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Message started by koehlerrk on 08/17/15 at 07:40:01

Title: Rear Tire
Post by koehlerrk on 08/17/15 at 07:40:01

Changed out my rear tire this weekend... went from a Dunlop 404 140/80-15 to a shiny new Kenda Challenger 130/90-15. And by shiny new, the date code says the tire came out of the mold the last week of June 2015... so it's a 6 week old tire. ;D

Mostly I did this change for extra clearance under the fender because I'm hoping to add bags this fall/winter. And the Dunlop was pretty well toast and needed to be replaced.

Anyways, the new rubber rides nice, grip is good, and definitely more clearance than before. Bike seems to handle a little quicker, rolls into and out of leans better. Oh, and the speedo is now close enough to call it accurate.

Thanks for the ideas folks, much appreciated, I think I'm a lot happier with this tire than the one that came on the bike.

Title: Re: Rear Tire
Post by Kris01 on 08/17/15 at 16:49:57

Mine reads dead accurate with a 140/90-15.

Title: Re: Rear Tire
Post by Srotag on 08/19/15 at 17:52:18

I went with Dunlop 404's...130/90/15 on the rear. Stock shocks up to the #5 position. Dynabeads for balancing.

WOW!!! Handles like a totally different bike. Vibrations in grips are noticeably less. I should have put the beads in months ago. I have used them on big tires for years so shouldn't have been surprised. 8-)

Title: Re: Rear Tire
Post by FerousBastard on 08/20/15 at 05:42:44

43474D40444D5A5A43280 wrote:

...Anyways, the new rubber rides nice, grip is good, and definitely more clearance than before. Bike seems to handle a little quicker, rolls into and out of leans better. Oh, and the speedo is now close enough to call it accurate.

Bought my bike with a 140/90 rear tire, the speedo is the most accurate of any motorcycle I've had to date, only out by 1-2mph at 60, but it does squirm a little around corners.

The theory, according to some books, is that the more similar front and rear tire, the more similar the front and rear roll into and out of a corner leading to faster and easier handling. Plus since the stock 140 tire is already a little oversized for the rim, a 130 tire won't roll over the rim as much as stock, and would feel more planted.
So it might not be complete placebo effect that the bike feels a little faster.

Title: Re: Rear Tire
Post by Kris01 on 08/20/15 at 17:13:05

Also, remember the 140 tire has a taller sidewall which will deform more than a 130 in a turn.