Front Tire Size

[93Octane]

Just bought a second set of tires for the motard. I only got 2200mi on the Pirellis. I am going with the Bridgestone BT-016. Just curious if anyone got a 120/60 instead of the stock 120/70 front tire size.

[skatemic]

only 2200 miles? Thats horrible.

[Chuckracer]

No kidding. How did you do that?

[aLiEn]

Bad air pressure?

[93Octane]

i dont cruise around on this thing. maybe 2300 mi max. my tire pressure is 32/32.

[M1Tanker]

Originally Posted by 93Octane

i dont cruise around on this thing. maybe 2300 mi max. my tire pressure is 32/32.

Damn! That's the pressure I use on the street (30/30 on the track) and I got 3,370 miles before I had to remove them. The front was still good, but the back definitely needed replacing. So, after putting Metzeler M3s on my HM, I put the front Pirelli with a new rear Pirelli on my ST3. Bottom line, I basically got 50% more mileage from my tires. I also don't cruise on my bike. I use mine mainly for the Texas Hill Country and the local track. I'm just sayin'...

[berndt]

I'd stick with the oe tire size.
I run the bt-16's and at first they were like power steering, then I built the front end so it doesn't suck so bad and now they work.
I really don't shoot for mileage, front end feel is my holy grail.
A few months ago these sets could be had for 200$ delivered.

[93Octane]

i have steel belts showing on my rear tire. i do not do wheelies. i do weigh 225 but i doubt that is an issue. i like the air pressure that i use because it helps with the roads i ride. i basically do a track day every sunday.

[dave2riff]

Originally Posted by 93Octane

Just bought a second set of tires for the motard. I only got 2200mi on the Pirellis. I am going with the Bridgestone BT-016. Just curious if anyone got a 120/60 instead of the stock 120/70 front tire size.

So no one said a word about having tried a 60-series front instead of the
usual 120/70. I've been curious about this too, and was hoping for some
good inputs. It seems like the arguments for the 60-series tire would be
slightly less weight in the tire and a slight steepening of the rake due to
the lowered front (which could just as easily be done by sliding the fork
tubes up in the clamps). But, the 60-series tire would probably have a
less rounded profile, making turn-in not as quick as the 70-series equivalent.
Also, with the lower profile you would lose some compliance, reducing the
contact patch and isolation over small bumps. Maybe slightly less protection
from pot-holes for the rim.

OK, now that I've spelled it all out, I can't figure out why a riding buddy of
mine uses the 60-series front. Any other positive advantages to going with
the 60? I'd like to see the weight difference on paper from the mfgr. before
even considering it. Considering how much folks spend to reduce weight in
things like wheels, it might be worth a look. It also seems that the Pirelli
Diablo Corsa III on the Hyper S has a much more steeply rounded tread profile
than I'm used to. A significant part of the tread on each side is nearly
vertical, unlike the rear. De-chicken stripping the front Corsa is tough!

[Shazaam]

Try it and see if you like it. It's really is a question of handling preference, but there are some side issues.

Keep in mind is that (unlike the back tire), the front tire wears most quickly at it’s edges. So over time, the profile gets progressively steeper and the steering gets more tippy; that is, it falls into the corner more readily. Starting with a 120/60 or a 120/65 section tire reduces this wear-induced effect.

Further, a lower profile tire has a shorter height so it can’t flex as easily. This will increase the severity of the loads transmitted to the wheel rim, suspension and handlebars. This in turn, increases the likelihood of alloy wheel damage and the resultant handling change will probably benefit from front suspension setting modifications. Turn-in is faster with the 120/60 but this effect is easily compensated for by adjusting rear ride height

Also, the decrease in the outside diameter of the tire will cause your already inaccurately high-reading speedometer to read even higher and will change your ride height so you may want to compensate by repositioning the front forks.

The increased loads to the handlebars combined with reduced sidewall flex combine to give you more (better?) feedback on the state of the front suspension and the traction condition at the front tire. The tires are an integral part of the suspension system so reduced front compression damping may be in order to offset the stiffer 60 series tire.

This may better suit your riding style. Or not.

Others, like myself, find a less-nervous front end to be more appealing for the road. On the track, the better road surfaces make the benefits of a lower profile tire more obvious. For the street, a 120/60 is less able to handle rough pavement (less sidewall to cushion and flex for shock absorption) so wheel rim damage, especially to mag wheels, is an important consideration.