Dark side (rear car tire on a motorcycle)

[paolo]

Hi all
I am intrigued about going dark side on the r18...may be 195 65-16 ....if space permits otherwise a 195 60-16 that should fit hopefully
And go to a 130 80-19 front.....which I acquired a shinko flat track tire that looks huge compared to the battlecruiser
Has anybody done anything similar on the r18?

 

[Anibal]

The issue with car tyres is that they are flat surfaced and when cornering/leaning at an angle, you are only touching a very small area and thus opening yourself to all sorts. I know there are folks out there that do this but I would strongly recommend you stick to motorcycle’s tyres. Surely you can find a motorcycle wider tyre if that is your goal.

 

[kate_brett]

Hi all
I am intrigued about going dark side on the r18...may be 195 65-16 ....if space permits otherwise a 195 60-16 that should fit hopefully
And go to a 130 80-19 front.....which I acquired a shinko flat track tire that looks huge compared to the battlecruiser
Has anybody done anything similar on the r18?

If your attaching a sidecar , makes sense.

 

[TheOldProfessor]

Years ago I ran a car tire on the rear of a Honda VTX 1800R. It was OK for the first 4-5k miles. But one day while accelerating up past 80 mph, it developed the "wobble of death". Scared the socks off of me. Ordered a good rear MC tire the next day and have never considered going dark side again.

 

[RhoXS]

I've never run a car tire on any of my bikes. I can't understand the logic in doing this unless you're trapped in some dystopian wasteland where you had no choice.

 

[BobW]

I understand the temptation ($$$), and have read many positive comments from serious riders that I have no reason to dismiss as "internet chatter", but I agree with @RhoXS that I would only use one as a last resort. The "cruiser" rear tires last quite a long time, but with the R18 weight and chassis design the front really works hard with any kind of "spirited" riding on technical roads. These bike are heavy and I would be very cautious especially on the front with any tire not designed to take the abuse the carcass will see on a routine basis during cornering and/or under braking loads.

YMMV, best of luck

 

[ad78]

from todays economy. i'd rather spend the high dollar MC tires vs hospital bills..

 

[CTXRider]

Hi all
I am intrigued about going dark side on the r18...may be 195 65-16 ....if space permits otherwise a 195 60-16 that should fit hopefully
And go to a 130 80-19 front.....which I acquired a shinko flat track tire that looks huge compared to the battlecruiser
Has anybody done anything similar on the r18?

I’ve been looking into this well ahead of needing a new rear tire. Here’s what I have discovered:

185/60R16: width is +0.2” and the diameter is -0.5” so it should fit with no problem.

195/60R16: same diameter, but is +0.6” wider

My R18TC may struggle with the 195/60R16 due to the plastic fender and sensor that’s inside the swing arm. That inner fender is domed to fit a bike tire, not the semi-squared off shape of a car tire.

The downside to either of these sizes is the tire selection sucks! The options don’t really get good until you get to the 205/50R16 size.

Hope this helps and I’ll keep researching and update what I find out.