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Today I installed a 175/60 R-16 Dunlop SP Wintersport Run Flat c/t on my 1995 Aspencade. I purchased it from Tire Rack for 130.00 + 24.87 shipping for a total of 154.87. It was ordered on a weekend and arrived within 3 days.
This morning I rode an extra 30 miles to an independent motorcycle shop whom I bought a Maxi Scooter from last year and assumed they would have no problem installing a c/t. When I arrived I asked them if they would install and they said no because it was dangerous to run a c/t on a motorcycle and looked at me like I was stupid. They didn't realize that they had just lost my business for life as I called another independent figuring the dealers probably wouldn't do it. That shop said they would but they charge more to install a c/t as it's more work. I don't know why it's more work but I asked them how much and they said $100. Funny, I had called them a few months ago when I was calling around about installing a Shinko m/t on my 1200 and back then they quoted me $100 to install the Stinko. Go figure. So, I ran it by and within an hour the tire was installed for a total of $112.00 including a new metal valve and tax.
Here are my initial ride impressions. Immediately I noticed how much quieter the bike was, just like Lee said it would be. Previously, I thought all that road noise was coming from the front but really it's from the rear tire. Around town it felt no different than my Dunlop Elite m/t tire. I used the bike in town allot today, pulling in and out of parking lots and driveways, leaning the bike sharply on left and right tight turns and it felt solid and planted. I live 30 miles from town in the country as I was able to open it up on the way home and recorded 3500 rpm at 75mph indicated. I took it up to 100mph indicated and the bike ran straight and solid as if I could run a long distance at that speed comfortably. I have a couple of sweepers that I generally like to really lean strong and countersteer into as I wasn't timid about leaning the bike radically and it felt comfortable and smooth all the way through the lean. There was no instability whatsoever in the bike with a radical lean as it held the lean all the way through without wanting to come back up. My last test of the tire was my off road, road from hell to my cabin in the woods. Entering the dirt road from the asphalt takes one down a long hill that is long overdue on re-grading as it is a mix of patches of asphalt from my neighbors paving company, iron ore rock, gravel and sand. To say the least it is not for the faint of heart to ride or drive on. After 15 years I've gotten used to it. However when it rains all the silt settles at the bottom of the hill and therefore becomes sand, deep sand. This has always been my nemesis and commands my total focus when I ride the 100 ft. thru it with my legs out like outriggers as the bike idles thru in low gear. It wouldn't be so bad if it was straight, but no, it's in a curve. So when I rode down the hill I followed the right track down as I usually do however that's also the track that I've previously ridden thru and therefore has deep furrows which is hard to control the front tire. As I entered the right track the bike felt pretty squirrely as it usually does and it was a handful to get through as usual. I decided to turn around at the house and make another pass and this time to come up to the deep furrow and stop the bike and re-start again. I did this 4 or 5 times and each time the rear tire didn't bog down and act like it was getting stuck like it did with my m/t. I turned around at the top of the hill and this time decided to follow left track in the road which I hadn't ridden in and therefore the sand, though deep had no furrows in the curve that would pull my tire uncontrollably. I was able to duck waddle my feet while the bike moved through the entire curve without stopping or loss of control. So, my theory was right, the c/t is more stable in sand. As for furrows, probably the only thing that can move through them with ease is a motocross tire.
When I got back to the house I tried to get the bike up on the center stand and almost did it with rocking the bike with repeated attempts but became resigned to the fact it wasn't going to happen. I grabbed a small piece of 3/4" plywood and rode the back tire up on it and the center stand worked like a charm. I keep my bike stored in a Bike Barn and always park it on the center stand as it's simple to keep the plywood on the ground where I park it each night to operate the center stand. I suppose if one wants to use the center stand while away from home, they could carry a short piece of 1x6 in their trunk to park the back tire on. Personally, I only use the center stand at home because the Bike Barn is rather spartan in size and the bike centers up nicely inside on the center stand. I took a tire pressure reading and the motorcycle shop had filled it the max at 51 pounds and I let out 10 to bring it down to 41psi. I'll try this for awhile and see how it works and compare to others who run the same tire.
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This morning I rode an extra 30 miles to an independent motorcycle shop whom I bought a Maxi Scooter from last year and assumed they would have no problem installing a c/t. When I arrived I asked them if they would install and they said no because it was dangerous to run a c/t on a motorcycle and looked at me like I was stupid. They didn't realize that they had just lost my business for life as I called another independent figuring the dealers probably wouldn't do it. That shop said they would but they charge more to install a c/t as it's more work. I don't know why it's more work but I asked them how much and they said $100. Funny, I had called them a few months ago when I was calling around about installing a Shinko m/t on my 1200 and back then they quoted me $100 to install the Stinko. Go figure. So, I ran it by and within an hour the tire was installed for a total of $112.00 including a new metal valve and tax.
Here are my initial ride impressions. Immediately I noticed how much quieter the bike was, just like Lee said it would be. Previously, I thought all that road noise was coming from the front but really it's from the rear tire. Around town it felt no different than my Dunlop Elite m/t tire. I used the bike in town allot today, pulling in and out of parking lots and driveways, leaning the bike sharply on left and right tight turns and it felt solid and planted. I live 30 miles from town in the country as I was able to open it up on the way home and recorded 3500 rpm at 75mph indicated. I took it up to 100mph indicated and the bike ran straight and solid as if I could run a long distance at that speed comfortably. I have a couple of sweepers that I generally like to really lean strong and countersteer into as I wasn't timid about leaning the bike radically and it felt comfortable and smooth all the way through the lean. There was no instability whatsoever in the bike with a radical lean as it held the lean all the way through without wanting to come back up. My last test of the tire was my off road, road from hell to my cabin in the woods. Entering the dirt road from the asphalt takes one down a long hill that is long overdue on re-grading as it is a mix of patches of asphalt from my neighbors paving company, iron ore rock, gravel and sand. To say the least it is not for the faint of heart to ride or drive on. After 15 years I've gotten used to it. However when it rains all the silt settles at the bottom of the hill and therefore becomes sand, deep sand. This has always been my nemesis and commands my total focus when I ride the 100 ft. thru it with my legs out like outriggers as the bike idles thru in low gear. It wouldn't be so bad if it was straight, but no, it's in a curve. So when I rode down the hill I followed the right track down as I usually do however that's also the track that I've previously ridden thru and therefore has deep furrows which is hard to control the front tire. As I entered the right track the bike felt pretty squirrely as it usually does and it was a handful to get through as usual. I decided to turn around at the house and make another pass and this time to come up to the deep furrow and stop the bike and re-start again. I did this 4 or 5 times and each time the rear tire didn't bog down and act like it was getting stuck like it did with my m/t. I turned around at the top of the hill and this time decided to follow left track in the road which I hadn't ridden in and therefore the sand, though deep had no furrows in the curve that would pull my tire uncontrollably. I was able to duck waddle my feet while the bike moved through the entire curve without stopping or loss of control. So, my theory was right, the c/t is more stable in sand. As for furrows, probably the only thing that can move through them with ease is a motocross tire.
When I got back to the house I tried to get the bike up on the center stand and almost did it with rocking the bike with repeated attempts but became resigned to the fact it wasn't going to happen. I grabbed a small piece of 3/4" plywood and rode the back tire up on it and the center stand worked like a charm. I keep my bike stored in a Bike Barn and always park it on the center stand as it's simple to keep the plywood on the ground where I park it each night to operate the center stand. I suppose if one wants to use the center stand while away from home, they could carry a short piece of 1x6 in their trunk to park the back tire on. Personally, I only use the center stand at home because the Bike Barn is rather spartan in size and the bike centers up nicely inside on the center stand. I took a tire pressure reading and the motorcycle shop had filled it the max at 51 pounds and I let out 10 to bring it down to 41psi. I'll try this for awhile and see how it works and compare to others who run the same tire.
