Motorcycle tires don't last long. And they are expensive. I get the ones I use on-line for $300 to $400 a set depending on which I choose. I can get as little as 5,000 miles out of a set, sometimes as much as 7,000 miles. With the amount of miles I ride every year that adds up to a lot of money just for tires. Almost as much as gasoline.
For me, a bigger problem is having to change tires early if going on a trip. A normal long weekend away can easily be 600 to 1,000 miles. Tire life can be deceiving the last few thousand miles. A tire that looks like it might have a few thousand miles left can waste away in 500 if conditions are right.
THE DARK SIDE I finally decided to do something about it. There is something in the motorcycle world known as going to the Dark Side. It means putting a car tire on the rear of a motorcycle. Not all bikes have room for a car tire, and not all tires will work. My Honda accepts a number of car tires. The last time I tried this, I just was not happy with how little room there was around the fender. I had chosen the biggest and hardest to fit tire that time, and this time I am tried what many consider a beginner tire. It is a Hankook Ventus V12 - 205/50ZR17. Not only should I get many times the life out of this tire, but it is less than half the price of a motorcycle tire. There are many other choices of car tires that will last even longer, but I chose this one for grip and fit.
Depending on which car tire you choose, you can get 15, 000 all the way up to 30,000 miles on a rear car tire.
DOUBLE DARK SIDE - Going double dark side means putting a car tire in the rear and a rear motorcycle tire in the front. Rear motorcycle tires are shaped different than front ones, and have thicker tread. This has the effect of improving handling as well as lasting many more miles than a typical front tire when combined with a car tire in the rear.
The tire was surprisingly easy to mount on the rim, and was not much of a problem to slide into the swingarm. I've heard horror stories, but I was able to do it all with just a few tire irons, and a little bit of sweat.
The tire fits in pretty close. If uninflated it rubs lightly on the swingarm. If inflated it is fine. I chose to do a bit of sanding down of the area of the swing room where the tire rubs. This requires a grinder with a sandpaper pad on it, to grind down just a bit. Not really required. Some people just sand paper the small raised rib on the tire. Each bike is different and some do not rub, even if not sanded down.
I rode with this tire for 165 miles. I checked everything out, and there was a little bit of rubbing on the plastic fender under the seat. I could probably have gone for a long time without causing any damage. or I could have just sanded off a little bit of the rib on the tire, and it probably would have been fine. Every bike is different, and sometimes you can take a tire that fits on one bike and try it on another bike and it won't work there. I could probably make some modifications, and make this set up work. Maybe someday.
This is one of the smallest and easiest to fit tires, yet it still rubbed the plastic. I will take it off for now. Maybe some today I will look into modifying the bike, or something. I'm actually looking at possibly moving the wheel bearing a little bit, or putting a spacer between the wheel and the flange to move the tire over a quarter inch or less..
VERDICT I have only put a few hundred miles on the combination. The feeling is great until leaned way over. Then, although it feels great, if you let off the throttle or crank it up, the rear does a little squirm as the tire conforms to the new stresses. It feels a little like the back tire slipped about an inch. This was an expected reaction, as most that put this particular tire on complain about this. It is easy to get used to. On dirt roads with ruts, or any place where there is a major change in the road, you can feel it. Not a problem, it just feels different, not quite as good as a motorcycle tire, but pretty good nonetheless.
I could really get used to this combination, and if I put on one of the tires with a stiffer sidewall, it would be even better. I may still use this combination in the future if going on a long trip. The advantage of not having to change a tire after only 5,000 miles is huge when traveling.
I had to take this one off, but I have not given up yet.
