Do you ever ride behind your bike? I love to see what it looks like with someone else on it (and I got mine back last night from the insurance agent who borrowed it for a week) and the boyfriend rode it home. ANYWAY...

does anyone else have a problem with how wimpy the back tire looks? I'd slap a 180 on there any day if I could. It just looks, so, I don't know, thin?

I know, I am insane, but it really does bother me!

the 130 rear tire is the only thing that had me seccond guessing my choice on the GS.  Then I was around the bike for 0.5 seconds and I got over it real fast.

-Danimal

Not insane. It *is* a skinny tire. It looks like a midget next to my bf's FZ6 back tire, but he (usually) gets me where I need to go.  

And welcome to the nuthouse, Danimal!  :mrgreen:

3.5 inch 130 R17 was the bomb back in the day (1989) when cutting edge sportbikes had the same.

Yeah big fat rear tires look cool and are all the rage nowadays.
But.
For the GSs weight and corner speeds a 130/70 is really all it truely needs IF good modern radial sport tires were available. And that is the problem. No one really makes one. So you have to go up to 140 and 150 tires which while looking better, really don't help much because they weigh more and the tire is distorted and doesn't handle/stick optimiumly.

I put a 140 on my bike.  Those fit with no problem.  I agree about the 130 being skinny...  my roommate's FRONT tire is a 120... i would probably die of embarrassment if he put a 130 on his front while my rear had a 130

I've always agreed that good OEM size tires were best for handling and went to larger size tires only because 17" touring tires came in the 130/90 size and good sport touring radials of the 140/80 size fit our 3.5" rims best.  Some 150/70 tires will just fit and some won't without altering the brake torque rod.

Bought my 97 new and bought the 02 slightly used and it already had a fenderectomy which I would not have done.  When I replaced my AV45/46 ST radials with the OEM size AM51/52 tires this spring, that 130 /70 size rear tire really looked skinny, and even slinnier when parked in a row of large cruisers and sportbikes.  

Just replaced the 130/70 AM52 with a 150/70 Lasertec and boy does it look better.  The Lasertec has a very round profile and is a bit rounder yet on the 3.5" rim and the bike just falls into corners and grips better than the AM52 ever did.  

If you run the 130/70 tire, maybe it's best to keep the long OEM rear fender to hide it.   :lol:  :lol:

I am quite skinny myself and never had a problem with my appearance, so... long live 130/70!  :mrgreen: and till I learn how to ride properly what do I care about the looks anyway

I run 150/60/17 pilot powers man that tire looks great alot of tread and looks wider than stock.Now my but has the pilot power on his GSXR 1000 man thats a tire but also cost over 200 bucks.

Quote from: JamesGYeah big fat rear tires look cool and are all the rage nowadays.

So much the rage that I get sick of the look of them really fast.

The bike was designed to use a 130 rear. That's why it has such good corner flopability. The GS doesn't NEED a larger tire because it doesn't have the type of power most sportbikes do which require a larger tire to put power to the pavement.

Running a wider tire will compromise what the GS was made to run on. With a wider rear tire you will lose the flopability it had earlier because you have to run over more tire to get to the corners. Not only that but since the tire WEIGHS more, the rotational inertia is greater, thus it requires more force to move it. Sure it might LOOK better with a 150 or so, but it won't handle nearly as nice.

The 150/60/17 pilot power handles alot better than OEM it is so sticky.

Apples and oranges to compare a bigger tire in a different compound.

I do not really need a wider tire.
Even if a got rim set from a Bandit 400
I use my bike more for commuting.
Not a lot of use on the side.

Quote from: AlphaFire X5The bike was designed to use a 130 rear. That's why it has such good corner flopability. The GS doesn't NEED a larger tire because it doesn't have the type of power most sportbikes do which require a larger tire to put power to the pavement.

Running a wider tire will compromise what the GS was made to run on. With a wider rear tire you will lose the flopability it had earlier because you have to run over more tire to get to the corners. Not only that but since the tire WEIGHS more, the rotational inertia is greater, thus it requires more force to move it. Sure it might LOOK better with a 150 or so, but it won't handle nearly as nice.

sorry alpha, that is the biggest crap pot i've ever heard. that's just what everyone wants you to think. the theory of the bike being designed for 130 and it's best for the handling is all bull crap.

in fact, it's just the opposite. the first time i rode thr bike on 150 (on 4.5" wheel), i was blown away by how smoothly and effortlessly it carved the corners. it really felt like a sports bike. the improved look is just a bonus.

I dunno, man. By that logic wouldn't a 180 tire handle better than the 150?

Quote from: AlphaFire X5I dunno, man. By that logic wouldn't a 180 tire handle better than the 150?

i only went up two sizes...it's noticable upgrade but not monumental. i had a 150 and 160 side by side...160 was noticeably wider than 150. 160 didn't fit  

Quote from: JetSwingthe first time i rode thr bike on 150 (on 4.5" wheel)

Quote from: RoadstergalApples and oranges to compare a bigger tire in a different compound.

They've got Sport Demons in 130 and 110. I get mine tomorrow. I bet those are sticky enough for near anyone on here. They've got it in 150 too. I wouldn't mind doing comparisons of the two if I had the money and time. The 150 doesn't fit on the stock rim very well at all, though.

Quote from: Roadstergal

Quote from: JetSwingthe first time i rode thr bike on 150 (on 4.5" wheel)

Quote from: RoadstergalApples and oranges to compare a bigger tire in a different compound.

if everyone can agree on the fact that you can better tires in bigger size AND they favorably affect the handling of the bike, what's the argument here? whether it's the tires or wider wheels, the final outcome is bigger is better. and that is better than stock.

Quote from: JetSwingif everyone can agree on the fact that you can better tires in bigger size AND they favorably affect the handling of the bike, what's the argument here? whether it's the tires or wider wheels, the final outcome is bigger is better. and that is better than stock.

Yeah, you can get much stickier rubber on the bigger tires which will help you stick to the ground better, but I'm not sure how it would affect the flickability of the GS. That's one thing I absolutely love about the GS is how utterly throwable it is.