Can you mix car tire with motorcycle

[shockdo]

I have a bad front tire, can it be replaced with a car tire and keep the back a motorcycle tire?

[blupupher]

No, a car tire will not work on the front of a motorcycle. Since the front tire does the steering, it needs to have the rounded profile of a motorcycle tire.
You can do a car tire on the rear though, since it just does tracking and acceleration.

I know older Harley trikes and bikes with side cars have run car tires on the front since they don't lean, but not sure if that is still done or not.

[Sadanorakman]

People run car tyres on the rear plenty often, even though I would never do so.

People also put a Bridgestone battlax (motorcycle rear tyre) on the front of their 1500. I wouldn't personally do this either.

[Wingsconsin]

People run car tyres on the rear plenty often, even though I would never do so.

People also put a Bridgestone battlax (motorcycle rear tyre) on the front of their 1500. I wouldn't personally do this either.

"Yep -- it wouldn't work" - says someone who likely has not tried it.

Although when I had my GL1500 1996 Aspencade in Pearl Blue for 161,000 miles I DID try it --
car tire rear and BattleAx front tire - Ran this combo for more than 30,000 miles - Used up 2 BattleAx and 1 Rear Comtrac Vredestein tire rear.
Won't work ! Wouldn't do it -

[Sadanorakman]

People run car tyres on the rear plenty often, even though I would never do so.

People also put a Bridgestone battlax (motorcycle rear tyre) on the front of their 1500. I wouldn't personally do this either.

"Yep -- it wouldn't work" - says someone who likely has not tried it.

May I respectfully suggest that you read my post again Wingsconsin?
I never said it wouldn't work.
I only said I would never do so..

Perhaps you meant to quote the post from blupupher directly above mine instead?

If not a genuine error, please do not mis-represent my comments.

I am well aware that there are a whole bunch of guys who dark side, or double dark side, but again, I only said that I would never do so.

Nope I never have, but that's because I used my brain to consider the pros and cons, and made a decision personally not to do so, as for me the cons outweigh the pros. YMMV (pun intended).

I'm not telling the OP not to darkside; plenty do. I only said I would never do so.

Have I said this enough times yet?

My reasons are my reasons, and if you are a proponent of darksiding, you will not agree with some or all of my reasoning. This does not trouble me: Your thoughts and decisions are not my thoughts and decisions.

My reasoning (not necessarily in any order of significance):

1. I'm simply not likely to do enough miles in this small country, to justify going dark side, or double dark side. (3000 to 5000 per year, which is just nothing. I only ride in the summer months, and then only for pleasure). I doubt my wing will ever hit 100,000 miles of my riding.

2. It would instantly invalidate my insurance, which could financially ruin me, if that insurance refused to pay out for my or someone else's injuries.

3. It invalidates my insurance exactly because it is a car tyre mis-appropriated to run on a motorcycle: It's bead is literally a different profile to that of a bike tyre, it's cross-section profile is rectangular not rounded, and it is not designed to be ran on the edges of its tread as in when cornering on a bike (harder compound as well might I mention).

Will it fail catastrophically? Probably not. Might it lead to me losing control on a corner when dragging the pegs, and lead to an accident? quite possibly.

Do I care whether you agree with my reasoning or not? NOPE, not one iota. Just please don't mis-represent me

Ride safe.

[minimac]

My, didn't we get our panties in a bunch! The O.P. is in the U S- different regulations than where you are. No one cares if you wouldn't/couldn't do it, and certainly no long explanation why is necessary.
Car tires are used on the front of motorcycles very often, and work quite well, when a sidecar is used. So YES, they CAN be used, but it depends on the situation.

[Sadanorakman]

My, didn't we get our panties in a bunch! The O.P. is in the U S- different regulations than where you are. No one cares if you wouldn't/couldn't do it, and certainly no long explanation why is necessary.
Car tires are used on the front of motorcycles very often, and work quite well, when a sidecar is used. So YES, they CAN be used, but it depends on the situation.

Nothing wrong with my panties minimac.

You're keen to insist it CAN be done, and good for you: once again, I never said that it can't be done, and I never suggested that the OP shouldn't do it either!

In fact to the contrary I stated that plenty of people do both darksiding and double darksiding, but that I would choose to do neither personally.

You're right that no lengthy explanation was required, but then please feel free to just jog right on past my posts. I have the right to post here, and you have the right to not bother reading what I write

Gosh and Americans are so supportive of the right to free speech too!

You state that no-one cares if I wouldn't or couldn't do it. Clearly you must represent the opinion of every member of goldwingdocs.com without exception, so I'd like to thank you for acting as spokesman for the entire community!

Maybe (just maybe) those people who had considered darksiding, and from localities where rider insurance was legally mandatory, might just be interested to know that fitting a car tyre to their motorcycle MAY just entirely invalidate their insurance. Ok, Maybe not, but it depends on the terms of the insurance company. Certainly here, insurance is about trust, and about vehicle 'construction and use', and may well be all over Europe and possibly in some US states too.

The only ADVICE I would therefore offer, (as I have offered none up to now), is that anyone contemplating going darkside or double dark-side MIGHT just want to check that with their insurers first, and get it in writing.

I don't doubt that a car tyre might work quite well on a combination, and historically this has been done quite often, but not only did the OP not ask about combinations, the vast majority of combinations don't lean do they!

[Wingsconsin]

What I find funny is NAY SAYERS say NAY !
Then get their knickers in a bunch when someone calls them on their NAY


My main point was to indicate that the BattleAx is a perfectly fine option for the FRONT wheel on a GL1500 -

Some run it in reverse direction thinking the tread direction makes a difference - I ran one that way too -
then one in forward rotation - I noticed no difference in ride, handling, or longevity -

The original poster asked for opinions - I tend to think someone who HAS done it has more valuable information to offer -

One who has not ; but shares an opinion , offers little ---

PS: I DID speak to my insurance agent and he said it makes no difference to them - ...

[Sassy]

Is there a car tire made that a person get on the front?
The OP shows a 1200.

[WingAdmin]

Let's keep this discussion on-topic and refrain from personal insults please.

[Wingsconsin]

Is there a car tire made that a person get on the front?
The OP shows a 1200.

Did not notice that - The thread is in the 1500 section so I naturally thought this was a 1500 question

[ncdave]

Is there a car tire made that a person get on the front?
The OP shows a 1200.

to my knowledge, no. no CTs that are narrow enough for the front. I run a CT in the back and reverse rear in the front (double dark side). Other than the sidecar or trike instances, I've not seen a CT on front of modern bikes. might be possible to find. I'm just not aware of any.

[Sadanorakman]

https://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/475-50 ... lsior.html

Here you go, a car tyre for the front that's narrow enough. Profile is a bit tall though

[Sassy]

There ya go, a 93mph tube type tire,,, livin life on the wilc side,, lol