190/55zr17

H

HavBlue

I'm currently running the 180/55ZR17 Road Attack tire on the rear and the other day picked up a very nice not well used and ever so straight 16 penny 3" construction nail about 80 miles from home. Always prepared I pulled the nail out (yes, it was leaking air) and plugged the tire (just off the center of the contact patch) and made it home with no problem at all. I am now thinking about moving up to the 190/55ZR17 which happens to be the same size used on the R1. Is anyone out there using this size on the rear?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated....

Charlie
 

Hellgate

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I think I'd stick with the stock size Charlie. As you go to a wider tire roll in, as you lean into a corner, become more difficult. Buell moved back to a 180 after having 190's on the Firebolts to help prevent stand up while braking into a corner.

I heard another story that Triumph did the same thing. They bumped the tire to a 190 because it looked cool, but it really impacted the handleing, so the next year they went back to a 180 and the press raved about the bike.
 
H

HavBlue

I think I'd stick with the stock size Charlie. As you go to a wider tire roll in, as you lean into a corner, become more difficult. Buell moved back to a 180 after having 190's on the Firebolts to help prevent stand up while braking into a corner.

I heard another story that Triumph did the same thing. They bumped the tire to a 190 because it looked cool, but it really impacted the handleing, so the next year they went back to a 180 and the press raved about the bike.

In doing some research I have found some, like the BMW R1200S offer the 190 as an optional tire. The R1 has been running it with no apparent problems and apparently the high speed stability is excellent. Buell as you know has a very short wheelbase 52" and their respective front fork angle is only 21 degrees which makes for things being super quick in terms of the input to feedback ratio and stand up under braking could really be an issue with a Buell XB. Yes, tip in requires more effort but I have no doubt the bike will still drop down in the twisties. I'm really interested in how it will effect the bike at speeds at or just above 100mph on the slab as I have been doing more time out there of late.

In the meantime I need to check rim widths to see if mounting on the stock rim will even work although I think the R1 and FZ6 use the same width rim or did at one time.

Thanks,
Charlie
 

gomd3

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So I was checking around and I think if the FZ6 rim is a 5.5" rim than it would fit the 180/55/17. To get a 190/55/17 to fit you would need a 6" rim but I think the 190 could be squeezed onto the 5.5 rim. I know that if you went 190/60/17 you could def get the tire to fit because you are increasing side wall and reducing the tread area, so you will have a slightly fatter rear tire than what you are currently running, but nobody likes more sidewall. I was def thinking just trying to get the 190/55 to fit in there.
 

Retired600

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I owned bandit 600, 00., it had originaly 160/60/17 rear tire on 4,5'' rim, Suzuki puts 170 tire on gsx 750 on same rim...
Found one bargain Maxxis 180/55/17 and sqeezed it in withouth any problems.
At first I was satisfied with work, the tire looked great, but as it was wearing down it started to look like a mushroom :), and driving it in curves was not so pleasant, rear end was soft, and outter line of the tire was unreachable, and too bent (because of sqeezing).
In your situation there is only 0.5'' difference in rims so you can fit that tire fo sure (in this case the issue is not in rim it is in rear fork spacing, but I find it sufficient), however don't expect it to look or react as on 6'' rim.
 

DefyInertia

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Yes it will fit and I've seen pictures of both a 190 and a 200 on an FZ6 with no modification.

The original profile of the tire will be skewed, the bike won't turn the same, 190s cost more and are heavier, your speedo will be affected (ask sportrider_fz6), and you will be one step closer to fitting the definition of squid (bling bling) :D.

No seriously, are you hoping to get more mileage out of the rear? That might be the only advantage I can think of but I'm not sure about it. Our bike certainly does not have the power to justify/require a 190 like the R1.

I have however seen/heard of a lot of people putting 180s on their bikes that came stock with 190s and loved the results.
 

krid80

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Most litre bikes use a 190/50/17 not 190/55/17

the two are basically interchangable except the 190 is a bit wider. a 190/50 is the same height as a 180/55
 
H

HavBlue

Most litre bikes use a 190/50/17 not 190/55/17

the two are basically interchangable except the 190 is a bit wider. a 190/50 is the same height as a 180/55

Yeah, the tire is actually a 190/50ZR17 with a (W) speed rating and the inflated height is the same as the 180/55ZR17 so the speedo will be the same. I'm waiting to find out from Conti what the rim requirements are for the 190. When I went up 1 on the Harley the rim requirements were the same so the rim was never the issue. The tire itself is only 10 bucks more in this case (134 to 144) and the weight difference is in ounces not pounds. I guess I'll never know until I try it but I want the tire to fit on the appropriate rim width as opposed to pinching it at all.
 
S

sportrider

poorwboy is running the 190/55 ZR17 on his R1, he swears by it. but his rim is wider then our rim. a 190 will not fit correctly, it will fit but because the rim is narrow the tire will be sucked in making the profile of the tire square. and you will never use the whole tire. the turn in will be noticeably slower and require a lot more effort in the bars to get the bike leaned over. and at extreme lean angles you will have a smaller contact patch then with a 180/55 because of how the 190 is pinched on the rim. If you haven't bought it yet I wouldn't. you won't be happy with it. if you did buy it, don't worry it won't last forever!!!:thumbup:
 
S

sportrider

the two are basically interchangable except the 190 is a bit wider. a 190/50 is the same height as a 180/55

thats not really correct, a 190/50 tire will still be shorter then a 180/55. I have ran one and the speedo was even more optomistic then normal.
 

Nelly

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If you don't mind me saying this goes against your normal logical approach to all things bike in general.
It will be ****e. There is a reason that the tyre sizes are what they are, they work.
I spoke to my local tyre guy about this (he actually races and the tyre business funds it), he said that it is the biggest single thing we do to our bikes to screw up the handling. It is all show and no go. (his words). Unless you fit the appropriate rim sizes stick with what works. Maybe try a different tyre profile if you want a different turn in? He actually refuses to fit over sized tyres on standard rims. He believes that the larger tyre flexes more and fails to heat up to provide sufficient grip.
Respectfully your friend

Nelly
 
H

HavBlue

The current R1 runs a 6" rim where the R6 and FZ6 run a 5.5 inch rim. the question boils down to what Conti requires for fitment. If they say 5.5 then no problem because the tire will not be pinched. If they say 6" as the standard then I'll stick with the 180.
 
H

HavBlue

So you're thinking high speed stability and perhaps better mileage? I'm just curious why you want to do this.

DI, have you ever ridden a chopper with a tire that was 240 or larger? Most folks would say they suck and don't turn worth a crap but then again those same folks have never been on one. Granted, they will never tear up a set of twisties like a sportbike but they they are awesome to cruise with.

In this case it's kinda like why Gabriel climbed the mountain, because it was there. I have never used the FZ6 for touting or even taken a long trip with it. So, the fastest way to get from point A to point B is the slab so turning really isn't an issue. I would also like to see if it makes the bike more stable at speed and in the dirty air around trucks and such. Right now, I'm not even sure the tire will fit. I should get an answer back from Conti next week. If they say no way then forget it because I am not changing rims..
 

Hellgate

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DI, have you ever ridden a chopper with a tire that was 240 or larger? Most folks would say they suck and don't turn worth a crap but then again those same folks have never been on one. Granted, they will never tear up a set of twisties like a sportbike but they they are awesome to cruise with.

In this case it's kinda like why Gabriel climbed the mountain, because it was there. I have never used the FZ6 for touting or even taken a long trip with it. So, the fastest way to get from point A to point B is the slab so turning really isn't an issue. I would also like to see if it makes the bike more stable at speed and in the dirty air around trucks and such. Right now, I'm not even sure the tire will fit. I should get an answer back from Conti next week. If they say no way then forget it because I am not changing rims..


Charlie, hello Charlie, Charlie this is earth calling, over....

Gabriel and mountains have nothing to do with this. I'm with Neil, I am stumped on this one. You have usually a very logical and well thought person.

If you have the urge to do something mad, go buy a Lottery ticket, they are only a dollar, and once you lose and get over the, "Damn, I could have been a millionaire." You'll come back down to earth and only be out one single dollar.
 
H

HavBlue

Oh, one more thing...choppers suck

Your friend Pete

Ah come on Pete, what would the 26,000 days of life be if we couldn't have fun and try new things. As for the choppers I would have to say that depends on what you are riding. On a long haul they can actually be quite comfortable with an air ride and a 240 rear tire. Granted, if you are looking to tear up some asphalt then you will be sadly disappointed simply because they were never remotely designed for that task. Cruising at 70mph for hours on end they will do just fine on the open road. Again, it depends on what that chopper is.

You're funny Sarg,.....
 
H

HavBlue

Well, thanks for explaining. Post pics if you get it done and in the meantime I'll take a look for the pictures I've seen in the past.

Don't hold your breath DI. Conti wants a 6 inch rim for their 190 tire so that takes this idea off the map because I refuse to pinch a tire on a rim. I would however have given it a go had the rim width been adequate.
 
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