170/60 rear tire ?

What's the take on swapping that size onto a 5th gen?    According to the conversion I see, it will be a little taller overall but not much..20mm only.  should help with quicker handling, being somewhat narrower and taller.

  Anybody done it.?

  Thanks Don Hanson

Nobody that I'm aware of. Should be doable.

Why the need to swap? Did you "inherit" the tire from a friend, brand new?

Why not just run the correct size?

you could, but on a 5.5 wheel its gonna be a touch narrow. So I guess I have the same questions as above, why not run the standard 180?

Why not the original size, indeed.?

  I posted the title query thinking of the 6th generation size...as I had yet to find the specs for the 5th Gen wheel and tire sizes in the downloads that I also found,  just recently.   I went ahead and ordered the 180/55 the same size that was on there...... what turns out to be the correct size....I mistakenly thought the Previous Owner had spooned an oversize tire on, just like he'd put a 17/41 sprocket combo...looking, I suppose, for better freeway commuting gas mileage or something.  The clearance between the tire and the high carbon 2 Brothers exhaust mount is quite close...that also had me thinking..."P.O."....  New rear tire (Shinko soft compound), new gearing (16/44) and proper ride height....I should have an even nicer ride.

ps.  Don't let's start a Tire Thread.....I have had every brand of tire at one time or another, except these Shinko...which I understand are 're-branded' Yokos...which I have had and liked in the past...  So anyway, I went 'Shinko' cause they got good reveiws by other riders and because they were significantly less expensive than say Pirellis or Metzlers, what I have on my other bike...  I am expecting with the weight and hp/gearing of the VFR, and it being a new bike to me....I will probably go through a new soft compound rear in 3-5k miles anyhow.

  Don Hanson

I have to say I have woundered to to try it, spechally if I would get a steal deal on a 170/60. But still have not, as if you dont pay by the list price (I guess someone is, but most not) you do get the stock 180/55 cheaper than a 170/60. Well back in years then a 170/60 was wide (time when the RC30 was new and exotic, well its still exotic...) they was mounted on 5,5 wide rims (like the RC30 had stock only it was a 18",  and the RC36 and ZXR750 had so also but a 17" rim , or Ninja 750 that is a familiar name in north america). But today its a tire whit the recomended rim width of 5", not 5,5. And the wider rim only get the profile flater that is good for straigt running (and to easylly zero chickenstripes) but not for ultimate handling. I guess its a reason many 3rd gen owners run 180/55 rears whit good result. So I wote to for sticking whit a stock size 180/55, more tires to chose from at a (usually) better prize.

But if you en up trying, just let us know how it performed :smile:

Hey  Don,

Sounds like you got it figured it out!  Now the 4th gen VFR used a 170 on a 5" wheel, but all other VFR's from 90-09 run the 180 on a 5.5".

BR

Yes, I did get the 180.  I am such a rookie when it comes to the VFR, but I am a good student.

I just had most of my driveline apart, replacing sprockets and checking bearings and brakes, etc.  Quite similar to my Honda Hawk NT 650 in it's general configuration.

My rear left side hub bearing was bad, probably caused by a rock-hard hub O-ring.  The drive rubbers were shot, too.   The innards of my rear wheel show this bike has spent time in the rain, but nothing that can't be cleaned up.  The clutch fluid looked like it was still the original from 2000!  That seems to work a lot better now, with a little TLC of the rod and the slave and clean fluid....
  I'm hoping for a warm day to try my new drive gearing...I went from 17 to 16 on the countershaft sprocket and from 42>44 at the rear...I should now be able to use  5th and 6th gears and not lug the motor...and the front wheel might come up a little easier...eh?  I also finished my seat cowl and have all the stuff in hand to start on the bodywork when winter really arrives...which it may already have done.....

  As I become familiar with the VFR I noticed Honda did not really seem especially concerned with weight as they built these...Maybe it's because I have been working on bicycles and racecars lately, but daily, I take a part in my hand and look at it and go...."Sheesh, this thing is heavy, why didn't they ______________?"  Of course, I am no Cost-analylist  engineer or Production Accountant...and 'sturdy' (read: Heavy as crap) is probably why there are so many viable VFRs still running.  

  I'm going to have fun with this bike, I can tell.  I already have about 100 things I want to 'fix'.  I know I can easily take 50-60lbs off the bike without losing any comfort-rideability.  Should make it handle better, too.  Fun stuff.
  Don Hanson

Ask the GSXR guys with the snapping frames if their bikes need to be a bit heavier.

[image: Posted Image]

[image: View Post]Baileyrock, on 05 November 2011 - 07:43 PM, said:

Hey  Don,

Sounds like you got it figured it out!  Now the 4th gen VFR used a 170 on a 5" wheel, but all other VFR's from 90-09 run the 180 on a 5.5".

BR

My 90 came with a 170/60 from mother Honda on the 5.5". But it always felt better with the 180/55. They just weren't very common in 91, 92, 93...made them hard to get.

I put a 170 on mine once several years ago. It was a take-off from my YZF600 track bike. I think it turned in a little quicker, but was not too twitchy. To be honest, I don't remember a lot of difference. I mostly commuted on it, so that may be the reason why I didn't notice much difference. In the tight twisty stuff, it may be more noticable.