Widest r tire for 1100EZ?

[Rob S.]

I bought my 1100EZ half a year ago. What's the widest tire I can have installed on the stock rear wheel with no modifications? (The following is currently mounted: Bridgestone "Spitfire 11R" 130/90-17).

I'm assuming a bigger contact patch would be a good thing. It also just looks rather spindly when parked next to more modern liter-class sportbikes.

[harley10]

I would say no more then a 140 , I have done it anything bigger I'm not sure! Brian

[tkent02]

A wider tire won't give it a bigger contact patch on skinny wheels. Just makes it handle funny. It looks spindly because that's how bikes were made back then. It ill still go around a corner better than most sportbike riders can.

[rockford]

Tires

I'm running 130-90-/17 and it's already a pretty tight squeeze. I wouldn't consider anything bigger.....or smaller.

[Rob S.]

(The following is currently mounted: Bridgestone "Spitfire 11R" 130/90-17).

The 130/90-17 is larger, or wider than what came stock in '82?

[rockford]

Yes

The 130/90-17 is larger, or wider than what came stock in '82?

Mine is an '80 1100ET and I know it came with Bridgestone 4.50 V 17 tires which is a smaller tire than the 130/90-17. The '82 EZ models came with the same size tires.

[Rob S.]

Stock in '82 was a 4.50. Is that smaller than a 130/90?

Looks like I'm at the limit for my stock wheel.

[rockford]

Yeah

Stock in '82 was a 4.50. Is that smaller than a 130/90?

Looks like I'm at the limit for my stock wheel.

See my previous posts. (The orginal tires were 114.3mm and the ones you have now are 130mm....so they're a little over 1/2 an inch wider than the original tire.)

[UK-GT]

From what I have read, it does not pay to put oversize tyres on stock wheels on bikes as it messes the geometry up or something, so handling gets messed up. Thats why people fit different wheels. Have you read this:

http://www.avonmoto.com/download/Tires_101.pdf

[rockford]

Size tolerance

From what I have read, it does not pay to put oversize tyres on stock wheels on bikes as it messes the geometry up or something, so handling gets messed up. Thats why people fit different wheels. Have you read this:

http://www.avonmoto.com/download/Tires_101.pdf

I think that is a really good, well-written and informative article. Thanks for sharing!

[Rob S.]

The orginal tires were 114.3mm and the ones you have now are 130mm....so they're a little over 1/2 an inch wider than the original tire.

Wow. I'm going to go back to the 1982 magazines to see how spindly the original was.

[Big T]

I'm assuming a bigger contact patch would be a good thing. It also just looks rather spindly when parked next to more modern liter-class sportbikes.

Your assumption is incorrect

A wider back tire on a skinny rim just distorts the tire shape and makes the contact patch smaller. And the handling worse

If you want a modern look, buy a modern bike. Or, resto mod with modern wheels

Somehow, we managed to drag pipes, pegs and stands with the crappy tires of that era, when these bikes were new. Imagine what a good tire can do now

[GS1150Pilot]

Such good posts here. There is an obsession with fatness these days, and, though wider wheels and tires may offer some advantages, so many other things will have to be upgraded to do that justice that it really does beg the question of "why?" The reason is almost entirely one of aesthetics on these old beasts. I'll spend my money on other stuff for now at least.

[bonanzadave]

[QUOTE=Big T;2031537]
If you want a modern look, buy a modern bike. /QUOTE]

After you grind the pegs and center stand off the EZ.....then go buy a GSX-R

[bonanzadave]

[QUOTE=Big T;2031537]
If you want a modern look, buy a modern bike.[ /QUOTE]

After you grind the pegs and center stand off the EZ.....then go buy a GSX-R