Rear tire swap put to standard auto tire.

[Snowball]

I have heard rumors about riders swapping out their rear tire with a standard car tire; i.e. Gold Wings and a few others. Just wondering if anyone has tried this on the raider and how it handled. With the price of a new 240 rear tire and only getting about 8-10k miles compared to paying less for a high quality and performance car tire and getting 30-40k would help quite a bit in the wallet department.
Any suggestions or comments appreciated.
Thanks
Snowball

[almost_there]

I searched this forum and found this:

http://www.mybikeforums.com/forums/s...ight=dark+side

Just curious as to why you'd want to swap to a car tire (aka dark side)? From what I've read, the handling changes significantly and performance isn't any better (if not worse). It might be cheaper but just seems dangerous to have a radial (with its squishiness) on a bike with the performance and handling of the Raider.

Good luck and ride safe!

[CharlieA]

I'm trying to figure why anyone would even consider a car tire unless all you are doing is drag racing and then it's still questionable. seems with the flat tread and square sidewalls it would be terrible in a corner. Am I missing something, help me understand.
Charlie

[toyman5623]

I don't think it would be cheaper or safe.You only have one tire back there,Put only the best motorcycle tire on that you can afford,and if you can't afford one.Don't Ride...

[Roadkill]

There are riders that are getting 13 to 15,000 on the Avon Cobra 240's...if all you do are straight roads then you might be ok with the car tire...but if you get into an accident and your insurance finds out you were running the wrong type tire then you would probably be SOL...of course this is just my opinion.

[DJinNH]

I like to go with the thinking, "It's your bike, set it up the way you want it." I just don't get the whole car tire thing though. Seems to make about as much sense as putting four Avon Cobras on my F-150.

[Beethoven]

The makers of motorcycle tires spend millions designing tires that will work at every lean angle. They mess with profiles and heights, and the belts or chords inside, and the tire compounds and tread designs. They carefully harmonize the rear profile to match the front profile so that the geometry of the contact patches is perfect in the turns. They mess with harmomic vibrations between the front and the back. There are a bazzillion factors they mess with. Modern tires are a revelation compared to the tires we had in the 60's. How much is a broken ankle or leg worth to ya? What we do is DANGEROUS!! The only thing between you and death is those tiny contact patches. I will now reliquish the soap box.

[jeb6294]

From the July 2012 issue of Rider Magazine...

http://www.ridermagazine.com/top-stories/tales-from-the-dark-side-putting-car-tires-on-motorcycles.htm

[WV_Raider]

Here's another look at the Dark Side.....

http://lifeisaroad.com/stories/2004/...eDarkSide.html

WVR

[assemanym]

ignorance is bliss...lol

[GriffiX]

I did it

And I would never go back to an MC tire on MY ride, but then again Im a different rider than most and Im on different roads than alot.
Im in South Texas where its either hot or "Lord have mercy grab me a cold one!" Our roads get sticky from melting tar at times and that'll eat tires, and we dont have a whole lot of real terrain. Roads are flat and wide curved. I do ALOT of burn outs. I have also done things to mine that many of you would disapprove of, but hey.... this is my ride. My theme is an apocalyptic style. Very tough, manly, gritty and mean looking. Been told is Mad Max meets Ghost Rider. I hate polishing chrome and am not much for pretty. I love the yamaha raider for the performace and handling that it has and fabricated alot to make it my own.
I say that to say this, Dark Side is definelty the perfect fit for what Im after. MC tire would take away from what I need.
Handling?.... ya, its pretty scary at first. Especially when your dealing with the power and get-up that a raider has. I have put about 13k miles on the all terrain performance Falken Ziex ZE 502 225/40ZR18 and have done a handfull of burnouts and still have plenty of tread (just a perk). So you could say that its worn in, enough to where i can still take a turn at 60-70 mph, lean that son of a gun over to where the pegs throw sparks and my boot rubs road. Oh she leans! Did several burnouts while leaning on sides to get there, but she's truely a thing of beauty. An talk about traction! Man Im pulling off the line here!
Only down fall is minor in my opinion: wider turns until you brake it in, but again.... Texas.
I named her Mercy. Hotrod superstition, but bad luck to not name your ride. (also green is a bad luck color for bikes fyi, higher accidental rates than any other color)
Thats my review, all goods and absolutley no bads.