The Uni-Go and ST1300 Bridgestone 020 Tires

Mellow

Mellow

Joe
Admin-dude
Joined
Dec 1, 2004
Messages
13,255
Age
61
Bike
'21 RT / '24 GSA
2025 Miles
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As some of you know, I recently got a Uni-Go trailer in this thread.

Somewhere in that thread I mentioned I had a severe wobble between the
70-80mph range and it just got worse if you tried to go faster. This made the
trailer pretty much useless to me. I want to have a little extra power avail in
case I need to pass and if the ceiling is set at 70mph it removed acceleration as
a way to avoid or get out of certain situations in traffic.

Well, when I got the trailer I decided to also try the new Bridgestone 023 tire
as I knew tire changes with a hitch would be a pain so I wanted to start with
a new one.

Some have reported the 023 tire a bit wobbly or wallowing when 2-up and a
heavy packed bike.

I decided to try the tire to be known as having a very stiff sidewall, the
Bridgestone 020. I still have an 023 on the front and haven't felt any issues
with that.

The 020 made all the difference in the world. There is still a wobble when
decelerating from 90ish but it's predictable and not alarming. There is no
notable wobble in the traffic I was riding.

I'm sure near big rigs or in windy conditions there will probably be some sort
of wobble but again, predictable and acceptable for the time being.

When I run through the 020 I will try a PR2 to see if there are issues with those,
I suspect maybe dual compound tires might be an issue but just a guess and
I'll post an update on those results in the future. It could be the 023 was
just a very soft sidewall.

There is also an effort underway to make a dampener for the trailer, someone
will post something once that is tested and something is available.

Hope this helps anyone considering a UniGo and having an ST1300.

UPDATE:
The unigo is at home, after 60 miles of wobbling I decided to take it home, repack and head to NatSTOC, got here yesterday afternoon.. great weather.

UPDATE 11/16/2010:
The issue is fixed for the most part - Gene called me up one day and said his one-wheeled trailer was doing some new things he couldn't explain and the only difference was he now had Delkevic pipes - The OEM pipes are a one-piece unit with welded mounting tabs vs the 2 piece Delkevic pipes w/mounting band. I put the OEM pipes on and the trailer was solid at up to 100mph. There are times when you can make it wobble a little but if you back off the throttle and then slowly throttle up it will smooth out.

Thanks Gene!
 
You know, Honda put 020's as original equipment when I had my '06. I got over 14K miles out of them and couldn't find them after that, so I put everytrhing that would fit on it and never got near the mileage as the 020's on any of them. Maybe, just maybe, Honda knows a little more than we give them credit for!!!

Glad your trailer is finally behaving itself!!!
 
motomac said:
You know, Honda put 020's as original equipment when I had my '06. I got over 14K miles out of them and couldn't find them after that, so I put everytrhing that would fit on it and never got near the mileage as the 020's on any of them. Maybe, just maybe, Honda knows a little more than we give them credit for!!!

Glad your trailer is finally behaving itself!!!
Click to expand...

It's really nice to have it as an option again. I do not like mounting them though.. I need to see of Bob is going to help throttlejockey mount one at NatSTOC as I'd like to see if spoons are easier than the no mar for that tire.
 
Mellow said:
It's really nice to have it as an option again. I do not like mounting them though.. I need to see of Bob is going to help throttlejockey mount one at NatSTOC as I'd like to see if spoons are easier than the no mar for that tire.
Click to expand...

I quit using the bar to mount any tires anymore, just use my little 12" spoons. Even the car tires.
 
motomac said:
I quit using the bar to mount any tires anymore, just use my little 12" spoons. Even the car tires.
Click to expand...

Just normal spoons? Where did you get them and do you use the rim protectors?
 
The curved cycle irons work far better then flat spoons for me. I have 2 of these 15" irons from cycle gear and a short 8" or so small iron.

mb_tire-iron_15-long_single_MD.jpg


http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L2=&L3=&L4=&item=FAI_BH20-0019

I gave up on rim protectors long ago as too much trouble-bother and just try to be careful.

Raymond


Oh yea, the local Tractor supply, Atwoods...type stores around here sell flat spoons.
 
W0QNX said:
The curved cycle irons work far better then flat spoons for me. I have 2 of these 15" irons from cycle gear and a short 8" or so small iron.

mb_tire-iron_15-long_single_MD.jpg


http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L2=&L3=&L4=&item=FAI_BH20-0019

I gave up on rim protectors long ago as too much trouble-bother and just try to be careful.

Raymond


Oh yea, the local Tractor supply, Atwoods...type stores around here sell flat spoons.
Click to expand...

Thanks, sure would be glad to know you could do it on the road if you absolutely had to.
 
Got my long curved spoons from J.C. Whitney... best price I've seen and they look just like the motion-pro; but, without the label.
 
Well I'm not trying to brag but I can change a rear tire on the road. I do usually carry the two irons with me on trips over 400-500 miles from home. All I need besides the irons are a 2x4 on placed edge for a bead breaker, a "lever" board and a truck bumper or trailer hitch to stick it all under.

I also carry a 3/8" drive ratchet, 3/8 to 1/2 drive adapter, and a 1 1/16" socket to remove the rear axle nut.

Modern machines are great things but old fashion hand tools can still do many jobs.

Raymond
 
I would have taken that bet the 023 is really not up to the loads of a ST other than solo inmy opinion the sidewalls just have way to much flex !!
Posted via Mobile Device
 
Dinkie Diesel said:
I would have bet a nice wager that the tire wouldn't make a difference. Keep us posted if things change.
Click to expand...

Gene said:
I would have taken that bet the 023 is really not up to the loads of a ST other than solo inmy opinion the sidewalls just have way to much flex !!
Posted via Mobile Device
Click to expand...

The tongue weight of the trailer was probably between 40-45lbs. Being it's behind the wheel it might be equivalent to riding 2-up and the passenger's weight in front or above the axle.
 
Mellow, one of the gurus on the FJR forum told me the PR2s don't like to "play well with other tires". He said he had found if mixing a front of something else with a rear PR2 just didn't seem to wear or ride well. I don't know if he was referring to just a specific one he had tried or not. I love the PR2s on my ST but haven't tried the BT020s before.

But on my 08 FJR, the PR2 front develops a weird ridge after about 8000-10000 mi. due to the wear of the softer compound on the sides. I don't get this wear with my ST though for some reason. I am thinking of trying one of the Pirelli angels on the front with a PR2 rear (or maybe a front 020). So guess I'll find out if the rear PR2 will "play well the one of these others" on the FJR. More than likely it won't make a difference at all with the ST1300 though, but I just thought I'd let you know to ask around before mixing PR2 rear with a different front.

JDP
 
jdpfms said:
Mellow, one of the gurus on the FJR forum told me the PR2s don't like to "play well with other tires". He said he had found if mixing a front of something else with a rear PR2 just didn't seem to wear or ride well. I don't know if he was referring to just a specific one he had tried or not. I love the PR2s on my ST but haven't tried the BT020s before.

But on my 08 FJR, the PR2 front develops a weird ridge after about 8000-10000 mi. due to the wear of the softer compound on the sides. I don't get this wear with my ST though for some reason. I am thinking of trying one of the Pirelli angels on the front with a PR2 rear (or maybe a front 020). So guess I'll find out if the rear PR2 will "play well the one of these others" on the FJR. More than likely it won't make a difference at all with the ST1300 though, but I just thought I'd let you know to ask around before mixing PR2 rear with a different front.

JDP
Click to expand...

I've mixed lots of tires.. I've mixed PR2s with the 023 and a PR2 with a Roadsmart and didn't ever feel like I had any issues with wear or riding... However, the FJR is a different bike and may have some different characteristics...

I feel you should try whatever tires you like and figure out what works for you because there are so many variables involved it's hard to suggest one tire will work for everyone.

My main reason for posting this thread is simply my experience with the 023 pulling the trailer vs the 020... I'll be able to take the trailer to NatSTOC and get a good 2500ish miles on it to see how it performs.
 
I think what is happening with the more flexible side wall tires is that the trailer can pull the back of the bike side to side with wind gust etc and the flexible sidewalls are designed to keep the tire contact patch against the road, the sidewalls roll over side to side and keep the wobble going and will amplify it. The bike is just rolling or folding the sidewall side to side. A bike with rider(s) won't create this type of leveraged side to side motion the same way a trailer would. I was pretty sure a tire with stiff sidewalls would help the situation. As Joe eluded to earlier, I am the person working on a damper system for the Unigo trailer. I have been testing it now for about a week and a couple of hundred miles. It seems to be working very well and really keeps things stabil in cross wind gusts and truck turbulence. My ST1100 was pretty stable already so the damper is going to be tested on an ST1300 soon and I will let you know the results. So far I like it on my 1100 better than without. More to come in the near future.

Dan
 
On my trailer, the black socket hex bolt at the center of the picture acts as a damper. Too loose or too tight, and you get weave. So I think that a damper is worth looking into. As for the tires, I know nothing about that, but it makes sense. I am on Dunlop 220.


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I'm running a ME 880 on the back and a PR2 on the front without issues. So far, I like the 880 but sadly I haven't had a chance to put many miles on it yet. Also, I haven't ridden in the rain much with the 880, something I really liked the PR2s for.

Glad you are getting the trailer thing worked out Joe.
Mike
 
Mellow said:
It's really nice to have it as an option again. I do not like mounting them though.. I need to see of Bob is going to help throttlejockey mount one at NatSTOC as I'd like to see if spoons are easier than the no mar for that tire.
Click to expand...

Yes they are. Alot easier.
 
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