Darkside Review ???

[HansO]

Well I am not going to argue anymore and yes, I did notice the bike was not a Rocket Touring bike as they do not have dual head lights nor Corbin beetle bags. In addition, it was not a roadster or the operator would not have said he thinks he would have been better off with ABS.
If you are running a Shinko, it is most likely a good tire in fact since the Rocket stock rim is technically the wrong width for a 240 tire by 1/2 inch you could probably fit a 200 Shinko on the back. Who knows Shinko might have a wider one but I have not looked. Yes, there are more tires out there then the Meltzer, and yes many more people have ran the Meltzer without problems. Therefore, the answer is if you do not like the Meltzer, you go to a tire not designed for a bike at all, sounds like a bunch of **** just to justify a car tire. I personally like the cobra better then the Meltzer, but since my rim just shipped back to me today, I will be trying the Continental Conti Race Attack 240/40/Zr18 on my Classic, and the 120/70/Zr17 to match in the front. Next rim I send away is going too modified into a 17 inch so I can try even more varieties of motorcycle tires. As for getting off topic I was not, the one who stated the guy wrecked his bike because he had a Meltzer. I only stated that the guy on the .com site that reported the accident said he did not know the details so blaming a tire without knowing the details is plane asinine. I suppose if turns out a truck ran him off the road it’s the Meltzer’s fault!!!!
Just forget it your right you all get back on your subject. As for a car tire on a motorcycle there is no proper application except a Trike and the Can Am. Period!!!!
And have a Merry Christmas!!!!!

try reading my post again the Shinko is on the Front and by the way I never did get the info you were going to send about the people who can modifie the rims and the cobras by the info I have recieved are a tad slippery in the wet we ride all year round down here. please don't get out of shape I never said I'm right just that the CT works for me and have stated they are not perfect if you have properly read my previous posts I have always kept an open mind hence the interest in the Rim Mods,

 

[warp9.9]

I read your post and was just suggesting that since the standard rocke trim was technically not the right width for a 240 you might also consider a shinko on the rear as they have some nice sticky street/drag tires.

 

[HansO]

I read your post and was just suggesting that since the standard rocke trim was technically not the right width for a 240 you might also consider a shinko on the rear as they have some nice sticky street/drag tires.

So where did you get the rim modified it might be worth the shipping

 

[rawlo]

off track

Hey guys
I have only started posting just recently but I believe some of you are getting way off track.
My perception of this forum was for Darkside QUESTIONS and REVIEWS it has been my intention each time I have posted to supply a life experiance situation and any other information pertaining to my bike mods that may help fellow riders.
Start adrressing this criteria and we will all gain from this forum.

With Respect
Rawlo

 

[nolton]

Hey guys
I have only started posting just recently but I believe some of you are getting way off track.
My perception of this forum was for Darkside QUESTIONS and REVIEWS it has been my intention each time I have posted to supply a life experiance situation and any other information pertaining to my bike mods that may help fellow riders.
Start adrressing this criteria and we will all gain from this forum.

With Respect
Rawlo

If you have any opinions on the darkside by all means post it ! Please ! I assure you many of us are interested

 

[TriumPhil]

It amazes me when I see people who don't have an interest in Darksiding spending so much time in a Darkside forum. There are foot fetish forums out there somewhere and since I don't have a foot fetish, I don't go there. Wouldn't it be silly of me to go to a foot fetish forum and speak negatively about rubbing feet? Might make you think I had other motives wouldn't it?

Just a thought ....

Just a thought for you, Kelly, since you seem prone to flamethrowing before most others here... Take a look at the intention of this thread as stated by the OP, i.e., "...putting together an evaluation of the Darkside...". He solicited the help of Oz based Darksiders to provide readily available study/test subjects, obviously because there are not alot of Darksiders around his environs.

The OP did not seem to be commissioning a one-sided car tire circle jerk, where the advocates of using such tires are to be held above any questioning, concerns or curiosity from the "nonbelievers" or, as is the case with me, from those concerned with any potential safety issues. Like it or not, there seems to be two very distinct sides to this coin and the opportunity to potentially have some credible analysis done and/or to have some new light shed on the subject, is a heartily welcomed one.

Rather than flinging the poo, let's just try to have a civil and respectful conversation on this highly controversial subject, without it degrading into a do-or-die, my-way-or- the-highway, pissing contest. Puhleeeease!

The main thing to keep in mind here is that no one really gives a chit which type of tire you choose to run (well, I don't give a crap, anyway). It's simply a choice and whomever does the choosing has to live with the results of their choice. If we ever find conclusive evidence to support one camp over the other, then, of course, all bets are off and let the poop land where it may.

 

[tdragger]

If we ever find conclusive evidence to support one camp over the other, then, of course, all bets are off and let the poop land where it may.

Seriously, I think the only conclusive evidence will be "it depends." Neither camp will be satisfied.

If the review says that all darksiders are nuts, the review will be dismissed as biased.

If the review says that darkside is viable, the review will be dismissed as uninformed.

Hopefully the review will come back as "it depends." I see that as the only credible answer.

 

[TriumPhil]

Now, if we could only get some tire scientists or manufacturer's to follow this brave Ozzie editor's lead...

 

[HansO]

January 11 is the date set to meet with "The Bear" as he is known to his readers here I am sure he will be unbiased and I am also trying to get a couple of Non Darksiders involved I have lined up one so far and working on another. whatever the out come is won't change me as I have already in the past before fitting the Darkside looked into the legalitys and my insurer has no problem as long as the tyre is a road legal tyre, the RTA our dept of Roads Transport Authority in NSW said as long as the tyre is a approved by a acredited RTA inspector it had no problem, the inspecter which is 98km's away said he had no problem but if I wanted it in writing it woud cost approx $770.00 most of which is testing facility hire. I am planning on recruiting a couple of other Draksiders at some stage to share the hire cost and I will have it in writing. That might then Shut the Naysayers once and for all the F#*k Up.
Sorry to divert of topic here but anyone looking for a better front tyre
I took the bike out for a run through the mad mile just outside of town and first impression of the Shinko is WoW !!! the bike turns in fantastic it nearly caught me out because I went counter steer to get it in to the turn (as you do even with a mt or ct on the back) and the bike just fell over on to its side so quick!! I know it is only early days but I noticed less countersteer being required on the heavily cambered roads, the tyre has a flatter more gradiual curve, it appears to run on a larger contact patch and even though not scrubed in felt sure footed. the Radial tyre is the way to go even if I only get the same mileage i will still be happy because like when going for the Darkside cost was Not the main issue and now I have good grip at both ends, incidently I never aked the tyre dealer what the price of the Shinko would be and was both surprised and delighted to find it is not quite 2/3s of the cost of the Metzler, $234 for the Shinko as opposed to $300 for the Metzler,

 

[CanberraR3]

While it's good to get opinions and share experiences, these do not provide sufficient information for me to be able to make an informed decision over such a life or death issue as what type of tire I should use.

Removing secondaries, changing shocks, fiddling with tunes etc are all things where subjective input is as useful as anything objective and I've previously acknowledged that. This is because the way those changes make the bike "feel" is a crucial factor. How a CT makes the bike "feel" is of interest and means that there are several things in favour of CTs; economics, traction, feel etc - although there are mixed views about handling.

But I can assure you my decision (or not) to go darkside will be based on facts about safety more than anything else. Next would be issues around insurance/legal position. That it's cheap and seems to work OK and some riders like the feel - or have managed to get used to it over time - doesn't make it safe. What is missing from the debate is that objective assessment whch I am really looking forward to.

Did you hear about the man who jumped off the Empire State Building? Was heard to mutter half way down "so far, so good". I for one would not take that as proof that it was safe to jump.