how measured the rim ?

[edgar-dario]

i put a Dunlop sportmax gp 190-55-17 rear with the stock swingarm and 120-70-17 in front on my kat 2001...............the tire rear finally size is 18.2cm and no problema amigo!


finally feeling a LOT better than the stock tire ........... high speed (232 kmh) & cornering.....


in the left pic donīt see cupped very bad ......................no?

one question:
how measure for the width of the rim? you know that ?.... inside(this means for the side of the rim paint) or outside (inside of the tire)?
i measured 5.6 "width inside..........

(i see that example like a circle inside or outside)......help me!!!!!!!!!!

[H-2 CHARLIE]

when i got my bike -2002 -600 yellow - it had those tires and they were cupped very bad ... dont know why ? but cant blame the tire since i did not put any miles on that sportmax tire

[Kreylyn]

Rim width is measured from bead line to bead line... meaning, inside the rim, across the "flat" inside where the beads of the tire sit.

Krey

[Court93kat]

Also if you look at the spokes of the rim it will tell you the rim size. It will look something like MT4.50x17DOT. The 4.50 means the rim is 4.5" wide and the 17 means the rim is 17" tall. You can go to ANY tire manufacturers website and look up that size back tire and I will guarantee that it is not recommended for a 4.5" rim. Car tires are NOT like motorcycle tires. When is the last time you leaned around a corner in your car? You shouldn't just put any size tire on your motorcycle like you go a car. However, it is your bike and you life. If you want to run a tire that big on a rim that skinny, it is all on you. I personally would never even think about it. I place my own safety above looking cool with a big back tire. I am sure the sidewalls of your tire are at a very severe angle right now. They should be almost straight with the rim or a little flexed out.

I do not wish harm to you, but this exact discussion has been gone over time and time again over and over with some very scientific answers of why it should not be done. Please, feel free to read through the Tires section or do a search for "what is the biggest tire that will fit on my Kat". I promise it has been asked time and time again and you will get more information than you really wanted to know.

[Kreylyn]

That small pic at an angle doesn't clearly show anything for me.

Some basic info from Dunlop's website.

http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/tirecatalog_tire.asp?id=94

Recomended rim size is 6", but possible to squeeze in 5.5". Stock Kats 98+ come with a 4.5" rim. Significantly smaller than recomended.

Sportmax GP-A Rear 190/55ZR17 75W BW 3008-35 5.50 6.00 25.37 7.80 6/32 853 @ 42

Also from Dunlops website about rim size...

Correct rim width may be crucial to handling and stability. A tire that is installed on a rim wider than recommended will have a flattened profile, and a rider may easily reach the edge of the tread during cornering. A narrow rim will alter the tire profile, concentrating tire wear in a very small area during cornering, with a smaller contact patch during braking. Remember: Tire clearances are important.

Does it not strike you something is wrong if the "190" tire is ONLY 182mm wide?... Per Dunlops website, this tire overall width should be 7.8" or 198.12mm! How could the tire possibly be providing the right profile if it's forced to be smaller than it should by 16.12mm????

The center is pushed out, the sides are pulled in. Your contact point on the tire is significantly smaller for cornering and breaking. The tire is stressed sitting still at this point, and will grealy increase heat buildup and wear. YES, it's cupped badly.

Prior poor performance from your last tire could be attributed to alot of things... but not soley the tire size. Going from a harder rubber to a track oriented softer rubber is going to make a difference. Just imagine how it would feel if you actually had the right tire profile...

Krey