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Will need new tires soon, considering switching to darkside. Wondering if anyone's done that on the new Valks and what are you running?
Anyone going darkside?
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Yes, I just put on an achilles ATR-K economist 175/55/17 on mine. That is the only tire sold in that size in America as far as I could tell. It fits with no issues. I've only rode once about 5 min with it on. It does turn/handle different. I can tell the tire is a bit heavier in top gear roll-on.
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Well it's a slightly smaller tire so I can't see it causing any problems other than slightly higher rpms at highway speed. How much did the tire cost you, and did you mount it yourself or did you find a shop that would do it for you?
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137 Posts
I tried a 205 55 17 and while I was able to mount the tire to the wheel, it was too wide and rubbed the swingarm and the battery box. So I took it off without riding it.
I could not find a listing for a narrower tire that was not a temporary spare tire. 205 was as skinny as I could find.
I could not find a listing for a narrower tire that was not a temporary spare tire. 205 was as skinny as I could find.
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Yeah that's probably a result of having a 17" tire. The older valks I think use a 16" and they have no problems finding something in the 190-195 range although they can safely go to 205 with a slight modification.
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Yes 17" is the issue. Ive been looking to get a goldwing 16" wheel and try again
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Why knock what other people are doing to their own bikes? Are we hurting you in any way?
no ,be smart use the proper tire, be safe and wise don't let a few bucks dictate you safety or some one else .they DON'T respond like they should when you need it so if you can't control you machine some one innocent may be in the way THEN WHAT! HOPE YOU HAVE LOTS OF INSURANCE , case closed .
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That freakout button on your keyboard is a bug, not a feature. Just snap it off, it won't ever bother you (or us) again.
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Umm, notice how many replies there are to anything here -- this forum isn't exactly a hotbed of internet dialogue.
That being said, I'll answer this exactly as I answered a few doubters in another forum on the exact same subject, keeping in mind that I have never used a car tire on a bike myself:
Ask anybody who's actually done it first. Everybody who has never done it has the same questions; everybody who has done it has the answers. And I have yet to hear from anyone who's run a car tire on a bike have any experience to suggest it's dangerous. Most say it feels different from a MC tire, some even go back because they don't like how it feels. But I have not heard of a single instance of anybody having an accident or losing control because of a car tire. The ONLY negatives I hear about are from people who have never done it.
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Well said, Sleepngbear. Everybody who has done it has commented on the handling, a few don't like it and go back to a MC, most like it or get used to it. And of those that stick with it, they all say it enhances braking, and increases traction on wet, or gravel roads. Better traction is absolutely more safe. It's not just about saving money, for most people, I think that's just the cherry on top.
Complaining about what other people are doing with their own bikes makes you a jerk, but you're an even bigger jerk for complaining without even knowing wth you're talking about.
Complaining about what other people are doing with their own bikes makes you a jerk, but you're an even bigger jerk for complaining without even knowing wth you're talking about.
May the farse be with you
This "dark side " [ a cute star wars reference? ] practice appears to be primarily price point driven. I realize that a person's economic priorities can fluctuate but in a perfect world the future cost of maintenance to a motorcycle should be considered at the time of it's purchase. As for the term "dark side" in my opinion this must refer to the lie that the bike retains anything close to good handling.
I was hoping to go to the darkest side and put a car tire with studs on my front and rear wheels for the winter weather. I know this is one of the best handling big cruisers out there, and now it'll steer like a bus, but I will be saving some almighty cheddar with this mod. That and my bike will launch off the line like a rocket with a rocket up it's ass with that big ass contact patch.
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If my insurance allowed it, I would have gone dark side a long time ago. I was asked specifically about this when I got my insurance by my broker.
The car tires last a lot longer than a motorcycle tire and has a bigger contact patch. My last motorcycle tire (Avon 3D) wore pretty strangely on the sides and probably was less safe than a car tire. It was designed for a sport bike, but it did last 12,000 kms and only cost $75.
The car tires last a lot longer than a motorcycle tire and has a bigger contact patch. My last motorcycle tire (Avon 3D) wore pretty strangely on the sides and probably was less safe than a car tire. It was designed for a sport bike, but it did last 12,000 kms and only cost $75.
Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you! the tire cost 57$ on amazon.com, and I had a local greasy motorcycle mechanic mount the tire for 25$ (the same he charges for a motorcycle tire). I'm interested to see if a 195/45/17 would fit as well, again only one tire manufacturer builds this size tire and it can be found on tirerack.com.
Negative comments
All these opinions about how silly the "darkside" is, PSSSHHH. Please tell us your other pointless OPINIONS! Would you like to tell us how terrible it is to ride without a helmet? without a jacket? riding pants? riding boots? ride naked? Ride on a motorcycle with more than 100HP, how silly is that? who needs to go faster than 65MPH? do you have a strong opinion on apehangers, drag bars, windshields, passengers? would that damage handling? OMG someone is doing something different than you, take your Xanax, ride your 100miles per year and smile. NONE of those things matter! We enjoy riding motorcycles, all kinds, set up all different ways, stop being a troll.
All these opinions about how silly the "darkside" is, PSSSHHH. Please tell us your other pointless OPINIONS! Would you like to tell us how terrible it is to ride without a helmet? without a jacket? riding pants? riding boots? ride naked? Ride on a motorcycle with more than 100HP, how silly is that? who needs to go faster than 65MPH? do you have a strong opinion on apehangers, drag bars, windshields, passengers? would that damage handling? OMG someone is doing something different than you, take your Xanax, ride your 100miles per year and smile. NONE of those things matter! We enjoy riding motorcycles, all kinds, set up all different ways, stop being a troll.
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You can compare tire sizes online at https://tiresize.com/calculator/ . I did a quick comparison with the oem specs and here were the results. It's only about 3/4" wider so I wouldn't think that would be a problem but might want to double check with a Valk expert.
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