GS250t tires

[youngndumb]

I'm having some trouble finding new rubber for the 250, the front is 3.00-18 (90/90-18?) and the rear is 3.50-17 (110/80-17?) So far I've been able to find front tires, in both sizes, and one rear tire in 110/80-17, but didn't have a matching front. First question would be if anyone knows of any tires out there that do match that size (my search is not ending) and second, aside from making the rear a little twitchy from the increased arch, and much faster wear, could I expect any other problems from running two fronts, and third, would the problems from running two fronts be better or worse than those from mismatched tread patterns? Any help is appreciated.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

With modern tires, mis-matched treads are not critical, depending on how you ride. But have you tried all of our favorite tire dealers? From your "mega-welcome":

Quoted from Mr. bwringer:

http://www.americanmototire.com
Excellent service and prices.
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/
Located in Oregon. Ships quickly to the West Coast. Free shipping for orders over $75.
http://swmototires.com/
Great service, cheapest total cost (free shipping on sets of 2 tires). Slightly limited selection of oddball vintage sizes. They are located in Arizona, so tires take 3-4 days to get to the Midwest/East. They actually stock the tires they sell -- not just a middleman like most.

http://tiresunlimited.com
Huge selection, great service, total cost with shipping very low -- usually still within a few bucks of SW. Located in Ohio, so very fast shipping to Midwest and East. They also stock what they sell in a huge warehouse. They have a phone number you can call if you have a question or want to know if something is in stock. Hideous web site, but it works well.


http://denniskirk.com
DK stocks what they sell, has a huge selection, they ship the same day from Minnesota, and their site tells you how many are left in stock. Their tire pricing used to be completely outrageous, but it's now much better -- often the same or lower than others. Free shipping when your order goes over $100. Definitely worth checking, and great when you just gotta have your tires by a certain date.


http://bikebandit.com
http://ronayers.com
http://tiresexpress.com
These have been mentioned positively before, but keep in mind that they and most others are simply middlemen -- they do not stock tires. No way of knowing exactly when you'll get your tires, and in my experience, their pricing with shipping is not that great.




Thank you for your indulgence,


BassCliff

 

[rustybronco]

You might find a few gs250t specific tire options in this thread as well. >> http://thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=157048

 

[bwringer]

http://tiresunlimited.com is probably your best bet -- searching their hideous site is a pain, but they have lots of oddball stuff.

For example, the IRC Durotour RS-310 looks like a good candidate -- 90/90-18 front and 110/90-17 rears are available
http://tiresunlimited.com/ALL TIRES/Irc/Irc_Durotour.htm

Also:
http://tiresunlimited.com/ALL TIRES/Shinko/Shinko_standard_rib.htm



Next, I'd check http://motorcyclesuperstore.com

 

[youngndumb]

Thanks guys, I'm looking at either the IRC Durotour RS-310, assuming they'll fit, another thread on here about the 250t said they were too wide, so I'm going to measure that up in a hot minute, if they won't my next option is the IRC GP1, and even though they're trials tires, they aren't too far off OEM tread, and its not like I'm going be dragging a lot of pegs anyway.

 

[mlinder]

Front:
Avon Roadrider AM26 90/90-18 (unversal)
Rear:
Avon Roadrider 120/90-17 (universal)

110 would be better for the rear, but 120 will work fine. There's also a 120/80-17 rear available. That would keep the profile a tad lower.

 

[youngndumb]

I've considered a 120, and would love the 80 portion of that, I've been too lazy/busy to actually get down to the shop and measure out how much room I really have to work with. If a 120 will fit, that's what she'll have. Always happy with moar contact.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Don't forget, if your tire is too wide for the rim, the tire will be pinched. You'll get less of a contact patch even with a wider tire. If the tire's shape is pointier in the middle it will fall into turns rather abruptly.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[mlinder]

Basscliff is, of course, correct.

As often as not with newer rubber, too, too wide of a tire will cause the sidewalls to be at less than an optimal angle, which can cause early sidewall fatigue, and some unpleasant handling characteristics.

However, I do believe the 120's listed by avon have a range of acceptable rim widths, and his falls within those, I think.

 

[Billy Ricks]

The 120/90 would fit better than an 80 profile. The shorter the sidewall the more distorted the tire becomes on too narrow of a rim.

 

[youngndumb]

For anyone else who may struggle with this issue in the future, a 120/90 17 will not work. Technically, it fits in the hole, but rubs...I sense a "That's what she said" coming on.