First Darkside Tire. Concerned about wear patterns.

[amv606]

I have about 1000 miles on my first car tire. A Hankook V12. So far so good. Traction was questionable the first couple hundred miles until scrubbed in. I?ve installed 3 car tires now for friends and family with my NoMar tire changer.

On a day trip to Allegany State Park I was surprised how many people had to look and talk were ever we stopped. We even had a motorcycle shop owner in Springville NY come out and talk to us because he saw the tires on our bikes. How could he have even seen the tires as we rode by his shop?

I installed the car tire because otherwise I would have been changing my rear tire twice this year. With my first two rear tires, a Bridgestone BT20 and a Michelin PR2, I actually wore the sides balled before the middle.

Our question is how will the tire wear. Are we going to have cords showing on the edges with lots of tread left in the middle? How can we gauge when the tire will have to be changed. We don?t want to be thousands of miles from home and in need of a new rear car tire.

 

[nhdiesel]

This pic is after running hard on northern New England twisty roads. My 2nd Hankook saw a lot more slab, and actually wore a hair more in the center than the edges. But if you are concerned about side wear, look at the pic below...unless you ride the Dragon daily, I doubt you will see more corners than I do commuting to work every day and riding around New England on the weekends. Pressure used was 42 lbs. for both of my previous Hankooks. I'm on my 3rd Hankook now, so obviously I'm pretty happy with them.

 

[vinny]

Adrian, I am also new to darkside tires. Running a Conti "run flat" on my Wing. One thing to remember is "this is a car tire" and the inflation pressure is going to be different. Where you would be running somewhere around 42 psi in the rear of a M/C tire, the car tire will require a lot less. Over inflating the car tire will cause it to "crown" in the center of the tire and prematurely wear out in the center of the tire. The bike weighing much less than a car, you want to adjust the pressure to achieve a flat foot print across the tread for optimum tread life. I have ridden behind other M/C's with the Hankook tire mounted, the sidewall flexes enough where it stays fairly flat on the road surface if the lean angel is not severe. If you are an aggressive twisty rider, then it's possible. Keep a check with tread gauge and adjust the pressure as necessary. I checked mine yesterday after running it for 2,000 miles at 28 psi. The center was 9/32 and the sides were 8/32". I adjusted the pressure to 29 psi to allow some more traction near the center, hoping to even out the wear.
Vinny

 

[Britman]

I used 42 psi on a CT when i had a Valkyrie.

I wore 2 Cooper Zeons out in the center with 42 psi pressure.

I've got about 1,500 miles on my 2005 ST with a Hankook Ventus at 37 psi.

75% of those miles have been tearing up the mountains of N GA, W NC and E TN.

 

[motomac]

Your picture is a good example of too much tire pressure. I tried that with my first one to satisfy the tire Pressure Monitor on the Wing and wore the center tread out and still had many mile left on the sides. I ran 32 pounds in the next two and had many more miles on them and pretty even wear.

 

[nhdiesel]

The problem with the Hankook on the 1300 is that if its run with too little pressure, it gets a wiggle when you get on/off the throttle in the corners. Lots of guys have tried running lower pressures, and we always end up with 38-42 lbs. to reduce/eliminate the wiggle. I think the Hankook has a softer sidewall than some other tires, which on the good side results in a larger contact patch when cornering; but on the downside, means at lower pressures the sidewall flexes. I'm willing to give up a very slight amount of tire life in exchange for the better cornering. At 42psi it corners great. With some other tire brands, or even a Hankook in a different size on a different bike, lower pressures might be able to be run. But I don't recall anyone being happy running the Hankook at much below 40 psi on an ST1300.

 

[Bigmak96]

Not a 1300 here but the wiggle is the only down side for me.

 

[W0QNX]

The problem with the Hankook on the 1300 is that if its run with too little pressure, it gets a wiggle when you get on/off the throttle in the corners. Lots of guys have tried running lower pressures, and we always end up with 38-42 lbs. to reduce/eliminate the wiggle. I think the Hankook has a softer sidewall than some other tires, which on the good side results in a larger contact patch when cornering; but on the downside, means at lower pressures the sidewall flexes. I'm willing to give up a very slight amount of tire life in exchange for the better cornering. At 42psi it corners great. With some other tire brands, or even a Hankook in a different size on a different bike, lower pressures might be able to be run. But I don't recall anyone being happy running the Hankook at much below 40 psi on an ST1300.

"We" did not run 38-42 in my Hankook. I ran 28 to 30 and it made 29,000 miles and had a few more left when it was removed with a staple in the tread. The slight wiggle was there at 40 or 25 psi. (FYI the Goodyear triple tread does not have that wiggle at 28 psi).

Having wore out 7 car tires on motorcycles I'll have to side with mac. No need for more than 30 psi on an ST car tire.

YMMV (greatly in line with psi).

Raymond

 

[motomac]

My first 3 were not run flats, I just put my first run flat on the spare wheel today and will change out the MC tire I'm running and replace it with the run flat. I am going to start out at 32 and see how it goes. May drop it below 30 if it feels good.

 

[nhdiesel]

The slight wiggle was there at 40 or 25 psi.

On my 3rd Hankook, and I experimented with pressures on the first and second. With both I got a very large "wiggle" at anything below 40 psi. Once up to 42, it was almost eliminated. I notice you are from Kansas...do you get onto many twisty roads? I'm wondering if the lack of corners allows you to run lower pressures. Running on twisty roads very day, I won't run below 40 psi. I am anxious to try the Goodyear for my next tire, unfortunately I couldn't swing the extra cost this time.

 

[W0QNX]

On my 3rd Hankook, and I experimented with pressures on the first and second. With both I got a very large "wiggle" at anything below 40 psi. Once up to 42, it was almost eliminated. I notice you are from Kansas...do you get onto many twisty roads? I'm wondering if the lack of corners allows you to run lower pressures. Running on twisty roads very day, I won't run below 40 psi. I am anxious to try the Goodyear for my next tire, unfortunately I couldn't swing the extra cost this time.

Nope, I've never rode a twisty road. You're right, we have no corners here in Kansas so I usually just ride the long straight line until I get home (Kansas thing) I apologize, I should go add some air to my tire.

Raymond

 

[amv606]

Thanks for all the input. I started at 38 psi and am currently running 36 pounds in my tire. My friend has the exact same Hankook V12 tire on his FJR1300. He also started at 38 psi and has been dropping it by 2 psi each time trying to get rid of some of the harshness over rough roads. He?s running at 32 psi right now and seems to be happy with the handing, other than the fact that he says it?s not that hard to get the tire to drift in hard cornering.

We installed a Kumho Runflat on my cousin?s 1800 Goldwing and he says it tracks through corners like its on rails. He has about 5000 miles on his runflat and says it has never broke loose in hard cornering. He is so happy with his runflat that he says he will never go back to a rear motorcycle tire.

 

[SilverFoxxx]

W0QNX wrote "I've never rode a twisty road. You're right, we have no corners here in Kansas ..."
I can't tell if he was kidding or not, but folks: REALLY, we DO have hills (NO 'mountains' though) - and even some good twisties to ride - here in OZ!
(Rumor has it there's even some decent BBQ in the Sunflower State!)

 

[BDonald]

I am on my 2nd Michelon runflat. The first runflat I started out at 32 lbs pressure. After 10,000 miles I checked the tread wear and the center was worn more than the sides. I dropped to 30 lbs and after another 5000 miles the center was still worn more than the sides. I finally went to 28 lbs but I had waited too long. Changed the tire out at 29,000 miles. The new tire was set at 28 lbs and after 8,000 miles the tire is wearing pretty close to the same, 8/32 to the wear bars. At 28 lbs and in a hard corner the tire may squirm but it doesn't slip, so I don't worry about it.

 

[Gandolkf]

W0QNX wrote "I've never rode a twisty road. You're right, we have no corners here in Kansas ..."
I can't tell if he was kidding or not,

He's making a joke,Raymond is all over the place---you don't only ride where you live.
I rode with him before plenty of twisties

 

[stgolfer]

He's making a joke,Raymond is all over the place---you don't only ride where you live.
I rode with him before plenty of twisties

Raymond? A smartass???? Nooooooooooo. LOL Go get some Hawaii tags!

 

[RaYzerman]

IMHO, you have to be mindful of all the comparisons with various bikes and tires. Your application to your specific bike is important. Example, Goldwingers and Valyrie guys use a 16" tire that comes in narrower sizes and they run pressures that work for them, runflat vs. non-runflat, etc., a whole different world. We're stuck with wider 205 width 17 inchers. Jim's experience with the Hankook on his ST13 is a good data point, as the Hankook seems to be a soft sided tire with soft compounds, and given his riding style, they tend to wear out at what I would call lower mileages. I run a Michelin Exalto on the FJR, about 32 psi which after 20,000 miles still looks like it will easily double that, but it has stiffer sidewalls and different compounds than the Hankooks. The Exalto would seem to be the tire of choice for an FJR, but it won't fit an ST. It would be interesting to know the Hankook would last on the FJR, but I suspect not nearly as good as the Exalto. Early on though, as the FJR guys tried various tires, the higher pressures make them wear out in the middle, so the consensus seems to be run pressures in the lower 30's. I think for the ST, the idea is to see what the guys are getting out of the Goodyears and the Michelin Pilot.

 

[KTD1911]

Ok of those who are running the goodyear tipple tred on the st1300 what pressures are you running and what mileage are you getting ? right now I am running 30psi in my GYTT and 40 psi in my bt45 I only have a few hundred mile on the goodyear

 

[kendoo]

Ok of those who are running the goodyear tipple tred on the st1300 what pressures are you running and what mileage are you getting ? right now I am running 30psi in my GYTT and 40 psi in my bt45 I only have a few hundred mile on the goodyear

I'm running 32psi in my GYTT (I ride 2-up quite a bit or I'd probably drop it a little). I've got 20K on it and it looks pretty good still. I didn't measure center to edge to it looks pretty even by eye. I run 40-42 in my BT45 and I get between 16-19K before I can't stand the howling in the turns and the extra buzz in the bars. It sucks because the centers still have plenty of meat.

 

[KTD1911]

Thanks for the info. We will see how the gytt will last. I will be pulling a trailer to westoc and back