Another Radial tire discussion

[adambweird]

Ive always been told and read that its generally not a good idea to mix tires from different compaines due to compound differences and non matching tire profiles... can create interesting handling characteristics and accelerated wear... unless its a drag only bike. Ill say this though, im running some 18" Bridgestone Exedras and im very happy with them so far. My chicken strips are only a half inch wide on the back tire... same as the R1's, lol. Granted i havent pushed it that hard yet as im still getting used to having radials, lol.

 

[Traumahawk]

I had been told the same thing....and was curious....and so that's what the point of this thread. After doing some research. ..it seems that as long as they are the same kind of tires.....sport.....sport touring....high mileage. That's what seems to be more important.

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[davesax36]

would a 160/60/18 work? Not even really concerned about whether it would look great or not at this point.


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[Traumahawk]

would a 160/60/18 work? Not even really concerned about whether it would look great or not at this point.


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It should.....I believe that it will fit on a 5 inch wide rim.

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[DMAN999]

I haven't run a matched set of tires on my Vmax in years.
The last matched set I ran was Michelin Macadam M50's which haven't been made since 2007 or 2008.
I don't have radials but I do run a good sport touring front like a Bridgestone Battlax BT-45V or Metzeler Lasertec with a Shinko TM 230 rear and I have never had an issue.
If fact the Battlax BT-45V and Shinko TM 203 combo is the best combo I have ever had on my Vmax in the 14 years I've had it.
And honestly I have never had any issues keeping up with the guys running radials on their Vmaxes on the twisty back roads here in NY and down in PA.

 

[HyperPete]

would a 160/60/18 work? Not even really concerned about whether it would look great or not at this point.

That's what I am running on mine.

 

[Redbone]

I ran a Shinko 230 in a 170 width on stock rim with an stock sized Metzler me880 on the front and was happy with the handling.
I now run 18" Shinko Verge's front 120 and Rear 200 width which are radials and they do everything great for me, wet/ dry they have worked great and have over 7 k miles on the tires now but the rear cords are starting to show. I have another Verge in the same width of 200 that's getting mounted this week.

 

[Fire-medic]

If you're going to mix tires, at least see that:

• the tire construction is the same
• the tread compound rubber 'hardness' is similar

Radials have one method of construction where top layers of cord are perpendicular to the underlying circumferential layers (zero-degree)and another where they are at oblique angles to each other (less than 90*). Choose one or the other.

As for hardness, having a sticky front and a hard rear can cause your rear end to break loose when you least can afford to, like in a curve. The front 'sticks,' you feel confident, and you crank in some power, and then the rear, losing traction, breaks-loose. The opposite would probably not be as-risky, but I prefer to have confidence in my tires, and you get that from buying the same brand/style of riding tires.

I once experimented w/different manufacturer tires front and rear (two different brands) on my FZR1000, one of the first stock bikes to run radials. I don't recall the tires or the type, buy the handling and my confidence in it went completely away to the point where I replaced the front tire in < 1K miles. It was scary, I had no confidence in the handling, and every time I tried to ride it like I had been, in curves, it just was horrible. No it wasn't some cheapo tire, just a really-bad match.

 

[sdt354]

I'm on the third set of Metzler Interacts. 180/55/17r & 120/70/17r. I can't think of any reason to try anything else. It feels like it's on rails in the twisties and grabs dry or wet road well. The only fault is they wear a little faster than some. The front I have on now balanced without adding any weight. The rear needed very little. I put 1 oz. of Dynabeads in back.

 

[davesax36]

That's what I am running on mine.

Michelin PR3 comes in this size. Problem solved. I don't care about the fattest looking tire. I just want stuff I can trust.

 

[billy1ear]

Am going to order the 18x5.5 wheel mod from FireMedic.

Do you think the Shinko 003 180/55-18 should fit on a stock swingarm?

 

[Fire-medic]

Anyone care to weigh in who is running this tire on a wheel (specify your rim diameter & width if known), and what kind of clearance you have on either side of a stock swingarm? It would be helpful to determine what offset to use, thanks.

 

[billy1ear]

Got a reply to an IM from Traumahawk about his setup....

"Yep. It is the stock swing arm. The wheel that I am running has an offset of about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch to the right. You can't tell it running down the road....or even turning."

 

[lawman504]

I cant find matching front and rear Shinko radials for a stock front wheel and a 17" rear. Anyone know of any?

 

[Parminio]

They do not make radials for the stock rims. You have to replace it.

 

[Fire-medic]

Use a narrow 18" front radial tire, if you dare-to (I do). I currently have a Bridgestone Battleax BT-023 in the stock front wheel size. As I've previously, frequently-mentioned, use a narrow tire if you're using the stock front rim. The radials want a 3-1/2" wide 18 inch rim to have the correct 'spread' of the tire on the front wheel. That's an inch more than our wheels. The rear is a 17" X 5-1/2" Kosman.