Best Darkside Tire

[recumbentbob]

Originally Posted by 1mackdog

Well Ive decided to pull the trigger on the achilles platinum 195/60R16. What is anyone opinion on this tire?

Never heard of that brand before, I looked it up and the tread looks nice.

Why did you decide on an Achilles brand?? instead of a brand that is tried and is known to work well?

[macmac]

Mackdog, what ever you do, do a swing arm service and check that U joint, because you won't be back in there for a very very long time.

I suggest you use a lot of moly grease, get and install a new drive shaft boot, and use a stiff Marine chassi grease for the swing arm bearings and their shaft ONLY!

If you have a 1600 be sure to dob a bit of grease on the upper shock BEARINGS, and a little Castrol Girling rubber lube on the lower shock studs wouldn't hurt a bit. This is a brakes sort of thing from most any Foreign Car Parts Store. Rubber Lube.

[1mackdog]

I read on other sites about riders using this tire and the responses they gave. I will write an extensive trail on this tire for those following to the Dark Side....

[1mackdog]

Thanks macmac I think I'll do exactly that. Ive already put a grease fitting on my swing arm I'll give it a squirt of grease and take care of those other things as well while i'm in there. Thanks for the tips and this once again is one of the reasons this site is the best on the internet. Thanks to everyone who has responded..Your all Great!!!

[macmac]

Originally Posted by 1mackdog

Thanks macmac I think I'll do exactly that. Ive already put a grease fitting on my swing arm I'll give it a squirt of grease and take care of those other things as well while i'm in there. Thanks for the tips and this once again is one of the reasons this site is the best on the internet. Thanks to everyone who has responded..Your all Great!!!

Yeah,, that zerk on the swing arm is one of my pet peeves. It won't grease the driveshaft splines, and could lead to a bunch of problems if that is the way the rear wheel splineS and u joint will be checked.

Now like i said it will be a very very long time before you go back in there once a ct has been installed, and I know that for a fact, because I am basicly lazy, ande I have not been back in mine since the day I installed a Dunlop Sp 5000.

I expect the next time I go there iot will be for swing arm seals, which are wrongly used as thrust washers. Besides the driveshaft boot wearing out in apx 4 years time, which I consider fast, the swing arm seals will wear out in less that 9,000 miles, but no one including me changes these on time.

When swing arm slop exceeds apx 0.138 these seals should be changed. I can feel the difference in handling as the swing arm sort of clunks over to one side and then clunks back to the other in twisties.

1 the rear wheel is a compound wheel and the metal disk there should not be blue, since that blue comes from heat as high as apx 600F degrees!

2 the spline mating to the wheel hub should be cleaned of moly and get new molly.

3 the driveshaft should get moly on both ends and on the slip joint.

4 the U Joint should be handled with care and inspected for any stiffness on either plane. If it is stiff one one plane it should be replaced.

None of that happens with the zerk install.

5 the swing arm seals should be replaced any time you are in there just because they are used as thrust washers!

6 the boot should be replaced each 3 years since on year 4 it will be cracking up, and allow sand into the driveshaft tube.

7 the long bolt of the swing arm should be greased each 8,000 miles. The zerk is ok for that I guess, so long as 'clean' grease is observed passing both swing arm seals, and it then wiped clean, and the seals slipped back into place.

8 Just Call Me Mac. It's eaiser for the both of us.....

[skiman]

Mac I took two washers to the machine shop they right on OD they opened up the ID and surface ground them to .045 leaving me with .014 fits like glove no detectable side play but move smooth as silk best 40 bucks I've spent on the bike

[donoller]

please read rider magizine about the use of car tires on a bike

[recumbentbob]

I read it. I have 22,000 miles on my car tire. And when it's time to replace it I'll use another car tire.

[Monkeyman]

Rider Magazine basically says it shouldn't be done because of this or that. 100+ riders right here (and thousands more out there) say it CAN be done and HAS been done safely, comfortably, with the police and insurance permission, blah, blah, blah. You're free to make up your own mind but seems that it makes more sense to go with what's known and not with what could be.

Back to the party!

[macmac]

Originally Posted by skiman

Mac I took two washers to the machine shop they right on OD they opened up the ID and surface ground them to .045 leaving me with .014 fits like glove no detectable side play but move smooth as silk best 40 bucks I've spent on the bike

SKi, what material? Stainless, Bronze? Doesn't the seal still wear on the back side?

Over a long time I have wondered what might be the best over fix, even if it's temporary.

I kinda doubt one set of spacers would fit all Nomads too.

[macmac]

Originally Posted by recumbentbob

I read it. I have 22,000 miles on my car tire. And when it's time to replace it I'll use another car tire.

We'er gonna die Bob!

[Hacksaw]

I sent a pic of mine when it had just been put on to a Goldwing buddy of mine, his text message back was....you'll die a fiery death

[Monkeyman]

I would have texted back, "Thanks. Wanna race?".

[tax2dth]

has anyone tried this tire 195/60-16 ACHILLES TIRE - PLATINUM - size: 195/60R16? I like the look of it. This will be my first darkside tire and im trying to find a good ct to put on. I have a 07 Nomad

[macmac]

$68 bucks? Who makes it? That kind of money is usually cheap junk..... The tread pattern is interesting..