77 GS550 and Bridgestone Spitfire S11 tires

[Guest]

I'd like to replace the 100/90 front and 120/90 rear tires on my 77 GS550 with same size Bridgestone Spitfire S11 RWL tires. When I priced these tires trough Amazon they said they wouldn't fit. Is there any reason they wouldn't fit? Comments?

[cowboyup3371]

You shouldn't have an issue but I'd recommend you go to www.motorcycle-superstore.com or someplace similar that has the tire size charts.

[mike_of_bbg]

Well, I wouldn't necessarily trust Amazon. How much clearance do you have on the rear width? I'd say the tread on the Spitfire is likely to be a bit wider than an equivalent size in other styles/brands.

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. ClineDesign,

What does Amazon know about motorcycle tires? See the tire information in your "mega-welcome" and on my little website. You should have no trouble finding tires for your bike. I've used the Bridgestone Spitfire tires for years. They're good for "normal" riding, not high-performance, but decent.

Anyway, let me dump a TON if information on you and share some GS lovin'.

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Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", "Top 15 Tips For GS Happiness", the Carb Cleanup Series, and the Stator Papers. All of these tasks must be addressed in order to have a safe, reliable machine. 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

[bwringer]

A lot of companies have rather hazy application data, (for example, they often mix up the standard and "L" models, or don't distinguish between shaft and chain drive models) so don't worry too much about what Amazon thinks. You have the bike in front of you.

With that said, one good way to discover the original (and best) tire sizes is to peruse the online microfiches for your model. Look in the front and rear wheel fiches.

In your case, this shows a 3.75X18 rear tire and 3.25X19 front.

These old-style numbers equate to a 100/90-19 up front and a 110/90-18 out back.

A 120/90-18 should fit and probably won't hurt anything, but handling would be better with a 110/90-18. Both sizes are easily available, so I'd definitely go with a 110/90-18. Wider is sometimes better on cars, but on bikes, wider tires just goof up the handling.


One added hint: tires you find on Amazon.com are sold through some other online store. For example, http://motorcyclesuperstore.com (an excellent vendor) has an Amazon storefront. You'll get slightly better prices and faster shipping by going directly through the vendor's web site.

[salty_monk]

I put a 120 chen shing on a 80 550E and a 100 front. Worked fine.

[ClineDesign]

Thanks for the replies. Will keep you all informed on the build as time goes by.

[Suzuki_Don]

I have just had a new set of tires put on my '77 GS550B.

I have gone with a Metzler 3.25-19 M/C 54H on the front, which is a touch narrower than a 90/90 x 19.

And a Bridgestone BT45 110/90-18M/C 61H on the rear.

I find them perfect for my bike. It drops into the corners really easy without any effort from the rider. And the front tire is fantastic for directional control. The tracking is superb on these tires.

Others will say I should use larger tires, but what Mr Suzuki had as original equipment seems to work well for me.

I am not a fan of putting the largest tire possible on a rim as IMO this distorts the tire and inferior handling is the result.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Mr. Suzuki_Don speaks wisely.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff