tire size...the bigger the better!

[Anonymous]

Hey all...great site you've got going here! I've got a 1980 gs550 thats in desperate need of some rubber. I believe the rear wheel is 18", it is the mag style. Whats the widest tire I can put on it? Whats a good source for tires? (cheapest!) Thanks for the help!

[Anonymous]

If its around 2.15 in width then I'd say a 120/90, or a 4.50 is pretty much it. I have a 130/80 TKV sport on my old rear rim and the tire is too wide for the rim. Maybe a 130/90 could squeeze on but you'll never use all the rubber. Just in case you're wondering a 130/80 is lower in profile to a 130/90 so it needs a wider rim to use all its rubber.

[Katana]

I agree with Jon , the best rubber to use is the one that the original specs have listed.
Oversizing tyres can lead to a change in handling characteristics for the worse in some cases.
I run Metzlers on my Katana and reckon theyre great for sport/tour

cheers katana

[Billy Ricks]

When you put too wide of a tire on a rim you are pinching the sidewalls so much that you end up with less contact patch than with the right size tire. You have a triangular profile at that point which leads to some crazy handling.

[Anonymous]

I dont know if your bike has the same problem with wider tires as I do but I can only put one size over due to the fact that the swinging arm just doesnt have the space for anything more.

[Anonymous]

From my experience, what you've heard above is true. I bought a 1979 Ducati 900SS a few years ago. It came with tires that were two sizes bigger than recommended but I wasn't bothered as the bike handled so well. When the time came for them to be replaced, I took the advice of a buddy and went back to the original size both front and rear. WOW!!! What a difference!! If the bike handled well before, now it was like a dream. That said, I also have a 1981 GS550T and have put much wider tires on it but courtesy of upgrading to 1986 GSXR wheels. So the tires are still the stock size.