Car tire on the back of a GL 1800 2014 part 2

[Flyn Tiger]

Made my last post in Nov of 2013 when I was looking for a car tire to put on my 2002 Goldwing. I tried a 205/60/16 but it was too wide, it rubbed the inside fender weld and I did not like the way the bike handled. Since then and after 3 months of research I came up with this. I hope to answer questions I did not get answered until I read many many posts. If you have any other comments that I may leave out, please feel free to ask.

I chose a Hankook H426 195/60/16 tire to put on the back of my wing. It is a passenger car/light truck tire. It got very good reviews for longevity, quietness, traction and in wet and snow conditions. This tire has a natural curve to it and the edges are rounded also, not flat like a performance tire. Spare rim and tire only cost me about $150.00. So far I have traveled 700 plus miles in the past 3 weeks on this tire.

Some history on me and my riding experience. I'm 50 years old, been riding for 43 years. 6.5 years on Goldwings, raced MX for 19 years, (until 5 years ago, no didn't crash out) this is my second wing. Rest of my riding has been trails and street riding on a Suzuki SV1000 or Enduro bike. I love the twisties but also ride backroads and interstates to get from point A to B. Like to get alittle aggressive on the mountain roads. Recently added Progressive Springs to my 02 bike which makes it handle much better.

Here are some questions and answers you may be wondering about.........
-Gas mileage- has not changed while using a car tire.
-Speedometer- It is only about 1.5 or so mph off. 65 is like 63.22 actual. I can live with that.
-Tire is smother and quieter than a mt on the road. Is more stable on dirt or gravel roads. Used to feel every little rock under both tires, now only the front. Tar snakes or cracks in road are almost unfelt on the rear now.
-PSI used-Started off with 37 psi but the tire felt soft, too soft for me. Possibility "settled" in the turns some or that is what I felt like it did. Raised the psi to 40psi and love it. Handles great. No feel of "settling" from the tire.
-Head-shake at slow speeds- If you ever remove your hands from the handlebars to adjust clothing or something, the head-shake is pretty much gone now. Much more stable.
"S" turn transitions-With the 205 tire I could feel the flat spot, with the 195 and the curvature of this tire, I feel virtually none. The more you ride the better it will feel. At first I felt slower going from left to right back to left, but now I feel as quick on the ct as I do a mt.
-Going over curbs at an angle- If going real slow I feel a touch more but nothing drastic.
-Does ct feel funny on slanted roads? No, I have purposely hit divides in pavement and here in La the tracks in a lane get rutted in asphalt because of the heat. No difference than riding with a mt.
-4 way stops- You know how you can inch along at 4 way stops with out putting your feet down but you have to wiggle the bars back and forth some.....well the bike is much more stable at slow speeds at 4 way stops even riding 2 up. I have to move the handle bars very little if any.
-Edge wear on the tire from curves- I got some dirt on my tires from my damp yard but did not wash it off so I could see where the tire was wearing while in the turns. Since I replaced my front springs with progressive springs I drag the sides very little now. Still the wear pattern is still the same as if the ct was on a car. It does NOT ride on the sidewall, contrary to popular belief.
-This tire is a 60,000 mile tire but if I can get 25-30k out of it I will be happy.
- Rode 2 up with the wife and the bike stayed very stable in all situations.
-Have not ridden in the wet yet but the ct has a better way of shedding water than a mt, contact patch looks bigger than a mt. I rode the bike in water then dry pavement with both tires to determine this.
-Braking seems to be faster and more stable.
-Especially at first I felt it did take more effort to turn the bike in a sharp turn at speed but now there is no problem. A mt falls into a turn, a ct wants to sit back up quicker in my opinion.
-Just put on a new E3 on the front but may go double dark when this one wears out with a Battleax B45. Rear sport/touring tire. Reports of 30,000 on the front with this tire.

Hope I have answered some of your questions if you are researching whether to go dark or not. Fell free to ask if you have any questions.

[brenniac]

Thanks. I had not considered a CT on my wing until one of the earlier threads allowed me to take an objective look into the benefits and drawbacks. The technical data along with the logical arguments convinced me that could benefit by converting to a CT when I replace my current E3. You selection sounds exactly like what I want to have (some curvature on the tire) and proper fitment. I will report back how it goes for me.

[Steve F]

I've been on the "Dark Side" for quite a while now, and I'll never go back to a MC tire. I'm using the Michelin ALPIN Zero pressure (run flat) 195/55-16. It's supposed to be for winter use and has a softer compound, but I'll never be able to tell. The tire is absolutely the best change to the GL1800 I've ever made. Smooth, safe with excellent grip in rain and on dirt/sand/gravel and the run flat attributes are the best of any reason out there.
Go the Dark Side, and you'll never go back.

[Red Ron]

Good report Flyn Tiger. Thanks for the info. I have a 195x55x16 and my speedo is about 3.25 difference on mph. Looks like the little taller 60 is a lot closer. Also I am on my 2nd BT45. Got about 27K out of the 1st one. The 1st one had a little buzz in the handlebars at about 20mph but this one does not. I do not reverse the rotation of the BT45.

[Flyn Tiger]

The argument has been that the ct and the rim does not match up correctly and I can understand that quick tire deflation could occur but you look at the depth of the side wall like lets say on a 60 series like I chose, you would have to hit quite a large hole or whatever to cause that to happen. If that is the case, a mt will deflate also in the same situation. At least with a runflat tire, the ct will not go flat like a mt will. I did not choose the Michelin Alpine because a 55 series tire messes up the speedometer more than I care for it to be off and the Hankook had more curvature to the tire than the Michelin. Also it not being a run flat with the stiffer walls allows the tire to give more adding more of a contact patch in the turns. Still yet have I seen to where the tire is running on the sidewalls in a turn. If the tire bead and rim was such a bad fit, it seems that there would be air leakage......haven't experienced that either. Like I said I am loving this tire so far. Heading to the twisties of Arkansas in a couple of days to give it the ultimate challenge.

[Flyn Tiger]

Thanks Red Ron, guess I'll have to wait about 15, 16,000 miles before I will get to try that B45 but I do look forward to it.

[Steve F]

The argument has been that the ct and the rim does not match up correctly and I can understand that quick tire deflation could occur but you look at the depth of the side wall like lets say on a 60 series like I chose, you would have to hit quite a large hole or whatever to cause that to happen. If that is the case, a mt will deflate also in the same situation. At least with a runflat tire, the ct will not go flat like a mt will. I did not choose the Michelin Alpine because a 55 series tire messes up the speedometer more than I care for it to be off and the Hankook had more curvature to the tire than the Michelin. Also it not being a run flat with the stiffer walls allows the tire to give more adding more of a contact patch in the turns. Still yet have I seen to where the tire is running on the sidewalls in a turn. If the tire bead and rim was such a bad fit, it seems that there would be air leakage......haven't experienced that either. Like I said I am loving this tire so far. Heading to the twisties of Arkansas in a couple of days to give it the ultimate challenge.

I had..."HAD" speedo error too, but I installed a SPEEDO HEALER that I bought from another Goldwinger for a reasonable price. I was REALLY easy to install/hook up, and just as easy to calibrate. Now, the speedo is ---DEAD ON--- with the GPS, and if I ever (not gonna happen) change back or get a taller tire, it can be re calibrated in a jiffy.

[Flyn Tiger]

Yeah I had read about these but like you said they can be expensive. Im on a budget, another reason why I wanted a ct. I also like the taller tire because it gives me clearance in the turns to prevent dragging.

[BikerGuy]

Well, I'm taking the plunge. I've got a Yokohama Avid Envigor (195/55/16 radial) for the back tire, and a Bridgestone BattleAx BT45 (130/70/18) bias ply on order that should be here by next Friday, and a set of Centramatics coming today. I've got a local tire shop who will mount the tires IF they can fit the wheel on their machine. That remains to be seen. I hope I like it after spending about $450 for everything.

I'll be strapping my bike to my Harbor Freight motorcycle jack and jackig it up high. I don't like the idea of laying the bike on its side. Somehow, I worry about something going wrong that way, whether it's cracking something or messing up the fuel system. The bike will be without tires for a whole day. I'm hoping I can get the car tire on the rear with the Centramatic also. I'll keep y'all posted next week when I get it all done! If I remember, I'll take pictures.......

The only thing I have not decided yet is whether I should mount the BattleAx in the correct direction or in reverse. I'm still researching it to find out which way is best and why... Feel free to chime in!!

[BikerGuy]

I forgot to ask. I am thinking about buying the SuperBrace. Do you think I will still need it with the new tires going double darkside?

Thanks y'all!

[Flyn Tiger]

Got a friend who just bought a fork brace and he says at slow speed he can tell a slight difference for the better.

As for the B45, I have heard mount it in the correct direction. That is the direction I am going.

Dont worry about laying the bike over on its side. I know a bunch of folks who do it along wity myself with no problems. MUCH easier to change out the rear tire especially if you have a trailer hitch.

Good Luck.

[BikerGuy]

Thanks Flyn... You reminded me that I do have a trailer hitch on my bike. Is that going to be in the way, you think?

[Flyn Tiger]

Jmerklin, yeah on mine since I did not have a lift to get alot of clearance under the wheels I had to take the left side of the hitch off in order to roll the tire out the back. Usually took 2 - 2 1/2 hours to do a complete tear down and put back together. Now if I lay the bike on its side, 10 mins and I'm done. Honestly I would be afraid to jack my bike up that high or high enough to make it comfortable enough to change out the tire, I break loose the lugs with the bike on the tires, lay it on its side, finish breaking the lugs loose, slip off/on the tire, snug the lugs, stand it up and recheck lugs and I am done.

[BikerGuy]

Hmmmmmm. Well you got me there, Flyn.... I guess I'll dig up some well padded blankets and quilts to use as a cushion..... I'm not a big guy so I hope I don't drop it when I lay it over....

Will keep you posted next week when I do the job..... PS, I guess while it's on its side, I can get the front wheel off at the same time or would I be better off jacking it up for that?

[Flyn Tiger]

I have parked mine on the sidewalk, layed down a blanket and layed it over towards the grass and Last time since it was raining I had to do it in the garage. Again I layed it down on a blanket. I have highway pegs on the engine guards so the bike touches there, on the footpegs some and on the guards some next to the passenger floorboards. It will not harm anything else. I am big and strong enough I have layed mine down and picked it up two different ways. One, you will be laying the bike down on its right side so turn the bars to the right. If facing the bike when you lay it down your right hand will be on the throttle, left hand on the passengers hand grip. Just start easing it over and gently lay it down. If your back is to the bike, turn the wheel to the right, left hand on the throttle, right hand on the passenger hand grip and use your legs to ease it down, Reverse procedure to pick it up. Just make sure the kickstand is down when you stand it up. I always have my wife on the opposite side just to make me feel better about doing it. For you if you are small stature, you may want to have you back to the bike both ways.

Now when you lay it down and are ready to actually change out the wheel, I grab the guard by the left side passenger foot rest and pull up. This will allow you to pull the bikes center stand down. This will put the bike in a flatter position allowing you more room to work the tires in/out. Don't forget to check your rear brake pads while you are doing this. Great time to change them if you need to.

If you want to watch it being done, go to you tube and key in changing a rear tire on a goldwing. (Think that is what it was) There is a older gentleman on there that is doing it. He makes it look easy which it is.

[Flyn Tiger]

Oh I forgot about the front wheel. Place bike on center stand. I add some type of weight into the passenger seat for safety, then remove fender and other plastic, unbolt wheel and slide it off. Really easy. Dont touch the front brakes when doing this. To help get the tire back on you may have to open up the pads some with a screwdriver.

[BikerGuy]

Well, I didn't feel like waiting for the front tire to get here, so since I already had the back tire, I went ahead, laid the bike down, and removed it. I took it to Tires Plus and they changed it for free. Nice folks. After that, I stopped at Sears and bought a torque wrench on sale for $40. Nice one. Then I came home.

As long as the tire was off, I decided to wash the wheel real good. It's a good thing that I did because at one point, it was rubbing to get inside the wheel well. I had to give it a bit of a shove but it went in. Woo hoo!! I didn't have to let any air out to do it either. Then it was time to get the Centramatic in. It was easy enough. I lifted the tire on the side that would be in contact with the street, and slipped the Centramatic on the lugs. Then I set the tire on top of that, installed the bolts and was ready to give it a shot.

Here's a tip that I have not seen on any boards. When you tighten up the lug bolts, first start at 20 pounds torque and tighten every other one. Then do the same thing at 40 pounds, then 60, then 80 pounds and you're done.

Now it was time to give it a test ride. The tire shop put 40 pounds in the tire for me. I took it for a couple of blocks. I don't know if it was the air pressure or just that I'm not used to it so I jacked it up to 50 pounds. Then I really went for a ride - 75 miles I put on to get used to it.

I'll tell you what.... In Oklahoma where I am, when it warms up outside, the wind can really blow - gusts up to 30 to 40 mph. With the rear bike tire on there, the wind would blow me all over the road. Not kidding. From one lane to another, literally and scary. With the car tire, man!! What a difference that made. The bike held steady 90% of the time. I even went over a bridge and the wind knocked the hell out of me, but the bike stayed strong and steady. I really felt safe.

When I would come to a stop sign, I had to put my feet down at 5 or 6 miles an hour. Not anymore. The bike rolls right up to the stop sign, slows down to 1 or 2 miles an hour and I never had to put my feet down, never even had to take them off the floor boards. I'd roll up, traffic is clear, and I'd go. Now that's as stable as it gets.

I rode over plenty of bumps and a few really rough railroad tracks like they almost weren't there. Nice and smooth and comfy. Hardly felt much of any bumps unlike before when it would be bang, bang, crash, boom over those.

Finally hit a nice stretch of highway, speed limit 60. Breezed right on down the road, smooth as glass at 65 to 70. When I was going 30 to 40 mph, I'd dance the bike back and forth within the lane as if going through a few mild twisties - steady as a rock.... So far, it's absolutely beautiful, terrific ride, like riding a luxury car in great comfort.

Well, I took some pictures to share and for the benefit of others who might want to go darkside.

I rolled the bike next to the grass, and since my driveway is sloped toward the street, I put the reverse on so it wouldn't roll when I laid it down and picked it up later. I put a few quilts down to help cushion it and keep it clean.

Here's a shot from the driveway side. I lifted up on the bike and put the centerstand down to keep it up higher and to stabilize the bike.

I didn't have a torque wrench yet, so I used a regular 3/4 inch ratchet with 3/4 deep well socket. I slipped a pip bender handle over the ratchet for super leverage. Broke the lug bolts loose with zero effort.

Here's a shot with the wheel removed.

I was wondering why every 3-4 days, my tire would go flat. I thought it was a bad valve. Turns out, thre was a nail I didn't see when I checked for that. Glad I was replacing the tire!!

Here's the two tires side by side for comparision. The car tire is wider than the bike tire. Now it was time to go to the tire shop and get it mounted.

I washed the tire and had no problem with slipping it in except for one spot. It went in soaking wet with a bit of a shove.

I got the Centramatic installed. Make sure you put the ring that sticks out toward the tire if you go with these. By the way - in my opinion, the Centramatics work way better than dynabeads. There were dynabeads in the old bike tire and I don't feel that it helped that much to make a real difference.

[BikerGuy]

Part 2 continued - Installing a car tire.......

All done! It took me 10 minutes to remove the tire and about 20 minutes to reinstall the wheel with the new car tire. And I am not a mechanic!! In fact, I hate working on vehicles but this was simple, easy and quick! Thanks for all your advice, guys!!

Does this look a little flat? There's about 50 pounds in the tire. It looked flatter than this with 40 pounds.

[Flyn Tiger]

Jmerklin, Good job! Did you have any problems laying the bike down or picking it up? A trick a darkside friend told me about the tire pressure was to some how mark the tire all the way across the tread with paint or what ever, then go for a short ride. Come back and inspect how the paint wore off the tire and where. You want a nice and even wear across the tire. I started at 37 psi, then went to 40 and Wingrider44 had his at 42 so I decided to try 42 to see how it felt. That is where I have been riding mine for a month or so now. Remember too your pressure will rise with the outside temp and riding so don't get too much in there. It will affect the wear, handling and ride of you bike. Also I have readand noticed if it is a runflat tire you can go on less air compared to a standard tire.

Just got in from a 225 mile ride with some friends, new and old. They were picking at me and my ct. One was on a new Goldwing F6, one a Yamaha sport/touring bike and the other 3 were Harleys. Needless to say the HD's couldn't hang in the twisties. One guy almost lost it trying to keep up and the old 02 wing with the ct held up just fine against the bikes with the mt. We rode butt to tail the whole time. It was fun. They were impressed with how my bike ran with the ct. Maybe we'll have some new dark siders soon.

[BikerGuy]

Hey Flyn, well, laying the bike down nice and easy went well, but I couldn't pick it back up with my back to it like they show you to do. So I turned around to face the bike, put some muscle into it without using my back too much. It was a bit of a struggle and when I got it going back up, I was surprised that the bike didn't try to fall the other way. I was used to a bike tire which has less contact with the pavement and so the bike used to feel like it would fall over. I did have the kickstand down tho. Forgot to mention that for the newbies who want to try the darkside. Don't forget to put the kickstand down before picking up the bike newbies!!!! LOL!!

Tomorrow, I'm gonna try riding two up. It shouldn't be a problem. Plus it's supposed to be a thunderstorm here in the early afternoon so I'll get the chance to try out the bike in the rain and see how well it holds up....... It's gonna be an adventure, for sure. lol. Yeah, I'm excited.

Next week, the BattleAx will be here but here's the thing. I have a Dunlop Elite 3 on the front and it's still got good tread. Would the bike handle better and stick better to the road with the new BattleAx? What I'm asking is whether it's worth changing now - is it gonna be a big difference, or should I wait till the Dunlop is worn out?

Thanks for your advice buddy.

[Flyn Tiger]

Personally I would use the E3 if it still has some good tread left. It shouldn't have any effect on the bike. The B45 has the same dimensions as the regular front wing tire so there should be no difference there either.

Wait till you get in a gravel parking lot....bike will feel much more stable. The biggest thing I have noticed that is different is when I am backing the bike out of the shop the ground is not level all the way across the bottom of my ramp and the tire will push the bike to the lower part of the ramp. Also when going over a curb into a parking lot the slower you go the more the ct will push the bike the other way. I dont really notice and difference in road angles riding at speed. Anyway, enjoy the ct, keep us posted on your thoughts and welcome to the dark side.

[BikerGuy]

Thanks. Meant to also say - I did a few tight circles in a parking lot. It's a lot more stable.

Have a good weekend and ride safe

[BikerGuy]

I got the BattleAx BT45 today! When I saw it, I realized that the groove in the Dunlop that is currently on the front wheel is very shallow in the center of the tire. On the BattleAx it is very deep... I think - to me - that means it's time to replace the Dunlop.... Am I thinking right?

Also - Is there anything I need to know about installing the Centramatics on the front wheel that I should know about?

Thanks!

[Flyn Tiger]

Never used balancers before so I cant say. As for the tire, generally the rear tire does have deeper groves than the front. Personally I would mount it in the correct direction. Groves are in a certain direction for a reason. You have a new rear tire so if the front is that bad off......change that puppy out. Thats my 2 cents which is worth about a penny..........lol

[BikerGuy]

Ha ha! You're a wiseguy, Flyn. If I were in your neck of the woods, I'd drag your butt to my place for a few beers and some free labor! lol.

I started taking the wheel off. I am going to replace the brake pads tomorrow too. Anyone have any tips to do that? I've done cars. Is it similar?

For newbies, here's a very good video of how to remove the front wheel... [url]

   Never miss a video: Subscribe to the GoldwingDocs YouTube channel today!