Can someone explain tire choices to me?

[Toxic_Ninja]

I have a 2011 250r and it's about time I changed the tires, mine are pretty much racing slicks at this point.

Can someone give me a quick breakdown on what the numbers mean and how much wiggle room I have when buying new tires.

Stock specs:
110/70 R17
130/70 R17

I only ask because I saw a thread that had people buying 150 tires for the rear, and I thought you could only get stock tire sizes.
All things considered what's the range per-tire of what I can fit for each number, eg can I get a 160/90 R19? How does manipulating each number affect the bike? And which numbers can I change, I think RXX is the rim size so that has to be R17 unless I buy new rims, correct?

Thanks, sorry for the tl;dr post.

[Sirref]

I wouldn't recommend running a 150 rear on the '08-'12 250. A 110f/140r is a great combination with tons of tire options available

R17 is rim size so you do want 17 unless you intend to do a lot of work to put bigger wheels on the bike (that isn't worth it)

[csmith12]

Welcome Ruddiger!

Get ready... tire threads are alway fun. :P

Here is a nugget though, buy tires based on the type of riding you want to do vs. what everyone says. Hopefully, my comment sets the tone for this thread.

[sharky nrk]

So a 130/70 R17 is 130 mm wide, 91 mm tall sidewall (70% of 130) and 17 inch ID for mounting and a Radial construction. A 160/90 R19 would be 160mm wide, 144 mm tall sidewall and 19 inch ID.

Typically a wheel width can accommodate a certain range of widths and keep a profile that is "ok" by the tire manufacturer. Listed in this chart as approved rim



What that doesn't touch on is the type of tire, Racing - Sport - Sport Touring - Commuting - Dual Sport - etc. You will get the best results when you purchase a tire that meets the type of needs your riding generates. For example, if you were to do some dirt road riding frequently, you don't want a Sport tire. Or if your racing, you don't want a commuting tire. And so on.

[Panda]

get round ones.

(Also 140 is the largest you can go without pinching on a '11 rim I believe. Anything larger will pinch and if it's too large won't clear the stock swing arm.)

[Toxic_Ninja]

Originally Posted by Sirref

I wouldn't recommend running a 150 rear on the '08-'12 250. A 110f/140r is a great combination with tons of tire options available

R17 is rim size so you do want 17 unless you intend to do a lot of work to put bigger wheels on the bike (that isn't worth it)

What about the second number, the 70 in both, can I manipulate that or does that have to be stock too?

Originally Posted by csmith12

Welcome Ruddiger!

Get ready... tire threads are alway fun. :P

Here is a nugget though, buy tires based on the type of riding you want to do vs. what everyone says. Hopefully, my comment sets the tone for this thread.

Thanks for the welcome!

I almost bought Pirelli Sport Demon tires but I honestly use my bike mostly for commute and sometimes touring, never track, so it's probably a stupid purchase, I just wanted them because a Harley-riding friend of mine challenged me to a race and I said I'd blow him away when I get new tires.

Originally Posted by sharky nrk

So a 130/70 R17 is 130 mm wide, 91 mm tall (70% of 130) and 17 inch ID for mounting and a Radial construction

Thanks, this explains it pretty well.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by Toxic_Ninja

a Harley-riding friend of mine challenged me to a race and I said I'd blow him away when I get new tires.

This I wanna see.

Hope you have a video camera available.

Are you talking a stoplight-to-stoplight drag race, or something with actual curves involved?

Either way you've got this if you have any skill at all. The only thing a Harley could possibly do better is initial launch, simply because it's got so much torque. It's a lot heavier, has no cornering clearance to speak of and has a dismal power/weight ratio.

On the topic of tires.... do not fall into the trap of believing that "bigger is better." On a motorcycle, a fat tire cannot lean as easily as a narrow tire. There are also clearance issues... a fat tire might interfere with your chain, or not fit onto your rim. A larger-diameter tire (e.g. taller aspect ratio, all else being equal) might also have fit problems... it could hit the front of your swingarm. Frankly, people put on different sized tires mostly for looks. It's dumb. Stick with the stock sizes and get the best rubber you can afford.

[Toxic_Ninja]

Originally Posted by adouglas

This I wanna see.

Hope you have a video camera available.

Are you talking a stoplight-to-stoplight drag race, or something with actual curves involved?

Either way you've got this if you have any skill at all. The only thing a Harley could possibly do better is initial launch, simply because it's got so much torque. It's a lot heavier, has no cornering clearance to speak of and has a dismal power/weight ratio.

I'd probably get crushed on the drag strip, his bike has 5x the CCs of mine.
And I can't say I'm super skilled but I'm alright, the problem is I saw this guy get on a bike the first time a few months back and he was an absolute natural, and he's put over 7000km on his bike already so I'm nervous as all hell.

[DmbShn41]

Toxic,
Based on the type of riding style you mentioned, I would recommend the Michelin Pilot Street. Nice mix of grip for commuting and occasional spirited ride. Lots of riders here are getting great mileage out of them, and some have experienced them in the rain and say they have decent wet traction. They're decently priced when you consider the mileage folks are getting with them, (8-10k miles) and are designed for the smaller sport bikes. Link below to AMTnot affiliated with AMT)

http://www.americanmototire.com/cata...2fe9663c4c16c7

[spooph]

Originally Posted by Panda

(Also 140 is the largest you can go without pinching on a '11 rim I believe. Anything larger will pinch and if it's too large won't clear the stock swing arm.)

Up to a 150/60 will fit just fine - I use these for my track tires.

OP - Check into Continental ContiGo!'s...

I've been running these on my bike for a few years now. IMO they are the best tire for the Ninja250 all around. They are great on everything, including wet and can get you home even if you get caught in snow.

The best way to think about tires is the cheapest option which will meet your needs. The ContiGo's in 110/70 and 140/70 are perfect for canyon carving and commuting, and are sticky between ~45F up to 110F which is where we typically ride. A higher performance tire will wear quicker and the 250 just doesn't have the power to need stickier tires.

If you don't believe me, ask @Momaru and @Skorch how I rode these on the Dragon a few years back... I rode those tires hard everywhere, for 14K miles on the rear, and 20K on the front.

[Panda]

150s don't pinch on your rim? I have 150s on mine but they get pinched.

[spooph]

Originally Posted by Panda

150s don't pinch on your rim? I have 150s on mine but they get pinched.

I'm sorry, classic miss communication. The first part of your sentence is correct, yes, a 150 will "pinch" on the rim, causing it to bend slightly out of shape with a more pronounced crown.

Effects:This is good for the track, and a poor man's way to get a bigger contact patch but will cause excessive wear during street use. It is also not recommended as the side walls loads change from their designed stresses and this can be dangerous. Doesn't keep people from doing it though.

The second part of your sentence is incorrect, as a 150/60 17 will fit in the swing arm as my Pirelli Diablo Super Corsa's fit. I'm not sure of a 150 with higher sidewalls like a 150/70 or bigger will also fit.

Summary:
The stock rim can fit up to a 140 without pinching.

The stock swing arm can fit between a 130/90 and a 150/60 I know for sure.

Keep in mind, the second # is a ratio between the circumference of the tire and sidewall, not a direct measurement like the circumference. If the tire is too tall, like a 140/90, it will rub on the front of the swing arm and cut 2 groves in the tire (ask me how I know). If it's too wide like a 160, it will rub on the sides of the swing arm and required a wider swing arm and be very badly pinched to the point of being very dangerous.. I'm sure theoretically you could fit a 160/40 on there, but I'm not aware of anybody who makes such a tire, and the pinch would be terrible, not even sure you could get the bead to set.

I hope that clears up the mess I made.

[InvisiBill]

If you don't know why you're changing tire size, it's probably best to just stick to the stock size. More powerful racebikes use smaller tires, and the 500 with almost exactly twice the power comes with the same size tires and wheels as the 250. You're not dealing with trying to put massive power to the ground.

A 140 should be fine on the stock wheel (the tire's specs should say what size wheel it's designed for). The 300 does come with a 140, but it also has a wider wheel. Depending on the particular brand and model of tire, combined with spacing due to sprocket changes, a 150 may or may not fit in the swingarm. I'm currently running a Pilot Power 150/60 on an aftermarket wheel in a NewGen swingarm in my 500.

Also keep in mind that tires wear out from UV exposure and heat cycles. Regardless of the number of miles ridden, they simply need to be replaced after a certain amount of time. If you don't ride a whole lot of miles, one of the softer performance tires may give you enough miles to last several seasons, when you should be thinking about replacing it anyway. If you're only going to ride 5,000 miles in the next 5 years, there's no sense getting a lesser-performing tire designed to go 20,000 miles.

The Pilot Street Radial seems to be getting very good reviews, doing very well in all categories. I definitely prefer the feel of my Pilot Powers over the Avon RoadRiders I had on the stock wheels. If I were buying stock-size tires, the PSR would be at the top of my list to check out.