Bigger tire

[jimcor]

Don't forget that a fatter rear tyre can sometimes make the bike handle much worse (rather than better) because it upsets the bikes natural geometry.

Tell 'em Zooks!

My 550L handles much better with the 120 it's supposed to have, rather than the 130 I bought once just to make a rally. Plus the clearance between tire and the brake torque arm required a feeler guage and a microscope to make sure it wasn't making contact.

My rim width on referencing with a major tire manufacturer's site showed 'acceptable, but not recommended' for the 130. I'd say not.
Don't go bigger just for the look. The guys who really know will laugh at you.

[Cathy344]

My 550L handles much better with the 120 it's supposed to have, rather than the 130 I bought once just to make a rally.

Jim: You have a reliable source for that information regarding your bike's stock rear tire size? Based on http://www.powersportrider.com/cgi-bin/zcatjpg, Street catalogue, pages 1001-2, the smallest stock rear metric size for the 550L of any year is 130/90-16. No mention of a 120. (Unless you're talking about the 79-80 years for which PSR lists English sizes which I don't know how to convert.)

[Nessism]

Jim: You have a reliable source for that information regarding your bike's stock rear tire size? Based on http://www.powersportrider.com/cgi-bin/zcatjpg, Street catalogue, pages 1001-2, the smallest stock rear metric size for the 550L of any year is 130/90-16. No mention of a 120. (Unless you're talking about the 79-80 years for which PSR lists English sizes which I don't know how to convert.)

According to the factory Suzuki manual the stock size is 130.

As a side note, I installed a 120/90-18 on the rear of my '79 GS550E replacing the stock 3.75-18 tire. 120 should be way wider based on the measurements but its not the case in reality. I think because the sidewall is pulled in with the 120 the overall width is not that much more than the more narrow stocker. Makes me wonder if I shouldn't have gone with a 110/90 since the sidewall will be tighter.

[jimcor]

Well guys first off my 550L has a 17 inch rear tire, not 16. Using a 130 tire is out of the question on certain brands. They rub the torque link. Only the thinnest 130's will fit. 120 is as wide as you should go, and not many manufacturers produce them.

[Grandpa]

B) I've always had a warm fuzzy feeling about Dunlop since the earliest days of my autoracing fandom, and being that I've also got an innate sense of patriotism that drives me to "buy American (whenever I can)" and Dunlop is one of the few, if only, tire manufacturers still operating in the US, I feel it would most likely be the best quality for a part I need.

III) Not to sound completely xenophobic after that last passage, but Cheng Shin sounds Chinese, if I'm not mistaken, and they've shown quite a tendency toward not giving a flying fig about quality control, especially where products they ship to America are concerned. Plastic residue entered our food chain because companies bought grain from China that they shipped in containers that had recently been used to carry melamine pellets and hadn't been properly cleansed between shipments. For the cost of some water and man-hours, lots of pets died and god knows what long term effects there will be on humans in America. Where my health and safety are concerned, "Made in China" will not be found on the product if I can help it.

Cheng Shin tires, I'm 99% sure, are not made in the People's Republic of China, but in the Republic of China or Taiwan, (the good China). Those car tires that have recently been recalled were made by the Chicoms, which leads us to believe that quality control there leaves much to be desired.

I've used Cheng Shin motorcycle tires plenty of times on my GS bikes, and don't hesitate to do so again. I have a front tire, 110/90-19 on order from American Motorcycle Tire, http://www.americanmototire.com/ . It's a HiMax tire, $57.02 with UPS Ground shipping.

[jimcor]

Unfortunately, at least the front Hi Max tires in my size, 100/90X19, is now made in Mainland China. The Made in China stamp is positioned NOT to show once the tire is mounted and instead of saying Made in Taiwan the carcass lettering says, "Designed in Taiwan" still lots of tread after two rears and no handling problems at all.

If the later 550Ls have 130/90X16 as OEM then that's what I'd stick with!

[Grandpa]

Interesting bit of information, Jim. I'll have to check the "Made in China" label on the tire when I get it, and also the "Designed in Taiwan" label. Hadn't noticed that. Thanks!

[Mysuzyq]

Cheng Shin is listed as a Taiwanese company...with ISO/Q.S. certified quality control ....possibly they have moved production of some items to China....I did some research on the subject a couple days ago, as I will shortly be in the market for a new front skin for the 1100. I must say, I too , having run only Metzelers earlier, and currently a Pirelli Sport Demon fan, was skeptical about C.S. tires...the classic fear of paying too little . However, one of my buddies, who rides pretty hard (GS1100E street/track with big-bore, cams/carbs, and nitrous....this thing accelerates harder than a Blackbird!)


has gone through several sets of C.S. tires and swears by them, so I will probably give the Hi-Max a try.....I noticed his thread pattern looked suspiciously similar to the Metz. Lazer front tires though...... possibly some 'borrowed' engineering" , which would explain some of the success.

Tony.

[jimcor]

Cheng Shin is listed as a Taiwanese company...with ISO/Q.S. certified quality control ....possibly they have moved production of some items to China....I did some research on the subject a couple days ago, as I will shortly be in the market for a new front skin for the 1100. I must say, I too , having run only Metzelers earlier, and currently a Pirelli Sport Demon fan, was skeptical about C.S. tires...the classic fear of paying too little . However, one of my buddies, who rides pretty hard (GS1100E street/track with big-bore, cams/carbs, and nitrous....this thing accelerates harder than a Blackbird!)


has gone through several sets of C.S. tires and swears by them, so I will probably give the Hi-Max a try.....I noticed his thread pattern looked suspiciously similar to the Metz. Lazer front tires though...... possibly some 'borrowed' engineering" , which would explain some of the success.

Tony.

It is very much still a Taiwanese company, they have just got in line with everyone else and have facilities for some tires in China now.

[themess]

I have a brand new, unmounted set of Cheng Shin Hi Maxes in my garage. They are clearly marked, "MADE IN TAIWAN".

Ten years ago I replaced a set of Michelins with a set of Cheng Shin "Marquis" tires, which forum members report to be far inferior to the Hi Max line. The Marquis tires were better in every way than the Michelins.

Tom

[jimcor]

I have a brand new, unmounted set of Cheng Shin Hi Maxes in my garage. They are clearly marked, "MADE IN TAIWAN".

Ten years ago I replaced a set of Michelins with a set of Cheng Shin "Marquis" tires, which forum members report to be far inferior to the Hi Max line. The Marquis tires were better in every way than the Michelins.

Tom

If I had a digital camera I could show you a front Hi-Max that is made in China. I'm sure there are plenty of front Taiwanese Hi-Maxes in warehouses worldwide. Mine came from Dennis Kirk and that outfit moves a lot of tires.

[themess]

I don't doubt what you write. Just saying that not all Cheng Shins available today are made in China. What are the serial numbers on your tires? Look after the DOT marking. Mine are

DOT UYKS 1207
DOT UYKS 4906

The code UYKS tells where the tire was made. See

http://www.harriger.com/tire3.htm

1207 means that the tire was made in the 12th week of 2007, and 4906 means that the tire was made in th 49th week of 2006.

What are your tire codes?

I was a manufacturing chemist/chemical engineer in several tire factories, in the US and in Mexico. I'm not at all concerned about Taiwanese manufacturing. The country has had advanced manufacturing for a long time, and it has largely thrown off the business methods that westerners regard as corrupt, like Singapore has done. I'd be much more concerned about tires made on the mainland. The difference between modern and ancient tires is completely invisible in the final product. Much of it has to do with things like the precision of control in chemical reactors that produce synthetic rubber and carbon black. It takes a long time to learn this and it is easy to hide lesser quality.

[jimcor]

This from the Concours front tire a 100/90X18 Hi-Max, this tire does not even use the camo 'designed in' marking but is plainly embossed Made in China. The number is: DOT 7FMS 4805.

[jimcor]

The plant that makes the Chinese Hi-Max tires is a fully Cheng Shin owned facility. http://www.xcs.com.cn/ENG-edition/index.asp I don't think there is a thing to worry about with these tires.

[t3rmin]

Here's a question for my fellow CS Hi-Max users: I just put a new CS Hi-Max on the rear and couldn't find the usual balancing (light spot) mark. Does that mean the tire is perfectly balanced or what?