I am looking to replace my Dunlop Roadsmarts that Came with my 2009 er-6n. It runs 160/60-17 on the rear and 120/70-17 on the front. As there seems to be an inch of clearance on the rear, can I replace the rear with a 170/60-17 without changing the stock rim? Gotten answers from "sure u can" to "heck no u will ruin the transmission." Help!
Location: Bangkok Thailand. Born and raised in Southampton, Hampshire, England.
Posts: 570
Yes you can, simple as that. It's the perfect compromise between a 180 (which would in most cases rub on your swingarm) and a 160. The beauty of the 170 is you don't need to fit a larger wheel to safely accommodate a 170 and that it looks better than the stock size. The only down side is that you'll slow down the bike's turn-in but you'll probably not notice that unless you're a track superstar squeezing the most out of his/her's bike.
P.S.
I'm guessing you bought the bike secondhand, because the 09-11 bikes came with Bridgestone rubber.
Thanks 636, I did buy it used. The Dunlops are not great and flattening in the middle. Def not a track superstar, my brother takes that title. Used to ride cruisers til I went to DR and fell in luv with a rented GXR. The er was a good compromise since I don't enjoy the sport bike seating position.
In Europe all er6 model came with Dunlop roadsmart tyres.. rear size 160/60-17. I 'm thinking myself to upgrade them with some other brand and also size up my rear tyre.. I was told 170/60 -17 is a very odd size and the prize seems to go up a bit. 180/60 would probably not fit between the swingarm. Reason I want to replace dunlop is that it seem to fat out in the middle and the wear seem to be much depending on the air pressure.
Location: Chesapeake, VA '06 ZZR fighter, 05 VTX-1300
Posts: 14,616
Stick with the stock size, or go with a 170, but remember that the 170 will be pinched on the wheel, therefore it won't look as wide as a 170 should. Honestly it won't even look wider than a 160, but it won't hurt anything.
Welcome to the forum. Any aftermarket tire is better than what came stock. The flattening you see on your tire is called "cupping". Just throwing out a motorcycle term for ya. Ride safely out there.
Without a 'photo, I'd guess that rather than cupping you're talking about the normal wear on a rear tyre in the centre of the tyre, flattening the profile. The only way to avoid this is to never ride in a straight line. That's difficult.
Fit a dual compound tyre that's wear resistant in the centre - don't know if that applies to the roadsmarts, but you'll still get the same wear pattern - just takes longer.
170 tyres are not too common, so you're better staying with the stock size where you have a better choice. For mixed use including highways and commuting Michelin PR3s are very good.
Thanks for your response..excuse for my bad description Larry...
yes Rob, center wear is what I ment. Pr3s were easy to find here
in Sweden so I think I will check them out and stick with the
stock size. I saw however a styled er6 with what looked to me as
180. Looked real cool, but I guess it would perhaps take away some
of the fun part with the er6. The quick side to side turn handling.
maybe that one had a wider rim, from z750 or a zx6r. the design is the same as ones on er6. since the stock rim is rather narrow it probably pinches even the 160 tire. the diff between 160 and 170 is ~10mm anyway...
regarding tire pressure and tire wear - be sure not to go too low for good mileage (if you ever start experimenting)
Looking for a straight answer on tire upgrade
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