Wide tire envy

Saw some old posts on this subject but no follow up answers. Anyone have a 150 or 140 tire on the rear of a 1st or 2nd gen? If so how do they feel? Highspeed sweepers on that 130 make nervous. I would like to go as wide as possiable without doing the wheel swap. Thanks for your input................

 

I've got a 160 Avon Azzaro on my '85 VF700F. Haven't found any issues yet.

But you can see that I can't use all the tread because the profile is rounded so much due to being squeezed onto a small rim.

 

I'm looking to put 140 Avon on mine when the time comes(soon). I thought about a 150 but have to look in to it. I think the tire profile will be changed to much. The 140 is a tad shorter than my current Dunlop 502's. The 150 is the same dia. Not a big deal either way. I was able to ride the edge of the rear (stock 130) on my resent trip. The front still had about 1/8" to go. My previous 591's would edge out the same.

"Highspeed sweepers on that 130 make nervous."

It's not so much the size of the tire as much as it is about the compound and design of it. Relatively speaking.

 

I have tried a 140/70-18 Bridgestone BT45 rear on my -87 VFR750F 3,5 rim, and its to wide for it, the tire profile suffer and you dont get full use of the tire (= less grip). I like my 130/80 Pirelli SportDemon far better and use full tread of it. By the way a wide tire for size, the 140 BT45 was only 2mm wider on the rim!
I also have a 5" wide PVM rim whit a 160/60R18 tire, and it look and beahve werry well on the -87 VFR750F! Only problem it leaks air... and I dont know why.

 

That PVM fit with no mods? Did it come off a certain bike?

 

I think i may have on the best tyre ever made for the '86 VFR 700............THE inimitable 150 METZLER ME-1 Comp K . Because of special design this 150 works on the VFR rim.

Best i've ever ridden on the VFR, along with the Metzler ME-33 Comp K up front. Can't get 'em no more, kids.

Still has about 2/3 tread left, but what next???? since THEY'RE NO LONGER MADE !! BOOObloodyhoooooo

 

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a PVM rim?

 

Not to hijack; what is the biggest tyre I can put on my 84' 500 with the stock rim?

 

How much do you want to spend?

Hello, All:

I solved this problem by having my OEM/stock wheels widened. There is a place in Northern California, Windsor (just North of Santa Rosa), Kosman Specialties, which has been doing this wheel-widening modification for YEARS!

Kosman Specialties Online <- click on "Catalog," then scroll-down to "Weld-Up Wheels," and that shows you what they have to say about it all.

I had my front wheel widened from 2.5 inches to 3.5 inches, and the rear wheel widened from 3.5 inches to 5.5 inches. On the front wheel, I have a 120/65, and on the rear wheel, a 170/60 (Metzeler Sportec M3 - great tires).

The advantage of this approach is that few other modifications need to be made - brake rotors/calipers remain the same. HOWEVER, we did have to go to a 520 chain/sprockets in order to get clearance on the chain side.

This is not cheap - $425 per wheel to get ‘em widened, the cost of having the wheels powder-coated again, not to mention the sprockets, 520 chain and, of course, the new tires.

The widened rear wheel. (If you look closely, you can see the weld.)



The 170/60 rear tire.



Oh, last but not least, I really wanted to get a 180 on the rear. However, that would have required modifying the swing arm, and I wasn't willing to go THAT far.

Gray Market

 

I'll guarantee you that your high speed corner instability has much more to do with your suspension being shot, and a lot less to do with your tires.

 

Money back guarantee? I didn't say it was not stable, I said makes me nervous. Probably a mental thing since my last bike had a 190 rear and now I'm on a 130. This bike is more stable at speed than alot of newer bikes I've ridden. Suspension is on my list of winter projects though.

 

You have winter in Cali??

 

Not really, but it rains sometimes. Close enough for me:sportbikesmile:

 

PVM is the make of a aftermarket/race wheel maker

 

I belive PVM does not make a straight fit wheel.
Mine is from a mid 80 GSXR Suzuki and made to fit. Becorse the PVM wheel is modular its easy to take apart and and change the mesurment. I us stock chain line and breke disc line. The Suzuki has a 240mm brake disc (had a 220mm whit it) and I shortened the arm that hold the calipper to make it fit.

 

Yep, your right, Metzeler did make WIDE tires befoer thet was design for tiny rims. I still belive Continentals TVK11/12 is also design for tuny rims, I have a 170/60VB18 that is design for Suzukis 4,0" wide rear wheel.

 

I just had a mixed opinion at bike shop - I currently have a Battle axe 54 (150/18) on mine, rides perfect and the wear is round which is great, originally these come in 130 - and so they ordered that tire, it gets a 4.9 review on revzilla - so it cant be so bad.. but i prfer a wider rear tire - looks so much better..