88 GS450L tire size questions

[boostthis89]

bike is a 88 GS450L(i believe thats the year the owner told me)

Will a 100-90-19 fit in the front and a 130-90-16 fit the rear??

the current tires on this bike are
front: 90-90-19
Rear:120-90-16

I can get the 100-90-19 and 130-90-16 localy for alot less than ordering online and alot less than im finding the current size online for.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

I think those sizes may be a tad too big for your bike. They won't necessarily be dangerous, but it might negatively affect the handling a bit. The most recommended sizes for your bike (with the stock wheels) are 90/90 front and 120/90 rear.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[SgtRauksauff]

hmpf. not to derail this thread, but what would the difference be between 100/90 and 90/90 as far as handling? For some reason, when I was looking for the closest size to 3.60-19, it seemed that 100/90 was the one to get. I did get the 120.90 rear though.

--sarge

[boostthis89]

Hi,

I think those sizes may be a tad too big for your bike. They won't necessarily be dangerous, but it might negatively affect the handling a bit. The most recommended sizes for your bike (with the stock wheels) are 90/90 front and 120/90 rear.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

I dont really care about it effecting handling.. this bike isnt driven hard at all its babyed to snot with a woman driver lol. she wont know the difference ..
I am just having problems finding anything localy that I can get within a reasonable ammount of time, and also about $50 cheaper for those tire sizes..
So if they will work than ill be

hmpf. not to derail this thread, but what would the difference be between 100/90 and 90/90 as far as handling? For some reason, when I was looking for the closest size to 3.60-19, it seemed that 100/90 was the one to get. I did get the 120.90 rear though.

--sarge

i was also finding that sarge.. I just wanna know if those tires will fit on the bike or not.. most times on vehicles including bikes you CAN fit 1 size larger or smaller on it

[BassCliff]

Hi,

... what would the difference be between 100/90 and 90/90 as far as handling?

Not to continue the hijack, but...

I've used 100/90 and 110/90 tires on the front of my bike. The 100/90 tire steers quicker and easier. The 110/90 seems more "planted" on the freeway but needs a little extra muscle to really work the bike through the corners on a nice canyon road. The 110/90 also makes my speedo read very accurate while the 100/90 reads hi about 4mph (indicated 74mph is actually 70mph).

If you go ridiculously wider than stock, especially on the rear, you will pinch the tire into a pointy shape in the middle of the tread. This will adversely affect the handling. The tire will "fall" into the turns very quickly and be twitchy.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[boostthis89]

Hi,



Not to continue the hijack, but...

I've used 100/90 and 110/90 tires on the front of my bike. The 100/90 tire steers quicker and easier. The 110/90 seems more "planted" on the freeway but needs a little extra muscle to really work the bike through the corners on a nice canyon road. The 110/90 also makes my speedo read very accurate while the 100/90 reads hi about 4mph (indicated 74mph is actually 70mph).

If you go ridiculously wider than stock, especially on the rear, you will pinch the tire into a pointy shape in the middle of the tread. This will adversely affect the handling. The tire will "fall" into the turns very quickly and be twitchy.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

so you still didnt say yes or no... but you have used 100-90-19 on the front..
did it have any issues fitting?? ive been searching on and off all day with really no answer and no "what tire will fit" threads?

[BassCliff]

Hi,

so you still didnt say yes or no... but you have used 100-90-19 on the front..

I currently have a 100/90-19 on the front. Keep in mind that you have a 450 and I have an 850. The 100/90 is the "stock" size for my bike.

About the sizes you are considering:

Are they the stock factory sizes?
No. The stock sizes were quoted in post #2.

Will they fit on the wheels?
Yes.

Will the larger tires clear the fender and swingarm?
I don't know. Probably.

Will they affect handling enough to be dangerous?
Probably not.

Are those sizes the best option for your bike?
No. But I know sometimes you have to take what you can get.

Should you get the cheaper local tires?
That's up to you. Can you return them if they don't clear the fender and swingarm?

Here are some online tire shopping options (courtesy of Mr. bwringer), some with free shipping:

http://www.americanmototire.com
Excellent service and prices.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/
Located in Oregon. Ships quickly to the West Coast. Free shipping for orders over $75.

http://swmototires.com/
Great service, cheapest total cost (free shipping on sets of 2 tires). Slightly limited selection of oddball vintage sizes. They are located in Arizona, so tires take 3-4 days to get to the Midwest/East. They actually stock the tires they sell -- not just a middleman like most.

http://tiresunlimited.com
Huge selection, great service, total cost with shipping very low -- usually still within a few bucks of SW. Located in Ohio, so very fast shipping to Midwest and East. They also stock what they sell in a huge warehouse. They have a phone number you can call if you have a question or want to know if something is in stock. Hideous web site, but it works well.


http://denniskirk.com
DK stocks what they sell, has a huge selection, they ship the same day from Minnesota, and their site tells you how many are left in stock. Their tire pricing used to be completely outrageous, but it's now much better -- often the same or lower than others. Free shipping when your order goes over $100. Definitely worth checking, and great when you just gotta have your tires by a certain date.


http://bikebandit.com
http://ronayers.com
http://tiresexpress.com
These have been mentioned positively before, but keep in mind that they and most others are simply middlemen -- they do not stock tires. No way of knowing exactly when you'll get your tires, and in my experience, their pricing with shipping is not that great.


I wish I could give you a definitive answer. But I can tell you that I don't think I've ever seen a 450 owner here on the forum use a 130/90 on the rear.


OK, I'll shut up now.





Thank you for your indulgence,


BassCliff

[spchips]

This is too crazy to be a coincidence. I have a '88 450L in my yard that someone just asked me to replace the front tire on. I replaced the back tire last year with a IRC Dorotour and a quick check showed that they don't offer a 90/90-19 front. I did some research THIS MORNING, and while I can't cite the exact post, I found some evidence from experience on this forum that it worked well and they had no problems.

Anyways, I bought the 100/90-19, and will report back on how it fits.

(The owner lives in Northampton MA) How many '88 450L's are out there anyway?

[Big Rich]

If I'm not mistaken, the front wheel is 1.85" wide. So a 100/90 "should" be ok- but check with the tire manufacturer first.

Likewise, the rear 16" wheel on the GS450 is 2.15" wide, and a 120/90 is on the uppermost edge of fitting. Again: check with the tire manufacturer first.

[spchips]

Proof is in the pudding

Tire's on, handles great, about 1/2" of space between the fender and tire. took it up to ~90, stable and ripped around the rotary without any bouncing. definitely more than good enough for this bike.

http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l115/spchips/gs450%20tire/

IRC Dorotour 100/90-19 on a '88450L