• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

How Fat can I go with tires

  • Thread starter Thread starter EricEder141
  • Start date Start date
E

EricEder141

Guest
Just wondering what is the fattest tire I can go with on an 82 GS650e. I want to beef up the look of the bike tired of these tiny bicycle tires way to much room in the rear.

Thank you for any input
 
You can go really fat if you don't care if it's safe to ride.
If you want to ride it, stick with stock sizes or at most one size wider.

If you use wider wheels you can use wider tires.
 
How fat can you go? How wide is the wheel?

As tkent was hinting, simply putting a fatter tire on the stock wheel will pinch the sidewalls together more than the manufacturer designed, which will actually give you LESS rubber on the road. For size of actual contact patch, stick with stock sizes. If you MUST have that "fat tire look", get a bike that has one.
shrug2.gif


.
 
Steve said:
How fat can you go? How wide is the wheel?

As tkent was hinting, simply putting a fatter tire on the stock wheel will pinch the sidewalls together more than the manufacturer designed, which will actually give you LESS rubber on the road. For size of actual contact patch, stick with stock sizes. If you MUST have that "fat tire look", get a bike that has one.
shrug2.gif


.
Click to expand...
What he said^^^.You can do stuff but it woul likely cost more than it's worth to do.
 
Be very careful about the tire cross-sectional profile.
As seen from behind, the round curve over the top from left to right is critical to handling.
Racing tires have a V shape, gives more road contact on big leans and also has the effect of slowing the bike down as you lean over (the radius of the tire actually shrinks).:-s
Modern Sport Bikes have a wide profile that looks like a Mushroom Cap.
Most of these I see are worn flat in the middle. Then leaning over means the tire radius actually increases and there can be a lot of "handlebar pushback". If you're not ready for it, you can get into a wobble, even tank slapper.:eek:
With fresh tires a modern sport bike with fat tires handles great, its geometry is engineered for it.
In the old days most tires just had a clean Round profile.
If you're not going to do big fast sweepers, just boulevarde trolling, do what ya wants.
My bike has a factory tire spec of 140/80-17. When I bought it used, the previous guy had a 160/60-17 on it. It was terrible.
After many tires I now use a 130/90-17. Its a slightly smaller contact patch, but the handling is terrific, very neutral. Besides, modern tires are pretty sticky now.
So, do ya want looks, or handling?:rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
Stick with the stock size... go for high-performance sport/touring rubber.

Michellin Pilot Road 3
Continental Road Attack 2

Even Avon Road Riders, or Bridgestone Battleax are all great.

Stay away from DURO, IRC, KENDA, and SHINKO tires. Please.
 
Eric,
I'm at 260. If I get any fatter I'll go up one tire size.
Niels
 
Danny,
Correct me if I'm wrong; but I believe Shinko bought all the Yokohama? technology, rubber compounds etc. I think they are now the biggest motorcycle tire manufacturer in the world. I have not used them and I don't think they are going to be GP tires but for the average rider, IMO, they should be good tires and a lot of bang for the buck
Niels
 
I have Shinko tires on my GS1100E and even had them on my Hayabusa for several thousand miles. I think they are an excellent budget tire, and Shinko makes many tires in "old school" sizes appropriate for our antique GS-series bikes. Maybe they are not leading edge sport tires, but the current line of Shinkos is far better than anything these old GS-bikes came wearing from the factory.
 
DannyMotor said:
Stick with the stock size... go for high-performance sport/touring rubber.

Michellin Pilot Road 3
Continental Road Attack 2

Even Avon Road Riders, or Bridgestone Battleax are all great.

Stay away from DURO, IRC, KENDA, and SHINKO tires. Please.
Click to expand...

Putting SHINKO in with DURO, IRC, KENDA is just wrong.
Shinko, like Yokohama makes some good tires.

Pilot Roads and Road Attack do not come close to the correct sizes for any GS.
 
Road attacks do... check americanmototire.com

Shinko = death and destruction. I had a set on my gs500 cant remember the model... but after a proper break in at about 500miles the bike got squirley in corners to the point where i could break traction in a corner on the rear tire. Checked the pressure... that was fine... inspected the tire and the inner belts had shifted causing 2 massive bubbles in the tread.

Its the only tire i ever ran that had a defect. I promptly returned the tire and went with avon roadriders.
 
DannyMotor said:
Road attacks do... check americanmototire.com

Shinko = death and destruction. I had a set on my gs500 cant remember the model... but after a proper break in at about 500miles the bike got squirley in corners to the point where i could break traction in a corner on the rear tire. Checked the pressure... that was fine... inspected the tire and the inner belts had shifted causing 2 massive bubbles in the tread.

Its the only tire i ever ran that had a defect. I promptly returned the tire and went with avon roadriders.
Click to expand...

DannyMotor said:
Road attacks do... check americanmototire.com
Click to expand...

No, the Road Attacks actually don't come in our sizes. No 19 inch front tires at all, the 17 and 18 rears are 120/70 not 120/90. Too bad, they are great tires.

By your reasoning, I should never buy a Micheline, as I have had a few come apart. BF Goodrich, too, and Dunlop, Goodyear, Pirelli and Avon.
If a tire failing slowly causes death and destruction, you're not doing something right.
 
EricEder141 said:
Just wondering what is the fattest tire I can go with on an 82 GS650e. I want to beef up the look of the bike tired of these tiny bicycle tires way to much room in the rear.

Thank you for any input
Click to expand...
Eric,

I went up to a 110/90-19F on the stock rim of my 650GD. It was too tall and the profile changed enough on the sidewall that it was rubbing on the inside of the stock fender. I currently have a 130 on the rear (I think it is 130/80) stock rim, and I wouldn't go any wider.

I know that you are modding yours, but as others have said, you'd be still be better off to adapt a wider wheel if you want to go fatter.
 
Last edited:
tkent02 said:
No, the Road Attacks actually don't come in our sizes. No 19 inch front tires at all, the 17 and 18 rears are 120/70 not 120/90. Too bad, they are great tires.

By your reasoning, I should never buy a Micheline, as I have had a few come apart. BF Goodrich, too, and Dunlop, Goodyear, Pirelli and Avon.
If a tire failing slowly causes death and destruction, you're not doing something right.
Click to expand...

You're right... bummer. Just checked that. Thought I saw them in a 19.

AJ said:
Shinkos are squirrely on a GS500? Must be the massive torque.
Click to expand...

Hahaha... :mad:

tkent02 said:
Or the warp speeds.
Click to expand...

Tee-hee-hee... :p

It was because the tire was defective... that's all.

I know people have their preferences or whatever... There's a WELL documented story of the new Michellin Pilot Road 3's coming apart after 1000 miles in CHUNKS under normal riding conditions... so any tire is at the mercy of it's manufacturing...

Whatever. I've never, personally had an issue with ANY OTHER tire I've ever used. I'm sure Shinko's are great... I just had a bad experience... and it makes me gun-shy to buy another set.
 
Hi,

Maybe something like this?

43694-fat_tire_bike.jpg




Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
Thanks for all the input guys I am actually thinking it might be better if I can find some cool old spoke wheels that would match up since I am trying to go for a cafe style look with the bike. Worst case scenario I will just stay with stock rims and bump up a size or two and aim for a more aggressive tire.
 
You could always get a slightly wider excell rim for about 100 bucks. Tgen just lace it up. The inside of the swingarm can only accomodate upto a 130 to 140 width max.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top