Fitting wider tyres.

[GSVR]

I don't like the look of the skinny little 160 section tyre on my SV and was thinking of fitting a 180 or 190 as I can get these cheap.

Just wondering if the bike will have any handling issues and if so what might these be? Like straight line stability or trouble tipping in.

[yod]

troll

oops...did I say that?



edit: you're right tho...every time you pass me (which is a LOT) I always find myself thinking, well, he might be passing me all the time but at least my rear tyre is wider than his....

[GSVR]

troll

oops...did I say that?



edit: you're right tho...every time you pass me (which is a LOT) I always find myself thinking, well, he might be passing me all the time but at least my rear tyre is wider than his....

Seriously Jono if you do this again I'll be forced to red bling you. This is a serious question.

[James Deuce]

Where does one start?

Rim width, swing arm clearance, chain clearance, precipitous tyre profile from squeezing a fat tyre onto a skinny rim, blah, blah.

I wouldn't do it. You'd turn a sweet handling bike into a pig, but most people say I don't know shit and you should do it anyway.

[Cajun]

well i have heard that people are fitting wide tires to sv650s and helping them get more grip and faster laptimes.

On any of the effects be hard until you really try, alot depends on tire profile, and bike setup could help fix this issues.

[Badjelly]

I wouldn't do it. You'd turn a sweet handling bike into a pig, but most people say I don't know shit and you should do it anyway.

Jim2 doesn't know shit and you should do it anyway.

But I wouldn't.

[onearmedbandit]

I know this is a troll...but

If we look at the lean angles acheived by 125cc race bikes, then you could argue that we should all be running around on smaller width tyres. However a 125 puts out say in full race trim less than 100hp (I don't know exactly) so the contact patch required to handle that power (and torque) doesn't need to be very large, at least not as large as say a bike that puts out 160hp and oodles more torque than the 125. Also increasing the width of the rear tyre will have some negative handling effects, caused by axis of the bike rolling around the tyre causing more offset over a bike with a rear tyre that is closer in size to the front tyre. Another factor in bikes like litre bikes going to 190's is marketing.

So in this example unless putting down the power is an issue then no there is no sense in going to a tyre like a 190.

[Jimmy B]

So in this example unless putting down the power is an issue then no there is no sense in going to a tyre like a 190.

+1

What OAB said, plus there is some merit to the theory that a wider tyre than recommended may deform the profile and contact patch resulting in less than optimal performance.

[vifferman]

... but most people say I don't know shit and you should do it anyway.

I'd say, "That there Jim2 certainly knows what he's talking about, and you should listen to him".
But.... I guess you'll go ahead and do it anyway.

BTW:
Tyre width is in no way related to penis size or manliness.
A wider tyre will not necessarily give you more grip. The pressure on the tread contact area is the same, so making the tyre wider won't necessarily produce a larger contact patch, unless you make the bike heavier.
Eat more pies.
OTOH:
Squeezing a larger width tyre on a rim that's not intended to have a tyre of that width will probably change the profile.
And the shape of the contact patch.
But.... like Mr Jim2 ... I will say most people say I don't know shit and you should do it anyway.

[Grub]

Don't do it unless you really know what you're doing! Put only what the book/Suzuki say you should - and nothing else. If you change it because fatter looks cool your spunk will get all over the tyre and make it slippery.

Suzuki have super-computers, Suzuki have thousands of engineers, Suzuki have hundereds of test riders, Suzuki owns its own circuit for testing stuff.

Suzuki specified a tyre for your bike because that's the way it works best. Nobody on KB or a bike shop knows better than them.

[vifferman]

D Nobody on KB or a bike shop knows better than them.

Everybody on KB knows better'n Suzuki.



Except for Jim2, of course.

[Pwalo]

I don't like the look of the skinny little 160 section tyre on my SV and was thinking of fitting a 180 or 190 as I can get these cheap.

Just wondering if the bike will have any handling issues and if so what might these be? Like straight line stability or trouble tipping in.

Do it, and tell us all how you get on.

[Sully60]

I shouldn't even reply as I do think this is a troll Garry.(I really think you do know better)
But the standard rim on the SV is slightly too narrow even for the most 160 section tyres anyway, ever wondered why there's always a chicken strip you can't get rid of? Jason Nairn uses a 4.5 rim from a TZ on his SV and that gives the 160 a really nice crown profile.

If you want to run a wider tyre run a wider rim. The Honda CBR600 rim is an easy conversion and you can 180s on those.

I really want to try a 150/60-17 Super Corsa on mine, if I can still get one, they fit really nicely on the Suzuki rim without compromising side grip.

[Finn]

Anything thing less than a 240 rear is childs play.

[johnsv650]

maybe if you read the manufactors recommedations on the tyre size /rim fitment, it might well be outside there recommedation and there permitted and they just might pick rider up on rule 10-1-2............
interesting.....