Question about GS500F Rear Tire

[TCas125]

I was looking at the article on swapping a katana wheel on an 04 gs 500 f, but I don't know if I want to drop that much money into it yet. I've read that some 150 tires will actually fit the stock rims with little to no modifications... but not all of them do.  I also don't know if i want to replace the front (which is currently a bias-ply stock tire) but I could replace them both if i need to.  Could you let me know which 150 tires I can purchase that will actually fit the stock rims? and if possible, any bias-ply ones instead of radial?  If not, then I can replace both the front and rear with radial. Thanks!

p.s. Also, will it effect my handling in a negative way?

[efushi]

I have no idea about this topic, but until a forum member who does know about tires chimes in, ill point you to the wiki http://wiki.gstwins.com/index.php?n=Upgrades.Tires

[gsJack]

Any 150 tire will fit the 3.5" wide stock GS rear rim.  You will have adequate clearance all around except for the brake torque rod which comes close to the tire, some will just touch and some just clear it.  Easy to bend a bit for clearance for all 150 tires.

They will all fit but all are not approved for this fitment by their makers.  All 150/70 bias sport touring tires and about half the 150/70 sport touring radials are approved for this fitment, but none of the 150/60 supersport tires are approved for a 3.5" rim but many are running them.

I've run 110/70 and 110/80 fronts and 130/70, 130/80, 130/90, 140/70, 140/80, and 150/70 rear tires on the stock GS rims including the 150/70 bias ply Lasertec and 150/70 radial RoadAttack rear tires.

[TCas125]

Thank you very much.  Right now I am looking at the Avon AM26 Roadrider 150/70-17, which is bias-ply. Therefore I wouldn't have to replace my front tire yet. I'm wondering if I should go for radial tires instead though. Not 100% sure of the difference as I have just gotten into riding. Another set of tires I was looking at is the Conti Road Attack sport touring radial, but I couldn't run that with a bias ply in the front from what I've read. And the smallest I see, atleast from the website im looking at them on, is a 120 front (which I believe fits from what I've read), if I decided to get both.

[gsJack]

The RoadAttack does come in a 110/70 front but I ran my 150/70 RoadAttack with a bias Lasertec 110/80 front.  A radial front with a bias rear is a bad mix but a bias front with a radial rear can be OK.  In fact there are more such fitments now including some HD models with bias front and radial rear. 

http://www.tiresunlimited.com/ALL%20TIRES/Continental/continental_road_attack.htm

The Lasertec/RoadAttack combo were my favorite tires on my GSs but not worth the $40-50 per tire additional cost over the Roadriders I'm running now.  Have 14k miles on the 140/70 rear now and may replace it with a 150/70 Roadrider next.  Front Roadrider looks like it will go another 10k miles.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/GS500tirelog.jpg

[TCas125]

Thanks, I really appreciate the quick responses gsJack. Yea I read your one write-up before I posted on here, thats where I had the idea for the Road Attack as well as the Roadriders. I think that I am going to order the 150/70-17 Roadrider for now and keep the original front tire BT45 (has about 6k miles on them) on for now. Again, thanks for the information.

[bill14224]

David Johnson races his GS 500.  He has a racing article on this site.  He runs 140's.

http://gstwin.com/racers_corner.htm