180 tyre for 4th gen

Hi. Sorry if this question has been addressed before, did a quick search and didn't find anything concrete. It would seem that the 4th gen rear tyre size (170/60/17) is/has become an odd size (in South Africa anyway) can a 180 be used without rubbing on the chain/swing arm or being otherwise unsafe? Or else go down to 160? Thanks.

 

I think my friend runs the same 180/55/17 I run on my 5th gen on his 96. Others may chime in shortly but you should be fine with the 180/55, the slight drop in the aspect ratio should make the tires almost identical.

 

the 4th gens are a 170 rear. A 180 will kill turn in. Dunlop Q2's are a nice sticky tire and come in a 170.

FYI.

BZ

 

Thanks guys. As I said my only problem is availability, any thoughts on going narrower to a 160 then?

 

My third Gen bike originally was made with a 170-60-17 inch tyre/For as long as I have owned the bike I have run 180 tyres/180-55-17 with no issues ever. But my bike is not sitting stock as I have a drop on the triple trees and have a fox shock. You should have a 5.5 inch rim on the back and it will accept a 180 tyre.

Side note: I use Michelins now, Pilot Powers maybe? Maybe the CT2 tyre, anyway; not all tyres are created equal. I remember using Dunlops that were made in Spain rubbing on the swing arm, the tyres that were made in France or Germany, did not. When they did rub, I used a wood planer with a friend rotating the tyre by hand. End result was a ball of rubber smaller than a golf ball and a tyre that didnt rub the swing arm. Never had an issues with stabitlity or anything really.

 

The 4th gens have a narrower (5in) rim than the 3rd or 5th gens (5.5 in). So, keep looking for a 170 if you want decent handling OR a 8 spoke rim from a 3rd gen to fit a 180. You can put a 5 spoke from a 5th gen on BUT you have to do a bit of grinding on the back side of the wheel.
Good luck.

 

Thanks for all the replies guys. I will try stick with the 170.

 

160s are the way to go whether 170s are available or not. A 160 is the optimum size tire for a 5" rim. I've done probably 100,000+ miles with 160s. It's a big improvement in handling and there is more than enough traction. If you have any doubts - Trackday on the VFR750 - YouTube