Fat Front Tire

[gs101]

What would be the biggest tire size (on stock wheel) width wise, I could fit between the front fork legs of my 80 GS1000L? I'm making my bike into a bobber and have reached a point where as I need to get some new white walls! I will most likely NOT be running a front fender.

Thanks for any info or pics!

[Nessism]

You can slam a 110 tire on the stock rim but it's really pushing it due to rim width. At 100 is a better fit.

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. gs101,

I use a 110 up front on my 850. It works fine and corrects my speedo error. But a 100 would steer a little quicker.

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Steve]

I use a 110 up front on my 850. It works fine and corrects my speedo error.

Interresting.

I believe the stock size calls for a 90/90 up front, I have installed 100/90 to correct the speedo.
Now you say you have installed a 110? I wonder what's going on.

.

[BassCliff]

Hmmm, this is getting curious-er and curious-er.

I always thought the "stock" size was a 100/90/19 for the front of my bike. That's what my bike had on it when I bought it. The speedo would read slow. It reads just about perfect now.

It also had a 120/90/17 on the rear. I use a 130/90/17 now.

Wait a minute. I told myself that I would not get involved in any more tire threads. Now look at me.







Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Steve]

Hmmm, this is getting curious-er and curious-er.

I always thought the "stock" size was a 100/90/19 for the front of my bike. That's what my bike had on it when I bought it. The speedo would read slow. It reads just about perfect now.

I'll just bet that your bike had one of those dreaded "previous owners", huh?

You know you can't trust much of what they said and/or did.

When you say your "speedo would read slow", I read that as "when I was doing an actual 60 mph, my speedo would read 56 (or so)". Usually it's the other way around, the speedo would read faster than actual speed. By installing a larger tire, there are fewer revolutions per mile, which slows it down to rather accurate.

What are you using for your speed reference? You know that you can't trust the cages around you to be traveling at the speed limit, don't you? Your best bet is to use a GPS. Mount it to the bike by whatever means might be convenient, go for a ride. Hold any speed you wish, check your speed on the GPS. Try several speeds, the error is not always linear.

The bottom line is, ... if it's accurate, that's what counts. On all three of the 850s that have spent time in my stable, a 100 front tire has had the speedo error down to about 1 mph or so at 70. Speedo reading 70, GPS would show about 68.8. Close enough for me.

.

[salty_monk]

Speedo on My skunk reads over by quite a bit. 5-10mph at Freeway speeds. My 1000G speedo was much more accurate.

Using a roadrider. 100 I think, the normal one that everyone gets in any case

Dan

[BassCliff]

Oops, sorry about my .

I'll just bet that your bike had one of those dreaded "previous owners", huh?

You know you can't trust much of what they said and/or did.

True and true.

When you say your "speedo would read slow", I read that as "when I was doing an actual 60 mph, my speedo would read 56 (or so)". Usually it's the other way around, the speedo would read faster than actual speed. By installing a larger tire, there are fewer revolutions per mile, which slows it down to rather accurate.

Yes, true again. I was thinking 180 degrees out of phase again.

What are you using for your speed reference? You know that you can't trust the cages around you to be traveling at the speed limit, don't you?

I don't have a GPS so I will check it by having someone drive along beside me, usually Mrs. BassCliff. I'm pretty sure she won't run over me.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Steve]

I don't have a GPS so I will check it by having someone drive along beside me, ...

Just remember that cage speedos are not guaranteed to be accurate any more than the bike speedos.

.

[BassCliff]

Just remember that cage speedos are not guaranteed to be accurate any more than the bike speedos.

.

Understood. But sometimes we have to make do with what we got.




Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff