Darkside FAQ

[Brodie]

Update to my previous post above concerning front tires. I replaced the Road 5 in late February with 11,207 miles because the wear bars were showing in several scallops. I wanted a fresh tire for the rains.

Copied from another thread...

Looking back on my records:

(Front tires only, Im a darksider)

Michelin Pilot Road 2

2 tires

Install date 8/9/2015 14,094 miles,

Install date 2/17/2016 13,442 miles

Not a bad wearing tire, plays well with the Darkside.

I have run Road 3 and Road 4 tires in the past on my other FJRs, they wore ok, but were very noisy due to all those thin sipes crossing the tire.

Pirelli Angel

1 tire

Install date 12/10/2016 10592 miles

Symmetrical design sipe pattern did not induce side to side tug due to scalloping, however this being a dual compound tire it did wear into a somewhat triangular wear pattern.

Avon Storm

1 tire

Install date 10/17/2017 9,867 miles

Major scalloping early on. Long slender stagger on the tread, when scalloped induces major negative feedback at lower speeds, higher speeds wears you out with the harsh ride quality. This tire did not play well on my Darkside bike.

Note... This AVON had no quality issues. Ive had many AVONS in the past that had failures due to poor quality.

Michelin Road 5

2 tires

Install date 8/24/2018 11,207 miles

Install date 2/29/2019 1,821 miles - so far

This tire also ran well, like the Perrelli Angel. It also has a dead symmetrical siping pattern. Even with the cupping that wears into the profile, because its the same, and in phase on both sides of centreline, it does not induce any side to side shimmy like the Avon Storm.

I got a few more miles out of it over the Perrelli, but not as much as the Michelin PR2. All and all, it also plays well with the dark side.

I like the Road 5 front tire. It handles good, wears well considering the extra forces the dark side puts on it, and I think the siping is better than the Pilot Road 2. At 1,821 miles, so far so good on the current Road 5.

For those interested, the Michelin Pilot Road 2, Pirelli Angel, and Avon Storm tires played with the General Tire G-Max AS-03 All Season Steel Belted Radial.

The Michelin Road 5 played with the BF Goodrich Comp 2 All Season Steel Belted Radial.

Brodie

 

[VMaxChuck]

Great information Brodie!

I am running a Bridgestone T30 Evo front tire with my General Gmax AS03 and got 8,500 miles out of the first front. No scalloping (or headshake) til the last 1,000 miles. Not too bad.....

 

[Canadian FJR]

Compatible tires for the FJR are scarce in the part of the world. Im running the General G-max. What other options are out there?

Canadian FJR

 

[rbentnail]

I recently installed the Riken Raptor. Does well so far, really well in torrential rain.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1lz5zqf8sp5xjbn/Riken%20Raptor.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vqhf515dhlj0jcx/Riken%20Raptor%20on%20Bike.jpg?dl=0

 

[Canadian FJR]

Thats what I was in the hunt for before going with the GMAX.

Couldnt get one shipped here.

Canadian FJR

 

[WTP07]

My next rear will be a CT. To that end I had one of the engineers at work draw up the brake tension bar for me so the machine shop at my work can make it up.

if anyone is interested, it can be downloaded here in a couple of different formats: FJR Brake Tension Bar

If this isn't allowed, please let me know and I will delete the link.

Cheers!

 

[OCfjr]

No problems with you offering the plans. It's a simple part. Most just use the stock bar as a template and round off the ends. The hole for the retaining clip is smaller than the bolt holes. I've seen quite a variety of styles and they all seem to work fine.

 

[thinkingofone]

can a Bridgestone BT-45 130/70/17 rear tire fit as a front tire and is there a difference between the BT-45 and 46.. the 130 is a drop larger than the standard 120

 

[thinkingofone]

Ill answer my own question...yes a 130/70/17 rear tire fits as a front tire with just a shim on the fender...used the Riken Raptor as recommended by some of you here for the rear...so far only 200 miles on them but really impressed by the difference....seems to be more sure footed especially when pushing it hard...what air pressure have you guys used?

 

[Yar]

Ill answer my own question...yes a 130/70/17 rear tire fits as a front tire with just a shim on the fender...used the Riken Raptor as recommended by some of you here for the rear...so far only 200 miles on them but really impressed by the difference....seems to be more sure footed especially when pushing it hard...what air pressure have you guys used?

Did you reverse the rotation? Read somewhere that this may not be required.

 

[thinkingofone]

Ive read so many opinions on tire being or not being rotated ...the one that made the most sense to me seemed to be keep it in the normal rotation cause thats the way its made to move the rain out of the way...did the same on my goldwing and no problem at all in the rain

 

[rbentnail]

..what air pressure have you guys used?

Can't help with the front. For the rear I used 31 to 34.

 

[thinkingofone]

Right now I have 32 in the rear and 40 in the front.. going to lower the front down to 38 today and see how that feels

 

[thefix]

Directional arrows are for load direction. Rear wheel generates a drive force different than a braking force on the front. Yes, many people reverse direction . It’s an old school thing used on bias ply tires , whether it applies to radials is the question?

 

[waynevb]

No problems with you offering the plans. It's a simple part. Most just use the stock bar as a template and round off the ends. The hole for the retaining clip is smaller than the bolt holes. I've seen quite a variety of styles and they all seem to work fine.

After I darksided my FJR, I made a bar from an old garage door opener hook. They are pre-drilled so I cut mine off at the desired length and only had to drill one hole using the old bar as a template. I rounded off the newly cut end with an angle grinder. Works perfectly.