After 9000 joyful miles on the Wee it's time to replace the rear tire.
I've been considering going darkside for a while and have read every pro and con to doing this. For my type of riding it seems the right choice.
My question is what tire is now being used on the Wee for this since the Ultimax seems to be no longer available in the correct size ?
I've been looking hard the last couple of days and there are plenty of tires in the 205/50-17 size range available--just need to know which ones to look at and which ones to stay away from. It seems some are too wide for the Wee and some are just plain difficult to mount.
Thanks for any applicable advice.

Just get Battle Wings. I'm at 51,000 and just ordered my third set. The OEM Trail Wings took me to just shy of ~10,000 miles.

The fist set of Battle Wings took me to 31,000 miles. The 2nd set is now dead (51,300) and will be replaced at ~52,000 miles some time next week.

Not as long lasting as a Dark Side tires. But still good.

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I think it's the General Exclaim UHP that is no longer available

both the Altimax HP and Altimax Arctic are available in 205/50-17 but not in 205/55-17

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RandyO
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Thanks for the replies. I searched high and low for the " right size "--as in something that would mount up and not get into the chain. Could not figure out what would work so I went ahead a ordered a Michelin pr3 so I'll give it a try. It sounds like some folks are getting pretty good mileage of them.
I haven't given up on putting a car tire on the bike. I just needed a tire like right now. I have a friend who runs a tire shop closeby. As soon as I get time I'm gonna go by there and get him to help figure out what tires will fit without being too wide.
It's pretty sad to look at my back tire--flat across the middle and all that unused pretty tread on the sides. Not many curves around here.

Just curious: why such a wide rear tire? Riding mostly highway?

I ran a Michelin Exalto on a Vulcan 2000, but, that's an 800lb+ bike. I loved it. Don't know about car tires on a VStrom....seems strange somehow, although it seemed rather normal on that big bike.

My input, you need a tire in which the tread runs from the center to the outside edges symmetrically, many tires nowadays channel water from the inside to outside edge, stay away from cheap tires and avoid tires with "rim protection" in which the bead is recessed into the sidewall to protect alloy rims.... it makes mounting the tire extremely difficult....

I have used 2 Exclaim UHP's I am distressed to read they are discontinued.... I will need a replacement in a couple of months...

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2009 DL1000\ Scorpion Racing Skid Plate, Racetech Springs, Acerbis Hand Guards, Givi Engine Guards
Oxford Grips, SVRACING 530 Chain 16/43.
ALL BALLS BEARINGS.....Darkside Tire

what's darkside?

A "car tire" on a motorcycle.

As stated above, choose a tire with a tread that has a v shaped pattern so it will channel water from the inside out. I have yet to put one on the Vee but rode Dark Side on a Valkyrie for years and always loved it on that bike. I ran a Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread

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03 DL1000
01 KLR 650