Comments on: Motorcycle Tires vs. Car Tires http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83/ Irreverent Motorcycle News & Safety Tips Tue, 22 May 2012 13:42:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: roy http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83/comment-page-1/#comment-4400 roy Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:56:06 +0000 http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83#comment-4400 rethinking it ya car tires on bikes sure when was the last time a h.d. or crusier leaned over far and then ground off the mufflers, or side stand...and hey ww-2 bikes well they needed to lean over , right ,all at 45 mph top speed on a wd -hd of 20 hp flat head...and they did it in semi-knobby miltary tires ... so if its good enough 70 years ago its good enought now, and car tires come with ---white walls how cool is that.. rethinking it ya car tires on bikes sure when was the last time a h.d. or crusier leaned over far and then ground off the mufflers, or side stand…and hey ww-2 bikes well they needed to lean over , right ,all at 45 mph top speed on a wd -hd of 20 hp flat head…and they did it in semi-knobby miltary tires … so if its good enough 70 years ago its good enought now, and car tires come with —white walls how cool is that..

]]> By: Ted http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83/comment-page-1/#comment-4399 Ted Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:41:56 +0000 http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83#comment-4399 Car tires on Motorcycles??? Been in the business since 1965. Have only seen 1 car tire on a bike. You guys must be smoking illegal stuff!.. Square profile on a bike? down a drag strip yes, NOWHERE else. Smokey you are crazy!!!!!!!!!!1 Car tires on Motorcycles??? Been in the business since 1965. Have only seen 1 car tire on a bike. You guys must be smoking illegal stuff!.. Square profile on a bike? down a drag strip yes, NOWHERE else. Smokey you are crazy!!!!!!!!!!1

]]> By: Jimbo http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83/comment-page-1/#comment-4311 Jimbo Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:14:12 +0000 http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83#comment-4311 When I read about all the changes riders and shade tree mechanics make to their rides I am always amazed the Japanese, Korean, American, Canadian and European motorcycle manufacturers hire idiots as engineers. They obviously have no idea certain segments of the riding public is more qualified then they are. But of course manufacturers are ham-strung by government regulations, that is if they want to sell the product. The cost of tires was mentioned. Did you ever try buying a replacement part for your inboard or outboard boat motor? How about a Cessna or Piper Cub airplane? Closer to home; a $30 dollar printer and $40 dollar print cartridge. When I read about all the changes riders and shade tree mechanics make to their rides I am always amazed the Japanese, Korean, American, Canadian and European motorcycle manufacturers hire idiots as engineers. They obviously have no idea certain segments of the riding public is more qualified then they are. But of course manufacturers are ham-strung by government regulations, that is if they want to sell the product.

The cost of tires was mentioned. Did you ever try buying a replacement part for your inboard or outboard boat motor? How about a Cessna or Piper Cub airplane? Closer to home; a $30 dollar printer and $40 dollar print cartridge.

]]> By: Hugh http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83/comment-page-1/#comment-4111 Hugh Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:29:07 +0000 http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83#comment-4111 Don't know about the durometer rating of car vs m/c tires, but I'm pretty sure that m/c tires are made to have a high coefficient of friction, even more so on sport bike tires designed for lighter bikes. Heavier bikes probably get away with running car tires better because they are heavier and therefore apply more force on the contact patch. Not being a tire designer, I can only speculate that one of the tire design tradeoffs is high coefficient of friction vs longer wear. If that's not the case, then tire companies are sticking it to m/c riders big time, given the price of tires!! Are there any physicists out there that can enlighten the rest of us on this issue? I asked a Dunlop factory rep about the "new tires are slick" advice you always hear. He laughed and told me that the shiny surface on modern tires is only because they are fresh out of the mold. They used to put mold release on the tire molds, but for decades they have used teflon coated molds so no mold release. One of the guys I ride with (70 yr old still on a sport bike) will take a new set of tires and run the chicken strips off on a twisty road right away - seems to validate what the Dunlop guy said. Apparently they still advise you to go easy for the first 100 miles, but that is for the rider to get used to the new tires, not because the tires are coated in snot. Don’t know about the durometer rating of car vs m/c tires, but I’m pretty sure that m/c tires are made to have a high coefficient of friction, even more so on sport bike tires designed for lighter bikes. Heavier bikes probably get away with running car tires better because they are heavier and therefore apply more force on the contact patch. Not being a tire designer, I can only speculate that one of the tire design tradeoffs is high coefficient of friction vs longer wear. If that’s not the case, then tire companies are sticking it to m/c riders big time, given the price of tires!! Are there any physicists out there that can enlighten the rest of us on this issue?
I asked a Dunlop factory rep about the “new tires are slick” advice you always hear. He laughed and told me that the shiny surface on modern tires is only because they are fresh out of the mold. They used to put mold release on the tire molds, but for decades they have used teflon coated molds so no mold release. One of the guys I ride with (70 yr old still on a sport bike) will take a new set of tires and run the chicken strips off on a twisty road right away – seems to validate what the Dunlop guy said. Apparently they still advise you to go easy for the first 100 miles, but that is for the rider to get used to the new tires, not because the tires are coated in snot.

]]> By: Larry Edwards http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83/comment-page-1/#comment-4042 Larry Edwards Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:02:07 +0000 http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83#comment-4042 Actually the video is mistaken, the rubber compound on bike tires is actually a harder compound than that used on car tires. Only exception being a race MC tire or a very rare older 100,000 mile car tire. If you don't believe me, go buy yourself a durometer, it is a tool used to measure the hardness of kart racing tires as well as other racing tires. we checked a dozen cars and 15 bikes, in all cases the car tires were 10-25 points softer than the MC tire that came in the softest. The reason MC tires wear so fast is due to the air bubbles in the rubber compound causing the rubber to wear away quick. I will be the first to say that the car tire on a bike is for everyone, it is not. There are way too many closed minded folks out there for me to believe that. I will say that those same closed minded folks should stop and look at the history of motorcycling and realize that the manufacturers originally built bikes with car tires on them. Front and rear. The MC troops of WW2 were on scoots with car tires on them. I also am not recommending a car tire on sport bikes, however there are several thousand riders on sport touring bikes running car tires as well as thousands and thousands more on cruisers and touring bikes running car tires with absolutely no ill effects. See you out there Smokey Actually the video is mistaken, the rubber compound on bike tires is actually a harder compound than that used on car tires. Only exception being a race MC tire or a very rare older 100,000 mile car tire.
If you don’t believe me, go buy yourself a durometer, it is a tool used to measure the hardness of kart racing tires as well as other racing tires. we checked a dozen cars and 15 bikes, in all cases the car tires were 10-25 points softer than the MC tire that came in the softest.
The reason MC tires wear so fast is due to the air bubbles in the rubber compound causing the rubber to wear away quick.
I will be the first to say that the car tire on a bike is for everyone, it is not. There are way too many closed minded folks out there for me to believe that. I will say that those same closed minded folks should stop and look at the history of motorcycling and realize that the manufacturers originally built bikes with car tires on them. Front and rear. The MC troops of WW2 were on scoots with car tires on them.
I also am not recommending a car tire on sport bikes, however there are several thousand riders on sport touring bikes running car tires as well as thousands and thousands more on cruisers and touring bikes running car tires with absolutely no ill effects.

See you out there
Smokey

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