RonK

-- I can't seem to locate the photos of the Venture with a bike tire on it. I can't seem to find it on the Facebook site. Regardless, the photo I saw somewhere was not of an '18 Venture but an earlier year. As each year phase is different, I don't know if the wider sectioned tires will fit on the '18. --

-- I think you are talking about several things here that I'll try to organize (at least for my mind). First on tire sizes: An OEM 200/55R16 is 24.66" in diameter. This is the measurement that determines the ride height and wheel RPMs in relation to the engine RPMs. A 195/55R16 is 24.44" in diameter. This would lower the bike slightly about .11" since it's only the radius that touches the ground that matters for speed/rpm/height. The upper part of the diameter (or the unweighted radius under the fender) does not affect the bike height. A 205/55R16 tire is 24.88" in diameter. So will it cause the bike to be different from stock? Yes, it will be .11" higher off the ground. That's about one-tenth of an inch. How will that affect the speedometer? At 65 mph the larger tire's actual speed will be .57 mph faster than the speedo indicated when with the stock tire. That's because the speedo is based on the RPMs of the wheel, but the road speed (or gps calibrated speed) would be a little more since the tire propels the bike farther along with each rotation. There could be a clearance to the fender problem, or not, if the stock clearance was really small to start in that the tire has about a 1/2" wider section width, which would be 1/4" inch on each side. So to sum up, a larger diameter tire makes the bike travel faster than it did based on the speedo. But the larger tire will only correct a speedo that is reading faster than actual speed. The gps is your friend. --

-- Only if you hack his phone. --

-- Good point. I don't know for sure, the website might help. I don't think about it as I have an aftermarket that just fits on the valve stem. --

-- I balance using Ride_On sealant as it not only balances but acts like a filler of punctures. https://www.ride-on.com/ --

-- For the first guy over, I didn't see any hole in the road that grabbed his tire. At most a small pothole that wouldn't have mattered if he hit it. It looked to me like he was going almost perpendicular to the side and then tried to correct back to his left but was too close to the side and fell off to his right. For the second guy, the dope thought he could just park on a 45° slope by heading down in the grass. --

-- Just to remind you, we're keeping our eyes on you. Keep your hands out of the tips jar! --

-- I've never lost my shirt. --

-- Did you read my post? I said you can access the side panel without tools (or key). I also said I taped the key and start instructions there. I would not want to put it in my wallet as I have misplaced my wallet on occasion. Thank god my mind is attached. --

-- I'll throw out an addition to that. I'm somewhat anal in that I've lost a key to a car, house, or vehicle enough times during the years that I always hide one. For my bike I've taped a spare key and start instructions to the inside of my right panel where the shock adjuster is. It can be opened without tools, won't fall off, and isn't likely to be found by someone poking around. --

-- No technical response here, but could you have put the wrong amounts of oil in either the engine or tank? I don't know why the sound would be timed so identically. Either that or for some reason your pump might have lost prime and some parts were run dry for a few moments. --

-- One would be for you to have some tire place that can handle bike tire wheels without damage. If none, try a dealer that will do it if you sign a note absolving them of any responsibility. (You might want to have a couple of those forms that you make up handy if necessary to pull out.) Then there are many riders of the Dragon that put them on their bikes since they work better on large cruisers and tourers than stock mc tires. If any of them live near you or belong to a club near you, they might have a lead. Check with any clubs near you on members who change their own tires and see if they will help (maybe for a six pack of beer). I know some riders have told WalMart, or some other tire place, that the wheel was off a trailer or trike and then the place (presuming they can do it without damage) would change it. The thing is we don't expect anyone installing a tire for us to take any responsibility for anything. We just want them to do what they always do. You might be able to get a lead from someone on the GoldWing site. That's all I can suggest. By the way, what tire on what bike do you have in mind? --

-- I presume you're not observant enough to understand the answer to that. So let me explain: Of Course Not! We live near mountains and ride up and down all the time. Duh! --

-- I'm at 10,000 miles now and have 4/32" tread left on my rear tire. I should need a new one by 15-16,000 miles. The OEM Bridgestone cost from the dealer is well over $300. so I won't be using one of them. In fact I'll be switching to the Darkside and put on a Bridgestone DriveGuard run flat car tire in a 205/55R16. They cost about $135. from Tire Rack, are radials, and being run flats, are much safer than not in the event of a blowout. That size is also slightly larger in diameter than stock so it will put my speedometer pretty close to right on. Unfortunately I already switched out my front as my OEM got a non-repairable cut at 8,000 miles. My replacement there is the same size as OEM but a rear tire with twice the usable tread. --

-- Thanks for the info. Is his Venture an '18? He speaks of changing every year. Older Ventures may not have the same clearance. --

-- I'm not a Facebook person, so maybe I don't know what to do, but I was accepted as a "member" or something, but I couldn't find any info about anyone who's used that sized tire on an '18 Venture. Have you tried to put it on yet? I'm interested in the clearance you have on the sides and if there's any contact on bottoming out. For sure $57. with shipping is IMPOSSIBLE to beat anywhere else. I do really want a run flat though in that size. --

-- Okay, I'll take the bait. I'll answer some questions, but not in detail or we'd be here all night: 1. Get the one that's closest to what is OEM is in dimensions. 2. Smaller tire affects all drive ratios. Go with same size. 3. Rear only on bikes with car tire. Can use a rear m.c. tire on the front of most bikes--called Double Darksiding. 4. Feel depends on the pressure. Higher (like 40#) is firm in corners, lower (like 28-32#) is soft and doesn't track road irregularities as much but some give in turns. You don't ride on the side or corner, you are on the outer 1/3 of the bottom in turns. 5. You get better traction than stock m.c. 6. Can be harder to mount on rim. Corners better on large cruisers and touring bikes. 7. No. Only in the minds of deniers. 8. Most run either 30 or 40#. 9. Not for me. 10. See the link above. All depends on the size you want as to what's available. 11. No. 12. Find a place that will mount it for you before you switch. Most of us remove the wheel and bring it and the tire in to the dealer/shop. 13. Just like with any new tire, it will feel different from what you took off. As it has more flat area on the bottom, it will want to lean into the downside of pavement or off a lip which isn't a problem unless you freak out. After a couple of hundred miles, you'll never realize there's anything different at all. You may find that ALL the experts that say it won't work just go by their computer projections and theories. But it always does work. It's a matter of theory vs. road tests done by thousands of riders every day. Keep in mind that no Darksider will tell you what you should do, they can just tell you what has worked for them. We don't care what you do. Your choice. --

-- Some good responses. Thanks. --

-- I was just re-reading what I was supposed to be doing to my bike besides riding it. Turns out I was supposed to change the plugs at 8,000 miles. I'm at 9,000 now. Performance doesn't seem to be suffering--I'm still getting over 50 mpg on each fill up. The maintenance book recommends NGK/DPR 7EA-9 standard plug. That's the same size as I've been using in my Road Stars, sometimes 20,000 miles and more without any problem with iridium. The standard is about $2.49 as opposed to iridium at $7.99 at Auto Zone. I didn't mind the extra if it meant that it was going to last many times more miles before changing, plus not having to take the tank off, etc. I haven't taken the tank off yet on this new bike, so I don't know how hard/easy it will be. Anybody done it yet? I know that while I imagine the iridiums last longer, there is a trade off. The copper core (standard) plugs are actually more efficient, but have a shorter life. The iridium wire core are less efficient, but have a longer life and are more prone to overheating. But then the Road Star was nowhere as "sophisticated" and may be able to adapt to less technology. The Eluder maintenance charts don't suggest other options. Boy, the choices we have to make! --

-- This is absolutely crazy in my opinion. To have to run an engine to find out if there is oil in it? Then you have to hold it upright while checking? I like checking it when it's cold and on the kickstand because then it's always the same temp, not dependent on whether its been run for two minutes, or two hours. When its hot it changes volume depending. If the 'open area' above the oil level in the tank can vary between 4" and 1/2", then what difference should that make? The engine block area is only going to suck in the amount it needs. Wouldn't it run fine even if there was only a half quart in the bottom of the reservoir? (Not considering any cooling time that might come about while in the tank.) It doesn't pull in the oil from the top of the tank. Am I not seeing something here? Seems to me that once you know the amount you need to fill, say with a filter, then you should be good to go every time if you put that amount in. If you have to add a little to make your quarts come out right, so what? I hate trying to figure when I'm at .6 of a quart. Along those lines, so what if the oil level ever did drop a quart or even two if you burned some. It would be in the reservoir where there are four quarts just setting there. I say that but never have had a bike that used oil enough to add between changes. --

-- I don't know. The Venture should have a bucket, I would think, just that fairing spreads forward to enclose it. It's the inside of the bucket that matters along with the diameter. R* uses a standard 7" light that fits on hundreds of cars and bikes. --

-- For my RoadStars, I use the Trucklite 7 as they are less expensive, but do a fantastic job. They give me more light than I need. I think the usable Lux at 25' is the highest of all. That's the usable light. --

-- On the Venture category, it was mentioned that some were having scratched paint on the gas tank from rubbing--maybe clothes or maybe buckles--I don't know. That was a worry of mine so I had a number of ares covered with clear protective film (Clear Bra, Xpel, 3M are some brands). I've had my front fender and other frontal areas where bugs and rocks would hit covered, too. I often kick my saddle bag, so I had that covered. So far no damage from anything. I like that its being clear means it doesn't take away from the looks of the base silver color. --

-- I have contacted them for membership. Until then, you say others with 2018 Ventures/Eluders have already used this tire (size) with success? --

-- That tire has the exact dimensions as I wanted and hoped it would fit. Have you actually put the tire on yet? --