[VT-XGrunt]

Promise, I've looked for the last hour. Still learning this "forum" idea. About the time I came around I guess. Anyways, I'm shopping for tires right now for my 2003 VTX 1800 S (the retro with spoke wheels). Anyways, a few questions:

• What is the range in sizes that I can put on the bike?
• Will a 200 fit under the fender?
• How much difference is there in the heights in the front?
• Back?

I think I'm going to Metz, for my first tire replacement. Does anyone have objections? D404s?

Anyways, any advice will be very helpful.

Thanks!

 

[hawkvtx]

You'll get a lot of opinions on this but the Metzlers are a good choice. I've never used them but a lot of folks here swear by them. The stock dunny 404's are pretty much regarded as stock crap. I'm currently using the Dunlop Elite 3's. A bit pricier but so far worth it.

As far as sizes go, I have a C model so you'll be better off waiting for an R owner to chime in but yes a 200 will fit. It will fit under the C fender with no modification but you may have to grind the inner rail on the R, not positive though.

That being said I burned through 2 different 200's (Avon and Bridgestone) in less than 8000 miles each. The tire fits the rim but really isn't the right size tire. The 200 wears a flat spot in the wider contact patch pretty quickly. Also, the 180 has a deeper tread than the 200.

I've gone back to a 180 in the hopes that I'll get better mileage out of it. However, if I don't get much more than 8000 I'll probably go back to the 200. I really love the way the 200 looks and handles but it's a little frustrating, not to mention expensive to replace the tire almost as often as I change the oil.

Keep in mind that with that big R fender you really don't see much of the tire anyway. If I were you I'd stick with the stock sizes.

This is the 200

This is the 180

And as I tell all the newbs, be warned of the attack from the Darkside. They will come at you from all corners of the galaxy but I for one will never betray Obi-Wan.

 

[VT-XGrunt]

Hey Hawk, thanks for the input, much help. So far, what I've come up with is probably the Metz 880's. I'm thinking 150/80R17 on the front (replacing the same) and a 180/70R15 on the back (replacing a 170/80R15). Never thought I'd be so tough to find the same brand/type in a whitewall. Is that normal?

 

[wanderingbear]

Whitewalls are tougher to find in many sizes. You can use a 205 car tire too. Do a search for the Darkside, lots of threads on it.

 

[FISTer]

Sadly, front tire choices in our size are very limited.

I love the ME880. It's a great tire. Not the greatest for mileage, but it's sticky. Where I ride, and the people I ride with... stickier is better.

I went darkside. I've got about 4500 miles on a Michelin Hydroedge 205/65/15. I wish I had put on a 205/70 or even a 75 though to correct speedo error.

Previous owner had an Elite 3 on the front. I don't know how many miles it's lasted, but handling is really good. Since I've owned the bike, that tire does seem to wear pretty quickly though. Time to replace it. I've ordered a Shinko SE890 Journey. My second job is parts at a bike shop. The Shinkos are on special this month (along with many others) so I figured why not? Shinko bought out Yokohama's MC tire division, and has stolen Michelin's dual compound tech. Harder in the center for mileage and softer on the sides for traction in curves.

The 200 rear will fit with no problems.

 

[2dtexas]

Promise, I've looked for the last hour. Still learning this "forum" idea. About time I came around I guess. Anyways, I'm shopping for tires right now for my 2003 VTX 1800 S (the retro with spoke wheels). Anyways, a few questions, what is the range in sizes that I can put on the bike? Will a 200 fit under the fender? How much difference is there in the heights in the front? Back? I think I'm going Metz, for my first tire replacement. Anyone have objections? D404s? Anyways, any advice will be very helpful.

Thanks!

I went through this a year ago on my 1800S... I just went with the Metz 880's and have been very pleased with them. Going darkside on a S model can be done but it is a hassle.

 

[FISTer]

Why is it a hassle?

 

[Beermand]

I really liked the ME880's on my S until I got the Goodyear Triple Tred on the rear. It was not a hassle very easy to seal the spokes with the 3M 5200 and have never had a leak. The GYTT handles better than the Metz ever did on the rear. I like the Metz up front it handles well and I get around 15K out of it the last 2 times. We will see how many I get this time with the Dyna Beads in it.

If you aren't ready for darkside the Metzler ME880"s made my bike handle better than the stock dunnies and outlasted them on mileage by 2x.

 

[hollywood64]

Hey Beermand
I read a post here somewhere from a guy who just ran an inner tube inside his CT. What are your thoughts? Sounded too easy to be true to me.

 

[wil]

2003 VTX 1800 R/S (Thread)

Promise, I've looked for the last hour. Still learning this "forum" idea. About time I came around I guess. Anyways, I'm shopping for tires right now for my 2003 VTX 1800 S (the retro with spoke wheels). Anyways, a few questions, what is the range in sizes that I can put on the bike? Will a 200 fit under the fender? How much difference is there in the heights in the front? Back? I think I'm going Metz, for my first tire replacement. Anyone have objections? D404s? Anyways, any advice will be very helpful.

Thanks!

2003 VTX 1800 R/S (Thread)

http://www.vtxcafe.com/showthread.php?t=61859&highlight=Darkside

 

[Beermand]

Several riders use tubes in their car tires. For me with the 2 years of research I had done and following the Darkside website and all the riders who went darkside before me I chose to seal the spokes. I wanted to run the GYTT and it seemed one of the harder tires to seat on the 1800S spoke rim in 15". Several reported 100 -110 psi to seat the bead on the GYTT. It proved to be true as it took me 120 psi to seat the bead on my rim. Some riders have blown the tubes trying to get their car tires to seat the bead and others have had zero issues. There are other tires that seat easier on our rim, but I researched the GYTT and I like the longevity and the water dispersement of their tread pattern. Some riders don't like the GYTT because of its flatter profile than tires like the Yokohama with a rounder profile.

I have 1 year on the GYTT and I love it! I scrape the floorboards often in the twisties and it sticks like glue. I have never felt any problems on the bike with it and I have no desire to change. In a couple of years when it wears out I will probably go with it again.

If you want to do a lot of research go here to the darkside website and read a lot. I did that on the VTXOA, here on the Cafe and also at the darkside website.

Here is a good place to do research and ask questions where people will be helpful and not give you a lot of misinformation.

Here is a write up I did on a local website that I belong to of the steps I learned from Wayne on how to seal the rim and get the tire on. It has instructions and photos that might help you out.

http://www.lakestockton.com/read.php?75,85210

http://mcdarksiders.forumotion.com/

 

[FISTer]

I tried sealing my spokes twice, but still ended up with one or two that were leaking. I gave up b/c having the tire mounted multiple times was getting expensive. I just put in a 200mm tube. The bead on my hydroedge seated with no issues.

You gain the traction and ride of the CT, but lose the ability to plug a flat. The way I look at it, if I'd stayed with a regular MC tire, I would still have that issue anyway. Of course with my luck, after about 1000 miles or so I picked up a roofing nail. Made it home before it went flat. I didn't even know it until the next day. So I had to put in a new tube.

 

[gpd005]

Has anyone done this with the F style wheels? They are an 18" wheel so i'm sure the tire needs to be a lower profile to avoid any issues and i can't seem to fine what size that everyone is running for this larger rear wheel.

 

[Paxton Gomez]

Car tire in the rear; rear tire in the front (Reversed Rotation). :choppersm