Ducati.ms - The Ultimate Ducati Forum banner

Tire weight

2K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  dirkwrong 
#1 ·
My research has let me to the conclusion that the Bridgestone BT016 size-for-size are lighter that the Pirelli and Michellin equivilents. If I am mistaken perhaps someone could correct me.

I was reading an article in the hall of wisdom regarding decreasing rotational mass by using a lighter tire so I was playing around on the Internet to see what everything weighs. Thanks!
 
#10 · (Edited)
I disagree. Light tires are a safety feature. Anything that helps my bike stay in contact with the pavement through the rough and bumpy streets is a good thing. Heavy tires and wheels will make the wheel stay off the road for longer when a bump is encountered. One of the main reasons for lighter weight wheels and tires is to make it stay in contact with the road for better grip and confidence. When a heavy wheel hits a bump at speed, it will tend to stay airborne for longer because of Newton's laws of inertia. A lighter wheel will come back down much faster, given the same suspension. Further, the ability to brake from the same speed in a shorter distance is also a safety factor. Having lighter wheels and tires means that the same brakes will make that wheel stop faster than a heavy wheel. This could mean the difference between hitting something and not hitting something, or whether you go to the hospital or just have to change your underwear...

Also, anything that makes the bike handle better can also mean getting out of the way of a potential accident. So lighter wheels makes the bike react more quickly in an emergency...
 
#11 ·
Boy that's splitting hairs. If you or I were to ride the same bike down a bumpy road, once with light tires, the next time with heavier tires (and we're talking a spread of about two pounds here), we may be able to tell a difference. But if you're close enough to the edge in the real world that the weight of a tire make the difference between crash/no crash, I'd say you have many other issues and events to take a look at first.
 
#15 ·
I have seen a 4 rwhp difference between two different make tires of the same exact tire size. Yeah, there is a difference.

Had one guy all upset that his Ninja 636 made a 'low' number on the dyno (115 rwhp) until I pointed out that he had a Michelin Power One tire on the back. Power One's are essentially DOT slicks, and they are NOT light, but are very very good racing tires.

I told him if he wants to make 'the number', stick a used up Ninja 250 140/55/17 tire with 70 psi in it on the back, clean the chain and lube it, and he'll probably get another 15 rwhp from doing that alone.

He felt better.



But yes, most of us will not be able to tell the difference from the weights of the tires. Just go with what works best as far as longetivity and grip.

Dunlop 211 n-techs
Pilot One's
Diablo Supercorsa's
Bridgestone 003r
Metzler Renntech's

All great tires.
 
#16 ·
i'm running the bt-016 tires and bought cause of price,have been impressed at the shape,grip and wear.learning that they are lighter makes them a no-brainer now as the tire of choice .any item thats lighter gets my attention in the world of sportbikes.as every little bit adds up
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top