year round riding in ohio?

[Church6360]

In keeping with my usual format of bad ideas.

I was thinking about putting dual-sport tires on my gs and seeing exactly how far i really could push my luck by attempting to commute to work durring the winter on my bike.

I've only looked around for a few min on a couple of sites, but alot of what i'm finding for tire size for the rear is 130/80/17

and i'm not finding anything in 17 inch for the front, most are 19 or 21 inch.

just curious if anybody had any experience with bad ideas like this one.

[Phaedrus]

I've had bad ieas like that many times. One that comes to mind is when I had my 4x4 Dakota truck. Before installing the lift kit, I was looking for other ways to be able to clear 33" tires for off roading and general horse-assedness. I got the idea since the rear could clear 33"s easily, I would run 31" tires up front and 33's in the rear. In my little mind, it was a fantastic idea. My truck would even have the rear end souped up, like some kind of 60's muscle car.  

Luckily, a friend of mine verbally smacked me in the head and reminded me about impracticality, gear ratios (especially it being 4x4, imagine the havok!), and also how completely stupid it would look. I quickly decided against it and just went with the lift.

But anyways, I am right there with you for bad ideas. Haha.

As a side note, I don't know if *any* tire, even dual purpose, would really be that good in snow or ice. It is hard enough sometimes with 4 tires on a car. I lived in Marietta, Ohio for a year - durinf the Blizzard of '93 - so I sort of know what Ohio winters are like. And if they are anything like the NY winters, I'd pass on this idea quickly.

*No tire is any match for ice
*Other cars have a tendancy to slide around more, perhaps into you
*Frost bite
*Look like a psycho
*Trying to stop with a one wheel / rear wheel vehicle in the snow and ice would be about as much fun as hurling yourself naked into the icy waters of the Ohio river while naked.

:dunno:

[Church6360]

yeah, the more i think about it, i would really like to try it... Except.

1 I've been around a few toledo winters, and as you pointed out, cars do most deffinently slide around an awful lot in snow and ice.

2 Being late due to having iced up road rash coming into work does not look good to the boss.

maybe on my off days, that is if i get a drz-400.

[scratch]

One word: Supermotard.

Actually, why couldn't you use a supermotard front tire?

The ice-racing bikes have spikes in their tires, couldn't you add spikes to your tires (the dirtbike rear tire, the supermotard front (provided you have the clearance, or yoiu could just remove the front fender (and how cool would that look?!)))?

[manofthefield]

Studding your tire will work well for ice, but snow is still a challenge.

Unfortunately studs aren't legal in most places :dunno:

[RVertigo]

If you get a real light dual-sport, you can do a lot more in the snow 'cause you can use your feel to balance.

I can't imagine the GS would be fun in the snow with off-road tires or not...

Check this out:


It's the Ural Patrol.  It has on/off side-car drive...  Two wheel drive!   $9,695 MSRP though...  

[Jazzzzz]

strap a side-car on for tripod stability and give it a whack

[Alphamazing]

Grab a junky beater dual sport, like an 80s Yamaha XT250 (it's an XT225 now-a-days) and throw some knobbies on there! It's lightweight, reliable as hell, and plenty of power for a commute, especially in the winter.

[Mr.7]

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol: :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
There is no year round ridding in Ohio

[pnaberhaus]

Church,
I tried that once(winter riding). Put trial(not trail) knobbies on my Honda 305 scrambler in '68. One ride in the snow was enough to cure me of that mad thought. At the time, my bike was all I had, no car. If the weather was reaaly crappy, I took the (gasp) bus! :lol:  Besides the slippery white stuff, factor in the cold (putting your feet down and not feeling them on the ground is not good), the wet (cold rivulets of water seeping into every piece of clothing not cinched to tourniquet spec will find their way to your skin at speed, and the dark (days are shorter, less sunshine, less warmth, etc. etc.)

My answer. I met a really nice girl that year. She had a car (Triumph Spitfire, who here knows what that is?). We got married the following summer. We're still together :kiss:  Moral of the story? Find a good woman with wheels to get you through the winter and keep you warm.

[aaronstj]

(Triumph Spitfire, who here knows what that is?)

I do!  Dad's got one.  

[Alphamazing]

My answer. I met a really nice girl that year. She had a car (Triumph Spitfire, who here knows what that is?).

aaronstj does.

[RVertigo]

(Triumph Spitfire, who here knows what that is?)

I do!  Dad's got one.  

An old friend's dad had one too...

He let my friend take it out once...  once...   :lol:

That was a fun ride though. :mrgreen:

[Mr.7]

Great...the only point of that post was to get you from 866 posts to 867  

but the only point of this post is to get me from 173 post to 174  

[Alphamazing]

Oh hey. Aaron beat me to the post. Nifty. I like the looks of those. I like the TR6 a little more, though.

[aaronstj]

If you get one, I hope you like working on cars.  All the time.

[Alphamazing]

Yeah. My parents sold their old TR6, as well as their MGB because it was just too much work. Sadness

[RedShift]

Outriggers

[Church6360]

yeah, it's not that i don't have a car, it's just that for a little while there i was feeling extra stupid /adventturous.

and if i picked up a girl with a spitfire (old brit cars are cool) i think it would make my current girlfriend mad.

I'm still keeping an eye out for a cheap used dual sport. ya know, for days when i feel like tempting fate.

[VTNewb]

I've driven screws though old motocross tires that I was going to throw out, and put em on my old 85 or so XL250 honda. Works great believe it or not.