Oversized Motorcycle Tires
Jim Noss
What is the method behind the sizing of motorcycle
tires? Why do certain motorcycles have certain tire
sizes? Do the fatter tires you see on most bikes make
the motorcycle handle better? How does one read the
tire specification numbers on the tire sidewalls?
These are some of the basic questions I had when I
first got into motorcycling. I will address each of
these questions based on my research and personal experience.
There are numerous reasons why certain motorcycles
have certain tires. As any sales person will tell you
in their showroom, the intended use and desired performance
of the motorcycle help determine the tire size. For
example, most dual-purpose motorcycles like the BMW
GS 1200 R and Kawasaki KLX 250 and KLR 650 will have
tires suited for both off-road and street use. The KLX
250 tires will be more aggressive on the knobby side
than the other dual-purpose motorcycles. Street bikes
like the Kawasaki ZZR1200, will have a differently size
tire than a touring and dual-purpose bike. Again, it
all comes down to the intended use of the motorcycle.
When it comes to replacing the OEM stock tires, it
is always wise to use a replacement tire with the same
size as the stock tire for which you are replacing.
The main reason for this is that the rims on your bike
were designed to be outfitted with certain sized tires.
Therefore, you need the correct size to fit on the stock
rim.
Installing the correct size also implies that the tires
have the same circumference. Having two different tire
circumferences will have negative effects on your motorcycle’s
tire grip and overall handling. Why is this so? A motorcycle’s
rake and trail and the front and rear weight bias are
affected by the ride height of the front and rear ride
height. This is why tire circumference is important.
Recently with motorcycles like the Victory Hammer,
you see more fat and wider tires being installed on
motorcycles for both performance and style. Be sure
the stock rim is designed to handle these wider tires.
If you are installing a wider tire on a narrower rim
for which it was not designed to handle, the footprint
of the tire diminishes due to the profile being wrong.
Another thing to be cautious of is that a wider tire
may not have enough clearance once installed and rub
against the fender or swing arm.
The bottom line is that the sizing of tires for certain
motorcycles is determined by the factory motorcycle
and tire engineers. They know their science well and
know what works best on certain motorcycles. They have
devised a numbering system which is used when replacing
your tire. It is not a user-friendly numbering system
but it makes sense to the tire manufacturers. For example
a 100/80-18 tire means the 100 is the nominal width
in millimeters. The 80 is the aspect ratio, and refers
to the height of the tire as a percentage of the width
(in this case 80 percent of 100mm). The 18 is the wheel’s
diameter in inches for which the tire is designed to
fit. So replace your tires based on what your manual
says. Why risk putting on a different size tire just
for looks at the risk of safety and performance.
Contributing author to Cycle Solutions http://www.cyclesolutions.net
And Kingpin Cruisers http://www.kingpincruisers.net
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Noss
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