OT get yur motor runnin'

There's no substitute for being on a bike on a nice day. It's like owning the world.

Being on a bike on a s***ty day builds character.

Can't argue that . Heat index was over a hundred this afternoon when I left for my bee club meeting . The ride home around sunset was much more pleasant . Can't say whether either one built any character though . I've GOTTA get that trike out on a really twisty road . It's based on an XL1200L and it corners like it's on rails . I've been tryin' to lift an inboard wheel , haven't managed yet . If I can get the back end to break loose I might get into one of those "turn left to go right" situations . I've been practicing that on the gravel road up to the highway ... I need a new front tire soon , I'm debating whether to go radial since that's what the rear tires are . I need to call my tire man ...

Yeah, we've had a few days close to 100. I know what a enchilada in an air fryer feels like. Do you run motorcycle tires or something with a flatter profile? I've never looked close at a trike.

The rear has regular radial car tires run at like 18 psi , the rims are from a Chevy S10 pickup . The front has the stock 19" Sportster rim and right now has a standard motorcycle tire . They make radials for motorcycles and I'm wondering how that might affect the handling .

Why only 18 PSI? I assume because of the low weight, but doesn't that impact the handling and life of the tire?

Why aren't radials standard for a motorcycle?

Horses for courses. Some Harley models use a radial on the rear and a bias on the front. Sport bikes have used radials for years. Heavy touring bikes tend more toward bias ply tires for longevity. Gold Wing drivers don't drags their knees very often so better heat dissipation and flex aren't important.

Dual sport and dirt bikes also tend to be bias ply for the same reason I ran bias ply tires on my pickup when I can still get them. If you're going to bounce rocks and stuff off the sidewalls, bias is the way to go.

I don't know about now but Sportsters used to come with Dunlop 401's, affectionately known as Dunrocks. Great wear. I got over 16,000 on the rear. I replaced them with Bridgestone Spitfires. They were also bias but not as hard, as proven by the 8,000 mile life.

If you actually ride you go through a lot of tires and are always looking for the best cost/performance. That's particularly true for my DR-650, where you're trying to balance decent dirt performance with something that doesn't howl like a banshee and ride like an unbalanced washing machine at 80 mph on pavement.

Then there's tubeless versus tubed. BMW has spoked wheels that run tubeless but usually if you see spokes there is a tube involved.

Excellent response ! I run at 18 psi because of the low weight , and I doubt those tires will ever wear out . And this trike still has the original front tire from the factory ... this thing only has 6357 original miles . And it is indeed a D401 , and getting thin in the middle . Edges still untouched by pavement , I suspect the only trip this thing made on 2 wheels was from the dealer to the shop that converted it .

live streaming the huge covid crowds :

On Thu, 12 Aug 2021 18:04:53 -0700 (PDT), Dean Hoffman posted for all of us to digest...

Cadillac used to use that as one of their slogans.

If you have radials in the back you SHOULD have radial on the front as well.

I know it works that way with cars , trikes I'm not so sure . It corners extremely well and tracks straight down the road when I take my hands off the controls . I've been playin' around a bit on the gravel road , it's utterly predictable .

Exactly why?

Maybe not according to the manufacturer

My Sporty has about 59,000 miles on it so it's had a few pairs of new shoes. One thing I found out about the Spitfires is when you can see the band of different hardness rubber clearly and are thinking about a new tire two days later you see cord.

A trike puts different loads on the front tire than a standard bike and the Bias tire could introduce some Understeer. I'd be putting on one of the new Avon Radial trike tires designed for the application.

None of those are TRIKES - and Harley's recommendations for a motorcycle may not be right for the trike (generally speeking, they are NOT) The trike specific Avon Cobra Radial Trike tire would be my recommendation.

I'd take the recommendation of the manufacturer