recent post about 2d set of wheels
Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:47 pm
TIRES and the KLR,
food for thought.
Ever ask someone 'what time is it'
and
they tell you how to build a watch.
Yeah, me too.
Now that I have asked for forgiveness,
this is one of those post, sort of,
how to build a watch. smile.
Someone in the past week commented they had a 2d set of wheels, 30 minute swap from off road capable to more road capable.
I can't find the msg--as I think it was embedded in an off topic thread; but here is my point:
I also recently bought a 2d set of wheels, and have them skinned out in a Dunlop 607. Being 'master of the obvious' I failed to fully understand/note that the 17" tire was a 130/80R17.
cough.
R as it turns out, does not stand for 'race'.
But, you know this.
Not that I really thought it was race, but neither did I 'master the obvious' and see that it was a radial--and it clearly is marked radial. I checked for size, it was sold as a 'set' and I did not give it another thought.
I have it presently equipped with a HD tube. NOT super HD, but heavier than OEM.
The tire sites never suggested using light duty tubes or radial tubes.
Now, fast forward to a discussion with a riding friend (since 1973) named Doug.
He is a left-leg below the knee amputee (1976) that retools his bikes to a right shift, right brake and is currently building a DR650 right side shift and we talked about tires for his bike--and I told him about what I choose for my spare wheels. He will not ride it off pavement very much, perhaps some very mild gravel. This is a guy that mod-ed his CB500, an R90, a 600 Yamaha and 600 Kawasaki sport bikes to right side shift.
Anyway, after our discussion, he sent me this note, his reply/thoughts to me about the D607, here:
maaatin-
I looked up Dunlop tires and here is what I found.
It appears that your rear D607 is a Radial, 130/80R17 is a radial. They also recommend a 3"
wide rim, and I believe that your bike has a 2.5" rear rim. I would call Dunlop about mixing radial and
bias ply tires on the same bike. While you are talking with them, ask them if you need to
put a radial tube in your rear radial tire. According to the Engineer that gave a Metzler seminar
here last year, a radial tire and a bias ply tire have different profiles and there fore need different
tubes. Also what ever tube you do use, use a standard tube, not heavy duty. Heavy duty tube
tend to run hotter at highway speeds.
I have attached a copy of my Metzler seminar notes. I am not trying to piss in your cheerios,
just don't want to see you get hurt with a weird handling problem. As we both know, crashing sucks.
Doug
ATTATCHED NOTES posted here:
Metzler Tire Seminar 8/16/08
Ron Bowen Metzler Sales Engineer
Tubeless Tires can be run with Tubes.
Note: Bias Ply Tires take a regular tube, and Radial Tires must have a Radial Tube!!
Tire Pressures:
Use the recommended pressures from the tire manufacturer, NOT the bike manufacturer.
Pressure goes up approx 10% when hot.
For every 1 psi the pressure is low tire internal pressure will go up 10 degrees C.
10 psi low can result in Tire overheating/failure.
Nitrogen vs. Compressed Air: Nitrogen has larger molecules, less leakage over time
Nitrogen has no moisture, and less thermal expansion. Worth the cost and hassle your call.
Bias Ply made in Brazil and Radials made in Germany
The tires are checked for balance at the factory- the lightest point is marked w/dot- mount with valve stem here.
Run front and rear matched tires.
Pirelli owns Metzler
Storing Tires: Cool (70 degrees) dry area, do not store in basement near furnace, freezer, etc. The electric motors emit ozone- bad for the tires.
END CONVERSATION/POST with DOUG
It appears that mixing a radial rear and bias front is OK.
T or F?
So, anybody here used a motorcycle radial tire?
Does it really matter?
It appears from sources,that a conventional wt tube would work just fine.
Any thoughts? ie, hard data to support either direction?
The concern for the HD tube is how hot they will get.
If I am running HD tubes in K270 or D606 at comparable speeds, will it really matter?
Does heat really matter as I will rarely go over 70mph on these tires?
My present course of action is to re-tube the radial to a conventional wt tire on Thursday unless someone keeps this lemming from running over the cliff--just to build a watch.
revmaaatin. yeah, it is snowing here again....