Different REAR tire sizes ???

[Miles]

Having reviewed all the previous questions on this forum regarding tire sizes, and having a lot of knowledge about tires...I am willing to ask if anyone has tried a lower profile rear tire on their RSTD or Venture yet ? I currently have the newer Dunlop E 3 bias belt tires on, and they are relatively new...but...given my propensity to eating up tires, I am always looking for my next set of tires.

 

In 2003 I went through 10 (ten) sets of tires (front and rear) in ONE year, on a 2003 GL1800. Yes, I rode that many miles in one year. I currently have my own Snap On electronic computerized wheel balancer, and a Snap On fully power tire changing machine. That means if anyone is in my area and need emergency tire work, come on down.

 

What I want to put on the rear of my '06 RSMTD is either a set of bStones...with the rear size being a 180/70-15 (G-702), and the front being a 150/80-16 (G-703). If someone tells me that they have tried those, and they will not fit in between the swingarm and driveshaft, then I would try the Avon Venom AM42 on the rear, with a size 170/80-15, and a AM41 front, with the size being a 150/80-16.

 

What I want to do...is put Radials on this bike.

 

What say ye, all you experienced tire mod people???

 

Thanks,

 

Miles

Million Mile Rider:bighug:

Edited June 5, 2012 by Miles
separate words

[CalhounWV]

I need new tires, got 5,500 out of my stock brickstones, and 8,200 out of the E-3's. I may go to the Darkside and run a Kuhmo Powerstar.

[djh3]

HMMM I know we had guys over on the Kawaski boards going up one from a 180 to a 200 to "gain a little on the highway gearing. If you dont get any info from anyone heres an idea. Contact a local bike dealer in your part of the world there. Tell them you would like to find a tire in that size, if they get a take off call you. Being you have the ez does it equipment mounting one up and dismounting for measurments shouldnt be all that big of a chore eh? Might be the only way to know for sure. Should be somewhere that they show the specs of the tire and you can maybe measure it up.

[Freebird]

I can't really answer the question but I know that Metzler sold a tire that was one size larger that they claimed would work on the RSV. I know of a couple of riders who tried them though and they rubbed the swingarm. There is very little extra room for a wider tire. I think it is very questionable.

[RSTDdog]

To put a radial on the rear, you need at least a 16" rim. 16" is the smallest rim I have seen a radial tire offered in. I have yet to find a radial tire of any profile in a 15" rim diameter.

 

I have assumed that since people use the FJR rear end (diff) on these bikes that an FJR 17" rim should mate to the OE diff as well. However a 17" radial will be two wide with out doing serious swing arm modifications and not sure if the wheel offset is correct to maintain alignment geometry. This would be cool if it would work, but would require serious custom fabrication. Possibly need a donor FJR swing arm, cuttting and welding,etc.

 

In terms of what size will fit the stock 15" rear, a search in the second gen forum will turn up several discussions on it. Some report the 170/80-15 will work, others have reported slight rubbing on the swing arm. Then of course using a larger tire on a rim that is too narrow can also result in having less contact patch than you had with the stock tire. A larger tire on the appropriate width rim ( assuming it all fits) would look better though.

 

All that being said, I have scraped both floor boards on my bike negotiating twisty bits of road and have not created wear at the limits of the OE rear tire size. I doubt there is going to be any improvement in handling using a larger or lower profile tire tire. A lower profile tire with a shorter overall tire diameter may have you touching down floor boards even sooner.

 

The stock tire sizes on this bike IMO well exceed the handling limits imposed by the bike's weight, frame and suspension components.

 

RSTDdog

[Squeeze]

I can't really answer the question but I know that Metzler sold a tire that was one size larger that they claimed would work on the RSV. I know of a couple of riders who tried them though and they rubbed the swingarm. There is very little extra room for a wider tire. I think it is very questionable.

 

If there's only minimum Contact between Tire and Swing ARm, one could put the right Side Washer in between the Rim and the Final Drive and gain 2.5 mm of Distance in doing so. The Vmax Guys over here have to do that often, because 190 or 200 Tire won't fit into the Vmax Swing Arm either. There's no Damage done, just a bit of Inconvience getting the Washer in Place and the Axle going though it. But a Dab of Grease goes a long Way in that.

[Miles]

Thanks to all that responded or rear this dialoque. Maybe what I should have been more clear about was wanting to put Radials on the bike, and secondly putting a lower profile tire on the rear. I don't really have any desire to go wider on the rear tire, but sometimes that is the effect when going lower, and with radials.

 

As RSTDdog stated, and I had already comfirmed, we cannot get a radial tire for the rear of our bikes in a size 15". The smallest diameter they make a radial tire in for bikes is a 16", unless you get scooter specific tires.

 

The bottomline is: I wanted to acheive as many miles out of my tires as possible, and hope to improve the handling over these bias belt tires. Too many years and miles on GL1800's, ST1100's, ST1300's, and FJR1300's.

 

Thanks for the input, and I will now have to settle for bias belt tires. I can still go slightly lower with the 180/70-15 bStones. Time will tell.

 

Miles

Million Mile Rider

AMA - IBA:backinmyday:

[Pegasus1300]

Of course i don't know how you ride, but I regularly got over 15k out my metzlers 880 or my Avons.I did have deep scratches on the floorboards and the frame tho. I also pull a trailer but seldom ride 2 up.I found that going to a 130 size on the front made steering easier and quicker but I did not like the parking lot twitchiness it induced so went back to the 150. If you really want high mileage out of your rear tire( 25k+) you will have to ride on the darkside.

[Brake Pad]

I have the Metzler 150 on the front & the 180 and before that the 190 on the back. I like the 180 better. leaves 1/4 inch from the drive shaft, were the 190 left 1/16 of an inch. I went with the bigger tires, cause I wanted more rubber on the ground while towing the trailer

[pmelah]

million mile im not an expert on this or any other subject for that matter but i have seen this set up on 2 honda shadow 1800 and a yamaha rstd and 1 kaw. all riding together from ga. to san antoin they stopped for gas last aug. at a local station i struck a conversation with them about the radial tires and one had what looked like a car tire on the honda the conversation was short lived as it were but looked like it could be done