Car Tire on Motorcycle

[modette]

I've always found it interesting and probably does work for some people, probably depends on ones riding style and type of bike.

YouTube - ‪Darkside tire on the highway‬‏

YouTube - ‪Car Tire on a Goldwing.. rightside up!‬‏

I remember reading about people doing this 10+ years ago. I even once thought about it on my FZ1 as I saw people putting car tires on Bandit 1200's. It worked for them. I think its not crazy, it just depends on a persons riding style...you slabbing it on I70 across the USA then probably not going to be a big deal. You tossing them onto a bike like an FZ1 or GSXR-600 and hitting the canyons dragging pegs is probably not a wise thing to do.

I do find some of the typical responses people have as funny, this has been done as long as their have been car tires vs motorcycle tires. You simply are not going to DIE, that is a myth, insurance is not going to know unless the cop wrote it up in his report and most cops don't know shit about bikes. So the old 'good luck when your insurance denies the claim" is a myth. Any reports of it ever happening? After all they can deny for any reason and typically takes a fight anyways. *shrug*

Maybe one day I'll have a big tourer and I'll try the car tire to see. I will admit I did a search to see someone filming a motorcycle tires deflection and guess what there are none...so it makes the comparison of the two videos I post hard to tell how much contact patch is being used.

[stevo_x]

YouTube - ‪Going to the Darkside with a KUMHO RF on a GL1800 Goldwing‬‏

[Joe]

Originally Posted by modette

I've always found it interesting and probably does work for some people, probably depends on ones riding style and type of bike.


you slabbing it on I70 across the USA then probably not going to be a big deal. You tossing them onto a bike like an FZ1 or GSXR-600 and hitting the canyons dragging pegs is probably not a wise thing to do.

Thats pretty much my thoughts on it, though I do find a bit disconcerting how much the contact patch shrinks in a corner

[modette]

I have one of these sitting in the tire store room, yeah I have a room for tires...LOL



As you can see its DOT approved and it is pretty dang square. The sidewalls are pretty soft compared to a Desert IT or even a BT021's I used to run on the FZ1. I compare the sidewalls to that of a car tire, not as thick and give/flex enough that you still have a contact patch.

From my experience the contact patch of a motorcycle cycle tire also shrinks. Its typically 1.5"-2" wide anyways. Its not like the whole motorcycle tire stays in contact, I got to say I'm impressed with the videos showing the car tire, there is a lot more contact do to tire flex then what MCN's had shown in the past with their diagrams. They (MCN's) always made it seem like you were on the tires edge, which seems not to be the case. This might be do to a heavy bike like a Goldwing vs say a ZX10r where the heavier weight makes the tire flex and keep a contact patch.

My concern be, I always wore out the edges of my tires here in CO do to all the canyons. How does one of these car tires hold up after 5K miles compared to a motorcycle tire??? Especially the edges, I would think the car tire could cup pretty easily...but then again maybe there is enough flex it wears even enough.

I guess I'll always find this subject interesting, its like the old oil debate and the use of rottella.

Only other way I would try a car tire be if I ever get that Ural its on my list to own someday.

[PhilB]

On a sidecar rig, which doesn't lean, it would make sense. On a bike that leans, not so much.

PhilB

[scarredpelt]

I have met several people who swear by them, personally the week I used one on the couch is an experience I don't wish to repeat.

[Süsser Tod]

I wonder if there is something that could fit the XJR1300

It's a heavy muscle bike without a lot of ground clearance, so dragging pegs is not out of the question, but you don't lean it as far as a sportbike. Either way, to me it doesn't make sense, I'm having trouble wearing them out before it's time to replace them... Too many bikes and not enough time to ride them.