Car tire

bigkev

Joined
Apr 13, 2026
Messages
89
Age
36
Location
Ky
Bike
2006 st1300
Eye dark sided a wing, does anyone know how the s t handles with a car tire
 
Did you read this thread?
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/th...for-the-st-bf-goodrich-g-force-comp-2.146717/

Once upon a time we had a large number of threads about darksiding. They vanished in the big flood. I remember at least one thread in which the poster said he put car tires on his ST, loaded his beloved (ok, girlfriend) aboard and hied on out to a racetrack where he put the bike through it's paces, well, high speed paces. He said he had no problems at all. Many of us were aghast that he would endanger another (his gf) in an experiment like this.

A thread discussing the Vredstein car tire mentioned that it had a more rounded profile than other cts and was comfortable to ride. Mayhaps @Sadlsor will chime in here.
 
SMSW said:
Did you read this thread?
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/th...for-the-st-bf-goodrich-g-force-comp-2.146717/

Once upon a time we had a large number of threads about darksiding. They vanished in the big flood. I remember at least one thread in which the poster said he put car tires on his ST, loaded his beloved (ok, girlfriend) aboard and hied on out to a racetrack where he put the bike through it's paces, well, high speed paces. He said he had no problems at all. Many of us were aghast that he would endanger another (his gf) in an experiment like this.

A thread discussing the Vredstein car tire mentioned that it had a more rounded profile than other cts and was comfortable to ride. Mayhaps @Sadlsor will chime in here.
Click to expand...
SMSW said:
Did you read this thread?
https://www.st-owners.com/forums/th...for-the-st-bf-goodrich-g-force-comp-2.146717/

Once upon a time we had a large number of threads about darksiding. They vanished in the big flood. I remember at least one thread in which the poster said he put car tires on his ST, loaded his beloved (ok, girlfriend) aboard and hied on out to a racetrack where he put the bike through it's paces, well, high speed paces. He said he had no problems at all. Many of us were aghast that he would endanger another (his gf) in an experiment like this.

A thread discussing the Vredstein car tire mentioned that it had a more rounded profile than other cts and was comfortable to ride. Mayhaps @Sadlsor will chime in here.
Click to expand...
Yeah I may check into that tire
 
My '07 ST still has the double dark tires : rear - GoodYear TripleTred 205/50R R17 93V , front - Bridgestone Battlax BT45R 130/70 18M/C 63H
During the last ROCKSToC , in 2019 , ( or was that '18 ? ) We were into the Colorado 550 steep switchbacks which they had laid down loose pea-gravel for their cheap resurfacing project ( with signs to motorcyclists to beware ! ) : Some of the guys were complaining their rear M/C tires were slipping on that stuff , My TripleTred rear was not slipping , same speed as the group ride . I was happy I was not slipping on that gnarly road !
 
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SMSW said:
A thread discussing the Vredstein car tire mentioned that it had a more rounded profile than other cts and was comfortable to ride. Mayhaps @Sadlsor will chime in here.
Click to expand...
Are we doing this again?
Did the original thread get bleached out in the teleporter machine?
That's sad.
Yes, my "08 is Double Dark, but I'm only hanging on to @970mike 's coattails, flying along on the Vredestein Hypertrac CT and Battleax BT38(?). I can never remember the Bridgestone in the front, because we never wore them before, front or rear. But Mikey said try it, so who am I to argue?
I was trepidatious, uncertain, nervous, and maybe even just a little bit scared.
Just a little, though.
But I've seen the light.
No regrets, no nervous cornering, no flop-over / falling-down feel or transition from upright to leaning over... the Hypertrac has a very rounded profile, and doesn't have that big, wide, flat footprint we see on many cruisers running a CT.
It's a 190, maybe even a 185, so it doesn't even draw attention unless you're looking for a car tire.
I don't have nearly the miles on this set that Mike and some others do, but I'm more than happy with the setup.
I know Larry / Igofar thinks I've lost my mind, but when it comes to darkening my ST, I don't feel I've given up a thing, in handling or anything else. (I practice a LOT of tight circles and u-turns, it's no issue. Maybe even easier now.)
So if you don't like it, blame Mike.
He started all this foolishness.
 
Low speed is the biggest difference, turning out of the driveway. Regular speed, a little more steering effort than stock. Really the best way I can describe it is that the bike rides differently, more of a touring bike.
Once used to the feel it is just normal for that bike.
I’ve done about 17,000 miles double dark but I prefer the lighter handling on stock size tires and go that way.
Having multiple ST1300s, if I were still commuting to work daily, one bike would be double dark for the tire longevity.
Vredestein felt best on the back.
 
TourNut said:
My '07 ST still has the double dark tires : rear - GoodYear TripleTred 205/50R R17 93V , front - Bridgestone Battlax BT45R 130/70 18M/C 63H
During the last ROCKSToC , in 2019 , ( or was that '18 ? ) We were into the Colorado 550 steep switchbacks which they had laid down loose pea-gravel for their cheap resurfacing project ( with signs to motorcyclists to beware ! ) : Some of the guys were complaining their rear M/C tires were slipping on that stuff , My TripleTred rear was not slipping , same speed as the group ride . I was happy I was not slipping on that gnarly road !
Click to expand...
So how many miles you have on the set, ty

bigkev said:
So how many miles you have on the set, ty
Click to expand...
Also are those run flat tires
 
@bigkev, you should know that a ct on the back runs much lower pressure than the suggested for motorcycle tires. If I remember what was posted, it is in the mid 20's maybe as high as 32(?). I'm not a darksider - just posting what I remember reading.
 
I’m on my 3rd set of double dark and with no problems keeping up in the twisties at all. Average 25k per set running the front at 42 and the rear at 28. I wear the rear out before the front but change them as a set.
 
Don't do it!!!! Your wife will leave you, a evil monkey will show up and poop in your shoe and you will die in a horrible wreck, probably while on fire!!!

I have put a back tire on the front and love it. 9000 miles and barely any wear. I was going to put a car tire on the back but went with a dunlop mission duel sport tire.
 
Double dark for years, 14. Was part rebel, part needed a new tire so I went with dark. Ran 30 psi, you'll get differing opinions on tire pressure but too much or too little and you'll see the kind of wear on it that you would under or over inflating on a cager. Found it is resistive to laying it over for a turn, not impossible but you ride a mc tire after a ct and you'll remember you read it here. Rode all 3 ct's for 30k miles. Only recently went to mc on the rear again because my annual miles might be 4k or so, would literally have to change the tire due to age instead of wear. I also offer this. I found this video way after I was riding with a car tire. There is a healthy intro, zip up to 2:45 for dialog.
 
moddy said:
Found it is resistive to laying it over for a turn, not impossible but you ride a mc tire after a ct and you'll remember you read it here.
Click to expand...
Well then, you didn't read it ALL here.
See my Post #8 above, and other older threads of you can still find them.
I was apprehensive about the center- edge-transition for all the years I never tried it, until @970mike told us about the Vredestein Hypertrac and its rounder profile.
There is, literally, NO "falling off the edge" sensation. And NO resistance to cornering, even quick side to side flops in tight twisties.
I woukd be surprised if there are not other CTs with similar profiles, which I certainly hope, because I suspect that by the time this tire wears out, this model will be discontinued.
My experience does not speak to all car tires on a motorcycle, nor does yours.
 
I bought a CT for mine, but sold the bike before the rear tire needed the switch. Unsure if the new owner did it or not. I did give him the tire....

As noted a few places, the other concern is the profile of the tire and how it mounts on the MC rim. Due to different shapes, you don't have that backup lock method to keep the tire in place. Not saying this is a bad thing, as many folks have darksided without issue, but it's still a real thing. Motorcycles are inherently dangerous in themselves. We all have to assume our own level of acceptable risks. One should know all the facts when making an informed decision.

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