Has anyone put studs or ice tires on a Versys yet?

I have a set of MT60 Pirelli tires that I want to convert to ice tires once they start to wear down a little. Any suggestions for screws to use? I can't use big spikes due to clearance of the tire to swingarm. I just want to mess around at Okoboji IA during the winter games, I won't be racing with these or anything.

http://pointofviewcameras.com/blog/p...anadian-sport/

[quote author=justanotherider link=topic=9649.msg117382#msg117382 date=1293166400]
[quote author=Sub link=topic=9649.msg117238#msg117238 date=1293031022]
Hey Jar, can you post some more pics with your spiked up V - full size this time, none of that re-sized marlarky for the forum, I want the real deal - this is inspiring :37:
Can you ride on tarmac with those spikes? Just thinking for when the ice is still patchy.
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Maroc:

Sorry to hear you had a spill - glad you're ok and have mates with spare parts here.

Elgin and Sub:

Sorry, I don't have any good piccies of the V on studs; but I put a couple of poor ones here. I road her in our winter charity ride the first winter I had her. She performed well enough on the ice; but I didn't have the shock set up firmly enough, and I did some damage to the plastic above the rear wheel when I hit some large pot-holes in the road. Fortunately, Kawi prices for plastic are pretty reasonable here.

We use tungsten carbide automotive rally studs on our charity ride, since there is often a bit of sand in the road, which is the death of racing screws. The rally studs can be ridden very judiciously on tarmac; but they are pretty slippery, and I sure wouldn't recommend them for commuting. They really are only good on hard packed snow and on ice.

We don't do a lot of riding on them - just an adventure charity ride once a year, (about 450 kms of riding one way from just north of Fort McKay Alberta to Fort Smith NWT).

justanotherider

[img width=620 height=465]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff235/justanotherider/IMG_1463-1.jpg[/img]

[img width=620 height=465]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff235/justanotherider/MikesRnof60-08065.jpg[/img]
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[quote author=justanotherider link=topic=1252.msg23582#msg23582 date=1202445780]
Invader:

On the sidewall of the tire that's on the bike, it is labled a (T). I am a bit confused to be honest, when I look at the Metzler site, because they list Ts and TL's; but they don't difine the differences. I ordered mine by looking at a catalogue photo...

The studs in the rear are automotive rally studs that have a tungsten carbide centre post. They are shaped like a roofing nail, with a broad flat base. You drill a hole big enough to accomodate the shank with a tight fit, then the base is very firmly griped by the tire. They are also glued in place with a special loctite product (#380) that is designed to glue steel to rubber. I don't know what the speed rating is for them; but I've ridden them at 160kph without losing them. You have to be a bit careful at high speed, because they will break traction and allow the wheel to spin when you hit bumps sometimes, which can get a bit hairy if you are in a high speed sweeper. It adds to the fun factor, though.

We use the carbide studs in the rears because there are some sections of the ice road that go through sand dunes, and sometimes there is a bit of sand in the ice. The first year we did the ride, we wore racing screws out before we got to Fort Chip. I use the same studs in the front tires for newbies, since they are not as dangerous as racing screws.

For fronts on heavier bikes, I still use racing screws, because the provide more traction, and are not nearly so affected by the sand. That's what I put in the front tire on the Vs, which is a King street legal knobby rear. It doesn't have a very good profile for a front; but it fit the rim. If I can find a tire with a rounder profile that fits, I think I will swap it out.

justanotherider

[img width=620 height=465]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff235/justanotherider/IMG_1449.jpg[/img]
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[quote author=justanotherider link=topic=1252.msg24951#msg24951 date=1203305200]
I had to raise my front fender to allow space for my winter tire. I know other guys have talked about this; but with my limited DIY experience in this area, I struggled a bit to figure out how to do it. I thought it might help others if I put a couple of photos here. One of the bracket in the raw, one of it mounted. Essentially, all I did was get a piece of flat steel drilled to accept the stock bolts with which to attach the fender, and another set of holes one inch down the bar with which to attach the bar to the bike. I found I needed to countersink the bolts to mount the brackets to the bike, so that the heads of the bolts wouldn't push the fender out to wide and over-stress it. I found the cross-over brake line got a bit tight with a one inch fender lift; but not unacceptably.

justanotherider

bracket:
[img width=620 height=465]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff235/justanotherider/IMG_1457.jpg[/img]

mounted bracket:
[img width=620 height=465]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff235/justanotherider/IMG_1453-1.jpg[/img]

hopefully enough space for a studded tire, (hoping it doesn't hit the fender when it swells at high speed - only time will tell):
[img width=620 height=465]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff235/justanotherider/IMG_1460.jpg[/img]
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Hey Invader, where was that from?

http://www.versys.co.uk/index.php?action=forum

When I was ice-racing (back in prehistoric times... ) we would screw machine screws into the knobs (use knobbie tires, of course), probably about 5/8" long. The pattern of how you arranged them was important, but I can't remember any details.

Once, however, after ice-racing on the Ottawa River east of Hawkesbury, Ontario, I wheelied my Can-Am Qualifier 400 from shore-to-shore, CERTAINLY more than 1/4 mile.