Going Dark

[STHawk]

After reading thru all the Darksider threads I could find on this site, I'm going to bite the bullet and get a Hankook installed on the trusty STead on Friday.

Decided after losing my relatively new (less than 3500k) PR4 last weekend I've had enough of 200 plus dollar tires.

Wish me luck!

 

[Lager]

After reading thru all the Darksider threads I could find on this site, I'm going to bite the bullet and get a Hankook installed on the trusty STead on Friday.

Decided after losing my relatively new (less than 3500k) PR4 last weekend I've had enough of 200 plus dollar tires.

Wish me luck!

I do wish you luck and hope it works out good for you..

 

[970mike]

Working just fine with me after over 130,000 miles on CT's

 

[spiderman302]

I am on my third CT and will never go back..... and I have a rear MC tire on the front which is what is called double dark.

 

[spiderman302]

Instead of changing tires several times a year now it is every other year,...

 

[TourNut]

Riding through the mountain switchbacks around RockSToc 5 , I almost forgot I had a GYTT on the rear & rear BT45 on the front , as far as leaning & handling , Didn't slip in angled gravel either.

 

[mello dude]

I am on my third CT and will never go back..... and I have a rear MC tire on the front which is what is called double dark.

I can understand the atraction of a CT on the rear, but I dont get why put a MC rear on the front?

 

[Andrew Shadow]

....... but I dont get why put a MC rear on the front?

From what I have read because it handles better than with a car tire on the rear and a correct size motorcycle tire on the front- presumably due to the width mis-match.

 

[spiderman302]

I am not sure that it makes that much difference in handling. The rear MC tire has a thicker tread, so there is more rubber, so it lasts longer on the front.

The key to using a Ct in the back is lower tire pressure. I run 26 psi in the rear with the Hankook, so there is more sidewall flex and there is no lift that you would get with higher pressure, the best part is that it gives an incredible smooth ride.

 

[Larry Fine]

I presume a rear mounted on the front should be oriented reverse of the directional arrow.

 

[spiderman302]

No. Not true. the arrow should be in the correct direction. The directional pattern is how the tire sheds water through diagonal groves in the tread....

 

[Biggo]

No. Not true. the arrow should be in the correct direction. The directional pattern is how the tire sheds water through diagonal groves in the tread....

Have a read of this

http://sgbikerboy.com/2016/12/26/why-do-motorcycle-front-and-rear-tires-have-opposite-tread-patterns/

 

[Tom Mac 04a]

Been there with the Hankook... no real issues, always good traction, ... but never found a good pressure for me to eliminate the slight wiggle feeling at certain times.
Did it thinking of pulling a trailer, but never did.
went to a R Pilot

 

[Larry Fine]

No. Not true. the arrow should be in the correct direction. The directional pattern is how the tire sheds water through diagonal groves in the tread....

Every "universal" tire I've seen has opposing front-mount vs rear-mount directional arrows.

 

[paulcb]

I presume a rear mounted on the front should be oriented reverse of the directional arrow.

FWIW, I'm on my 4th rear BT-45 on the front of my ST11. I've tried it in both directions, with no discernible difference in handling (wet and dry) or mileage. I always get ~20k+ miles per tire.

 

[T_C]

Have a read of this

http://sgbikerboy.com/2016/12/26/why-do-motorcycle-front-and-rear-tires-have-opposite-tread-patterns/

Thanks for the laugh! Haven't seen that much BS in one place since I watch a (partial) episode of Scorpion where they drop a USB cable from a plane to update it's landing computer.

 

[ST Gui]

Haven't seen that much BS in one place since I watch a (partial) episode of Scorpion where they drop a USB cable from a plane to update it's landing computer.

At least it wasn't Steven Seagal. He was probably too busy cleaning up Jefferson Parish. Or downing Stoly shooters with Putin. But stuff like The USB Cable Affair is what made Scorpions so much fun.

 

[STHawk]

After you get some miles on your new Hankook you'll ask yourself why you waited soo long to put a CTon your ST.

Okay, my install guy is having issues with the overall width of the tire I bought.

The tire, unmounted is almost 9 inches wide, is that normal? My guy doesn't see (I'm not physically there) anyway that the tire will fit. He has not mounted it to the rim yet, he has just tried "mocking" it up without the rim under the bike.

Is it possible I ordered the wrong version of the Hankook?

Is there a tip/trick that I haven't found in the other threads I read?

Thank you all in advance for any assistance you can provide, I was really hoping to get the bike back on the road tonight for a big shindig ride north of me tomorrow!

@spiderman302
@T_C
@OhioDeere to

 

[STHawk]

Sorry to bump this, but I'm hoping someone can give some insight

 

[Al st1100]

I am not sure that it makes that much difference in handling. The rear MC tire has a thicker tread, so there is more rubber, so it lasts longer on the front.

The key to using a Ct in the back is lower tire pressure. I run 26 psi in the rear with the Hankook, so there is more sidewall flex and there is no lift that you would get with higher pressure, the best part is that it gives an incredible smooth ride.

the reason for putting a rear tire on front is that most rear tires are dual compound tires and will generally last longer. Longer lasting compound down the center and softer compound on the sides, front tires are not dual compound