coker's 4.50/4.75x16 is 26.2" tall, but only 4.75" wide - but tread width is 3.8". 🙂 However, the 3%+/- "up" in gearing would about eliminate the 4%+/- reduction already in place.Oh well, the HD Dunlops to wear well. Reckon the FLH touring tires would wear longer? Or do they just have heavier load capacity/thicker sidewalls?)
I recall that the Dunlop Elite II's were very popular with the Goldwing riders since they were a harder compound and were noted for better (longer) mileage. I think those have now been replaced by Elite IIIs'
Your dilemna is not uncommon. There are no rules for the "darkside" of motorcycling. Most people just do it and keep the secrets to themselves since they fear unwarranted criticism.
Hmmmm, I wonder what rear tires HD is using on their Trikes? That might be a possibility.
EDIT: I just looked at the Harley-Davidson website and found the specifications for the Trike. They have gone to car-type wheels on the rear. they show a P205/65R15. That's a car tire with a 15" rim. Those should wear beautifully. Too bad they won't fit on an FL.
They also kept a fairly high 6th gear ratio - 3.15:1.
