New front tire

[jimbob35]

I have the stock tires at the moment, the rear is full of tread and looks great. The front however is running low, the rubber looks a little dry and I have no confidence in it whatsoever. It just feels unreliable.

Ideally, i'd like to replace just the front. Although it depends on what you guys think! Is it ok to do so?

Im going standard size, 110/80? Unless theres any reason to differ?

Im on a budget, and the following are in it:

Metzeler Lasertec
Pirelli MT75
Pirelli Sport demon
Continental avenue

Im in the UK, brand names may differ im not sure.

Any input would be great, thanks.

[thetable]

I would go with a 120/70-17. You should have no problems with fitment and it will give you many more options as to the tires tyres you have to choose from.

[tone]

I'd always say stick with the stock size mate, but opinions do differ

did you know busters are doing deals on pairs of tyres at the moment, might be worth giving them a bell to see what they have on offer in your sizes

[GSXfs600]

Ya, stay away from the 110/80/17.

[jimbob35]

Cheers for info

Would my speedo be affected by using 120/70's? And does that mean i should be using #/70's on the back too?

Thanks

[GregS]

As to speedo and size differences check out this site: http://powerdog.com/tiresize.cgi
As to matching profiles, that's a personal preference issue. It will affect handling but you may like the feel of the changes. Different brands, sizes, aspect ratios and bias versus radial construction all affect handling, sometimes adversely.
My first opinion would be to stick with the stock sizes and construction and match brands and styles front to rear. Since you have budget concerns tossed into the mix, you may be forced to bend those rules. In that case at least stay with the same construction (bias or radial) front and rear.

[The CyberPoet]

My advice:

(A) Move to a 120/70ZR17 front tire. This tire became stock for your era Kat in later years (i.e. - on the same size wheels), and offers a lot of improvements that reflect it's on-going R&D status as the tire of choice in the industry for most front wheels. It will offer better grip, better mileage, better lifespan, and will open up your tire choices to encompass a lot of brands/makes that are superb. It will also migrate you away from bias-tires to radial-tires, which has a definitive set of advantages that may some day save your life (see http://katriders.com/vb/showpost.php...94&postcount=9 for details on why).

(B) The difference in speedo readings will be miniscule because the rolling diameter doesn't change significantly. Remember that tire sizes are references to the ideal mounting size, and not the actual tire size after it's been mounted, pressurized, and heat-cycled several times -- street tires typically grow anywhere from 4 to 8% over the first couple rides that actual bring the tires all the way up to temp anyway.

(C) Check the imprint date on the rear tire -- needs to be 4603 or newer (first two digits are week of the year; last digit(s) are year). Never run a tire over 5 years old.

More reading for you:
CyberPoet's Katana GSXF Tire Webpage (for GSX600F, GSX750F), and
CyberPoet's General Motorcycle Tire Webpage (speed ratings, sizes, belt technologies, etc).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

______________________
CyberPoet's KR Specials
Suzuki Stratosphere - 6 Cylinders, the new Katana?
The Best Motorcycle Metal Billet Tire Valves in the World, plus lots of motorcycle & Katana (GSX600F / GSX750F) specific help files.