Dark Side...The Last Time...Promise!! (Pictures)

Hi Guys, I am running a Michelin Primacy 205/65-R16 rear and a Dunlop 150/80H-16 D404 Whitewall Front Tire. I bought my bike used and downloaded a service manual that says I should have a 17" front rim, but I have a 16". It is matched with the rear, so I guess that is the way it is supposed to be. The Dunlop is friggin' awesome...really nice look and smooth ride, steering and awesome tread pattern...Kudos!
Anyway, the bike runs runs very smooth and stable on these wheels, very quick to steer, no problems leaning or tracking in corners and I can even brake in a corner which can upset some bikes. I have studied these CT's very a long time and compared so many different sizes and ratios already. I think I have the best CT I can get now. I would not run a larger rear, and I would not use a smaller front. Buy the rear firs and see if the mike runs the way you like. If so, leave it alone. Can't imagine how much cornering you need on a 1-ton bike anyway.
My last tiree were EXEDRA MAX 180/70R16 REAR TIRE.. did not like that bike tire and the tread wore down pretty quick. My last front was the Avon Cobra which was first a little high and then smoothed out and it rode ok. The tread also did not last so long. But I can say that the Dunlop I have now is much better all around.
Cheers!

@steelboss The R3T has 16 front. It's the Roadster/Standard/Classic that has the 17 front.

CanberraR3 said:

@steelboss The R3T has 16 front. It's the Roadster/Standard/Classic that has the 17 front.

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Steelboss ,It's nice to see that no one has tried to shoot you yet for going DS, everything you said about the DS rear tire is right on, just watch your tire pressure, keep it low.
I am still on my original Altimax rear tire more than 2 years now and it still looks new.
by the way my R3T has close to 157 HP and yes it will easily smoke the car tire.

I picked up my R3 last July. It had sat outside and unridden for 10+ years. Then it sat at my lace for another few months until I got the parts I needed and changed all the fluids and filters. I've now been riding it for 3 months and love it. Not surprisingly the rear tire was showing cords all around the center after just a thousand miles or less. So, I put on a car tire. It's a Kumho 245-50-16. After squeezing it onto the bike (with no air in it) I'm running 24 psi. It rides a little stiffer than the bike tire and it under steers way more (It's a sidecar rig) but once I got used to it, I think I'll like it especially the longevity (I hope). Had I more experience with the bike I probably would have gone a little narrower, but again it's mainly a highway cruiser so for that purpose it's great. I saw an R3 on E-Bay for sale, a sidecar rig that had this size tire, so that's what led me to pick the size.

Jimbosidecar said:

I picked up my R3 last July. It had sat outside and unridden for 10+ years. Then it sat at my lace for another few months until I got the parts I needed and changed all the fluids and filters. I've now been riding it for 3 months and love it. Not surprisingly the rear tire was showing cords all around the center after just a thousand miles or less. So, I put on a car tire. It's a Kumho 245-50-16. After squeezing it onto the bike (with no air in it) I'm running 24 psi. It rides a little stiffer than the bike tire and it under steers way more (It's a sidecar rig) but once I got used to it, I think I'll like it especially the longevity (I hope). Had I more experience with the bike I probably would have gone a little narrower, but again it's mainly a highway cruiser so for that purpose it's great. I saw an R3 on E-Bay for sale, a sidecar rig that had this size tire, so that's what led me to pick the size.

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Great info as I still intend to put a chair on one of my Rockets.
Does your rig have a stock front end or a leading link or similar? One of our members @Seanii Plunkett @Seanii Plunkett from Guyra in NSW had a well engineered one with about 160,000Km (100,000 miles) on it that he sold recently I think, but I was too broke to buy it.

Ishrub said:

Great info as I still intend to put a chair on one of my Rockets.
Does your rig have a stock front end or a leading link or similar? One of our members @Seanii Plunkett @Seanii Plunkett from Guyra in NSW had a well engineered one with about 160,000Km (100,000 miles) on it that he sold recently I think, but I was too broke to buy it.

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No, it does not have a leading link, but it does have modified top and bottom clamps. It steers just fine. I'm a sidecar builder and most of my bikes use a stock front end. I have a slash 2 BMW with an Earles Fork but out of 30+ sidecar bikes I have that's the only one with a leading link front fork. There's a ton of bad info on sidecar do's and don'ts on the internet and I just have to chuckle at some of the nonsense that is posted as "fact". On my first ride aftyer I put that huge tire n the back, I went in to a corner maybe a little too fast and it really wanted to keep going straight. After that I learned to give it a little more steer earlier and it goes just fine. I probably should have used a slightly narrower rear tire to mitigate that one aspect, but it truly handles fine once I got used to that one quirk.

Please provide some info on your modifications to the front fork modified top and bottom clamps?
I've had a few chairs over the years and still have too unattached ones that probably will not suit the Rocket III.

A 1953/4 Aussie Tillbrook steel boat and a custom made one for a BMW 650/5.
I have got a new old stock set of UK made 'UNIT' leading links with Hagon gas shocks for BMW R65LS with twin disc which can fit most R series air head BMWs.
I researched the UNIT fork. No longer in business, sold and became Hedingham Sidecars before that company ceased years ago.

I wish dark side would work, great milage. But dark side wont corner well. Yes I know you think it corners well but not at the speeds I corner at. Just sayin.

Ishrub said:

Please provide some info on your modifications to the front fork modified top and bottom clamps?
I've had a few chairs over the years and still have too unattached ones that probably will not suit the Rocket III.

A 1953/4 Aussie Tillbrook steel boat and a custom made one for a BMW 650/5.
I have got a new old stock set of UK made 'UNIT' leading links with Hagon gas shocks for BMW R65LS with twin disc which can fit most R series air head BMWs.
I researched the UNIT fork. No longer in business, sold and became Hedingham Sidecars before that company ceased years ago.

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Well, to be honest the previous owner told me he changed them and he gave me the originals but I haven't compared them side by side to see exactly what changes were made. I'll try and do that in the next few days and share pictures if I can of what the differences are.

Azisbest said:

I wish dark side would work, great milage. But dark side wont corner well. Yes I know you think it corners well but not at the speeds I corner at. Just sayin.

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I can't imagine how it would handle on a solo bike. My bike is a sidecar rig where it makes good sense if you want to save money on tire costs and mileage range. But I do know a couple people who have put them on Goldwings and these don't have a sidecar. But a Goldwing is hardly a canyon carver