Gonna try the darkside again.

[OldKawDrvr]

Has any one here have experience with the Nankang CX 866 165 80 R15 CT on their Voyager? Comments? How easily did it mount? I tried a Nexen before and it blew up on mounting so I bought a Dunlop E3. Now it's getting close to replacement time on the E3. I have a 2nd wheel to mount the CT on.

[gearheadfla]

I'm still on the Nexen, 9k and no signs of wear at all, love it, I think all the car tires would be the same, if you have a spare rim now, you can take more time to mount the tire, not like trying to mount and install it all at one time, I had no problem at all with mounting, others have like yourself have, I've only heard of two exploding , I used a good tire mounting paste ( a tire store would have it) on both the tire and the rim, it may help to (polish) the inner bead on the rim, I didn't. DanVero from the AB Board, lives about a half hour from me and he used K-Y Jelly after fighting his for a couple days. It may be a project, but you will LOVE it once you get it done. I have a couple spare rear rims and have thought about mounting CT on them and offering them up for the cost of the tire plus maybe $20 for the rim and shipping and Dyna beads if wanted, don't know if there is enough interest to go through the trouble, then comes the liability, so I didn't go ahead with it. Not that I think it is unsafe in anyway, but you know how things go.

[OldKawDrvr]

Thanks for the reply, Jim.
I do plan on polishing the rim before I mount the tire. I'll probably give the outside a few swipes too!
I'm mostly looking for comments on mounting the Nankang. I've already tried the Nexen, rather the local mechanic did. That didn't work so well. I'll do the next one myself. I need to buy a few tools but 2 tire tire changes will pay for them. I haven't purchased the CT yet, still waiting for comments. I'm leaving for a trip to New Mexico next week. About 3000 miles round trip, should just about finish off the E3.
Tom
'78 KZ1000, stock + Vetter fairing and bags.
'91 Voyager XII, stock

[doug of so fla]

Hey Jim!! Thought I would add to this thread, as of this morning I am a DARKSIDER!!! 65yers+ of MC tires and today I just changed to a Michelin Alpin run flat winter M&S car tire on my 07 Goldwing. After much research since I got the wing, cause it came with Metzlers , you know the MC tires that wear funny.. Any how trying to find out what the wingers use. And I came up with the Michelin. many wings have been using this tire for years with all good reports. Don't know if they make a size for the XII, but I always have run Michelin on my trucks.. Best part is to change it, took 15min, All you do is dump the wing on it's side and pull out the tire & reinstall "THAT'S JUST WRONG"!!!! many vidioes out on this procedure.. Put about 150mi on today of "HARD" testing and so far no problem. Tire runs about 30 degrees cooler than MC tires I have tested. You know it is different feel but it is a good feel. Going out again in a bit when it gets cooler. The run flat tires have a thick sidewall like a M/C tire. By the way congrats to you & Lori on the wedding, tried to make it but this retirement is just way to hectic for us old farts.. Thanks for all the info on your car tire experiance it helped me out a bunch. Hope to see you soon..

[gearheadfla]

Welcome to the Darkside Doug, we have cookies, lol, Thanks for the grates on the wedding, Carl, Mike and Marcia was there to see the branding of my finger, BTW, if you would like to help out with the Victory test rides again this year the run is on Sunday Dec 1st, rides will be at the Victory dealership the Saturday before and the park on Sunday, just like last year, last year the bike count was 1250, this year the goal is 1500, let me know.

[Winddancer]

Welcome to the Darkside Doug...

OldKawDrvr , doug and anybody else who goes to the darkside on a voyager.
With well over 38,000 miles on a cartire, It has been my experience so far that the wierd feelings come from Two different areas, the main one being the FRONT tire..yes, the front..
it seems that when the back tire is really down on air pressure it is not very noticable and is still smooooth untill you are in a high speed curve, then you feel a slight unhinged wobble because your side wall is flexing to much, easing back on throttle cures it instanly.
the front tire however, when it is low makes all kinds of wierd feelings, exspecialy the high speed wobble going down the highway..
it also is accountable for the low speed turning wobble, and the unhinged feeling just crusing down the road that have a seen, or unseen tire rut,depression or groove worn into a road..
look at the tire pressure max on your fron tire and keep i there..
I use 42lbs on the front and the only time I get any wobbles in a slow or fast turn or high speed run down the highway is when the front tire is low..
sometimes adding 5lbs of air to the front forks if you have progressive shocks, helps you ease into the new tire adjustment better..
As for mounting.. I have found that a place that mounts car tire's on cars has an easier time then a bike shop.. I think it has to do with the foot peddle they use, they seem to bring up the pressure then down, up,down,up down,wich just slips the bead in place whereas the MC shop have only the All on or Off and tries to pop the bead inplace..
and that last thing is what I say to everyone..
put in on, look at it, admire it,take your pictures and then get on the bike and forget it is there, and ride the hell out of it..

Enjoy!!!
Chuck