Rear tire size question.

[activpop]

My 2001 V11 has a 12 year old 170 60 ZR17 tire on it. In looking to replace it, I find that size is not available. Since I have no user or shop manuals yet, what tire size should I be purchasing?

[activpop]

Interesting...i did a search on this site for info and nothinig came up, but searched the web and got two old post here. Both stated 170 tire. Why cant I find one available now? Looked at Pirelli first, than Michelin, no go.

[docc]

Lots of us with the earlier Sport's 4.5" rim have been running 160/60-17.

Currently, I have a Bridgestone T32.

[activpop]

Ok, found some 170's...some distributors were out of stock, found one that had them. I will consider the 160...need to do some more research.

[GuzziMoto]

42 minutes ago, activpop said:

Ok, found some 170's...some distributors were out of stock, found one that had them. I will consider the 160...need to do some more research.

If you have the 4.5" wide rear wheel I would recommend the 160/60 rear tire. It will fit the narrower wheel better. The wider tire is a bit pinched on that size wheel. That leads to a poor profile shape and a less than optimal contact patch.

Later V11's have a 5.5" wide rear wheel and it fits the wider tire fine. Still not my favorite, but it is what it is.

[guzziart]

Hey Activpop,

FWIW, American Motorcycle Tire is showing inventory on 170/60 zr17:

https://www.americanmototire.com/bridgestone-battlax-sport-touring-t32-170-60zr-17-72w-rear-motorcycle-12675/

Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T32 & GT

Michelin Road 6

Dunlop Sportmax Roadsmart 4

Conti Road Attack 2

Several Pirelli & Shinkos

My '03 Lemans has the 5.5" width rim, 170/60  r17  v-rating rear tire and it is old too.  I wonder if there is any difference in price or availability of the V rated versus the Z rated tires.  I'm kinda thinking v rated replacement tires will be ok, I don't think my Lemans will do anywhere near 149mph+ but I've been wrong before.

Good luck!

Art

 

 

 

[docc]

It seems there is minimal difference (for our V11 purposes) between a V-rated (149mph/240km/h) rating versus a Z-rated (149+mph/240+km/h) tire.

Even an H-rated tire is probably fine (130mph/210km/h) unless you intend to ride flat-out across The Salisbury Plain for hours.

FWIW, I've never seen mySport over 135mph. 

For the record, I didn't say I rode it with the Veglia pegged, just "never over" . . .

 

[gstallons]

Woooo , what gear were you in ?

[docc]

12 hours ago, gstallons said:

Woooo , what gear were you in ?

Top. Gear.

(Notice how the Neutral Light stays just out of view . . .)

[gstallons]

I hear ya brother . Faster than the speed of sound . Not faster than the music !

[Baldini]

0 - 140mph in 4.5 secs  good grief Docc, what have you done to the poor thing?

Hope you keeping well. KB

[docc]

1 minute ago, Baldini said:

0 - 140mph in 4.5 secs  good grief Docc, what have you done to the poor thing?

Hope you keeping well. KB

Approximately equal to acceleration due to gravity (dropped off a cliff face) . . .

Good to see you on, @Baldini! We joined here within two months of one another. Twenty years ago, brother! 

[activpop]

4.5" rear wheel...I'll go with the 160.

[al_roethlisberger]

Refresh my memory; but similarly I also think it was the general consensus that for the bikes with the wider 5.5 inch rim, the stock size is 180/55-17, but that stock size pinches the tire into a more triangular shape and smaller contact patch, so the recommended size is 170/60-17 for better handling.

[docc]

3 hours ago, al_roethlisberger said:

Refresh my memory; but similarly I also think it was the general consensus that for the bikes with the wider 5.5 inch rim, the stock size is 180/55-17, but that stock size pinches the tire into a more triangular shape and smaller contact patch, so the recommended size is 170/60-17 for better handling.

This is so for the LongFrame V11, 2002 and on, with the 5.5" rim.

Early, 1999-2001 ShortFrame V11, Sport and Rosso Mandello, have 4.5" rear rims and were delivered with 170 tires. Similarly, many have found that mounting "too pinched", which alters the rounded profile and have settled on a 160.