Tire size

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Palli

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Hi there

Im about to change my tires and i have OEM wheels..

Whats the maximum size i can pu on F/R

Is it true i can put a 120 tire up front and does that improve handling ?

And i read somewhere that it is possible to put 170 at the bank but then you have to do some modifacations, can some one explain that


Thanks
 
Palli, you can put a 120 on the front but may have rubbing/clearance issues with the fender. Buddy has one on his but he modified his fender. You can put a ME880 170 rear tire. Sometimes with no mods. Usually, you will need to move the washer that fits between the rear brake stay and swing arm to the left of the wheel to offset it to the right. Check out www.vmaxoutlaw.com for specifics.
 
Thanks very usefull information..

But one more thing. Am i gaining much by fitting a 120 tire up front ?
And is the fender modification difficult ?

Thanks
 
I run a Metzler 880 170 out back with no washer swap and no issues. :)
 
But one more thing. Am i gaining much by fitting a 120 tire up front ?

Thanks

I don't think you'll gain anything at all, other than looks. If anything, the bike will be turning a little slower with a wider tire, but with such a straight line bike as the V-Max, it doesn't really matter, does it?
 
I don't think you'll gain anything at all, other than looks. If anything, the bike will be turning a little slower with a wider tire, but with such a straight line bike as the V-Max, it doesn't really matter, does it?


A very good point :rofl_200:
 
I've run a 170 Metz. ME 880 in back with no washer swap and no issues.

I've run several different 120's in front when I had the stock rims and never had any rubbing problems at alll...

Every bike I've owned has benefited, to me at least, from going up one size in front....

The little extra weight contributes to a little more stabilizing "gyroscopic" effect,

And the wider foot print has more resistance to freeway "runners", groves, grind marks from construction, and shit that goes down the road in the same direction as the bike and wants to take the bike away from you...which can be unnerving to some.......

I't does lend a little heavier feel to the front when turning but the bike could use that in my opinion, hell it's already a 630lb bike anyway.
 
Just curious, Why a wider tire in front? Wider tires hydroplain quicker due to a wider print, they are heavier (who needs more weight on the VMAX) have more rolling resisentce, cost more, and most of all, can you you ride your VMAX past what the stock size front tire can hold? I think not.

Wide front tires are a waste! Unless someone can point out the advantages.
 
I don't know the advantage to a wider front tire, but I put one on my bike. I think it looks better. I had a rubbing issue with the front fender. It would rub the bottom side at highway speeds. I never thought a tire would grow so much.:bang head: I ended up shimming the front fender up with one washer under each of the four bolts. No more rub.
 
Unless someone can point out the advantages.


I just did...in the post right before yours......

The wider tire gives zero advantages in the corners as far as traction goes so it's not a matter of riding "past" a certain tire.....as long as the profile is good the contact patch is not affected one whit........


The hydroplaning thing to me is a non-issue as well, I ride in the rain ALOT, we get 50" rain a year here in Houston and I've never had even a shitty tire hydrolplane, and going up 10mm of carcass width, and increasing the contact patch probably 1-2mm is completely insignificant in my book...a decent tread pattern will take care of that if it was an issue anyway

But I do a lot of freeway riding on some "not so good" roads and the gyroscopic effect or whatever is happening with the wider tire definetly improves straight-line tracking and resistance to being pulled from that straight line by irregularities in the road......


I WILL concede that there is a slightly noticeable increase in input effort required to turn a M/C with a wider front tire of course, but it aint no big deal.....

And if I was worried about the extra 1/4lbs of weight I would just take a sawzall and cut part of my frame off to reduce it back to normal:rofl_200:
 
Put a Shinko 170 80 15 on my stock rear wheel and it fit as well as the stock Dunlop Qualifier, no mods or washer moving necessary. Slightly fatter than stock, it's such a minor difference overall and I don't notice anything different about the ride.
Also it only cost me 90 plus tax, delivered.
 
How does this affect the acceleration and mpg ??

Whats you rpm @ 60 ??

Thanks
 
How does this affect the acceleration and mpg ??

Whats you rpm @ 60 ??

Thanks

Hey there Palli. I just put a set of Shinko's on the bike a couple months ago. Love them. A 120 for the front and 170 for the rear. No fitment problems whatsoever. I've put about (3500) miles on them so far and love them. Now for your questions.

I noticed no difference in acceleration. Fuel econ remained unchanged as did my rev's (60 MPH just a tick under 4K).

All the best!
 
I have a 120/90- on the front. New Dunlap that came with the bike, no mods to fender. the 12/90 will put your speedo off ~2.7% and gives the bike a bit of a "balloon tire" look. if anyone makes a 12/80 that would put you closer to stock. I have not spent much time on the highway with it, but have not noticed any damage to the fender when I wash the bike. my rear is an 18 so I can't help you with that.
 
Metzeler 120 90 18 damage fender plastic... its like a ballon tire. A lot of problems at.drivin... now i will change.to.stock tire

Enviado desde mi LG-D806 mediante Tapatalk
 
A 120/90-18 will fit the rim BUT it will definitely NOT handle as well as the stock 110/90-18.
My favorite combo on the stock rims in a 100/90-18 Battlax BT-45V front with a 150/9-15 Tour Master 230 rear.
That is by far the best handling BIAS combo I have ever used on the stock rims and I have tired almost every tire that fits our stock rims in the 14 years I've owned it.

I'm sure the 120/90-18 is fine for highway riding/cruising BUT if you ever ride on twisty back roads the 110/90-18 will handle 100X better.

I attached a picture of the Battlax/Shinko TM230 combo below.
Check out how similar the tread patterns are.
 

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  • Shinko-TM230-Rear-Battlax-BT45V-Front.jpg
    Shinko-TM230-Rear-Battlax-BT45V-Front.jpg
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Just curious, Why a wider tire in front? Wider tires hydroplain quicker due to a wider print, they are heavier (who needs more weight on the VMAX) have more rolling resisentce, cost more, and most of all, can you you ride your VMAX past what the stock size front tire can hold? I think not.

Wide front tires are a waste! Unless someone can point out the advantages.

Bigger size don't always cost more!When I purchased my Metzler 170 for the rear,to my surprise it was cheaper than the 150.
 
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