Alternate front tire size?

[bags529]

I searched but could not find anything that was first gen related.

 

Can get a steal on a set of tires the rear is the stock 240/90/16

 

The front that is what I have the question on is a front that is a mt 90b 18 or 130/90-16

 

Now i have read of these being used on the RSV's with success and the riders liking them but i have heard nothing from the First Gen crowd.

 

Any thoughts or experiences are appreciated.

 

Bags

[greg_in_london]

Hmmmm - too many typos to be clear what you're saying for sure.

 

Rear size is 140/90H16 - it would be great to go bigger or use a car tyre, but there is not enough space.

 

Front is 120/90H18 - you would have to look up what the equivalent is in non-standard MT sizes, although I thought MT90 was a little fatter (5.10 in imperial - about 4.5" across and closer to 130/90H18 than 120).

[Pegasus1300]

What Greg said. There is no relationship between 1st gen tire sizes and 2nd gen sizes.

The front of a 1st gen is 120 90 18 which I think is the same as an MR90 18. As far as I know only Dunlop uses the letter designation and they have a conversion chart.I think Jake Wilson and Motorcycle Store have them as well.

[greg_in_london]

I looked up a few tables and thought most were pretty suspect - people struggle with the idea that a 5.10 tyre was smaller than a 5" tyre, it was equivalent to a 4.5" tyre, but effectively on a wider rim, so the width was the same and the profile lower (nominally 90%).

 

That's all history though as few imperial sized tyres are sold - they're almost all metric, except in the states.

 

It seems that the 'M' means it fits a motorcycle and the 'T' indicates the width - 130mm. The '90' is the profile (ie 90% as deep as it is wide), so MT90 18 means that it is a 130/90 18 motorcycle tyre. 18" is not tread-tread, it is rim-rim (I said that some of the sites were suspect.

 

That means that you want an MR90 18 (120/90H18) on the front and a MU90 16 (140/90H16) on the back. (The 'H' means that you can drive at speeds that are illegal in the states without the tyres exploding ;-) )

 

I hope that helps.

 

The site is:

http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Riding/Street/Resources/TireDesignations.aspx

[bags529]

Well, I see the difference, I will continue to look and see... I just hate passing on a good deal.. lol

[reddevilmedic]

do you think a 130 90 16 on rear is too skinny???

[bags529]

Nah the back tire was exact fit the front was smaller after understanding the conversion

 

84 VR 120k brought back from the dead.

[skydoc_17]

Seeing as the speedo is driven off of the front tire, a decrease in the size of the tire is going to spool the speedo even higher than it would be with a stock tire. So, unless you like to constantly be doing a math conversion to figure out your speed, you may want to stick with the stock tire size. Just something to think about.

Earl

[bongobobny]

Seeing as the speedo is driven off of the front tire, a decrease in the size of the tire is going to spool the speedo even higher than it would be with a stock tire. So, unless you like to constantly be doing a math conversion to figure out your speed, you may want to stick with the stock tire size. Just something to think about.

Earl

That's what GPS is for, an electronic speedometer...

[reddevilmedic]

Seeing as the speedo is driven off of the front tire, a decrease in the size of the tire is going to spool the speedo even higher than it would be with a stock tire. So, unless you like to constantly be doing a math conversion to figure out your speed, you may want to stick with the stock tire size. Just something to think about.

Earl

 

 

the white guages solved the speedo error on mine...so, a 130 isnt too skinny on the rear??

[Yammer Dan]

That's what GPS is for, an electronic speedometer...

 

 

My GPS is alway buried somewhere. By the time I stop to check it........

[Pegasus1300]

a 130 is too skinney on the rear. You are supporting a lot of weight and alot of power back there and need all the rubber you can get. Most of us wish we could put a bigger tire on the back but there is no room. The smaller size will also not last as long.

A good deal on something you cannot really use is not a good deal:backinmyday:

[bags529]

Just to be clear the rear was staying oem size, the front after looking further would have went down to a 130/90/18. The reason I thought itight work are some threads that are irrelevent to the first gen ventures.

 

84 VR 120k brought back from the dead.

Edited May 11, 2012 by bags529

[Keemez]

the front after looking further would have went down to a 130/90/18.

 

Stock front is 120/90/18 or MR90. Going to 130 would be going up, not down.

[bags529]

Regardless I have closed door on the idea. My new stock sized kendras are on their way at this point.

 

84 VR 120k brought back from the dead.

[greg_in_london]

Kenda ?

 

Good luck. I pull a lot of weight (sidecar and trailer tent, though when I had the Kenda I used a camping trailer) and was sold a Kenda that said it could handle 1000lb wiight at full tyre pressure. It lasted less than a thousand miles and really put me out. I had a couple of weeks driving it at weekends before we went on holiday, then drove from London to a bike rally in Cheshire where I could not believe how much rubber had been used. We went on to Edinburgh and the tyres were down close to the legal limit and I could not locate a spare, but a day trip to Perth without the trailer (40 miles ?) saw the last of the tread gone.

 

We had to spend the next two weeks at 30-40mph, travelling to Ireland via Stranraer, driving through puddles wherever possible, to make the tyre last until another was delivered. At least at 30mph it did not wear as quickly, but I hadn't been over about 65mph anyway.

 

There was nothing else wrong with the tyre, it just didn't last long...

[johnnydemonic]

I run a kenda challenger in the rear, works great, handles great.

I get at least a season out of them pulling a light trailer, and for the price I can buy two kendas for what it costs for one longer lasting tire, so I don't see the point of spending more.

 

It would be nice to fit something wider, though.

[MiCarl]

I bought a set of Kenda Kruz when the rear ME880 that was on it started to come apart. I put the rear on right away but didn't get to the front until the winter.

 

I didn't record the odometer, but I'm sure the rear has at least 5,000 miles on it. Most of those miles are two up (exceeding the weight rating of the motorcycle) and some pulling a trailer with Labrador retriever. They still look brand new.