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Tyre Upsizing for 650R

23K views 41 replies 16 participants last post by  AusEr6guy 
#1 ·
Hi,

I am already 11K and planning to change the tyre. I am thinking of the following instead of default.

Rear: Pirelli Diablo Super Corsa SP Tubeless P 180/55R 17
Front: Pirelli Diablo Super Corsa SP Tubeless P 120/70R 17

Will this work..?

Thanks in advance.
 
#4 ·
Wrong size tyre

The engineers didn't design your bike to have a 180 rear tyre fitted! I'm assuming you want this purely because you think it makes the bike look bigger/more powerful!?:confused:

It will only have negative effects, and that's if you can actually fitted it without a new rim.

  • In correct balance, tipping into and out of corners.
  • Uneven wear patterns (see above)
  • Poorer fuel economy.
  • Danger of the tyre coming off the rim.

There are probably a few more, but I'll quit for now and leave you to make up your mind from this and the other positive comments above! :wink2:
 
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#7 · (Edited)
BRP makes a good kit that will fit a zx6 5.5 rim onto the EX650 which has a 4.5 inch rim, but the max tire size on the 5.5 rim is a 180. A 190 on the 5.5 wheel has interference issues with the chain (so I'm told). Ryan Farquhars ER6 had the stock wheels in place, but he ran a 190 in the rear, (so the article states from Performance Bikes magazine). I wouldn't recomended going to an oversized tire on the stock wheel. It has been done, but I don't recommend it. Here is a link to the article. It's a bit tough to read but it is legible. http://twobanger.com/2015/10/04/race-er6/

www.twobanger.com
www.timeinthegarage.com
 
#11 ·
We're not talking about going up a profile here, like say a 50-55 for better/quicker turn in - Just guessing, but do you know what/how it would feel/compare to have the original 160 on it?
 
#15 ·
If you only ride in the warmer months, the Rosso's will serve you well, but anything cooler, or wetter and you're gonna struggle!

Michelin Pilot Roads are good ALL year tyres, but don't give great feedback when it gets really warm + 30C.

Michelin Pilot Power might be a better choice if you're a fair weather rider, or Pirelli Angel ST's are a solid choice!

Depends whether you want an out n out sport tyre, or something that serves up well across the board!?
 
#17 ·
Soft sport tires are ideal so the Pirellis are a good choice :)

People are getting over 10k kms here with several track days in between but the friction coefficient of the roads here is very low.

Also they tend to lose traction quite abruptly near the end of their life, just like the Continentals, but not in a dangerous way.
 
#24 · (Edited)
did you finally upsize your tyres? I have seen people use the 180 profile for the rear but if you ask around not many ppl would recommend it.

I am currently trying to make a decision between the Metzeler M5I and the Pirelli Angel GT

M5s seem to have better grip for our conditions but they wear out too soon.. Heard maybe 8k is their max life (Depends on how and where you ride of course)
The GTs give a good balance. Most of the people I know who own the 650 have changed to that.
I have a 6n and was trying to get my hands on the Roadtec z8 (not available in india). But seriously considering against upsizing
 
#25 ·
I am currently trying to make a decision between the Metzeler M5I and the Pirelli Angel GT


The GTs give a good balance. Most of the people I know who own the 650 have changed to that.

But seriously considering against upsizing
The Angel GT is a good sport touring tire with pronounced sport characteristics. It's stickier than most touring tires but can't compete with a purely sport tire when it comes to braking and cornering grip. I consistently get more than 10k kms out of Dunlop sport tires like the Sportsmart I and II and I can combine sport riding, track days and long trips without any problems (I currently have Sportsmart II fitted).

And yes, considering tire upsizing you can spend your time and money way more effectively on suspension / braking parts :wink2:
 
#26 ·
I don't understand this WANT to upsize the rear tyre when it's not beneficial to the bike/ride/handling experience:dunno:

I can only assume this is some weird form of vanity/insecurity in
wanting your bike to look like a bigger bike from behind maybe :confused:

There are some things in life that are definitely better with a fat ass, BUTT the ER-6 is not one of them! :wink2:
 
#28 ·
I am on my second set of Michelin Pilot Road 3 tires, and I will get the 4s next time.

The Pilot Road 3s are great in the rain, at the expense of some traction on a hot, dry day- anyone that lives in a desert is probably better off with the Dunlop Roadsmart IIs or some other tire that is more for hot, dry weather than the Pilot Roads.

Many say the best tire for very fast street riding, for their price and wear time, is the Dunlop Q3, but these will wear out faster than the 3 tires listed above.
 
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#29 ·
the problem here in India is that with respect to the tyre size we have only two options. Metzeler and Pirelli (I didn't want to go back to the Dunlop ones).
So after getting in touch with the Pirelli India in charge and then the Regional Manager I found out that they stock the Metzeler M7s. After a bit of deliberation opted for the Metzeler M7s purely for their wet grip. I realize the life will reduce considerably but that's something I'm willing to forgo.

The next thing I'm planning to do is change the rear brake pads. Got in touch with a knowledgeable shop owner and he has suggested a Scandinavian Double Sintered brake pads for the rear. He also stocks the Brembo ones but said that since the Brembo ones for ER6n are only single Sintered the Scandinavian ones out perform the Brembo in every department. Same goes for the ones available in EBC.

Hopefully will get the pads installed this weekend.

Coming back to the tyre. I find a clear difference in the acceleration of the bike. The jump is much more instant than it was with the stock tyres. With the new pads I hope to see a vast improvement in braking!
 
#30 ·
The next thing I'm planning to do is change the rear brake pads. Got in touch with a knowledgeable shop owner and he has suggested a Scandinavian Double Sintered brake pads for the rear. He also stocks the Brembo ones but said that since the Brembo ones for ER6n are only single Sintered the Scandinavian ones out perform the Brembo in every department. Same goes for the ones available in EBC.

Hopefully will get the pads installed this weekend.

Coming back to the tyre. I find a clear difference in the acceleration of the bike. The jump is much more instant than it was with the stock tyres. With the new pads I hope to see a vast improvement in braking!
Cool, enjoy the new rubber and take it easy for the first 100 miles or so.

When I changed my brake pads I went for organic instead of sintered because of the slippery roads here. It proved to be a good choice for the rear but probably not so for the front brakes as they still have weak initial bite despite fitting braided lines too. The rear brake though feels great and I can actually use it effectively even in the city so I would suggest choosing an organic compound for the rear and sintered for the front pads? I also saw the greatest improvement in braking when changing the fork springs with progressive ones but my bike had the ultra soft front fork of the early models.

I know that there can't be a direct comparison of course, just providing some food for thought :grin2:
 
#39 · (Edited)
You won't get many (if any) negatives from straight line speed. The potential problem/s for you will be under hard cornering. The angle at which your tyre beading meets the rim are much more extreme than they should/would be with the correct 160 fitted, because the stock width of your rim is 4.5", therefore, you're actually loosing some of the width you're trying to gain.

Also if you look again at that angle, you're NEVER gonna get the bike leaned over fully on the tyre edge and it will (I imagine) feel very unstable at max achievable lean angles because of it, so I hope the massive "chicken strips" you're gonna be left with don't detract from the joy that fatter tyre has brought you!?

The rear rim size is what dictates what tire to use. Although a 170 can be used on a 4.5 - 5.5 rim, the 180 wants a 5.5" really.

You'll also notice turn in quickness. The larger tyre will effect this.
The 180 will slow you down and flickabilty will be harder although not unpleasant. Yeah, they look better and on a higher hp bikes exit speed will benefit as the tire tries to spin and has a little more contact patch (Not an issue on the ER!)

As long as you don't plan on tracking the bike, where you would lower tyre pressures, which would in turn exaggerate the angle further, or riding/cornering really aggressively for prolonged periods of time !? You should be fine...
 
#41 ·
  • You won't get many (if any) negatives from straight line speed. The potential problem/s for you will be under hard cornering. The angle at which your tyre beading meets the rim are much more extreme than they should/would be with the correct 160 fitted, because the stock width of your rim is 4.5", therefore, you're actually loosing some of the width you're trying to gain.

    Also if you look again at that angle, you're NEVER gonna get the bike leaned over fully on the tyre edge and it will (I imagine) feel very unstable at max achievable lean angles because of it, so I hope the massive "chicken strips" you're gonna be left with don't detract from the joy that fatter tyre has brought you!?

    The rear rim size is what dictates what tire to use. Although a 170 can be used on a 4.5 - 5.5 rim, the 180 wants a 5.5" really.

    You'll also notice turn in quickness. The larger tyre will effect this.
    The 180 will slow you down and flickabilty will be harder although not unpleasant. Yeah, they look better and on a higher hp bikes exit speed will benefit as the tire tries to spin and has a little more contact patch (Not an issue on the ER!)

    As long as you don't plan on tracking the bike, where you would lower tyre pressures, which would in turn exaggerate the angle further, or riding/cornering really aggressively for prolonged periods of time !? You should be fine...
    Dude your a ****** ads hater that knows everything. "He who knows everything knows nothing" He wasn't asking for your opinion on the matter, just whether or not it was possible. Apparently it is possible ya dipshit. Not everyone is trying to "track race" a fucking 650. Me personally am try t o do a little stunt, hence why I was asking this same question about the 180/55. But that for wasting my time getting me to read your shit.
 
#40 ·
Okay.. So the last time I had posted I ended up with the Metzeler Sportec M7 RR, 160 on my ER6n... After about 9k odd KMs the center patch started to flatten just like the stock so I started looking for alternatives. Something that had good grip (wet and dry) and lasted longer than 9k KMs. So I went for the Michelin PR4s and ended up up-sizing my rear tyre from a 160 to a 180 (only reason I did it is coz I really wanted the Michelin PR4s and they were only available in 180s in my country). That being said, the recommended pressure in the manual is 36 for the rear while the max allowed on the tyre is 42.
When I tried to keep it around 34-36 I noticed the contact patch being quite wide. I now keep the pressure at 40. I read a few other places where they mentioned to reduce the tyre pressure. I recently did a 600 odd KMs trip with the tyre pressure (front and rear) at 40 PSI (I changed the front to a PR4 too though they are stock sized but tyres mention max psi at 42 just like the rear). The only thing I noticed was the ride was a bit bumpier. Other than that I faced no issues.

Would love to hear thoughts of you guys on this. What pressure would you guys recommend?

Note:
I dont ride alone. I ride with pillion, saddle bags, a tank bag and some luggage on a carrier I custom fitted for the bike.
 
#42 ·
I dont think he meant offence or malice and its obvious youre upset. If i can suggest taking a deep breath and seeing it for what probably is; Just someone contributing to a conversation? Same as you actually :)

By the way Ive got a 180 rear on mine( I wanted a 200 but i have a versys swingarm and it doesnt fit i tried :) ) To me it feels more in tune with the way i ride. I did put it on a 6 inch rim though.
 
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