larger rear tire

[nleap]

the title says it all.. I don't know if you guys have discussed this.. but I have a 95 gsx600 katana and I was wondering if it was possible to put a wider tire/rim on the back?

[Mr. Clean]

Buy a rear rim for a 98+ Kat 600/750. Your rim is a 4" where the 98+ is a 4.5". Make sure to get the rear rotor and sprocket carrier with the 98+ rim. The whole thing will fit right in your 95 swing arm no problem, and the new wheel will let you run a 160/60 tire.

Now someone is going to jump in here and say "you can run a 170 tire!" Yes a 170 tire will *fit* on the 4.5 rim but it is too wide for the swing arm. In other words a 170 tire will rub the &*%$ out of your swing arm and ruin the tire. A 160/60 is the widest that will fit, safely.

[stevnmd]

Right under the logo at the top of the page there is a link for Search. You will find a TON of info about this very topic.

[Blacktog]

buy a suzuki bandit rim an it´s possible to run a 180 tire

[medic_rider]

i had a 180 on my bike when i bought it, handled like shi%*.

[HS2020]

The rims sizes for the pre 98s are 3.0 for the front and a 3.5 for the rear. You can mount the 98+ rims right up to the bike. The rear one you need to have the rotor with it since the pre 98 rear rotor will not work on it. Other thatn that you would be good to go. You can put a max of a 170/60 on the rear but you could push that to a 180.60 if you like. You just run the risk of the bead breaking away from the rear tire so I have been told. I had a 160/60 on my 3.5 pre 98 and rim and I rode the GAP 2 up with that rear tire and it held up just fine.

[KatanaO215]

just remember, in general, the wider you go the less handling you have

[ghost]

I am looking to buy a 98+ rear rim in white if anybody on the forum has one......

[BlackKatnWV]

what size is a 160/60? HS2020 are you still running a 160/60 on your stock rear rim?

[duff daddy]

im pretty sure hs2020 has the stock rear and front

[HS2020]

Yes I still have the stock pre 98 rims. They have been chromed thats all. I am currently running a 110/70/17 front and a 150/60/17 rear and do not care for the rear tire size at all. I like the 160/60 better. Have to remeber that the stock tire sizes for the pre 98 750's are a 110/80/17 front and a 150/70/17 rear. So by putting a 160/60/17 on the rear is not all that bad. I did have a 120/60/17 on the front. The bike sat lower with the 120/60/17 and 160/60/17 so I hit my headers every once in a while. So will a 120/60/17 and 160/60/17 set up work on a pre98 rim YES. Are you pushing the bead of the tire a little YES but I rode with that set up for a season and had no problems. Metz tires are one of the few tires that are made to fit the smaller width rims. There was no sign of the sidewall flexing or anything of that nature when I took the tires off and gave them to Lopeha.

[KAT6]

On our bikes would there be a slight handling increase with going with 60 series instead of the stock 70 series?

Joe

[01Katman]

just thought i would throw a thought in here. Maybe a stupid question however i was wondering if the tire diameter characteristics on a bike are similar to that of a car whereas you put a smaller diameter tire you get better acceleration and a larger diameter you get higher top end speed or if it doesn't really matter on a bike. Has anyone experimented with this?

[The CyberPoet]

On our bikes would there be a slight handling increase with going with 60 series instead of the stock 70 series?

Joe

FROM: http://www.katriders.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7959

The raw basic characteristics go like this:

The shorter the sidewall, the sharper the handling and the less flex in the sidewall. This is advantageous for handling, especially for those who tend to rail hard.

On the flip side, the taller sidewall permits the tire to absorb more road imperfections by flexing without involving the suspension (i.e.: forks), thus gives the smoother ride, and is a preferable choice if you tend to do a lot of touring or commuting.

just thought i would throw a thought in here. Maybe a stupid question however i was wondering if the tire diameter characteristics on a bike are similar to that of a car whereas you put a smaller diameter tire you get better acceleration and a larger diameter you get higher top end speed or if it doesn't really matter on a bike. Has anyone experimented with this?

Yes, in theory it does work that way. But to get a serious difference, just like in a car, you need to move to a smaller circumference wheel -- and that can upset the handling (by lowering the rear effectively) and makes obtaining suitable* tires more difficult (because the motorcycle industry tends to 'stabilize' on a specific wheel size for street-riders and changes diameters only every decade or so -- 17" wheels are currently the norm for 350 - 500 lb street sport & touring bikes).
NOTE(*): When I say suitable, I mean tires with both the correct speed and weight ratings for the Kat in a 16" diameter.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[takirb]

i have a 160/60 on my pre98 stock rim, and haven't had any handling problems at all. granted, i don't go railing or anything, but everything feels sturdy. i'd like to go to a wider tire in the back, say a 180/60 if i can swap to a 98+ rear rim. will that rub the stock swingarm? has anyone successfully thrown a 180/60 on a pre98 with a 98+rim? i'd also like to change to a shorter front tire. is there a direct swap for the front rim i need to check out or just change the tire size? the bike's already lowered a bit in the front and i've already scraped the headers once or twice. but the extra inch or so lower sure would help me touch the ground flat-footed lol