Comments on: Motorcycle Tires vs. Car Tires http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83/ Irreverent Motorcycle News & Safety Tips Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:28:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 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

]]> By: roy http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83/comment-page-1/#comment-4040 roy Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:25:02 +0000 http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83#comment-4040 watch the video it says 0 on bike vs car tires, check air wow thats great... but bike tires are round for turns people and softer compound to grip .. wow... the fools useing car tires are on 2 wheel cars that if you lean over something will scrap anyway.... again keep it up used parts are cheaper and carry the body parts card... watch the video it says 0 on bike vs car tires, check air wow thats great… but bike tires are round for turns people and softer compound to grip .. wow… the fools useing car tires are on 2 wheel cars that if you lean over something will scrap anyway…. again keep it up used parts are cheaper and carry the body parts card…

]]> By: Larry Edwards http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83/comment-page-1/#comment-4038 Larry Edwards Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:33:37 +0000 http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83#comment-4038 I have been using car tires on my motorcycles for the last 4 years and over 80,000 miles. I ride a honda vtx 1300 and a honda gl1800 goldwing. I replace my worn out pegs about every 18 months, worn out from dragging them through the twisties. Here is a website dedicated to the use of car tires on our bikes, as you will see we cover most makes of bikes. http://mcdarksiders.forumotion.com/ While I can't speak for all the riders on the site, I can say that I have ridden with several spirited riders from the site that were quick to dive in hard and drag parts through the twisties. Some of us occasionally dive in hard enough to drag the hard parts. If you have never ridden a gl1800, let me just say that they are impressive in their agility and power. See you out there Smokey I have been using car tires on my motorcycles for the last 4 years and over 80,000 miles. I ride a honda vtx 1300 and a honda gl1800 goldwing. I replace my worn out pegs about every 18 months, worn out from dragging them through the twisties.

Here is a website dedicated to the use of car tires on our bikes, as you will see we cover most makes of bikes.
http://mcdarksiders.forumotion.com/

While I can’t speak for all the riders on the site, I can say that I have ridden with several spirited riders from the site that were quick to dive in hard and drag parts through the twisties. Some of us occasionally dive in hard enough to drag the hard parts.

If you have never ridden a gl1800, let me just say that they are impressive in their agility and power.

See you out there
Smokey

]]> By: roy http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83/comment-page-1/#comment-3895 roy Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:11:56 +0000 http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/tires/83#comment-3895 only a show off fool will use car tires on a bike... try to lean for turn = dead . ok used spare parts.one less fool organ donor glad brains can not be transplant... hell even the h.d. riders know that..think fools lean over, square tire duhaaaa. only a show off fool will use car tires on a bike… try to lean for turn = dead . ok used spare parts.one less fool organ donor glad brains can not be transplant… hell even the h.d. riders know that..think fools lean over, square tire duhaaaa.

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