Tire Size Bandit 1250

What is the maximum width tire I can go on the rear without clearance issues? It has the stock Dunlop Sportmax on at 180/55 wide/height. Will a 200/50 fit?Thanks

New Rear Tire

I need to buy a rear tire. What width sizes is everyone ridin' on. I kinda know which make to buy but not sure of a size. Should I stick with stock. Thanks in advance

I guess everyone likes to ride stock tires

Yes for sure. You start messing with bike balance and turn in going with larger tires in the back. Been there and done that on other bikes. After that you need a longer swing arm and chrome wheels and lights and stuff. Teasing of course.

Re: New Rear Tire

180/55 x 17. Stay stock unless stuck way out in the boon docks somewheres and don't have any choice.

Re: New Rear Tire

I'm curious as to what you hope to gain by installing a 200 width tire on a bike that wasn't designed for it, for if you looking to improve the handling your going in the wrong direction.

Re: New Rear Tire

I run a 150 out back.

I merged the two threads because they're asking the same question.

Greg

I never wanted to chance running a tire of a different size than factory on my bikes. Too wide and they adversely effect handling and could possibly roll over the lips of the wheel (or so I'm told). There have been guys who have had luck running a skinnier tire on their wheels (of some bikes) as it may actually quicken the steering.... I'll leave it for guys who actually KNOW what the heck their doing though.

The old Avon Azaro tires (now replaced with the Avon Storms) were actually the widest tires offered in the correct size for my BMW, and they looked pretty cool (take note 'wannabeguru', that I avoided from using the term "sexy" here). Ask for somebody to post a picture of their Avon Storm head on to determine if it 'looks' wider.... if it's the 'look' you're going for.

Have not measured my Storms but I can't see where it looks any wider back there than my other 3 brands of tire used. Stock OEMs, Roadstars and 021's. If I think of it later today I'll see about measuring them. The wife uses my old tires as planters in the back yard. More stuff for me to weed eat around ;-(.

The Warrior crowd loved going from a stock 200, to a 210 out back, because it "looked wicked, awesome cool yo". But then they found out that because of the larger tire on a wheel that wasn't designed for it, all they did was shorten their tire life to about half of what the stock tire gave them.

Now if you really want to experiance first hand how to completely ruin a motorcycles handlng, try riding something like a Honda VTX 1800 with a car tire mounted on the rear.

A lot of people do this and swear by it, but after riding a VTX 1800 on a test ride that I had worked on for a customer that had a car tire mounted on the rear, it was without a doubt the worst handling and scariest bike I had ever ridden

At low speed it was very hard to get the bike to turn as I fought to get the bike up on the corner of the square profile car tire, and I have a friend of mine who runs one on his 1800 and have followed behind him on many rides and witnessed how the back of the bike literally lifts up as the bike rides up on the corner of the car tire and how small the contact patch looked and how strange it looked to see the opposite edge of the tire sitting 1 1/2 to 2 inches off the ground.

I have posted on this subject before, read this;
http://www.sportrider.com/tech/tires/146_0206_tire_size/index.html

I upgraded to a 190/50 on the bandit when I wore out my stock rear. The bike turned very slowly (as if it was a quick turner before) and did not help the handling at all. When I was mid lean it was squirly (see profile pix). If you stay with the 5.5 inch rim keep the 180 tire. If you want to go bigger then you need a 6 inch rim or 6.25 inch rim. When you squeze a wider tire on a smaller rim you pinch it and it will not have the expected profile you bike was set up for. However, it does look cool.


Mark

Well guys you have me convinced. It looks likes I'll stick with my stock size. Thanks for the Info.