Cats and pigeons...

[Motu]

http://lifeisaroad.com/stories/2004/10/27/theDarkSide.html

A pretty extensive write up,the guy has a lot of experiance with this,covers all the questions.....For the nay sayers - what experiance have you had riding a bike with car tyres? I have ridden bikes with car tyres,very limited experiance compared to this guy,but enough to know it's not as bad as you think.

[Coyote]

I'm young and impatient, I can't read all that. So what are the basic pros and cons? High mileage and can have phat dubs, but can't lean over so far?

The last picture was rather funny

[Motu]

I'm young and impatient, I can't read all that.

That's why you are young and stupid,and I'm old and smart - learn from others experiance Grasshopper,and you will grow....

[Aiolos]

Interesting.

[Coyote]

That's why you are young and stupid,and I'm old and smart - learn from others experiance Grasshopper,and you will grow....
Yeah, looking back at my posts on here from 2 years ago I can see if already matured significantly and have learnt a lot. Still got a way to go yet

So I assume from you not answering me I'm correct in saying those pros and cons?

[Aiolos]

Pros - Better tyre life
Better handling


Cons - Nothing

[bobsmith]

It did always bother me how motorcycle tyres are sooo expensive....

I wonder how it will hold up on a sports bike ridden by a maniac though.... but for cruiser uses it seems like a great idea! (will stop people running out of thread on the middle of the rear tyre as well....)

[Colapop]

Top read. Thanks Motu - food for thought. Would they work for a more sports type of bike or just cruisers? Be bloody good for commuting on - to save tyre life.

[Jantar]

Although I have never ridden a bike fitted with car tyres, I have ridden bikes where the tyres have the same profile as car tyres. As Moyu says, its not that bad.

It takes more effort to hold the bike at high angles of lean, so it is a little less relaxed riding. The bike doesn't turn in as quickly, but otherwise its ok. On gravel it can be an improvement.

I wouldn't willingly replace my tyres with car tyres, but if I had a serious trye failure miles away from a bike shop, and a car tyre was available, then yes, I'd put it on as a short term measure.

[inlinefour]

I can see whay he is doing it, but in the same thought, I can also see why I would never follow suit. His bike to do whatever he wants with it. As he is on a cruiser, maybe he does not get the thrill out of a good tight bunch of courners that tends to give many of us an adrenaline rush...

[Motu]

It would work on a Rocket III too.He pushes the bike as hard as it will go in corners,and is able to use more brakes and throttle than with a motorcycle tyre.All pro's for him.It suits his bike and the riding he does,but sounds like it would be a good move on all power cruisers and chops,but certainly not for sportsbikes.Works well in gravel too,there is not much lean when you ride gravel roads,even getting sideways the bike is more upright.

Kinda like the knobs/trials tyre debate - using the tool designed for the job,or experimenting and using a tyres ability to flex and put down a big footprint to good use.

[Colapop]

What about for a WOF - would car tyres pass? Aside from the question of tread, wear etc.

[eliot-ness]

Up to 1963 development of bike tyres was non existent. Rear tyres were similar in profile, tread pattern and price to car tyres. Avon were the first with a new, softer compound but retained the same profile and tread. Grip was improved but tyre wear increased by about 20%. In those days I expected around 25,000 kms from a rear tyre. Now riding at the same speeds, I get 10,000 if I'm lucky. The only difference between makes was the name on the sidewall.This remained the norm until the advent of Japanese superbikes. The power of these machines was far too much for the old technology and thanks to the sheer size and marketing expertise of the japanese industry tyre development became worthwhile. Tread mix, pattern and profile changed dramatically, leading to the highly specialised tyres we have now. Unfortunately there is, as always, a price to pay. Better tyres led to more powerful bikes and so to increased tyre wear.Now we have a range of tyres to cover all conditions but none that will do everything well. Progress maybe, but in the 60s with tyres, suspension and handling that would now be considered agricultural, it was still possible to ground the pegs reasonably safely, average speeds, thanks to todays speed cameras and lower limits, were possibly higher than now, bikes coud be ridden to meetings and raced at club level in any conditions without the need for a selection of wet, dry or intermediate rubber, and you wouldn't have to ride home with the canvas showing. The quest for power and speed has been an expensive excercise for bikers and a massive profit boom for the manufacturers.In short, if you want performance you have to pay the price, but that doesn't mean we're not being conned. Nor does it mean the old technology didn't work.

[Lou Girardin]

I had one of those old fat tyre Spewzooki dirt bikes some years back. It came with a mini sized Firestone car tyre on the rear. Interesting handling doesn't begin to cover it. It resisted turning with all it's might until you forced it up onto the edge of the tyre, then it just flopped over. (Often kept flopping)

[placidfemme]

Wow... thats a concept I've never even considered before... I can see the pro's in regards to riding a cruiser, but as mentioned by some others, I wouldn't put them on a sports bike...

Very interesting read... good on him I reckon...