USD front end photoshop for my 650g

[skidMarkNZ]

Contemplating a USD conversion for my gs 650g...

pic is with different front end, all going to plan it would be a rgv250 front end, pending on stem length.


excuse my **** poor photoshopping

comments?

i reckon it makes it look sweet, but i do like a hard front end...

erm....on a bike

Cheers: Skid.

[80GS1000]

Looks sweet!

One thing to consider. A USD front end takes a radial front tire. You don't want to start mixing bias tires with radials, so no radial front and a bias rear. Think you're going to have a hard time offsetting the drive shaft to accommodate a wider than stock radial rear tire and rim on the rear of the bike.

[skidMarkNZ]

Looks sweet!

One thing to consider. A USD front end takes a radial front tire. You don't want to start mixing bias tires with radials, so no radial front and a bias rear. Think you're going to have a hard time offsetting the drive shaft to accommodate a wider than stock radial rear tire and rim on the rear of the bike.

yeah that was the one thing i was concerned about, the plan was to just run a high profile front tyre, rather than fluff around with the rear because the shaft drive is definately a factor.

[jwhelan65]

Nice

Nice look..was wondering about the shaft drive as well. Should be an interesting one to watch...looks like Bandit rotors ? front end?

[80GS1000]

yeah that was the one thing i was concerned about, the plan was to just run a high profile front tyre, rather than fluff around with the rear because the shaft drive is definately a factor.

Well, one thing you could do is get a Pirelli Sport Demon on the front in a 120/70/17 and then a stock sized rear Sport Demon.

That way you're running bias on both ends of the bike and the 120/70/17 Sport Demon will fit on a modern USD rim.

[skidMarkNZ]

Nice look..was wondering about the shaft drive as well. Should be an interesting one to watch...looks like Bandit rotors ? front end?

Ahhh was just a pic i found on the net of a bandit with usd front end... would just drop a complete rgv front end in her.

Well, one thing you could do is get a Pirelli Sport Demon on the front in a 120/70/17 and then a stock sized rear Sport Demon.

That way you're running bias on both ends of the bike and the 120/70/17 Sport Demon will fit on a modern USD rim.

Sounds like a plan my good sir

[fast pom]

I am liking that alot, with the stem think about pressing out the old RGV one fit new stem machined to old bearing size .

[Steve]

One thing to consider. A USD front end takes a radial front tire. .

What is it about the USD front end that requires the use of a radial tire?
Is it simply that the (typically) wider wheels fit radials better, or is there some other reason?

.

[80GS1000]

What is it about the USD front end that requires the use of a radial tire?
Is it simply that the (typically) wider wheels fit radials better, or is there some other reason?

.

Typically a USD front end runs a radial front tire as the rear tire is usually a radial as well. Don't want to mix and match bias with radial tires. Nothing particularly special about a wider GSXR rim though, other than their light weight. There is a far bigger selection of radials in a 120/70/17 than bias, although exceptions like the Sport Demon do exist.

[Steve]

I knew that most of the newer bikes that happen to have USD forks also happen to wear radials, I just did not think that one required the other.

I know that conventional wisdom says you don't mix bias and radials, but I know some that have done that with at least moderate success in limited situations.
Not recommending it for most people, but it seems to work for them.

.

[80GS1000]

I knew that most of the newer bikes that happen to have USD forks also happen to wear radials, I just did not think that one required the other.

I know that conventional wisdom says you don't mix bias and radials, but I know some that have done that with at least moderate success in limited situations.
Not recommending it for most people, but it seems to work for them.

.

Yep, you hear of some bikes even from the factory mixing and matching bias with radials but those bikes tend to be touring/cruiser bikes like your Goldwing. Not bikes where the rider may explore the limits of cornering traction.

From my experience, sticky radial sportbike tires handle quite a bit differently than bias sport tires, especially when cornering at speed. They can handle much higher cornering speeds and lean angles with greater stability before losing traction. Radials also tend to soak up bumps in the corners better with almost zero deflection. So would you want to be on a bike scraping your pegs or knee puck where the radial is gripping whilst the bias is slipping?

Personally I wouldn't want to be the test pilot on a bias/radial mixed bike in the twisties, I'm fond of breathing.

On a sport(y) bike it's best to keep bias with bias and radial with radial. The 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250 is fitted with bias Bridgestone BT-45s as standard and every newer 600/750/1000 sportbike out there is shod with a 120/180 or 120/190 set of radials.

Anyways, on with the regularly scheduled thread....

[Billy Ricks]

It's generally considered okay to run a radial front with a bias rear. The reason is you don't want to run out of grip up front by running a bias front with a radial rear. If you go radial front and bias rear just pick the stickiest rear you can find to run with the radial front.

[80GS1000]

It's generally considered okay to run a radial front with a bias rear. The reason is you don't want to run out of grip up front by running a bias front with a radial rear. If you go radial front and bias rear just pick the stickiest rear you can find to run with the radial front.

This isn't a p!ssing match, just curious.

Where are you getting this information from?

It's pretty much contradictory to everything a quick search will say on the subject.

[Billy Ricks]

This isn't a p!ssing match, just curious.

Where are you getting this information from?

It's pretty much contradictory to everything a quick search will say on the subject.

It's been done for years. You will find a few sites and forums that discuss it with a little searching. There's probably not much info on it because nobody wants the liability if someone decides to blame an accident on tires. Like I said, you want the best grip up front. If either end slides you want it to be the rear. Hopefully the link I post below will take you to the correct page of a book by Kevin Cameron where he talks about using a raidal front with fine results.

http://books.google.com/books?id=wKYPN9DwhT8C&pg=PA128&lpg=PA128&dq=mixing+radial+bias+motorcycle&source=web&ots=ZTc0t44T0o&sig=uqWoRteAqbWcuoMhY74cl1plPeo&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA128,M1

[80GS1000]

It's been done for years. You will find a few sites and forums that discuss it with a little searching. There's probably not much info on it because nobody wants the liability if someone decides to blame an accident on tires. Like I said, you want the best grip up front. If either end slides you want it to be the rear. Hopefully the link I post below will take you to the correct page of a book by Kevin Cameron where he talks about using a raidal front with fine results.
http://books.google.com/books?id=wKY...sult#PPA128,M1

Why even bother mixing tire types if there's a possible hazard by doing so? Why mix tires with different handling properties and grip capabilities? Hitting the asphalt hurts a lot!

This seems counter-intuitive and potentially dangerous. Ideally, you don't want to be spinning up or sliding either tire unless you're riding quite hard, like on a racetrack. Granted a rear end slide is a bit more controllable than a front end slide. Sliding the rear mid-corner is usually scary but uneventful, sliding the front often HURTS! If a rider gets into an unrecoverable rear-end slide in a corner, they will at best lowside and at worst get ejected into the pavement in a highside.

For the OP, stick with bias on both ends and you'll be fine.