Front Tire, thickest possible size on stock rim?

[vmaxls]

Thanks! I am possibly one of the very few who likes a beefier front-end instead of the skinny tires. Just to explain what I need, I am one of them cruiser-types, don't really break any speed-limits, or care too much about cornering and such, specially at speeds I travel, just ride safely for pleasure, like most of us I guess.


I will be buying the ME-880's, the 170-80-15 for the rear, but am wondering what is the thickest tire I could install on a stock rim w/o any mods and any clearnce issues? Could I go 130-90-18(if there is one i.e.) ?

I did not get much help/answers from some other Vmax groups, so any advise is appreciated.

 

[shawn kloker]

My bike had a 120/90/18 avon venom on it when I bought it.It was very close to the fender.I am not sure if a 130 would work on a 2.5"wide rim.You should check that out first.I ran the venom for 4 0r 5 years till I went to radials.The bigger front tires are harder to turn with but seem stable at high speed.

 

[Lew L]

Hi vmasls,
I have a 120spec tire on my 98 Max. Works and looks good but I don't think anything larger would fit as the 120 was tight. I also lowered the triple clamps about 15mm. The bike is very stable but still turns very easily. I'm leaving for Laguna Seca MOTOGP on Thurs and looking fowrard to the blast through the Sierras.
Lew

 

[vmaxls]

Thanks. PM sent!

 

[Lew L]

I've attempted to send the pix to ----- hope they made it. Feel free to post them on this forum if you can.
Lew

 

[vmaxls]

Thanks! Appreciate the trouble you went through! Looks like I will be getting this tire set as well!

 

[Buster Hymen]

Thanks! Appreciate the trouble you went through! Looks like I will be getting this tire set as well!

Where did you get the carbon carb covers in the middle picture?

 

[Lew L]

Hi Buster,
One of the chromed plastic covers was cracked when I purchased the bike----I had some fake carbon fibersheets( simple stuff, like tape jst wide.) A bit tricky to apply on the complicated shape.
Also made bar ends from billet alum. and scoop grills.
Lew

 

[vmx12s]

Hi Buster,
One of the chromed plastic covers was cracked when I purchased the bike----I had some fake carbon fibersheets( simple stuff, like tape jst wide.) A bit tricky to apply on the complicated shape.
Also made bar ends from billet alum. and scoop grills.
Lew

Lew
Do you have a picture of your scoop grills? I've got my scoops out to chrome right now and looking for ideas on dressing up the inserts.
Thanks!
Kelly

 

[Lew L]

I'll break out the wife's uber camera and see if I can get a few more pix up here. I dont know how to get them on the site but I can e-mail them to you if I have your e-maill addy.
The grills are very plain but much thicker that the comercial grills. I have them satin finished now but may polish them in the future.
Lew

 

[vmaxls]

Pics of grills and front tire...

 

[Calimus]

Damn, doesn't look like you can get anything between the fender and the tire.

Not sure about the grills. I still kinda like the stock mesh on them. But everyone's tastes are different.

 

[shawn kloker]

Lew,Those grills would look really good polished or chromed.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

I ran a 130 on the front for a while and it just barely fit. The "wrap" is so tight that the advertised width is usually not achieved so it's not as wide as the specs say. The extra weight and "Gyro" on the front did stabilize the bike quite a bit....
It did not help cornering at all......
I'm running a 120 now and am very pleased with it...

 

[firefly]

I ran a 130 on the front for a while and it just barely fit. The "wrap" is so tight that the advertised width is usually not achieved so it's not as wide as the specs say. The extra weight and "Gyro" on the front did stabilize the bike quite a bit....
It did not help cornering at all......
I'm running a 120 now and am very pleased with it...

Was it for the stock 18 inch wheel or a 17 inch?
I have a 120/70X17 but the bike is unstable at over 80 mph, it feels like it needs more rubber so today I installed a 130/70XVR17 still haven't scrubbed the tire enough to get hard on it but high speed stability is much better , cornering needs some getting use to, I used a ME 800 and this tire has 62 load rating (stock is 61) Vs any 120/70X17 (58), the ME corners much more naturally than the Z6 I replaced.

with the front 120/70X17 the bike was falling in to the curve fast,the ME 880 130/70X17 has a nice natural leaning behavior that it actually leads into the curve as if its a BMW car, I look at the curve and the bike takes the turn with no stearing effort, but all that is just 30 miles on the new tire so after scrubbing it I'll have a better feel of what that size tire has changed in handling vs the 120/70X17.
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List of MX-5 colors and special editions

 

[firefly]

After another day of riding on the 130/70X17 front I am very happy with it and the performance, it is 14 mm taller than the 120/70X17 and wider leaving 4mm gap between it and the fender on both sides.
fiddling with tire sizes is kind of fine tuning the bike's handling to my liking,
a few mm make a huge difference together with one inch internal fork lowering, a 9 mm rear tire shorter than stock using a 160/70X17.
all this together with a ducati monster handle bar and a genmar riser changed the bike's handling characteristics effectively making it a different bike.
I am by no means saying that this is the best setting for the max, it is just the best setting for me and my kind of riding.
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Plymouth Pronto specifications