hey guys, I am planning on getting a new back tire... Whats the biggest back tire i can use on my 1991 Gs 500?? I like the big wide ones they make the bike look good. Can anyone tell me how much one of these tires would cost in Canadian money?? Thanks Alot Guys

well you can put a 300 on there if you really want to....

I had a Metzler ME55A Metronic and it was a 140-80-17.  The reason I know this is the biggest tire allowable on a stock GS is because it rubs on the brake bar for a few miles till all the rubber rubs off.  

Here is the exact tire. $111.95 USD, $137.90 CAD

price really depends on brand.  could vary extremely.  do a search for tires and u'll find what the largest size u can fit on that wheel is.

I seem to recall an earlier thread where someone ground away part of the brake-bar to accomodate a wider tyre. That is not something I would do but it depends on how much you want a wide rear tyre. There is no doubt that they look good but I am not convinced that they actually achieve anything much.

no matter how wide a tire you get it will still look tiny compared to the 180/55 on most sportbikes. Do yourself a favor and stay at or near stock size tires because that will keep the gs500 as nimble as it was intended. Wider tires slow the steering and anything wider than a 140 will pinch on the rim affecting turn-in. also, different brands are slightly different widths for the same size tire. My 140/80 Avon didnt rub at all. I ran a 150/60 but as it wore down it squared off in a wierd way, wanting to fall into corners in a bad way, really freaking me out.

Buy a Pirelli Demon in 140/70 if you can. sticky tire.
Bridgestone BT45 also good.

Always remember folks that all tires are not created equal.  Tires from different mfgs and also different model tires from the same mfg can vary quite a bit in actual dimensions.

Dom said his 140/80/17 ME55 initially rubbed the brake rod a bit.  A ME55 is 146 mm wide on a 3.5" wide wheel.  I currently have a Avon AV36 which is 144 mm wide on my 97 and a AV46 which is 142 mm wide on my 02 GS.  Neither has rubbed the brake rod, but that AV36 is very close.  Here's an old poor quality pic I had of it, if you can make it out.

http://members.aol.com:/jcprrp/140.80av36.jpg

A 150/60/17 Sportec is only 143 mm wide on a 4.0 wheel, so it would be only about 138 mm wide on our 3.5 wheels.  Likewise, the 150/60 Avon AV50, the 150/60 and 150/70 Contiforce, and the Michelin 150/60 Pilot Sport and 150/70 Pilot Road are all 149 mm wide on the 4.0 wheels which would make them about 144 mm wide on our 3.5" wheels.  These 150/70/60s are about the same as the 140/80s above mounted on the same size wheels.

None of the 150/60s are approved by their mfgs for mounting on our 3.5" wheels, but many are being run.  Seem popular with a lot of the racers too.  Here's some pics of the 150/60 on a EX500 with the 3.5" wheel:

http://www.classicbikes.com/ex500racing.html

Metzeler does approve their 150/70 Z6 and Bridgestone their 150/70 BT020 for mounting on 3.5-4.5" wheels.

OK, all the above are radial tires so now a bit about bias ply tires.  The BT45s and the Demons that Pablo mentions above are both good tires and they are available in OEM sizes to fit the GS500.  But there is still the question of tire life that is important to those of us that ride 15-20k miles a year and don't want to put on several sets of expensive tires per season.

My OEM Excedra rear lasted 8100 miles on the 97.  It was replaced with a BT45 that lasted 9500 miles.  After a couple 130/90 touring type tires, I put on a second BT45 rear that was half worn out by actual tread depth measure in less than 2k miles.  Replaced it with a radial Metz Z2 that lasted 13,900 miles and now have a AV46 rear on the 02 GS with almost 12k miles on it that looks like it will also go about 14k miles.

So while I agree some of these bias ply tires are quite good handling, I find the somewhat more expensive sport touring type radials to be a bargain.  And both the Z2 and AV46 are better handling than the BT45s were, especially in the wet.

We get some comments about the better handling of the narrower OEM size tires over the wider tires that some put on their GSs.

But are those wider tires really wider?  Not much.

The OEM 130/70 Excedra supplied on the 89-02 GS500s is 5.2" wide and the 130/70 BT45 supplied on the 04-05 bikes is 5.4" wide.  The 140/80 Avon AV46 on my 02 GS is only 5.6" wide.  The approx 6" wide 150/70 Z6 and BT020 tires are reduced to about 5.8" on our tire mfg approved 3.5" rims.  

Not much wider at all visually, but the 140/80 and 130/90 tires do look a lot larger on the GS due to their 1.5-2.0" larger diameters.  I use the 140/80 radials because it's the best fit available in radials for our 3.5" wheels.

190   what the heck

don't listen to the masses

now if you want it actually attached to a GS rim......that is another story

ha, beat you to the sarcastic post by 6 hours. :mrgreen:

It all depends on how much modding your going to do.  I put a Bandit 400 wheel on mind and got a 150/70 on there, but it did require some fabrication to get it done.

i can run a 160/60 on mine, with bandit rim, shimed sproket ,reworkd spacers, and bent brake stay arm. seems more stable to me, might just be the extra weight.

doing some research on tires and after reading this thread.
did some google searching I came up with this

http://home.wanadoo.nl/jk.geijteman/Suzuki_GS500E_Tyres.htm

needs some updating with the info you guys have field tested,  

i use AM51/52...very good tires with EXCELLENT pricing...at least 60 bucks less than bt45s (CDN)

Ive used Mich Sportmax 150/60/17 on stock rear rim, it pinches alittle, i generaly drop the press a few pounds too allow more contact patch, but not much.  

ive got the bandit 400 wheel on back now , the 150 fit it well, put a 160/60/17 on and had to shim out the rear sproket and bend the brake stay arm out alittle and now works fine.

I put a Bandit wheel on mine and really had to space the sprocket out.  I have one washer underneath the all the sprocket bolts then the cush drive sticks out of the wheel about and 1/8 of an inch.  Everything seems to line up real good though, Ive got a 150/70 on mine and it does make the bike look alot better, nothing like a 180 would but who cares Ive got a GS 500.

yup, I'm going to get the AVON AV46 and maybe AV45 for the front.

here is a link on where to buy it: It's listed for $99.95, if you know where
there's a better deal let me know.

http://store.azmusa.com/avavazsptore.html

spring_9 that setup looks sweet. how about a tutorial someday? :dunno:

Quote from: Blueknyti can run a 160/60 on mine, with bandit rim, shimed sproket ,reworkd spacers, and bent brake stay arm. seems more stable to me, might just be the extra weight.

Hey I'm runnig teh same setup!!

Is your chain really close to the tire like 1/8"?  Most people told me it won't rub but it is scary how close it is.

Be sure to include shipping charges when you compare tire prices.  Places like Southwest don't charge shipping on a pair of tires.

http://swmototires.com/

I got my AV45/46s last year from a small mail order place that has a local outlet store a half hour from me where I can pick them up and get mounting and balancing for $19 a wheel.  They are at a reduced price this year in our sizes so I'll get another set this year.  Only $158 for the pair of 110/80 front and 140/80 rear AV45/46 tires:

http://www.shadetreemotorcycle.com/

Never looked into their shipping charges.