Michelin Commander II's on my 2010 R3T

Elvis said:

NO one around here will laugh as hard about the car tire as they will the guy that is replacing rear tires every 4-6K miles.

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Really?!?

On all my sport bikes 4-6K was pretty good. I get 8-10K on the R3T and consider that a real bonus. The comment I hear most whenever discussions turn to car tires on a motorcycle is, if you can't afford the tires, you can't afford the bike. Kind of like saying the insurance rates are too high on this bike, so I won't insure it.

I guess I equate mounting a car tire on a motorcycle to riding without a helmet. But, we all make our own choices.

GPMAZ said:

Really?!?

On all my sport bikes 4-6K was pretty good. I get 8-10K on the R3T and consider that a real bonus. The comment I hear most whenever discussions turn to car tires on a motorcycle is, if you can't afford the tires, you can't afford the bike. Kind of like saying the insurance rates are too high on this bike, so I won't insure it.

I guess I equate mounting a car tire on a motorcycle to riding without a helmet. But, we all make our own choices.

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Why spend 600-900 when 97 gets the job done? I call that economics 101. I sometimes ride without a helmet, but not all of us ride like idiots every time we get on a motorcycle either.

At 35 psi on the rear I can't tell any difference in the cornering or handling except on interstates, the car tire is much smoother.

Elvis said:

Why spend 600-900 when 97 gets the job done? I call that economics 101. I sometimes ride without a helmet, but not all of us ride like idiots every time we get on a motorcycle either.

At 35 psi on the rear I can't tell any difference in the cornering or handling except on interstates, the car tire is much smoother.

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I don't wear a helmet because of the way I ride, I wear it for the texting teenagers, drunks, inattentive soccer moms, and every other idiot on the road. Check out the statistics, how many motorcycle accidents are the fault of the rider?

As to the cornering and handling, well I don't doubt that the car tire is sufficient for 80% of the situations you encounter. Its the other 20% that concern me. When I need my motorcycle to respond in a 10/10ths situation I wouldn't want to rely on a car tire to perform.

GPMAZ said:

I don't wear a helmet because of the way I ride, I wear it for the texting teenagers, drunks, inattentive soccer moms, and every other idiot on the road. Check out the statistics, how many motorcycle accidents are the fault of the rider?

As to the cornering and handling, well I don't doubt that the car tire is sufficient for 80% of the situations you encounter. Its the other 20% that concern me. When I need my motorcycle to respond in a 10/10ths situation I wouldn't want to rely on a car tire to perform.

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We get it, you are afraid, its ok. I was too until i tried one.

Elvis said:

We get it, you are afraid, its ok. I was too until i tried one.

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Brilliant, well thought out response.

You're obviously much more experienced than I. In the future I will endeavor not to let my inadequacies cloud my judgement. Please accept my humble apologies.

elvis... you sound so brave and so experienced. i wish i was as good as you. hey have you mastered steering your motorbike with a rudder? i bet you are so cool you probably where scuba goggles too.

Perhaps you should consider, that those of us that may understand technology enough to appreciate the millions of dollars of r&d by global companies that deliver products optimised to minimal tolerances for error, maximising our safety, comfort, handling, insurance etc.... are entitled to spend what we want on whatever we chose. if you want to use car parts on your bike, go for it.

as for your talent... how bout you show me how confident you are by choosing whatever super bike you like, select any race track in australia and lets have some fun. perhaps a wager, say ... pink-slips on my rocket, my ducati, and every other car or toy in my garage or at my warehouse...

im not adverse to the occasional gamble so i stand by what i offer here. 1 thing i won't gamble on is optimum performance and safety when I'm riding.

choice is yours.. would you like to duel or accept that different strokes for different folks.

Elvis said:

We get it, you are afraid, its ok. I was too until i tried one.

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No need for name calling here but I more than happy to admit that I'm afraid to try a car tyre on my bike. So what? I'm also afraid to ride at 200mph or to overtake on blind corners. I could possibly do all of the above without any problems but frankly I don't see any of it being worth the risk. If you think all it takes is courage, good for you. I'd use a different word.

Elvis said:

Why spend 600-900 when 97 gets the job done? I call that economics 101. I sometimes ride without a helmet, but not all of us ride like idiots every time we get on a motorcycle either. ...

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Another bet that I'd take with heavy odds against me, Elvis. I say this with no intent to bash you or your choices personally...

In my meager experience (47 years as a rider on hundreds of different machines) I have found that you definitely get what you pay for in most lids, excepting for the extra cost of wild graphics, goofy or unnecessary accessories/features or exotic materials used for their manufacture. The corollary that also seems to hold true is that the type and cost of one's helmet is in direct proportion to the value of that which its user is seeking to protect.

For me, since your head and its brain within are, by far, the most important things for a rider to protect from mishaps, it's a fullface helmet all the time, everytime. Beyond simply the type or style of helmet I require, it also must meet the latest DOT and Snell Foundation standards and be less than 5-6 years old.

I have had the misfortune of suffering an accident that would have killed me, but for the fullface Arai helmet I had on that day. Had I worn anything less than a Snell and DOT approved fullfaced lid that day, I believe that, most assuredly i would have died instantly, on the spot. Them there's the facts and I'm sticking to 'em.

BTW, I am also, after many years of casually daring injury to occur, an ATGATT guy. Believe you me, it only takes one bad experience to bring you around to getting smarter about protecting yourself!

ponters said:

elvis... you sound so brave and so experienced. i wish i was as good as you. hey have you mastered steering your motorbike with a rudder? i bet you are so cool you probably where scuba goggles too.

Perhaps you should consider, that those of us that may understand technology enough to appreciate the millions of dollars of r&d by global companies that deliver products optimised to minimal tolerances for error, maximising our safety, comfort, handling, insurance etc.... are entitled to spend what we want on whatever we chose. if you want to use car parts on your bike, go for it.

as for your talent... how bout you show me how confident you are by choosing whatever super bike you like, select any race track in australia and lets have some fun. perhaps a wager, say ... pink-slips on my rocket, my ducati, and every other car or toy in my garage or at my warehouse...

im not adverse to the occasional gamble so i stand by what i offer here. 1 thing i won't gamble on is optimum performance and safety when I'm riding.

choice is yours.. would you like to duel or accept that different strokes for different folks.

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That was my point and only point, many can say the car tire is wrong but until they have actually tried one it is simply talking out of your arse.

I have been riding for 30 years+ and would never have considered it before last year, but simply put, motorcycle tire makers are not making tires for this bike that hold up.

I had a close call today and had I had a cycle tire I probably would be in the hospital tonight but the grip of the car tire saved my arse.

I happy for all of you that choose to wear helmets full face and full garb, for me, that would simply remove all the enjoyment out of it.

I apologize if anyone was offended.

Can of Worms

Elvis, didn't mean for you to get jumped. I am with you. I put my first car tire on last year on a 2005 Goldwing. The ride was smoother and it was a run flat tire as well, but breaking no different. It was an ABS model.

As far as grip, I highsided my R3T 2 years ago when a car stopped in front of me. As I hit both breaks and tried to maneuver around the car, the rear got real squirly. She ended up throwing me and rolling over me. With the car style position of the rear peddle, it is difficult at best to feather the rear under emergency conditions. I want the Car tire to help the rear stay hooked up to the road in an emergenc.