You bring up a valid question about the "unsafe" or "modified" motorcycle and fights over insurance coverage -- the answer lies with choppers, bobbers, street fighters, cafe racers and other heavily modified motorcycles (some with brakes removed from front ends, no turn signals, etc. etc. ) --
and of course the use of them nasty 'ol darksider tires on bikes falls in this arena as well.
Here's yer sign ....
http://gl1800riders.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225895Go to the place where darksider tires are more the norm now rather than the exception -- the Goldwing boys
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Let's take it from the tire seller's perspective --
it is against the law now for him to sell or mount a tire that is not speed rated for the vehicle he is going to put it on.
In such an environment would a normal car tire dealer mount a car tire on a motorcycle rim --- Hell NO !!! He'd be scared silly of the idea as he lives in a litigation based world anyway.
Is it illegal for you to buy it and for you to mount it? Nope. Does it violate the law? Nope.
And most Goldwing specialty shops WILL mount a correctly speed rated car tire on the rear of a Goldwing -- I find that informative, it is just a tire and it is covered by the same speed rating law so they'll mount it if it meets the required speed & load ratings.
There is no 155/80r15 or 160/80r15 tire that is rated for less than 2,000 lbs load at 120 mph (the minimum car requirement). Our stock bikes will do 85-90 mph tops and you and the bike weigh less than 700 pounds total, so I don't think you run afoul of the legal requirements, per se.
Now, each business can make up its own rules for what feel right to them. Tire Rack always asks you what car you are buying a given tire for, as does WalMart.
Both of them firmly expect you to say you are buying a new spare tire for your daughter's Volkswagen Beetle, 1962 year model because you checked her spare tire and it had dry rotted in the trunk over the years, so you need just one new tire for it. There ain't no S40 or LS650 in their listing book anyway. "Bad boys, bad boys, what'cha gonna do?
What'cha gonna do when they come for you?"
If the law states "motor vehicle" you are golden, because you meet the load and speed requirements.
If the law states "automobile" it does not apply to you anyway.
There is no law that says you have to put a "bike" tire on a bike.