rear tire question

[jaynavajo15]

Got a metzeler tire that is size 130/80 i believe stock is 130/70. Will it work?

[Big Rich]

Yep.

Do a search for GSJacks posts about tires for the GS. He has used many different sizes / combinations for thousands of miles.

[jaynavajo15]

Thanks big rich will do. Now that I got more confidence in leaning I enjoy it instead of being scared of it. But been getting the shakes every now and then when turning. Is this normal with the gs? Am i just giving it to much gas in the middle of my turns? or do I just need new tires???

[gsJack]

It worked for me.  Tires I've run on my 97 and 02 GSs:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/GS500tirelogs_zpse04c1f44.jpg

First radial tires I ran back in 2002 were a 130/80 Z2 rear with a 110/70 Z4 front.  Also ran a 130/80 BT45 bias before the Metz radials.  Shakes in turns are not normal.  What kind of tires, make and model, do you have front and rear and how old are they?  Last 4 digits on end of DOT number are the week and year of manufacture.

[Ron888]

I tried a 130/80 rear recently,as part of a 2nd hand set of michelin pilot activs- in fact they're still on the bike.The front is the correct profile for the GS500.

The rear tire's grip level drops off with even small angles of lean.I dont know if that's due to using the higher profile shape on a too-narrow rim,or simply a characteristic of this model rear tire.
That said,it's not really dangerous.In fact i love being able to break the rear loose (*coff* in low gears anyway.This is the GS500 we're talking about after all,lol)

[gsJack]

That's interesting, generally the taller the profile the narrower the preferred rim width.  130/70-17 is 3.00/3.50/4.00 rim and 130/80-17 is 2.50/3.00/3.50. So a 130/80 on the GSs 3.5" rim should have a flatter profile and larger contact patch.  Both sizes are an approved fitment on our 3.5" rear wheel and all sizes I've used have been approved fitments on my rims except the 150/60 rear.

[jaynavajo15]

Im running on a cruiser s/t rear tire dot 2911 which means made in 2011 right??? And a bridgestone batlax dot 3610 front tire. Front looks pretty good rear is starting to look a little thin. I assume i should wait to get the matching metz for the front before throwing on the rear?

[gsJack]

Yes, those tires were made in 2011 and 2010 so they're not too old to use up.  A cruiser ST tire must be  a Kenda K671 tire?  A decent tire but not really the best, a Metz 130/80 sounds like a Metzler Lasertec?  If so a very good one.  Many tire models both bias and radial are called Battlax by B'stone but if it's on a GSF it's probably a BT45 which was the oem tires for the GSF models from 04 on.  None of those tires is a bad mix if I've guessed which models they are, if so I'd put the rear on as needed and a matching front would be good when needed. 

A radial front with a bias rear would be a bad mix if that "Battlax" is not a BT45.  By the way, a Metz 130/80 size Z2 radial is still available, used on Triumphs with a Z4 front like I've used.   Check the model names as well as the brand names on tires.

[jaynavajo15]

You are correct gs jack except the metz tire I got is a tourance i believe its a dual sport review says 90% road 10% of road. And I did read somewhere in the review where a guy installed them on the gs and liked it a lot. Since its a dual sport should I wait for the matching front?

[gsJack]

The Tourance 130/80-17 size rear comes in both bias and radial construction but the only 17" front Tourance I've seen is a radial.  If your Tourance is a bias type it might be better to consider a bias Lasertec front with it.  Either way I wouldn't hessitate to put the new Tourance rear on now and replace the BT45 front later.

[jaynavajo15]

sounds good going to slap it on asap. And it is the radial type

[NortwestRider]

I'm running a 140/80 K60 on the back and a 120/70 TKC80 front and they work great!!.


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