Will the LeMans 5.5 wheel w/ 190 tire fit on a 2000 Sport?

[antonio carroccio]

I only ride 190

The only 180 was the BT020, but this was almost 5 years ago.

Never getting back for the small 180.

If the handling is not the same as with the 180 tyre, just keep that wild bronco on the road like you want

[RichPugh]

Squeezing a wide tire onto a narrow rim can be a big mistake

 

Stepping up from my 4.5/170 to a 5.5/180 and matching it with the 120/70 on the front should be without question, a no problem combination. I wouldnt go to a 190 unless I had some reason to use it and surely not a 200 unless I had a wider wheel regardless.

[Guest ratchethack]

A few more thoughts along the lines of the previous from Andy Trevitt at Sport Rider .

 

I live in the heart of wot is probably one of the largest Sport Bike Mecca's on the planet, Southern California. So I have the privelege of observing pretty much everything -- including lots o' stuff that makes even less sense than buying tires or air filters as fashion statements without much regard, if any, to either common sense or performance. "Squids" and "squidly behavior" seem to come out o' the woodwork here. They seem to feed each other lots of groupthink justifications and all manner of ill-advised support for self-limiting behavior. Lemmings to the sea (or more accurately -- and quite literally -- over the cliffs) . . .

 

"The Hills Are Alive" -- with the sound of sirens, as the meat wagons make their predictable, familiar runs up and down favorite mountain grades. Every weekend. Like clockwork. All summer long. Hospital and morgue alike see fairly steady traffic.

EDIT: Just heard on the radio: Motorcyclist died just hours ago "at the scene" within miles of me on a road I cross every day and ride often. It's an access road to a series of favorite destination back-country moto roads. Brand new 2007 Yamaha "travelling at a high rate of speed", and the report contained the responsibility-shifting phrase, "brakes locked up", as if it were due to some kind of freak mechanical anomaly that "just happened". Please.

Another fatal single vehicle motorcycle accident, more than likely due to rider error, as most of these things seem to be as far as I can tell. If the trend going into this season continues, there will likely be a few more similar reports before Monday.

One of the most egregious -- yet all too common -- things I've run across occasionally on some of the more famous mountain moto rides is track tires on roads where rain and snow runoff, sand, mud, rocks, boulders, "marbles", and off-camber, rippled, broken pavement of distinctly non-track-like conditions and surfaces popping out from around blind curves and/or out of shadows are more the rule than the exception.

 

Anyone thinking about DOT take-off race tires for the road because they've either seen or heard that someone else does it (this seems to be all the justification many require for lots o' things -- it's almost as if we have adults behaving like children, come to think of it ) might be interested in very carefully considering the trade-offs involved. Ignorance here can be non-trivial, even serious.

 

Whether spooning on DOT take-off race tires to create a parade float or butt jewelry "art", as an attempt to earn "street cred" with lots o' unknown fools one has never seen before and will never see again at the local "boy racer/poser" hangout, or whether suffering under some delusion/fantasy that race tires somehow impart Ruben Xaus' track performance to one's ability on the road, best be aware that there are significant negative trade-off considerations. Ah, the high price of vanity:

 

Street vs. Race

 

Choosing the right tire for the job

 

http://www.sportrider.com/tech/tires/146_0..._vs_race_tires/

Street vs. Race

Choosing the right tire for the job

By Andrew Trevitt

 

We know what you're thinking: Those namby-pamby street tires are for weenies, and the DOT race tires work way better on the street, right? Wrong. While you're struggling with a stone-cold Supersport toss-off that's rock hard from too many heat cycles, your buddies on their high-performance street tires will be long gone.

 

Race tires are specifically meant to do one thing: Stick like glue, for one heat cycle. To that end, they are designed with an entirely different philosophy from street tires, and those differences make them unsuitable for street use. One obvious difference is most race tires have fewer grooves for more grip. And while this is great on a dry road, riding in the rain can get pretty hairy. But this is just what you can see, and it's perhaps more important to know what's going on inside the tire to fully understand the differences.

 

Max Martin, with Avon Tyres, says its Azaro Supersport bun is designed with a high arch and very high crown, particularly the front tire. This makes a race bike steer quickly (at the expense of stability), and gives more surface area on the side of the tire for more traction at full lean. The Azaro Sport street tire has a rounded profile, which puts more tread on the road when the bike is straight up for better wear, as well as being more stable and allowing easier line changes in midcorner. Put the race tire on the street and it will wear quicker due to the pointy profile.

 

Martin also pointed out differences in casing design, with the Supersport tire having an additional ply and tighter winding for higher cornering loads. However, on larger bumps found on public roads, this extra rigidity will have the race tire chattering earlier than would the softer and more compliant street tire.

 

Sport Tire Services' Dennis Smith points out that the Dunlop D207 Sportmax is designed to work correctly at the reduced temperatures found on the street, as opposed to the higher temperatures found on the racetrack. And that you'd almost never be able to generate track temperatures during a street ride to take advantage of the extra grip offered from a race tire. Smith also mentioned the material and production costs are totally different for each type, with the race tires costing significantly more than the street tires.

 

According to Mike Manning of Dunlop Tires, the D207GPs utilize a "cut breaker construction," in which the plies are overlapped to give good side grip. Compare that with the D207 Sportmax, which has a "jointless belt construction," giving more stability and a smoother ride. Manning also added that a street tire's rubber compound is designed to go through more heat cycles, as well as having silica added to give better wet grip.

 

So let's see, a street tire will generally have better wear, more stability and superior wet-weather performance compared with a race tire, offer similar grip (and most likely more) at real-world tire temperatures, and give constant performance over many heat cycles-all for less money. Sign us up.

 

Trevitt's bottom line:

 

So let's see, a street tire will generally have better wear, more stability and superior wet-weather performance compared with a race tire, offer similar grip (and most likely more) at real-world tire temperatures, and give constant performance over many heat cycles-all for less money. Sign us up.

[antonio carroccio]

A few more thoughts along the lines of the previous from Andy Trevitt at Sport Rider .

 

I live in the heart of wot is probably one of the largest Sport Bike Mecca's on the planet, Southern California.

 

 

That's what I mean with arrogance.

Sometimes this kind of fault thinkin’ could, and I mean could irritate other people.

What is the “planet mecca of motor riding”?

Is there in the world, another mecca of motor riding?

Is South California a mecca?

Is south California the planet?

Is South California synonymous of motor riding?

Ratch, in light me please, I only am a half doctrineted Italian guy

[dlaing]

When I got to THE APEX of this alleged Mecca, The Rock Store, and walked on the same ground that the Hell's Angels were walking on, I knew I had reached Mecca....but Jay Leno was not there, so I thought to myself, "maybe not"....

I suppose Mecca is either in Mandello del Lario or maybe the Ace Cafe

Or maybe the phrase, "wherever you go, there you are" better describes where Mecca is.

[Baldini]

...I suppose Mecca is either in Mandello del Lario or maybe the Ace Cafe...

 

PAH! - Try Isle of Man Early June or late August .

 

I guess anyone can fit whatever tyre they want - but it's for looks only. No question on any Guzzi there's no big tyre required & the bigger the tyre the worse the handling.

 

Manufacturers rec 5.5" rim will take either 180 or 170.

 

Interesting why you use less front with smaller rear Pete? I presume 170 rear is reaching edge earlier than 180 cos spread is flattening profile. I always figured this was the problem with smaller (160/4.5" or 170/5.5") rear tyre - it would run off tread earlier than bigger (170/4.5" or 180/5.5").

 

As drknow says - you'll get plenty variation in tyre profiles eg a 180 Michelin 2CT will probably give similar tracking to a 170 BT020 or Continental? Some of the sportier tyres aren't available in smaller sizes.

 

KB

[dlaing]

PAH! - Try Isle of Man Early June or late August.

No doubt, if making a treck somewhere to ride, that would be the place to treck to!

If only to be passed up by maniacs pushing the limits

[raz]

That's what I mean with arrogance.

Sometimes this kind of fault thinkin' could, and I mean could irritate other people.

What is the "planet mecca of motor riding"?

Is there in the world, another mecca of motor riding?

Is South California a mecca?

Is south California the planet?

Is South California synonymous of motor riding?

Ratch, in light me please, I only am a half doctrineted Italian guy

 

You are right Antonio but on the other hand that's just Ratch's odd communication protocol and is not worth any irritation. I'm starting to get so used to it that I don't even see it. The links he posted, on the other hand, is interesting reading. As usual I might add, thanks Ratch.

[RichPugh]

I'm currently running Metzeler M1's front 120/70 and rear 170/60 on the stock 4.5" rear wheel. I think I will step up to the 5.5" with a Metzeler M1 in 180/55. Who wants to swap

[pete roper]

 

Interesting why you use less front with smaller rear Pete? I presume 170 rear is reaching edge earlier than 180 cos spread is flattening profile. I always figured this was the problem with smaller (160/4.5" or 170/5.5") rear tyre - it would run off tread earlier than bigger (170/4.5" or 180/5.5").

 

KB

 

Shhh! Don't tell anyone but I think it's probably because I ride like an old bloody woman . I dunno why it is that I seemed to use more of the front with the fatter rear either but to be honest any old tyre far out performs me> I could probably have tyres made out of Granite and I'd still think they were fine.

 

Pete

[Guest ratchethack]

Now Pete. Please. You're more than modest, but let's not overdo things, eh? Some of the Forum regulars (and many o' the irregulars ) will just not know how to deal with this , my friend. Just my observation over the years, but as far as credible opinions on tires goes, I reckon that in your time, you've likely sent more Guzzi-mounted tires up and over mountainsides, across continents, through city streets, and fairly respectably rapidly around race tracks than all the "regulars" and "irregulars" here combined -- and many times over, at that!

 

BAA, TJM, & YMMV

[pete roper]

Nah, really, I ride like the grandfather of the oldest man in the world. I last rode a *race* bike, (A half crapped out 350LC Yammy.) in about '82 or so and never raced again because I was so embarassingly slow . Does this mean I enjoy my riding any less than the fast boys and girls? Of course not! But no way am I a *good* rider!

 

The only reason I manage to occasionally round up people on far superior kit on the road is because their bikes are set up, (Or rather *not* set up!) really crappily. I really can't ride for toffee or to save my life, I really think I'm probably the biggest softcoque in chrisendom! When we were going up to the rally in Qld. a few weeks ago both the blokes on GS bimmers and Steve on his Scura just disappeared as soon as there was the tiniest sprinkling of rain! I know that this probably doesn't fit in with the rough, tough, 'Mr. Fur-Chest' image of motorcycling but I really have an accute aversion to pain and I'm old enough to have realized my own, less than magnificent, limitations.

 

Pete

[Guest drknow]

Ok, I added a Centauro to the garage to start a 4V project. First order of business is to get some rubber on it, and I need to use the take-offs I have in abundance. So...

 

I was serious before:

 

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11659

 

dk