150/110 tyre size advantage
- Thread starter amesbub
- Start date
WindyChuffer
Registered user
Easier to drift the rear end...
Why would you want to deviate from the standard sizes?
I had a 110 width tyre bought for my Triumph Explorer and wanted to fit it on my WC GS but the tyre centre said it wasn't a good idea because the tread would be spread out further than intended.
I had a 110 width tyre bought for my Triumph Explorer and wanted to fit it on my WC GS but the tyre centre said it wasn't a good idea because the tread would be spread out further than intended.
Every tyre size is designed for a rim of specific width, and in my experience, if you deviate from them, you're in immediate trouble.
The biggest issue comes from behaviour of the tyre sidewalls relative to the tread area. You have a LITTLE more leeway if you're putting a narrower tyre on a broader rim, but doing it the other way around is an invitation to excessive sideways flex from the sidewalls.
You may also have trouble getting a 150 tyre to seat properly on an LC rear rim before inflation.
For me, the biggest demonstration was when I was fooling around with rear tyre sizes on my '10 GSA Supermoto. Using a 180/55-17 on a 5.5" R1200RT rear wheel, the bike was perfectly happy doing anything at any speed. But switching to a 190/50-17 on the same wheel, I started running into high-speed (175 Km/h+) instability problems which were frankly frightening.
Perspective: that's a difference of only 10 millimetres.
When I swapped the R1200RT rear wheel for a 6" K1200S wheel, using the same 190/50 (and also 190/55 tyres), the bike settled down and became perfectly happy again.
Moral of the story: the tyre manufacturers know best.
The biggest issue comes from behaviour of the tyre sidewalls relative to the tread area. You have a LITTLE more leeway if you're putting a narrower tyre on a broader rim, but doing it the other way around is an invitation to excessive sideways flex from the sidewalls.
You may also have trouble getting a 150 tyre to seat properly on an LC rear rim before inflation.
For me, the biggest demonstration was when I was fooling around with rear tyre sizes on my '10 GSA Supermoto. Using a 180/55-17 on a 5.5" R1200RT rear wheel, the bike was perfectly happy doing anything at any speed. But switching to a 190/50-17 on the same wheel, I started running into high-speed (175 Km/h+) instability problems which were frankly frightening.
Perspective: that's a difference of only 10 millimetres.
When I swapped the R1200RT rear wheel for a 6" K1200S wheel, using the same 190/50 (and also 190/55 tyres), the bike settled down and became perfectly happy again.
Moral of the story: the tyre manufacturers know best.
