I was thinking about a Bridgestone Battlax 200/50/17.Would any modification be required?

Thanks casper, I do have a rear hugger, if I do get a 55, I can get the suspension set for cheap/good or do it myself ....

Think about it like this Cara.....the 190/55 is roughly 3/4" taller divided by 2 is 3/8", it'll be 3/8" closer to your hugger. I guess if you have 5/8" min clearance right now you should be good. BTW, I've got a Bestem hugger coming, and will probably upgrade to a 190/55, so I'll find out also!!!

Regards, John

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Oh yea, I was thinking 2.35 inches, but that is TOTAL circumference, thanks for jarring my memory loose !

I think it will fit fine, going to go measure right now ...

Try and get some pictures of the hugger when it's on.

Take care,

Frank

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200/50/17 shouldn't affect my hugger upgrading from a 190/50/17 do you think?
thanks

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You have to take into consideration that it may fit the rim width, but you will be shrinking the width of the contact patch by pinching in the side walls, causing the tire profile to be skinnier and probably taller. Most 190 tires, mounted on a wider rim, 6.25ish, yields a larger contact patch. The drag racers use 180 tires on the stock rim.

So which one is really wider?

The contact patch or the chicken strip?

The lower fairing will scrape way before you need the extra shoulder width. IMO, 240 or 190.

* Last updated by: fatsix on 5/4/2014 @ 7:07 AM *

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I wore out a 200/50/17 Q2, on a stock rim, after 6500 miles. I spooned on a 190/50/17 Q3 about 500 miles ago. After got it back together, I took it for a ride and the first thing that I noticed is how effortlessly it leaned. It really sort of scared me at first, I did not realize after 6500 miles on the 200 how much effort that I was using to lean compared to the stock size. Just an observation, after a few miles I don't notice any more again.

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you will be shrinking the width of the contact patch by pinching in the side walls, causing the tire profile to be skinnier and probably taller.

I was thinking that would make the contact patch bigger, wouldn't it? Squeeze the beads 10mm closer and the tread should be flatter on each side = more tire touching the road when you corner. If you're like me, the center will wear flatter in due time giving you more contact for braking. Whatever the case may be, the tire will also get taller than it would be if installed on a 200 mm wide rim so i"m guessing the tire will be a few mm closer to the hugger.

I've heard that tire height can be tricky. Not all brands of 190s are exactly the same height. So I heard but I never measured.

* Last updated by: Rook on 5/4/2014 @ 8:11 PM *

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I was thinking that would make the contact patch bigger, wouldn't it? Squeeze the beads 10mm closer and the tread should be flatter on each side = more tire touching the road when you corner.

I'm talking center contact patch, where 95% of us spend most of the time. The fairings scrape trying to get to the shoulder, so more grip there is useless.

Narrower rim will pull the shoulder of the tire down or in. Making the profile of the tire more elliptical. Wider rim will push the shoulder out and spread the tread, making it rounder. I know were only talking millimeters here, where i think weight plays a larger part.

Something easier to visualize. Car tire... 1" wider rim on a car.
Ever see a Wak pack mobile? Kid drivin his moms toyota carolla with rims too wide for the tire, because he only had enough money for the rims and used the stock tire? The side wall is all ballooned out, pushing the shoulder of the tire up and cupping the center. Wears the shoulder treat out.

Now reverse that, 1" narrower rim. Pulls the side wall in, shoulder down, center pushes out. Makes the tire rounder. Center wears out.

As far as drag slicks for cars. Which are flat, referencing stock size tire, a taller tire has a larger contact patch than a slightly wider one. A profiled bike street tire skews this i think.

* Last updated by: fatsix on 5/5/2014 @ 6:21 AM *

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I'm talking center contact patch, where 95% of us spend most of the time. The fairings scrape trying to get to the shoulder, so more grip there is useless.

With lower tire pressure, I can use the whole tread surface, edge to edge and I imagine lower inflation also enlarges the center contact patch. The heat in the tire also increases the psi because the air inside the tire warms up and expands. However, lower inflation reduces cornering clearance from what it would be with the tire at max psi. Something will scrape be it exhaust or lower fairings. I only liked low tire pressure for track riding. I find 35 psi or less unpredictable for sport riding on the street. It feels mushy and the tire never gets hot enough to grip as well as it can on a track.

So, 190/55 for me at 43 psi. That doesn't solve the hugger clearance problem though.

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