I am thinking of new tires for my bike, 2000 gs500e, what is the largest tire size i can put on there to make it look beefy :dunno: .
Or is there a size that is just right?
Yeah you can go up to 150, but the tale is that it pinches it slightly so it fits funny and COULD produce some rideability issues...
I"ll jump in on this one. As coll0412 said the largest you can run is a 150 but most people recommend a 140. Thing is tho w/ even a 150 its not all that beefy looking. I went from a 130 to a 140 and theres not much diff in looks or preformance. The best thing you could do is get a rim from a gs400 they have a 160 if i recall correctly. you do have to do a couple mods to get it to fit tho.
-ash
not the gs400...the bandit 400 has a wider rear rim with a 160 tire
i have a 150 on a stock rim...it looks better than stock and rides a little better but it looks weird because it's rounded (pinched) and can't ride to the edge of the tire
I did that very thing...wanted a big tire so I went with a 150 (better radial tires are available no smaller than 150)...looks bigger than a 130 but you know what...pulling up next to the big bikes and it still looks small.
Also, when the tire is new it feels great with only a slight hint of falling in as you approach the edge of the tire. BUT, as the tire wears that point, that edge becomes a hard crisp edge and you REALLY start to feel like you fall into corners. one ride really freaked me out and I immediately went back to a 140...
Get the best 140 or 130 you can. Dont worry so much about the tire size and worry more about how well they ride and handle. I suggest the Pirelli Demon's as probably the best bias ply available in gs500 sizes for sport riding.
bandit 400- oops