I've got an '03 with an 18x5.5" rear with a Bridgestone 180/55 sport-touring radial, and an almost-matching Bridgestone 110/80 front radial. While many will say that a 110/80 works fine on the stock 18x2.15 front wheel, the fact is that a 110/80 radial is designed for at least a 3" wheel and putting it on a narrower wheel results in a pinched tire profile that compromises the contact patch the farther the bike is leaned over. If you corner gently, then sure, the 2.15"-wide stocker is fine. I don't. My riding style involves copious amounts of throttle but also erasing the chicken strips. I don't trust the front end as-is and have been riding my '03 rather cautiously while cornering, which is of course not nearly as much fun.
The obvious fix is to have the front wheel widened to 3.5" so I can fit a 120/80 radial that's more sporty than my existing Bridgestone and will have a proper contact patch. The downsides? Cost and availability. In addition to $250-$300 for stickier rubber, I'm guessing it'll cost a minimum of $500 to have the front wheel widened--assuming I can even find a shop to do it. Kosman Specialities doesn't do wheel widening any more, so they directed me to Sandy Kosman's personal number. Turns out he doesn't do wheel widening any more either. He directed me to another guy, who, if I understood properly, bought the wheel widening business. I left him a voicemail, then called back again a couple days later only to hear that his voicemailbox was full. So at this point, I have no idea where I could even have the front wheel widened. (If you can recommend a shop, please do!)
I also want to install emulators in the fork--figure another couple hundred or so for that. And then I'll either swap out the StreetPro megaphone mufflers with something quieter or have them re-baffled--probably at a cost of $200-$500. So the mod monkey is gonna coax anywhere between $1000-$1500 out of me before I'm likely to be "happy" with my '03.
I also have an '05 Speed Triple that I enjoy, but I'm finding myself not satisfied with its power output. I've considered selling it. (I also have a Buell 1125R that I absolutely love, and a '98 VFR800 that I need to replace second gear in, which I also love.)
I've also been thinking about the '09+ Vmaxes. The 2nd gen has properly-sized 18" wheels with supposedly-sticky Shinkos available in the stock sizes. It also has fully-adjustable suspension with a cartridge fork, so no need to spend money on the boingy bits. And I'd probably get one with stock exhaust, so no need to try to quiet it down. It's also got a ton more power than a 1st gen, and it's got ABS. I really, really want a bike with ABS. I figure the proceeds selling my '03 and my Speedy, plus $2-3K ought to net me an early 2nd gen. (Alas, the spousal approval committee won't let me drop the cash on buying a 2nd gen without selling enough existing bikes to cover most of the cost.)
In the end, I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do, but I might as well have a thead about it to see what you guys think. Is it worth it to part with two really good bikes to get a potentially great one?
The obvious fix is to have the front wheel widened to 3.5" so I can fit a 120/80 radial that's more sporty than my existing Bridgestone and will have a proper contact patch. The downsides? Cost and availability. In addition to $250-$300 for stickier rubber, I'm guessing it'll cost a minimum of $500 to have the front wheel widened--assuming I can even find a shop to do it. Kosman Specialities doesn't do wheel widening any more, so they directed me to Sandy Kosman's personal number. Turns out he doesn't do wheel widening any more either. He directed me to another guy, who, if I understood properly, bought the wheel widening business. I left him a voicemail, then called back again a couple days later only to hear that his voicemailbox was full. So at this point, I have no idea where I could even have the front wheel widened. (If you can recommend a shop, please do!)
I also want to install emulators in the fork--figure another couple hundred or so for that. And then I'll either swap out the StreetPro megaphone mufflers with something quieter or have them re-baffled--probably at a cost of $200-$500. So the mod monkey is gonna coax anywhere between $1000-$1500 out of me before I'm likely to be "happy" with my '03.
I also have an '05 Speed Triple that I enjoy, but I'm finding myself not satisfied with its power output. I've considered selling it. (I also have a Buell 1125R that I absolutely love, and a '98 VFR800 that I need to replace second gear in, which I also love.)
I've also been thinking about the '09+ Vmaxes. The 2nd gen has properly-sized 18" wheels with supposedly-sticky Shinkos available in the stock sizes. It also has fully-adjustable suspension with a cartridge fork, so no need to spend money on the boingy bits. And I'd probably get one with stock exhaust, so no need to try to quiet it down. It's also got a ton more power than a 1st gen, and it's got ABS. I really, really want a bike with ABS. I figure the proceeds selling my '03 and my Speedy, plus $2-3K ought to net me an early 2nd gen. (Alas, the spousal approval committee won't let me drop the cash on buying a 2nd gen without selling enough existing bikes to cover most of the cost.)
In the end, I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do, but I might as well have a thead about it to see what you guys think. Is it worth it to part with two really good bikes to get a potentially great one?
unk:
