Darkside tire Wear

[RandyO]

finally beginning to see wear, about 11,000miles, appears to be scalloping like front tires do sometimes. since I upgraded the suspension, my riding especially gravel roads has been much more aggressive

[Chippertheripper]

Flip it.0

[MikeyZ]

Have you rotated them at all???

[darkduc7]

Have you rotated them at all???

[RandyO]

Have you rotated them at all???

I try to make sure my tires rotate every day

[Eddie]

I try to make sure my tires rotate every day

[Paul_E_D]

That thing is going to last 100K miles!

[csmutty]

What are you running on the front with that?

[RandyO]

That thing is going to last 100K miles!

at 10k, it still had 9-10mm tread depth, now at 11k, its only got 6-7mm tread depth, the wear has accelerated in the past 1000 miles dramaticly, might last 20k

What are you running on the front with that?

Metzler Karoo II T

[butcher bergs]

I have a tread depth gauge if you'd like to get accurate numbers to track tire wear.....besides, you should swing by the house anyway. Got a little something in the shed I wanna show you.

[drinkingmymilk]

at 10k, it still had 9-10mm tread depth, now at 11k, its only got 6-7mm tread depth, the wear has accelerated in the past 1000 miles dramaticly, might last 20k

I wonder if that's more related to the summer heat on a snow tire though.

[breakdirt916]

I'm also curious what would've caused that...I know the bridgestone blizzak tires I used to run wore faster on lower tread as well

I wonder if you could fit an all-terrain tire on a dual sport

[nhbubba]

I have those same tires on some steelies for my cage for winter use. I'm shocked they don't just unroll like a roll of tape in temps above 60.
Although I thought they were a dual-compound tread; the outer stuff was supposed to be softer and wear faster, then wear would reduce as you burned into the harder compound. So I would expect wear to slow down.

[gregp]

So, I guess my biggest question would be: Are you going to replace it with another one, or go back to a MC specific tire?

[RandyO]

I wonder if that's more related to the summer heat on a snow tire though.

I think it's cause of my new suspension, I'm tearin up the gravel roads much faster pace, some of my regular roads are at flat track pace

[RandyO]

So, I guess my biggest question would be: Are you going to replace it with another one, or go back to a MC specific tire?

I'd really like to find a spare rear wheel so that I can easily swap back & forth, no question, in winter, I'll be runnin a car tire, I can do things that MC tire is not capable of

in summer, the CT is more than capable of doing anything a MC tire can do, as I'v posted many times the ONLY difference in handling at speed is slightly heavier countersteer effort, but not cause it's a car tire but cause its a 205/50 instead of a 150/70

unless I can find a spare wheel at a resonable price, I'll prolly stay darkside

[maxim_X]

Excuse my ignorance. But, is this something people normally do? I've never heard of it before. How capable is the bike in snow with a tire like that? I there anything in for the front you can get to match?

[nhbubba]

What one man "normally" does is completely bat-shit crazy to another.
There's a shitload of info out there via google. Some interesting vids on youtube too.
Many make specific forums probably have somewhere between 1 and a bazillion threads on the subject. I know the 'strom ones do. (RandO here is a star poster in several.)

I think he's fairly unique in the snow thing though. On that front he gets my vote for "big balls of steel" award winner.

[OreoGaborio]

I have a tread depth gauge if you'd like to get accurate numbers to track tire wear.....besides, you should swing by the house anyway. Got a little something in the shed I wanna show you.

A meat cleaver?

[CBR929RE]

A meat cleaver?

serrated knife is better for measuring tread depth

[RandyO]

How capable is the bike in snow with a tire like that? I there anything in for the front you can get to match?

yup, I'm going riding today, 12" snow so far and its coming down 4-5" per hour


you don't have to shovel as wide a path for a bike





I have also ridden home at night 60 miles in freezing rain, sleet and snow, and another time 90 miles at nite in freezing rain & sleet. I prefer riding my bike to driving my Jeep
biggest problem riding in frozen precip is visibility and keeping yer visor clear

I have never heard of running a CT in front, many darkjsiders do whats called double darkside, car tire in back, rear motorcycle tire in front (rear tires gennerally have more tread depth and will last even longer on the front than a front bike tire. Most darksider's purpose is longer tire life for the rear tire, anywhere from 25k-40k or more, I did it for winter traction, I run a studded knobby in front

[whirld]

I got mucho respect for that.

[maxim_X]

That's awesome! I'm wicked impressed. It makes me wanna go get a dual sport and do some snow riding this winter.

[Tricklidz]

I have one word for everything in this thread. WHY?

[OreoGaborio]

I have one word for everything in this thread. WHY?

Just a guess, but..... maybe because he's proven that it works better than the multitude of other tires that he's tried?