[bamarama]

edit: double post. stupid PSP browser.

[DooD]

so im getting a bit confussed. i hear that getting a wider tire on the rear is not good for handling. but from this post, i hear that maybe it is good for handling. can antone clear this up?

AHF pretty much got it...

The change can be good or bad, depending on what you're looking for.

The stock 150 on a '98+ gives a wider look, because a narrower tire isn't as stretched over the 4.5" rim. It has a flatter profile, but the tire ends abruptly once you reach a certain lean angle. This can make for quite a scare if you're into performance riding on the Kat....rolling off the edge of the tire's surface will cause instability, loss of traction, and all those other goodies associated with wrecking yourself and yer bike.

The 160 however, creates a rounder profile, in which the contact patch may be less than stock, but a good tire's composition or "stickiness" will make up for that quite easily. The tread continues farther down each side, allowing you to reach maximum lean angle on the bike without having to worry about rolling off the edge....The bike will also make the transition from upright to leaned with less effort, and the bike seems to "fall" into corners with more precision. Your feelers (and exhaust! ) will touch pavement way before you ever get to the edge of a 160 - and if your feelers are scraping...it's probably time to reconsider the speed at which you're travelling! :P

If you're looking for a 4.5" rim to put on a pre-98, consider looking around at local salvage yards and especially on ebay....SV650's and all '98+ Katanas use them (all the same wheel, if I'm not mistaken). I'm not sure if any other parts will be needed for the swap, but I'm just one of those mad modders like SpecialK can help you out in that department.

[Anonymous]

I just got a Post 98 rear wheel and am getting a new tire on it this weekend!!!!

I CAN'T believe that it came with a 180/55 on it!

[Zukiman]

OMG I can't believe this thread.

[SweetLou]

How can I mod my bike to fit a 250 tire on the back? I want it to be *Bling-Bling*

[WildKat]

Hahaha, AHF, you been practicing standup wheelies again? (left rear peg is down!)

Hey, I just caught this!

so im getting a bit confussed. i hear that getting a wider tire on the rear is not good for handling. but from this post, i hear that maybe it is good for handling. can antone clear this up?

The subject's always a big debate. In my case, on a 98+ model (4.5" rim), we were down at the Gap and I was running the stock 150 touring tire. I started "rolling over the lip" of the tire, which meant I was running out of tire in the turns. Putting on the Diablo 160, which also had more of a "V" profile gave me more tire to lean over on. So, I literally went with a wider tire for safety reasons.

Most of the negatives on wider tires have more to do with the actual fitting of a bigger tire on a small rim.

I cant wait to use my 160 pilot power at the Gap this year. Last year I was running a stock 150 at the rally and while I didnt notice any problems down there with it as far as grip , after putting on the Pilot later this past summer, the difference in cornering is like night and day and in retrospect from running the stock 150 down there I can see where the differences are in an incredible way...so it should be awesome this year.

[Jarhead767]

How would the Metz Z6 compare to the Diablo Strata?

[md86]

Almost the same tire , made by the same company . Either would be a good choice .