[Rammer]

Could I run a DS tire, like an AVON Gripster on an 04 VFR?

It is a tube tire I think.

[DougFromIndy]

the answer is YES, the VFR wheels would accept a tube type tire...but if you want to make your VFR into a dual sport then I would check out Dunlop 616s, these are tubeless and come in exact same sizes as on a VFR, are oem buell tires and pretty cheap/good performing tire. I have a TDM850 and ready to switch tires to meet any road surface...people will cringe but no reason once you have made it to Alaska to mount some 120/70/zr17 and 180/55/zr17 Dunlop 616s and ride that bike right down some dirt roads. Do it, take some pics for us. thanks Doug

[Rammer]

DougFromIndy, on Oct 6 2008, 04:19 PM, said:

the answer is YES, the VFR wheels would accept a tube type tire...but if you want to make your VFR into a dual sport then I would check out Dunlop 616s, these are tubeless and come in exact same sizes as on a VFR, are oem buell tires and pretty cheap/good performing tire. I have a TDM850 and ready to switch tires to meet any road surface...people will cringe but no reason once you have made it to Alaska to mount some 120/70/zr17 and 180/55/zr17 Dunlop 616s and ride that bike right down some dirt roads. Do it, take some pics for us. thanks Doug

I like the look of the Gripster. Thanks for the word on the 616's.
Our state paved roads are so bad that almost any street ride is a dual sport experience.

[BaileyRock]

Rammer, on Oct 6 2008, 04:26 PM, said:

I like the look of the Gripster. Thanks for the word on the 616's.
Our state paved roads are so bad that almost any street ride is a dual sport experience.

When did they start paving roads there?

j/k

I think the ds tires are a good idea.

[DougFromIndy]

Buy some R & G frame sliders and a set of rashed bodywork...you will lay that heavy bike down sometime, is almost a 100% bet, put your pretty stuff in the barn for going out to town on a Sat night, rashed bodywork is cheap, nice/new is very expensive, make the switch before going on gravel/dirt...I like to see your DS set up, thanks doug
See ADVrider forum for complete comparison of DS tires, you can even mount a rear tire on the front and put the arrow going in the wrong direction like a Pirelli I am mounting on my yamaha.

[tc rides]

I saw this post about DS tires on a VFR and am wondering, what do pepople think of this idea?
I am heading to Alaska next summer and am agonizing over a new bike puchase. I saw the '09 Honda Transalp in the latest Cycle World, but it's only available in Europe, the Suzuki VStrom is butt ugly and the KLR does absolutely nothing for me (and it won't run at decent highway speeds for any length of time). Chicago to Prudhoe Bay amd back (through Seattle) is 10,000 miles, so a true DS bike is probably out. Yesterday, after seeing your post, I starting thinking about taking my '04 vfr and hoping for some dry weather, and getting some used fairings in case (or perhaps when) I go down. A DS tire like the Dunlop 616's would probably be the tire to go with, I think.
Thoughts? Question? Is this a terrible idea? I hear of guys making this ride on Goldwings, although I wuld want to take it off the pavement more than a 'wing could
Ride safe,
Tim

[BaileyRock]

tc rides, on Oct 30 2008, 01:22 PM, said:

Is this a terrible idea? I hear of guys making this ride on Goldwings, although I wuld want to take it off the pavement more than a 'wing could
Ride safe,
Tim

Tim,
I say pull a KLR behind a Goldwing and go for it!

Depending on roads conditions and makeup I would think that some decent DS tire could work great for this trip, but most miles would be smooth pavement wouldn't they?

[tc rides]

Baileyrock, on Oct 30 2008, 01:30 PM, said:

Tim,
I say pull a KLR behind a Goldwing and go for it!

Depending on roads conditions and makeup I would think that some decent DS tire could work great for this trip, but most miles would be smooth pavement wouldn't they?

My thoughts exactly !!! Why would I buy a KLR or something when 9,000 of 10,000 is going to be on pavement. I love my vfr to no end and and can sit on it all day long comfortably and ride twisties to my hearts content. I think the Dunlop 616's will go on and unless the gravel (last 400 miles to Prudhoe Bay) is completely wet and muddy (and I realize it might be) I should be good to go. I will look for some used side fairings and maybe frame sliders (any thought how I could make some highway pegs?).
If I could get the new 700 Transalp I would probably do it, and maybe sell my VFR (god forbid), but thats about the only bike I would trade for, I think. Like I said, the Vstrom is ugly and the KLR does nothing for me. I am not much of a fan of thumpers in general, although I fully admit that they serve their purpose. I have had 2 Suzuki DR 650's and rode from Chicago to Denver and back, so it isn't like I am unfamiliar with thumpers.

[elizilla]

tc rides, on Oct 30 2008, 02:22 PM, said:

I saw this post about DS tires on a VFR and am wondering, what do pepople think of this idea?
I am heading to Alaska next summer and am agonizing over a new bike puchase. I saw the '09 Honda Transalp in the latest Cycle World, but it's only available in Europe, the Suzuki VStrom is butt ugly and the KLR does absolutely nothing for me (and it won't run at decent highway speeds for any length of time). Chicago to Prudhoe Bay amd back (through Seattle) is 10,000 miles, so a true DS bike is probably out. Yesterday, after seeing your post, I starting thinking about taking my '04 vfr and hoping for some dry weather, and getting some used fairings in case (or perhaps when) I go down. A DS tire like the Dunlop 616's would probably be the tire to go with, I think.
Thoughts? Question? Is this a terrible idea? I hear of guys making this ride on Goldwings, although I wuld want to take it off the pavement more than a 'wing could
Ride safe,
Tim

What are you planning to do in Alaska? What kind of time constraints would you have?

I've been up there on my streetbike and I don't see any reason you couldn't take a VFR. Especially if you have time to wait out the bad weather before tackling any really long gravel stretches. The Alaska Highway is as well paved as other couple thousand miles of paved backroad in the lower 48. And the gravel roads tend to be fairly decent, for gravel - it's not like you're heading out to do singletrack, or jeep trails. Most of the roads you hear about in people's motorcycling trip reports, are built for truck traffic. You might get a bit jounced around, and they're not so fun in the rain, but they're completely within the bounds of possibility on a street bike. If you can manage crappy driveways, or the parking lot at TWO, you can manage Alaska gravel.

And it's not like I'm some highly skilled dirt rider, either. I struggle. But I still managed.

Certainly, a 650 V-Strom would be a more desireable mount for that trip. But it's not like the VFR would be a huge handicap.

[01VFR]

tc rides, on Oct 30 2008, 01:50 PM, said:

Baileyrock, on Oct 30 2008, 01:30 PM, said:

Tim,
I say pull a KLR behind a Goldwing and go for it!

Depending on roads conditions and makeup I would think that some decent DS tire could work great for this trip, but most miles would be smooth pavement wouldn't they?

My thoughts exactly !!! Why would I buy a KLR or something when 9,000 of 10,000 is going to be on pavement. I love my vfr to no end and and can sit on it all day long comfortably and ride twisties to my hearts content. I think the Dunlop 616's will go on and unless the gravel (last 400 miles to Prudhoe Bay) is completely wet and muddy (and I realize it might be) I should be good to go. I will look for some used side fairings and maybe frame sliders (any thought how I could make some highway pegs?).
If I could get the new 700 Transalp I would probably do it, and maybe sell my VFR (god forbid), but thats about the only bike I would trade for, I think. Like I said, the Vstrom is ugly and the KLR does nothing for me. I am not much of a fan of thumpers in general, although I fully admit that they serve their purpose. I have had 2 Suzuki DR 650's and rode from Chicago to Denver and back, so it isn't like I am unfamiliar with thumpers.

I've been wanting to do the same thing except complete the ultimate coast to coast (Key West to Deadhorse) but it has to be on one bike. I think I am ready to just take the VFR. I was thinking of removing the side fairings and front fender and making a protective "cage" around the engine and cobble a dirt bike fender together for the front and give it hell.

It ain't about how pretty you are...but what you see and do.

Good luck

Corey

This post has been edited by 01VFR: 30 October 2008 - 03:42 PM

[trav72]

This guy rode an R1 to Alaska. The VFR should be no problem at all!

http://video.google....823511260224128

[tc rides]

trav72, on Oct 30 2008, 03:30 PM, said:

This guy rode an R1 to Alaska. The VFR should be no problem at all!

Well, thats settles it right there... the vfr is going to Prudhoe Bay next year.....now I need to order some killer knobbies !!

[Tightwad]

I too want to ride to Alaska...not sure about the last 400 miles to Prudhoe Bay. I figure I won't have the shot for at least 2 years, but the VFR would be what I want to take. I would try a longer trip, like the corner to corner route if I had the time and money.

[xerox]

go for the 616s, i have had them for two years and i love them! best rain tire ever...my buddy has them on his ZX14 too, same thoughts!

[keny]

The Pirelli Scorpion SYNC is also a DS style tire to come in 120/70zr17 / 180/55zr17 size

[ssray]

keny, on Nov 11 2008, 11:55 AM, said:

The Pirelli Scorpion SYNC is also a DS style tire to come in 120/70zr17 / 180/55zr17 size

I have one of these on the front of my 3rd gen, seems ok, It was cheep off of ebay-i will keep it for the winter then replace ith a road tyre.
Ray

[hondalover]

tc rides, on Nov 3 2008, 01:53 PM, said:

trav72, on Oct 30 2008, 03:30 PM, said:

This guy rode an R1 to Alaska. The VFR should be no problem at all!

Well, thats settles it right there... the vfr is going to Prudhoe Bay next year.....now I need to order some killer knobbies !!

I'm not sure how I missed this thread but I've been to Prudhoe Bay on a bike, and been to the Arctic Circle twice on two different bikes. Here is a linky to a short blurb on my couple rides. I think I'm going to ride the VFR the next time I go, but I might rent a KLR or GS in Anchorage to ride the Dalton HWY. Shot me a PM if you want more info.

[tc rides]

This has been a great and informative thread. As of right now, I am leaving Chicago June 20th and heading for Prudhoe Bay on the '04 I have. I will post moe info and maybe some questions as time gets closer, plus a full report after the fact. My plan is to ship some more gravel friendly tires to Fairbanks, and have them installed there. Then I can ride the 1,000 miles of gravel and continue on the tarmac for the rest of the trip home. My riding buddy rides a GS so the gravel won't even be a consideration for him at all.

[hondalover]

tc rides, on Nov 28 2008, 08:48 AM, said:

This has been a great and informative thread. As of right now, I am leaving Chicago June 20th and heading for Prudhoe Bay on the '04 I have. I will post moe info and maybe some questions as time gets closer, plus a full report after the fact. My plan is to ship some more gravel friendly tires to Fairbanks, and have them installed there. Then I can ride the 1,000 miles of gravel and continue on the tarmac for the rest of the trip home. My riding buddy rides a GS so the gravel won't even be a consideration for him at all.

We (the guy I rode from Kansas City with and myself) ordered a set of tires each and picked them up outside of Tok, AK. We carried the new tires as spares for the trip up and back on the Dalton. That worked great for us, neither of us needed the tires, but it sure was an easy feeling knowing we had them. How long are you planning for your trip? We were gone for 21 days and I covered 9,910 miles. I'm looking forward to hearing about your trip already! I forgot to mention about the link to the guy that rode the R1, he didn't ride the Dalton HWY. That will be your toughest challenge for the hole trip in my opinion.

[Rice]

Hey Tim,

Me and a few other crazies took an off road excursion during the last Catskill ride. We were going over small boulders set in wet mud mixed with fresh foliage. Pilot Powers together with VFR suspension did not find that amusing at all So, a VFR is definitely not an off road machine
Having said that, once you get over the initial "shock" and get used to rear and front trying to squirm from under ya, it's all good. Hard packed gravel set in dry mud were not much of a prolem for PPs and should def. not be a problem for DS tires. Anything else would be.

Enjoy your trip!

P.S.
I envy you. I was talking with my wife about a bike trip to Alaska just last night. What a coincidence

[tc rides]

hondalover, on Nov 28 2008, 09:00 AM, said:

We (the guy I rode from Kansas City with and myself) ordered a set of tires each and picked them up outside of Tok, AK. We carried the new tires as spares for the trip up and back on the Dalton. That worked great for us, neither of us needed the tires, but it sure was an easy feeling knowing we had them. How long are you planning for your trip? We were gone for 21 days and I covered 9,910 miles. I'm looking forward to hearing about your trip already! I forgot to mention about the link to the guy that rode the R1, he didn't ride the Dalton HWY. That will be your toughest challenge for the hole trip in my opinion.

We are planning for 23 days, about 10,600 miles if we ride through Seattle on the way home. I am hoping for the new tires to go on right before the Dalton Highway, and instead of bringing a spare tire, we'll have our flat tire repair kits. At least that is the plan for now. Everything is negotiabl at this point.

Rice, on Nov 28 2008, 09:03 AM, said:

Hey Tim,

Me and a few other crazies took an off road excursion during the last Catskill ride. We were going over small boulders set in wet mud mixed with fresh foliage. Pilot Powers together with VFR suspension did not find that amusing at all So, a VFR is definitely not an off road machine
Having said that, once you get over the initial "shock" and get used to rear and front trying to squirm from under ya, it's all good. Hard packed gravel set in dry mud were not much of a prolem for PPs and should def. not be a problem for DS tires. Anything else would be.

Enjoy your trip!

P.S.
I envy you. I was talking with my wife about a bike trip to Alaska just last night. What a coincidence

Dimitri !!!
You should trailer to Chicago and we can go from here. Bring the Mrs. and she can go shopping on Michigan Avenue while we are gone. See, I care about everyone's needs !!!
Talk soon, stay safe buddy.
TC

[Rice]

tc rides, on Nov 28 2008, 10:08 AM, said:

You should trailer to Chicago and we can go from here. Bring the Mrs. and she can go shopping on Michigan Avenue while we are gone. See, I care about everyone's needs !!!
Talk soon, stay safe buddy.
TC

Let's see...
23 days off work (I get paid per day) + the missus shopping (in anger) on Michigan Ave for 23 days . I don't think I have enough organs to sell

Enjoy the trip and def. document your experience. I'll be looking forward to reading your post, envying you and thinking about "some day"

[SEBSPEED]

Rice, on Nov 28 2008, 11:03 AM, said:

Hey Tim,

Me and a few other crazies took an off road excursion during the last Catskill ride. We were going over small boulders set in wet mud mixed with fresh foliage. Pilot Powers together with VFR suspension did not find that amusing at all So, a VFR is definitely not an off road machine

Hey, I resemble that comment!

You should try try it wit ha passenger sometime!

[Thumper 8]

keny, on Nov 11 2008, 04:55 AM, said:

The Pirelli Scorpion SYNC is also a DS style tire to come in 120/70zr17 / 180/55zr17 size

I have these on my KLR and they are very, very capable on dry pavement (they wander a bit on wet pavement in corners when pushed) and they are OK on gravel roads... not great but OK. They suck in sand. They would be fine for a VFR on pavement... and gravel roads too.

I had my '02 VFR on logging roads with Diablos and it was very slow going - mostly due to tire slippage.

[BonusVFR]

Before you go up to the Arctic Circle on a VFR, I would read up on Alaska stories on advriders./com. Hundreds of trip reports. From what I read many of the adv bikes/GS, DR, KLR etc swtich from dual sport tires to knobs just for the trip to Prudhoe bay. And that is with bikes with suspension travel etc. Plus it seems there are miles of miles of bad roads due to construction/repair and that means mud.

The Dalton hwy can be hell especially if the weather turns bad.....................which it always seems to do! After considering/reviewing I bought a KLR to do the trip.

[chonsey]

Do it
cyL1.jpg


GrasstreeMcraces2008007.jpg

[tc rides]

Alaska Ride Map

So, after a few months of consideration, this is the route that we are riding. I am having Dunlop 616's installed in Fairbanks, and am going to hope for the best on the Dalton Highway up to Prudhoe Bay and back.

I really hope this works out ok.
Thoughts?

[klinquist]

tc rides, on 31 March 2009 - 02:16 PM, said:

Alaska Ride Map

So, after a few months of consideration, this is the route that we are riding. I am having Dunlop 616's installed in Fairbanks, and am going to hope for the best on the Dalton Highway up to Prudhoe Bay and back.

I really hope this works out ok.
Thoughts?

"Bump"... tc, did you go?

I'm in the planning stages of a Prudhoe Bay run and I *will* be taking the VFR...

[tc rides]

The base of Atigun Pass on the way to....
You can see the tread of the 616's in this picture, if people are wondering how well they work.

Prudhoe Bay, AK summer 2009

[VFR4Lee]

Nice thread.