Making a Rocket look like this...

[TriumPhil]

Been there-done that.
It lasted just over 4,000 miles!
The Avon Cobra 140 works best so far.
Recently started running a 140 Azaro, school still out . . .

I know! I know, Steve, but I can't imagine that all was right with either your set-up or you could have had a defective tire (I suspect the latter).

I found the Commander II to be a top notch radial meat, with aramid belts, great tread pattern, very good handling characteristics and long life??? I did about 9,000 miles before it began to give up the ghost and only changed tires for the want of an even lighter front tire (Ex Max 130).

BTW, have I mentioned that I am an aggressive back roads rider?

 

[1olbull]

I know! I know, Steve, but I can't imagine that all was right with either your set-up or you could have had a defective tire (I suspect the latter).
What do you mean something wrong with my set-up?
I could indeed have gotten a bad skin.

I found the Commander II to be a top notch radial meat, with aramid belts, great tread pattern, very good handling characteristics and long life??? I did about 9,000 miles before it began to give up the ghost and only changed tires for the want of an even lighter front tire (Ex Max 130).
OK OK, down the road I shall give the Commander II 140 another try!

BTW, have I mentioned that I am an aggressive back roads rider?
Wish I had a buck for every time I have heard that!

 

[Manic_Mechanic]

What about this?

 

[Dawg68]

Rocket...ugly....
I suggest you put it between your legs and hold on.... you just may forget about what it looks like and walk away with a smile... just say’n...

 

[Manic_Mechanic]

What about this?

Not Quite done yet...

 

[Ishrub]

Both of my VTXs put out over 100 rwhp and 115 ft lbs. of torque. No V2K ever smoked me. A handful of worked V-Rods did, just barely and not off the line, and I never met a stock M109 that got the better of me either, but they were brand new when I lost my last Honda.

Old thread but seems as adjudicator never appeared for the outcome of all these Traffic light or whatever type shootouts.

Full Road Test: 2004 Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 Motorcycle

If you really romp on it, the displacement asserts itself despite the tall gearing and the bike's 820-pound wet weight. The Vulcan 2000's 12.43-second quarter-mile, at 104.2 mph, puts it just ahead of Honda's VTX1800, though Yamaha's V4 V-Max still will have it for lunch, as will Harley's little, light (and much-lower-geared) V-Rod. We sort of expect the hot-rodders to offer a set of replacement gears for the countershaft-to-output-shaft power exchange to shorten the overall ratio and let it rip a bit. (The European version has a different ratio at that point, but it is taller.)
...
PERFORMANCE
Fuel mileage: 31 to 43 mpg; 38.4-mpg average
Average range: 211 miles
RPM at 60 mph, top gear: 2250
0-60 mph time: 4.12 sec.
60-80 top-gear acceleration: 4.10 sec.
Quarter-mile acceleration: 12.43 sec @ 104.2 mph

 

[1olbull]

Agree with Ish on this one.
I rode my V2K over 10 years and 82K miles.
I greased at least a half-dozen VTX1800 with it. I was beat by one M109, on a straight a way only.
I never had a V twin beat me and I ran a bunch of them, including during three different Sturgis rallies.

 

[Ishrub]

Agree with Ish on this one.
I rode my V2K over 10 years and 82K miles.
I greased at least a half-dozen VTX1800 with it. I was beat by one M109, on a straight a way only.
I never had a V twin beat me and I ran a bunch of them, including during three different Sturgis rallies.

I got no skin in this and no experience or opinions, just posted the Review report details

 

[TriumPhil]

All fair and balanced statements, Steve and Ish.

As I thought I eludidated in the past, both of my VTXs were worked to produce over 100 rwhp and I never encountered either a V2K rider or an M109 rider that could grease me in a friendly road race, which I enjoyed, uhhh, several times against both of those machines/riders.

I agree that either of those bikes should be able to outperform most VTX 1800s, if properly equipped and in the hands of a competent rider, though. Steve more than likely would have been able to walk away from either of my big Hondas and pretty much anyone that really knew what they were doing with their bone stock 109s (uptuned as they were from the factory) should have been able to do the same, but those likely outcomes never occurred with me in the saddle and on the throttle.

 

[TriumPhil]

What about this?

Well, you asked, so, IMHO, you can do anything and everything you want to do to improve your power, but you are compromising any power gains and suspension improvements and your overall handling characteristics with the addition of that car tire, which, again, in my studied opinion, has only one benefit over any properly selected rear motorcycle tire and that is its lower price point and cost over time.

Otherwise, I like where you're taking your R3.