The Chopper Compendium

Has anyone modified the tread on a tire? I know they make heat knifes that are specific for this task.
Found one on EGay, didn't look like worth a $100 new, this was asking $40 or so.
Looked like a good soldering iron might do the trick just as good.
I'm considering buying a cheap hiway/cruiser tire and giving it a more aggressive tread pattern for gravel and off-hiway use.
My 92 FXLR has a 16in Fatboy solid on the rear, dual sport tires are hard to find in 16in rim size, so I'm wondering if I can do this
instead of buying a 16in spoked wheel (most dual sport tires need a tube).

I haven't tried it, but you might have an idea. If you can adapt xacto jaws to the soldering iron maybe you can make cutters.

Check www.speedwaymotors.com or www.eastwoodcompany.com ! They might have what you need at a more reasonable price !

Also do a google search for tire groover and a fair amount of leads pop up.

Any reason you cann't run a tube on the Rim you have?

https://www.denniskirk.com/help_center/tire-sizes.jsp

#142697

Thanks for all the response.

Link above for Eastwood does not work, this does...
http://www.eastwood.com/
but a search with different words did not find anything there.

Speedway has a groover for $70, and a siper for $120 (more knives)

When I originally started this idea, noticed my Fatboy wheel has the valve stem on the left, and was thinking a tube has it in the center. Since, I've noticed spoke wheels that have it on the left.
Also, I've always used radial tires, never any tubes. Did not cross my mind that maybe I could use a tube on a mag, never asked the question.

I've searched several tire stores, the trail wing does not get very good reviews.
There are some 16 in tires for dual sport, not many, most are 17 and up. The 16 in tires I've found so far do not thrill me, seem to be lacking in construction features,
sidewall plies, speed rating, on/off hiway usage rating, etc.

Another factor is that I think it would be easier to have a spare wheel/tire combo to change, instead of changing tires on a single rim. You have to pull the axle either way,
but with a spare set, I can just roll in the different one that is ready to go, no long prep time for a trip. The off-hwy tire would be more of an ocassional use, would not
run it all the time.

At this time, I think if I find the right tire, good construction, good reviews, good speed rating, etc, with a tread pattern that can be modified fairly easily, it might be better
if I just add some aggressiveness to the tread instead of hunting for something that is likely not available for such a limited application, big heavy cruiser with a big heavy rider that
likes to ride fast and hard. Shooting for 80/20 percentage for on/off hwy use, maybe even 90/10.

It's a little bit of a thrill when you are riding fast on a gravel road that has a few inches of soft powdery surface, especially 80 in the curves.
If you go too slow, you eat a lotta dust, bad for the lungs, hard to keep your balance without the gyro effect of motion.
Mostly steer with the throttle, the head shakes a little but don't fight it, light pressure on the grips, just let it do it's thing, it stops when you hit the straight.
Best done on a right hander so you can see around, the left ones are a little spooky.
BTW, don't do this, and I'm not a professional, just different.

Wish you were here , have 3 or 4 friends that use my welder at the track to power their groovers...... check at a semi-truck tire repair place , most of them use groovers.....there is a guy down here that became a millionair, buying Police and state trooper take-off, patching and regrooving them and selling them at second tire shops, up and down the east coast .... illegal in Florida !

Wish I was there too!!!!!

Was up til midnight, got up at 8AM and it was -45F outside my door!
SHIT!
Stayed inside all day.

My roommate left at about 6AM, he thinks it was -50 when he went out the door.

I think siping a new tire is the way to go. Some places around here do that for folks that want better winter traction, but don't want to buy studded tires.

Looking for extra wheels now.