Car Tire as Rear Bike Tire - WHATDOYOUTHINK?

[sedanman]

My 2 cents. I have been near the limits of my tires on my Rt. Motorcycle tires for me thanks. BUT if Iwere to do a n epic Iron Butt event like 48 in 10 (48 states, 10 days) then I would be looking to the darkside. For how I ride right now no, Am I open to the idea under certain circumstances, yes.

[lkchris]

just sayin'

Methinks it's "not nice" to call engineers and tire designers the same, which is in reality the gist of this topic in the case of the "experimenters."

There is clearly a subset of motorcyclists who appear to believe that simply owning a motorcycle makes them mechanical geniuses with no need whatsoever for formal education in the area. They're delusional.

[RINTY]

This topic reminds of when folks were installing tubeless tires on their airheads.

The Rider article mentions that bike tires are comparably priced to high performance automobile tires. We have seen the prices of the latter dropping during the last several years, as the Japanese enter the segment, but I don't expect to see this happen with motorcycle tires.

BTW, thanks for posting that link, Norm.

[lmo1131]

.. . .. .

[brisco]

I think I want one of these on my RT:

Downtown Indy last night. I just don't get it...

[NI5L]

LMAO.....how the hell would you turn it around??

[ka5ysy]

I like thinking out of the box and pushing the envelope on the bleeding edge on a lot of things, though sometime to my detriment, and I have had a great life for 63 years. Only problem with doing this is that occasionally, when you get behind the power curve and exceed the envelope, bad things happen. You may well get away with stuff many times, but on that statistically relevant day that your number comes up, you will be SOL.

Knowingly using incorrect tires on a bike is known as "assumption of risk" to us lawyer types, and is a very good defense to product liability and personal injury claims. Given the propensity of insurance companies to try and deny claims for any little reason, why would anyone want to hand them a free ticket out of paying one? That is precisely what using the wrong tire will do.

Stay safe out there. Saving money by using car tires is simply not worth the risk of serious injury or death. Think of your loved ones if nothing else !

As my late great mom and dad always asked me :
"Just because your friends are jumping off a cliff, does it mean you should or will ?"

[35634]

I got to thinking (not a good thing) and realized that MC tires tend to get squared off and handling suffers. But aggressive cornering with an already square car tire would round off the corners and handling would improve! The dark side may be onto something here, a tire that improves with age

[BC1100S]

For the love of Pete - Make It Stop!

Please!

[kantuckid]

A friend of mine has been doing it for years on his Valkari. He doesn't do foot peg scraping turns. Sometimes you have to think outside the box.

Think however you want but I'm not a foot peg scraper but my bike does in fact lean into a curve thus my comment , r.e., how could a car tire feel right?
But then you could shave the car tires to be the shape you want,sounds real practical huh?

[greenwald]

For the love of Pete - Make It Stop!

Please!

Relax.

Like bungee jumping and eating puffer fish, this problem is self-correcting with time.

[42906]

Whatever end results occur, those that think outside the box are "leaders". May have shorter lives, but still leaders in my book. I don't have to follow the leader, but those with risk and thoughts of change are still the cutting edge folks that get r done! I try to read and absorb ideas I hear from all sources, reason'em out and discard most of it. I think we all have this in us, just some more willing to speak it outloud and share. The car/mc tires are a phenom that should get more looksee, because when I buy a 20000$M/C, it doesn't mean I have to go poor, buying parts for it. That topic is dead, you bought a expensive bike and now odd tires? No, I got rich saving my money, not just blowing it away on BMW,etc and all the frills that come with it. I am very unreasonable when it comes to prices of parts, tires, oil and the like and we are gouged every day(me too), buying like sheep, no questions asked! I'm no sheep and when a guy brings up car tires on a bike idea, for dollars saved or whatever, we should listen more and JUST PERHAPS, those with knowledge can build a good "NAmerican" Tire for bikes and maybe even a crossover CAR tire that works really well? Outside the box thinkers are the ones. We can Hope. Randy

Validation of the saying among Harley riders I know that the cheapest thing on a BMW is the rider. Just sayin' .............

[42906]

If car type tires worked on motorcycles, you would see them on racing grids around the world. In road racing, hard data, lap times, segment times and cornering speed collected by on board telemetry systems and sensors placed all over the bike, rule the day. If it doesn't make the bike faster on the track, it doesn't end up on the bike. Image, hunches and all the rest go out the window. Function is the rule of the day.
You don't see car tires on GP bikes or WSBK bikes. If you think you are smarter than those teams then that is your delusion, not mine. The most advanced tech shows up first on the racing grid, not in the back yard of some cheapskate BMW rider who thinks tire pricing is a conspiracy. God where do people come up with this stuff?
Personally I can tell when my rear tire is down 3-4 psi because the bike doesn't want to turn. The Street Rod is exquisitely sensitive to rear tire shape and inflation. A D209 on the rear handles miserably, resisting changing direction, but put a Pilot Road II on it and the transformation is amazing. Dead neutral and light steering, on something that big. The people who put big square car tires on a bike and claim it doesn't affect handling are numb. They have no feel for machinery, and yes such people exist. Most, fortunately, stick to cars and clog up the freeway.

[ANDYVH]

Handling is not affected with a car tire? Pure crap.

Don't judge it before you've tried it? I say why compromise what the bike can do?

"I don't lean into the corners like others". Someday you will have to do it, that is IF you know how to do it, so why have the rear tire further compromise your abilities?
I have met many a rider that have simply crappy cornering skills, some with claimed "years of experience", and then further limit them by using car tires?

Rolling roulette in my book.

I learned about being cheap with cycle tires the hard way, and now have over 12" of titanium rod in my lower left leg. It simply is NOT worth it. You make your choices, but don't come crying cause your bike "won't make the turn" because the tires have further reduced your riding ability.

I've had recent opportunity to ride all the Victory models, including those with the wide rear tire. Those wide flat tires require firm, hard, direct input to the grips when leaned over to maintain your line at ANY lean angle. I'd bet a car tire on the rear of the bike would create a similar issue.

[MICHAEL B]

What a hoot!!! This thread has been awesome fun. Love all the responses. I wanted to know what everyone thought, and got it!

Thanks loads guys! Next topic?

Michael B

P.S. My next cycle rubber will be cycle tires...just sayin'