Rear Wheels and Tires: Compatability?

[LightningGS]

2001 GS500 E, I need a new rear tire. I'm wondering if it will be cheaper to just buy a wheel with sprocket/tire/bearings used. I found one online used from an '89 GS500 E. Do all GS500E share the same rear wheel/tire? Will the '89 wheel fit my '01?

David

[The Buddha]

You do know that that tire that is on the wheel you buy may be 3/4 done right Plus it can be Old as dirt and just about the same grip.
Apart from that, except for colors, the wheels are the same.
Cool.
Buddha.

[the mole]

+1 Buddha
Don't forget that if half the tread is left on that 2nd hand tyre, its 3/4 done.

[DoD#i]

2001 GS500 E, I need a new rear tire. I'm wondering if it will be cheaper to just buy a wheel with sprocket/tire/bearings used. I found one online used from an '89 GS500 E. Do all GS500E share the same rear wheel/tire? Will the '89 wheel fit my '01?

David

So you're going to replace your 7 year old bearings with 19 year old bearings, and a tire that might well be 19 years old too, all in the interest of saving a few bucks on a new tire (that would actually be new). Penny-wise and pound-foolish by my lights, but suit yourself.

[The Buddha]

Oh dont forget shipping costs ... Some places (motosport.com) will ship tires free. You'd get a tire on fully and ride out for ~100-125. We swap wheels all the time, I have over a dozen. I could freaking rent them out. I have people come in, get a wheel and put a tire on it, then they swap that with their wheel and bring theirs back with a bad tire. But even those guys will not buy a wheel for the tire.  ... Yea I should start a GS500 parts rental business.  ... who knows I may make $$, one guy paid me $40 for barking orders about how to do his brakes ... all I did was ... clean this, grease that, you really oughtta bleed this ... and I put the pads and pins back. That was it.
Cool.
Buddha.

[LightningGS]

Well guys, I cannot find any 130 width tires that say "rear tire." They all say 130 front. Can I just get one that is the right size or is there a place I can can get an actual "rear" 130?

[Mdow]

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=16501.0

there is also a list further down of the top 8 or so fav tires

[gsJack]

The main shortcomings in making a list of tires like I've previously done are the fast changing tire market and the difference in needs of different users.  Tire cost is always a factor and it's the reason why I don't use supersport radials which stick and handle noticeably better than any I use.  I want a good compromise of tire life vs stick/handling in a tire that fits my needs and my needs are declining a bit as I decline.   

The first poster above mentions cost as important and I recently have suggested the Roadriders and the BT45 G spec oem tires as best buys in major brands.  A rear tire like the Kends K671 is about $50 plus shipping for a 130/70 oem size rear and is as good as the oem Excedra B'stones supplied for the GS500 thru 2002, the oem BT45 are better now.

I'm using the Avon Roadriders now and they meet my current needs and are probably the best all around tires for the price I've used so far, they have yet to slip on me on wet or dry tarmac but they do really skate off the hot tar snakes in August and we have a zillion of them here in NE Ohio.  I measured the rear tread depth recently and with 10k miles it had worn only 2/3 of the usable tread depth and looks like it will go as much as 15k miles.

Disregarding price, the Lasertec front with the radial RoadAttack rear remain the best I've used for handling and good all around secure feel followed closely by the AV45/46 tires.  But the Roadriders are $40-50 per tire less expensive than the Lasertec/Roadrider combo at my local dealer and that's hard to ignore.

Check the prices at AMT and Sourhwest including shipping to compare.  Another good tire that's even less costly than the $50 Kenda rear is the Maxxis Promax and any of these tires would be better than a used tire and wheel in my opinion.  Chaparral frequently has the best prices on the Kenda and Promax tires, they're also on the list of retrailers.

Don't buy a 130/70 front for the rear, they have much less tread depth and shorter life.  If you ever do use a front on the rear, reverse the directional arrow.  Front tires are constructed for braking forces and rears for driving forces.