Darkside Riders
- Thread starter Wingboy
- Start date
There's lots of guys on a couple Vulcan forums that run darkside and they all swear by it. There's always a couple of people each week that switch over and you never hear them complain about it after the fact.
Now either they are so busy riding they don't have time to complain, or they died in a horrible tire related accident..
Now either they are so busy riding they don't have time to complain, or they died in a horrible tire related accident..
Or they don't wanna admit that they blew good cash on total crap, so they just keep it quiet
Or they don't wanna admit that they blew good cash on total crap, so they just keep it quiet
Quite possibly. I have a tire in my garage that would fit my bike. Perhaps i should give it a try... of course it's snow tire.. guess i'll wait till the fall.
Might be an interesting "what if" kinda project. Still, a good feature for those who ride in a straight line. Less wear on the tire, but I'm guessing less grip (compound) in addition to a geometry that's just NOT optimal for motorcycle use. It would make an interesting ride though. Actually that might be the reason some of them are doing it and still riding darkside
Im somewhat interested in giving it a try.. but not interested enough to try on my own bike. If someone's got a spare rear VN900 rim kicking around i'll give it a go.
According from reviews i've read, the only real downside is an increased turn in effort. Apparently it takes a little more effort to get leaned over (duh) but once you have a few miles under your belt you don't even notice.
Bonus include 20,000+ mile tire life, excellent wet handling and braking, very stable to ride and dirt cheap to replace.
The General Altimax tire that seems popular for the 900 205/70R15 is $69 at Wal-Mart in the states.. the 200/70 15 Metz is $230 from Petes or $317 local installed.
All the savings can go towards medical bills when you couldent swerve around a hazard
According from reviews i've read, the only real downside is an increased turn in effort. Apparently it takes a little more effort to get leaned over (duh) but once you have a few miles under your belt you don't even notice.
Bonus include 20,000+ mile tire life, excellent wet handling and braking, very stable to ride and dirt cheap to replace.
The General Altimax tire that seems popular for the 900 205/70R15 is $69 at Wal-Mart in the states.. the 200/70 15 Metz is $230 from Petes or $317 local installed.
All the savings can go towards medical bills when you couldent swerve around a hazard
Lol.Good point.If we knew that we were never going to fall over,we wouldn't need helmets,boots or any of the other gear that we spend so much money on.But we (well,some of us) do prepare for the crash and dress accordingly.I almost always ride on the street thru twisties with the thought in mind that i'm following a truck that has just lost a refrigerator in the middle of the turn i'm entering.With my good condition tires and cat like reflexes,i can swerve easily around the Maytag.With a car tire i would have lost some of the advantage.
I know that there is at least one Darksider on the board.I would like to hear your thoughts on this.Don't be shy dude,discuss.
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It's not like these guys lean or go fast. What the first guy is doing is probably his max anyhow.
And when your bike is 800lbs and you're 300lbs, regular tire would probably only last a few months so maybe not a bad idea.
I would love to see some statistics on shifted belts on those tires from abnormal use though.
And when your bike is 800lbs and you're 300lbs, regular tire would probably only last a few months so maybe not a bad idea.
I would love to see some statistics on shifted belts on those tires from abnormal use though.
I guess you can avoid using a kickstand on tarmac with these things as well?
