Thanks for the support guys, makes a huge difference when times are rough.
The Goodyears are within a 1/4" or so of the height of the run-flats. We had to raise the V about that much to put a Goodyear on after taking each Commando off. The tread profile is very different, the Commandos being quite round on top, while the Goodyears are almost flat across the tread, thus looking very square.
I'll miss having the original tires on there, but they are now securely stored away to preserve them for special occasions.
I took the V for a 35-mile shakedown cruise after putting the tires on, wanted to make sure I would have no problems for yesterday. The ride is smoother now, and the V doesn't 'hunt' along cracks and ridges in the road surface like it used to, I feel I have more control in tight quarters on the road. So they look good, ride well, I am not constantly sweating wearing the tread off!
Yesterday went splendidly. Joe Galloway was amongst the speakers at the Capitol. After the ceremony, the police shut down the traffic on the street in front of the Capitol and the ammo-box urn containing the dog tags was escorted down and placed in Quonsethut's gun truck. We then left for Bastrop. We had around 50 Patriot Guard and Veteran motorcycle riders behind us. The police escort was great, they shut down each intersection along the way with great professionalism, so we rolled all the way to the foundry without stopping. I talked to a bunch of the officers at the Capitol, most of them are Veterans too.
At the foundry, we were able to see the progress on the monument. The figures are about 1.5 times life size, and the detail is fantastic. It will be a great monument for the Vietnam troops. The urn with the dog-tags will be placed within. The second set will be displayed at various venues around the state on a rotating basis.
The V performed flawlessly for me. The round trip was slightly over 140 miles (I actually live a ways out of Austin), and I got home around 6:30pm. That drive gave me a whole new respect for Louie and the others who operated V's on those long hauls in Vietnam, I am a sore pup today! Probably would have been easier if I was 30 years younger.
I feel very honoured to have been invited and to have been able to participate in this event
My camera is still in the V, so I'll post my pictures later. The attached photos belong to buddies Barry F, Rick H, and Scott S. All the dire warnings about copyright etc. apply.
Here is a link to the monument website -
http://buildthemonument.org/
Cheers