Some of the bike owners that went darkside installed a rear mc tire on the front wheel of their bikes to improve the grip of the front wheel. A rear mc tire is constructed to be a directional tire, meaning it should always be installed making sure it is rolling in the right direction according to the arrows on the tire. This directional construction of the mc tire makes it better able to absorb torque loads under acceleration and also braking loads, although braking is usually not as severe as torque. The reason the tire is reversed is because of this construction and the bike owners wanted more tire strength for braking. That is the general thinking anyway.
I am running a darkside tire on my bike and I have a pirelli rear tire mounted in reverse rotation on the front. It does provide excelent grip though I am not sure if it is any better than a regular front tire and it is quite noisy at road speeds. When this front tire wears out I may go back to a regular front tire. Tom

Frogfarmer wrote:
Darkside provides the rider with extremely long wearing inexpensive tires that compromise ultimate handling. With that said some riders dont ride to the bikes full potential and never have an issue with a CT. I still ride hard with the ocassional blast into the triple digits and want all the grip I can get. I know several riders who have gone darkside and love it but its not for everyone and right now its not for me either.


This is the type of comment I take issue with.
First...inexpensive...i paid $138 for my bridgestone ct. I dont consider that cheap. Cheaper than a metz or avon? Yup. But i'll never buy another metz or avon...unless I decide to start racing my 800+lb r* cruiser. Same price as the bridgestone exedra mt ..which I loved but dont deliver the mileage im looking for. Hence the ct.
Secondly...ultimate handling? I ride as aggresive as anybody and offer the challenge of show me something your * with a mt can do that my ct isnt capeable of and i'll prove u wrong. Straightaways,corners,twisties,switchbacks whatever you wish. And another thing ive discoverd w my ct and wonder if antbody else w ct has experienced...i can turn circles inside of the circles I had w the mt.
CT may not be for everyone...but its not because its inefficent. In my now "experienced" opinion, the ct is not a replacement...its an improvement.

All I can comment on is my experience, I've gt 2k n my tire and it is way better than when I first put it on. I settled out at 38 psi,the ride is better and the traction both wet and dry is way better. As for speed 100+ no wobbles or vibration. Dont know about full potential, but the bike has done well in all conditions for me.

[Oh and by the way...i now have that "fat tire" look without any swingarm mods. Works for me!


b]hrdbrgn wrote:[/b]
Frogfarmer wrote:
Darkside provides the rider with extremely long wearing inexpensive tires that compromise ultimate handling. With that said some riders dont ride to the bikes full potential and never have an issue with a CT. I still ride hard with the ocassional blast into the triple digits and want all the grip I can get. I know several riders who have gone darkside and love it but its not for everyone and right now its not for me either.


This is the type of comment I take issue with.
First...inexpensive...i paid $138 for my bridgestone ct. I dont consider that cheap. Cheaper than a metz or avon? Yup. But i'll never buy another metz or avon...unless I decide to start racing my 800+lb r* cruiser. Same price as the bridgestone exedra mt ..which I loved but dont deliver the mileage im looking for. Hence the ct.
Secondly...ultimate handling? I ride as aggresive as anybody and offer the challenge of show me something your * with a mt can do that my ct isnt capeable of and i'll prove u wrong. Straightaways,corners,twisties,switchbacks whatever you wish. And another thing ive discoverd w my ct and wonder if antbody else w ct has experienced...i can turn circles inside of the circles I had w the mt.
CT may not be for everyone...but its not because its inefficent. In my now "experienced" opinion, the ct is not a replacement...its an improvement.

[Oh and by the way...i now have that "fat tire" look without any swingarm mods. Works for me!


b]hrdbrgn wrote:[/b]
Frogfarmer wrote:
Darkside provides the rider with extremely long wearing inexpensive tires that compromise ultimate handling. With that said some riders dont ride to the bikes full potential and never have an issue with a CT. I still ride hard with the ocassional blast into the triple digits and want all the grip I can get. I know several riders who have gone darkside and love it but its not for everyone and right now its not for me either.


This is the type of comment I take issue with.
First...inexpensive...i paid $138 for my bridgestone ct. I dont consider that cheap. Cheaper than a metz or avon? Yup. But i'll never buy another metz or avon...unless I decide to start racing my 800+lb r* cruiser. Same price as the bridgestone exedra mt ..which I loved but dont deliver the mileage im looking for. Hence the ct.
Secondly...ultimate handling? I ride as aggresive as anybody and offer the challenge of show me something your * with a mt can do that my ct isnt capeable of and i'll prove u wrong. Straightaways,corners,twisties,switchbacks whatever you wish. And another thing ive discoverd w my ct and wonder if antbody else w ct has experienced...i can turn circles inside of the circles I had w the mt.
CT may not be for everyone...but its not because its inefficent. In my now "experienced" opinion, the ct is not a replacement...its an improvement.

what size bridgestone are you running ?

I need a Like button!

MS1700 wrote:
I need a Like button!Dude, face it, your a trail blazer. Just look at what you started by introducing us to THE DARKSIDE . Happy Turkey Day my friend

ironman wrote:
MS1700 wrote:
I need a Like button!Dude, face it, your a trail blazer. Just look at what you started by introducing us to THE DARKSIDE . Happy Turkey Day my friend

Yea but it isn't for everyone. Especially the ones with little experience. And after 28K on mine, I must say when you get down to 4/32nds or so all the great stopping in wet/rain, diminishes as well as the great handling, so even though you have plenty of traction and tire left. 5/32nds means time to line up a new tire. I'm there!

I would like have to change they way I ride to go back to a MC tire. Unwilling. I am so pissed No more Comtracs.

I'm still considering the ct for my next one. Since I have that tiny 3 1/2" back wheel (stock wire wheel, 2001 model), can anyone tell me the max size ct that will fit it?

I did put the Pirelli rear tire on the front in reverse rotation last time, and it's wearing great, handles great, etc.
Thanks for the input!