Rookie tire swap questions (Pirellis?)

[moonwalker]

So I've racked up my first 10k miles on my GS500F and need to change my rear tire imminently. I've looked through the forum and there's a fair bit on modding the bike and the like to be able to fit wider tires etc. I don't really have the capacity (or the ability) to do any of that, but I'd like to do whatever is possible within my limitations... (basically, buy a tire and get a garage to fit it for as little cost as possible!)

- I've noticed that Pirelli Sport Demons seem to get the thumbs up from some of you - they only cost marginally more than the stock Battlax - do they "feel" any different on the road?
- My front tire looks like its still got life in it - but is it worth replacing it at the same time as the rear anyway?
- the Suzuki manual doesn't say anything about using 140s - are these definitely ok? Because if so I was thinking I may as well get one of them over the 130, even if the aesthetic/stability difference is negligible.
- Finally, I'm presuming I need the 70H17s, but would appreciate someone confirming this. There appears to be quite a few options at the 110 & 130/140 options (see list below) - and significant price differences for reasons unknown to me. The front 110/70P16 is much cheaper than the 110/70H17 for example.

Cheers 

110/70H17 Sport Demon Front Tyre        73.99    86 EUR   
110/80H17 Sport Demon Front Tyre        81.99    95 EUR   
110/80V18 Sport Demon Front Tyre        89.99    104 EUR   
110/90V18 Sport Demon Front Tyre        95.99    111 EUR   
110/70P16 Sport Demon Front Tyre        45.99    53 EUR   
110/80V17 Sport Demon Front Tyre        87.99    102 EUR   
110/80H18 Sport Demon Front Tyre        84.99    99 EUR

130/70H17 Sport Demon Rear Tyre        89.99    104 EUR   
130/70H18 Sport Demon Rear Tyre        94.99    110 EUR   
130/80H17 Sport Demon Rear Tyre        99.99    116 EUR   
130/80V18 Sport Demon Rear Tyre        107.99    125 EUR   
130/90V16 Sport Demon Rear Tyre        109.99    128 EUR   
130/90V16 Sport Demon Rear Tyre        109.99    128 EUR   
130/90V17 Sport Demon Rear Tyre        114.99    133 EUR   
140/70H17 Sport Demon Rear Tyre        96.99    113 EUR   
140/70V18 Sport Demon Rear Tyre        105.99    123 EUR   
140/80VB17 Sport Demon Rear Tyre        127.99    148 EUR   

[burning1]

Physically, a 140 should fit. I run a 140 BT003RS on my race bike, and the 140 clears the torque link for the rear brake (barely...) Check the specifications for the tires you plan to run, and see if they are approved for a 4 inch rim.

[Toogoofy317]

I got a 150 on the back of Flick! The Bridgestone Battleax so yeah it can be done without any mods etc.

I got a practically brand new tire (still got the little nobs in places) in the for sale section for $40 + shipping!

Mary

[gsJack]

The 17 in the tire size designation is the rim diameter and all GS500s have 17" dia rims so forget all the ones on your list ending in 16 or 18 since they won't fit your wheels.  The stock rims are 3.0x17" front and 3.5x17" rear and not a 4.0" wide rear rim.

That 110/70P16 tire you mention is a scooter tire and the P indicates a 93 mph max speed rating which is not suitable for a GS but the 16" diameter won't fit anyway.  Use H=130 mph or V=149 mph speed rated tires on your GS or if radials a ZR indicates an even higher speed rating which is also suitable.

I've used 130/70, 130/80, 130/90, 140/70, 140/80, and 150/70 rear tires on my GSs all on the stock 3.5" wide by 17" diameter rear rims.  All have adequate clearance on the GS500 except the 150/70 which may touch or come very close to the brake torque link and require bending it a bit.

Nothing wrong with the Demons which have been quite popular with GS500 and Ninja 500 aka GPZ500 riders.  They are probably the stickiest of the major brand bias street tires so not as long lasting as some of the others.  You might want to read this bias ply tire comparo test run by UK Bike magazine testers.

http://www.ex-500.com/wiki/index.php/Tire_Comparison

I've run 110/70, 110/80, and 120/70 fronts on the stock rim.

[moonwalker]

thanks for the advice all.
one last Q - is it wise to change the front tire at the same time as the rear, particularly if I am going from stock to the Pirelli on the rear?

cheers and happy riding

[Twisted]

If there is still life in the front leave it on. Personally if there was say only 2000kms on the front, I would just get the front done as well. I have front and rear pirellis (140 rear) and they're a good tyre.

[Allen]

The bike will be really smooth if you change both F & R, and even smoother if you change the chain at the same time too... but if they have more life in them, might as well use it up first before changing it out.  I'd buy the tire online and take it to a tire shop to swap the new one on.  Then you can take it to a motorcycle place and have them balance it.  I cost me 5 bucks at each place for a total of $10.  If i brought the wheel and tire to the motorcycle place, they would charge me $20.  If I rode my bike in that would be $50 labor per tire.  Theres alot of money to be saved by doing it yourself.

[werase643]

Ain't notthin' like a new pair of shoes.....

[maverick72]

If you are changing to a different brand tire you will want to change both the front and rear.  The profiles on different tires are not the same and will make the bike react poorly.

[burning1]

If both tires are almost done, I'd change them both at the same time. If the front is still in good condition, I'd typically run it until it wears out. Be aware though that there are plenty of radial tires that fit the GS500. If you're going to install a bias ply rear, make sure your front tire is also bias ply.

I do mix and match manufacturers tires for street use. I would not do it if you're an extremely aggressive rider (lots of knee dragging) or plan to track your bike.

[Twisted]

Don't forget to scrub your new tyres in for about 100kms or so as well before you go to hard on em through any twisty stuff.

[mister]

Only thing - well not the only thing but the one I'll mention here - is the difference in grip between the front and rear. So you keep the OEM front with X amount of grip and put on an aftermarket rear with X+1 grip (the rear is now more grippy than the front / the front cannot keep up with the rear's abilities - based on tire manufacturer compound grip etc.). So you would push the bike a little harder thinking you have more grip. But then the front washes out.

Worst case scenario.

I had a Sport Demon rear and BT45 front for 6,000 clicks. I did some aggressive riding - not a Lot, some. No wash out. Lucky or just not pushing it hard enough to wash it out?

Michael

[moonwalker]

I did go for the Sport Demons in the end and so far they are proving great. I'm glad I went with them instead of stock replacements, thanks for the tips.

Quick follow up question - any recommendations on tire pressures? I've been using the 32/36 combination from stock.
Pirelli's recommendations for the GS500 are below - the rear tire seems a bit high, no? Should the 140 be the same in any case?
Cheers


110/70 - 17 M/C 54H TL - 2.25 BAR (32.6 PSI)
130/70 - 17 M/C 62H TL - 2.8 BAR (40.6 PSI)

[burning1]

46 is for the maximum rated load on the tire, which, I suspect, greatly exceeds the GVWR of the GS500. I don't have an exact pressure for those tires, but if it was me I'd start at 30/32 or so for mellow riding. To be honest though, I have very little experience with radials, so take that as a guess rather than the opinion of a fast guy.

[mister]

The owner's manual has 33 and 36 for the Bridgestone's that come with the bike. I keep my Pirellis at that and it feel right. 

My tires are stock sizes.

Michael

[mass-hole]

I am running a 140 Sport Demon in the rear of my bike without any problem. I bought my bike with roughly 9000 miles on it and had to immediately change the tires in order to get it inspected. I rode maybe 100 miles on the previous set of tires so I didnt get much experience on them. However, once i switched to the Sport Demons I notices an immediate difference in responsiveness. Not sure about overall grip as I was not and am still not pushign my bike that hard but im sure they are significantly better.

[gsJack]

Suzuki specs 33/36 psi for front/rear of GS500 with increase to 33/41 for two up riding.  Here's a general tire pressure chart for tires by size from Metzeler who make the Pirelli mc tires, about the same as Suzi spec: