Has anyone ran a 190/55 on a 6th gen? I have some Dunlap GPA's that I ran for a few track days on my CBR that are just sitting. I run slicks most of the time on the CBR for the track and have 2 sets of rims to switch back and forth. This late spring I'm going on a bunch of rides with friends up in the mountain twisties and was thinking about the extra grip the GPA's would offer on the VFR.
Thanks
Probably would offer a bit of extra grip due to the compound but the slower turn in would drive me crazy. I don't think you could ower the front enough to get back to the stock turn in much less quicken it.
I would stick with a 180/55, even in a sport/touring compound.
Since you have the tires basically, mount one up and give us a back to back test with a 180...both at proper air pressure.
I once put a 190 on my Buell S1 (stock size is 180) and it went from porky to big fat pig in a hurry.
Putting a fatter rear tire on a wheel that was not designed for it will "round out" the tire and slow the bike's turn rate or "roll rate". Kind of in the same way that a rounded tire profile will slow the bike's steering/roll rate. That's the best I can describe it. The bottom line is, if the rear wheel is not wide enough to "spread" that fatter tire out to its proper width and profile shape, it will just slow your steering down. So don't do it. Unless you want to have the look of a fatter rear tire and don't care about the handling effects.
My tire specialist told me once the simple answer: do not change manufactuer sizes, this is a bike not a car :D
Sent from my GT-S5570 using Tapatalk
I dunno, but I just put a 170/60 on my '99... :goofy:
The 190/55 is a higher profile than a 190/50. It will change the geometry by making the ass a bit higher. A lot of people are running the 55 for the track for a bigger contact patch. I tried it years ago for track days and after I got the Ohlins set up correctly geometry wise I have not looked back. The rim size on the VFR is 5."5 and the CBR is 6".
The .5 difference is what has me wondering if this will be possible. That and will the tire physically fit under the rear fender. I have the tires just sitting for the use. I just did not want to do all the work and spend the money on flipping the tires to try it if I could find out if anyone has done it before.
Thanks
Upon looking at the stock tire I realized there is no Tire hugger on the VFR.LOL. So vertically a 55 will fit. I guess I was thinking about how tight it is putting on tire warmers on the CBR with a 55.
according to Dunlop, the recommended rim width for a 190/55-17 race tire is 5.5"
http://dunlopracing.com/tires-products/d211gpa/
but there is the whole downside to heat cycles, and the narrow operating range of a race tire in street conditions.
dont even mention rain.
Thanks for the info.
I have sport toured on the CBR many times with both the GPA's and the Michelin PP when it was doing double duty. You do need to make sure to take it easy in the twisties until the tires are warm and in the rain they do ok but don't shed water like a touring tire not to mention the low mileage you get out of them. But they are free so to speak and will not see the track again and still have a lot of tread.Especially the center.
Definitely I would say: don't do it. The feeling of sturdiness you gain is balanced with a slower cornering in reality. And steering will change also, you will have a more "nervous" feeling than before, since front tyre won't play the same game than rear.
I used to put a front tyre with a peaky profile on my Daytona to help a little, but geometry was more than an experiment, and I reverted everything to stock. Hope it helps.
6th Gens aren't what I would call "nimble" even with a 180!
Can't hurt to try it, your obviously an experienced rider so no harm to try it out IMO. :wheel:
I think it would be OK..
We're still living in the past... one upon a time all these numbers actually meant something.
Not now... go 10 or 20mm over, or under, use a different model of tyre, even go with different brands front and rear... it makes little difference in the general scheme of things.
If the tyre fits and clears the swingarm, you're good to go. Don't sweat it.
I remember a trip where my wife's Triumph TT600 did a rear tyre and we could not plug it - we put a Dunlop on the rear as the specified Bridgestone was not available. I had fanged that bike before the Dunlop went on, and I fanged afterwards, and there was no difference whatsoever.
Well there are many differences in tyres. First up don't mix radials & crossplys, it will end in tears even on your car !
The profiles of most sport touring type tyres are pretty much the same, so changing brands will not normally cause any issues, but your mileage may vary on this.
More sport oriented tyres normally have a steeper profile & these can feel odd when mixed with a sport touring tyre, so be careful of that, the effect can take place in a narrow speed range too, so just because its stable at speed X does not mean it will stable at speed Y.
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I have ran a 200/5517 power one almost all the time on my deceased VFR,and on the above R6.The reason is a friend gives me his track tires which are just fine for the street.
That tire carcass is really stiff (run @ 18 psi)aand deforms during acceleration out of the corner thus more contact patch.Realy works well but I couldn't justify the cost for the street but free just worked for me.
So it fits it works but a little more work to tip the bike into a corner and all in all 180's a less expensive and work fine.
You have to ride pretty hard on the streets to adequately heat up those track tires.........
I guess I forgot to say that I have both front and rear GPA's ans will change out both, but the rear was a different size from stock hence this thread. The front is the same size as stock.
I put the GPA's on my VFR and have about 1000 miles on them. They feel SO much better then the stock Metzler's. I hated those tires. I'm not sure if the taller profile is helping turn or just the tire itself but dragging knee and hard parts on the big girl would be easy. Feels so much more nimble. I know I won't get a lot of miles on them but for free that's ok. I think I'll just keep cycling old track tires from the CBR to the VFR and save some money. Even slicks.
Bosarge22I put the GPA's on my VFR and have about 1000 miles on them. They feel SO much better then the stock Metzler's. I hated those tires. I'm not sure if the taller profile is helping turn or just the tire itself but dragging knee and hard parts on the big girl would be easy. Feels so much more nimble. I know I won't get a lot of miles on them but for free that's ok. I think I'll just keep cycling old track tires from the CBR to the VFR and save some money. Even slicks.
I have ran slicks on the front of the VFR for 4 years much better than another tire period.I run the michelin power cup v profile A compound on the gsxr750 best tire hands down.
If you ever run it you won't run anything else.
Edited February 26, 2014 by norton850norton850Bosarge22I put the GPA's on my VFR and have about 1000 miles on them. They feel SO much better then the stock Metzler's. I hated those tires. I'm not sure if the taller profile is helping turn or just the tire itself but dragging knee and hard parts on the big girl would be easy. Feels so much more nimble. I know I won't get a lot of miles on them but for free that's ok. I think I'll just keep cycling old track tires from the CBR to the VFR and save some money. Even slicks.
I have ran slicks on the front of the VFR for 4 years much better than another tire period.I run the michelin power cup v profile A compound on the gsxr750 best tire hands down.
If you ever run it you won't run anything else.
You get the best performance from racing slicks only if you get them to proper temperatures. Unlike on the track, street riding never really gets them warm enough to do so, I bet that in most cases you will still get better performance with good treaded street "sport" tires when riding on the street than on slick racing tires..... = racing slicks for street riding is mostly a waste of money....
Becknorton850Bosarge22I put the GPA's on my VFR and have about 1000 miles on them. They feel SO much better then the stock Metzler's. I hated those tires. I'm not sure if the taller profile is helping turn or just the tire itself but dragging knee and hard parts on the big girl would be easy. Feels so much more nimble. I know I won't get a lot of miles on them but for free that's ok. I think I'll just keep cycling old track tires from the CBR to the VFR and save some money. Even slicks.
I have ran slicks on the front of the VFR for 4 years much better than another tire period.I run the michelin power cup v profile A compound on the gsxr750 best tire hands down.
If you ever run it you won't run anything else.
You get the best performance from racing slicks only if you get them to proper temperatures. Unlike on the track, street riding never really gets them warm enough to do so, I bet that in most cases you will still get better performance with good treaded street "sport" tires when riding on the street than on slick racing tires..... = racing slicks for street riding is mostly a waste of money....
Unless you are using take offs from track days or races and they are free or 25% of new...
from your link Norton "Tire Warmers: The use of warming blankets is HIGHLY recommended with POWER CUP. The ideal use of would consist of heating to 176 ° F or 80 ° C for 30 to 40 minutes before riding the tires on the track to ensure the tire use is at its optimum temperature to ensure optimum performance."
More good stuff in the link about how much to increase tire pressure for wet tracks and cold tracks...
Regarding the original topic...try a 170 on the rear of your VFR and prepare to be amazed.
Tyre warmers are great to warm your hands too!!!
Unless there are better "options" to do so....
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One simply has to keep an eye out for it....
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every time i see this topic i scream...
The difference between a 180/55 and a 190/55 is profile and
diameter... the 190 is bigger in diameter and sharper in profile...
the change in geometry is as follows... going to a 190 from a 180
means rake is steepen and trail is shorten... which adds up to quicker
handling but the trade off for a bigger diameter tire is slower
acceleration and lower rpms during cruise... technically speaking if
your bike did not come stock with a 190/55 then I would not recommend
it... stock diameters give the best overall fit and feel at our levels
of joy...
190/55/17=25.228 641mm
180/55/17=24.795 629mm
The difference between a 190/50 and a 190/55 is profile and
diameter... the 55 is bigger in diameter and sharper in profile... the
change in geometry is as follows... going from a 50 to a 55 means rake
is steepen and trail is shorten... which adds up to quicker handling
but the trade off for a bigger diameter tire is slower acceleration
and lower rpms during cruise... technically speaking if your bike did
not come stock with a 190/55 then I would not recommend it... stock
diameters give the best overall fit and feel at our levels of joy...
190/50/17 = 24.480 inches or 621mm
190/55/17 = 25.228 inches or 640mm
CornerCarverEdited February 27, 2014 by norton850Becknorton850Bosarge22I put the GPA's on my VFR and have about 1000 miles on them. They feel SO much better then the stock Metzler's. I hated those tires. I'm not sure if the taller profile is helping turn or just the tire itself but dragging knee and hard parts on the big girl would be easy. Feels so much more nimble. I know I won't get a lot of miles on them but for free that's ok. I think I'll just keep cycling old track tires from the CBR to the VFR and save some money. Even slicks.
I have ran slicks on the front of the VFR for 4 years much better than another tire period.I run the michelin power cup v profile A compound on the gsxr750 best tire hands down.
If you ever run it you won't run anything else.
You get the best performance from racing slicks only if you get them to proper temperatures. Unlike on the track, street riding never really gets them warm enough to do so, I bet that in most cases you will still get better performance with good treaded street "sport" tires when riding on the street than on slick racing tires..... = racing slicks for street riding is mostly a waste of money....
Unless you are using take offs from track days or races and they are free or 25% of new...
from your link Norton "Tire Warmers: The use of warming blankets is HIGHLY recommended with POWER CUP. The ideal use of would consist of heating to 176 ° F or 80 ° C for 30 to 40 minutes before riding the tires on the track to ensure the tire use is at its optimum temperature to ensure optimum performance."
More good stuff in the link about how much to increase tire pressure for wet tracks and cold tracks...
Regarding the original topic...try a 170 on the rear of your VFR and prepare to be amazed.
Not a WASTE of money,I put a front michelin slick on in march and ride all season on that front tire,if have not done so you really make a comment,I ride with several other riders who have do so also.Sure you don't get a 100% out of the tire but what do get is heads above any other tire and they last all seasons of hard riding.Went to the cup cause the street legal,and just as good.
Last year will riding in WNC the bike in front of lost the front then the bike behind did the same,both totaled and they came home on a flatt back,so I'd say the michelin cup worth the money.
Rear's are not worth it,run a pilot power,and 180 the best if OEM calls for that size.
One season of good luck with a slick front does not change the fact that the tire was designed by the manufacturer for the track and the conditions and tire temperatures that you expect in such....
Unless you might be a tire engineer from Michelin, Pirelli or Bridgestone, I will consider your insistence on using slicks on the street as a good idea as suspect, at best.....
BeckOne season of good luck with a slick front does not change the fact that the tire was designed by the manufacturer for the track and the conditions and tire temperatures that you expect in such....
Unless you might be a tire engineer from Michelin, Pirelli or Bridgestone, I will consider your insistence on using slicks on the street as a good idea as suspect, at best.....
Funny you should say that retired conti,general employee 25 years,I scrapped more rubber off the bottom of my shoes then you'll use in your life time .
If you have a ear to hear that's cool if not all the fact's are nothing.It is what it is.
I bought about 4 sets of Pilot Pure take offs from a friend who sold his Gixxer 1000. Since I sold my Tuono I decided to spoon them onto the VFR. The went on fit and rode just fine. I did notice some strange early wear just off center. Pures have a very light carcass so maybe only applies to them. I gladly went back to a Pilot Road 2 180/55. I like the way the bike handles with the 180's better.
KevCarverI dunno, but I just put a 170/60 on my '99... :goofy:
And the size your '99 calls for is...? Notice any differences? How many miles do you have on it?
VFR Capt.BobI used pilot pures on my ktm 640 SM and they were awesome. Liked them so much I tried a set on my Vfr.I bought about 4 sets of Pilot Pure take offs from a friend who sold his Gixxer 1000. Since I sold my Tuono I decided to spoon them onto the VFR. The went on fit and rode just fine. I did notice some strange early wear just off center. Pures have a very light carcass so maybe only applies to them. I gladly went back to a Pilot Road 2 180/55. I like the way the bike handles with the 180's better.
On the heavier Vfr they were great when new, but that didn't last long. They quickly became vague, especially on the front. Rate of wear was the same as any other sport tyre, they just lost feel very quickly.
Now running Pirelli Diablo Rosso 2s, which are brilliant in hot and dry and cold and wet. Using a190/55, but on a 6 inch rear from a 1098.
wgregtKevCarverI dunno, but I just put a 170/60 on my '99... :goofy:
And the size your '99 calls for is...? Notice any differences? How many miles do you have on it?
A 180/55 is standard for all VFRs other than the 4G and the 7G (not counting the bias ply 1G)...Kev did this initially after changing a set of tires on his ST1300.
The ST runs a narrower 170 rear and handles surprising quick for such a large bike. He spooned a 170 on his 5G VFR and came by, tossed me the keys without telling me what he had done. I was really surprised at how quickly it turned in.
I am not sure why people want to run larger, heavier, slower to turn tires on the 5.5" rear rims of 3/4 liter VFRs...
CornerCarverwgregtKevCarverI dunno, but I just put a 170/60 on my '99... :goofy:
And the size your '99 calls for is...? Notice any differences? How many miles do you have on it?
A 180/55 is standard for all VFRs other than the 4G and the 7G (not counting the bias ply 1G)...Kev did this initially after changing a set of tires on his ST1300.
The ST runs a narrower 170 rear and handles surprising quick for such a large bike. He spooned a 170 on his 5G VFR and came by, tossed me the keys without telling me what he had done. I was really surprised at how quickly it turned in.
I am not sure why people want to run larger, heavier, slower to turn tires on the 5.5" rear rims of 3/4 liter VFRs...
Mehhhh....I've learned through the years that it all comes down to what looks kewhlest on their bikes...and for some people, the power of kewhl can be more powerful than the power of logic...kinda like the constant clashes between religion and science.....
That's why tire threads like this will always come up in forums like this .....long after we're all gone...Oil threads, WATCH OUT! :rolleyes:
still waiting for my cookie..........
[image: hammy_zps23dd9fcd.jpg]
the monster on my head says all arguments are invalid..as all candies are good..and still want my cookie!!!
Thanks for the replies, some interesting stuff in there. The tires are free so that's why I did it. I know its not optimal but is so much better than the tires I had on it. If I lower the pressure and take my time in the twisties they will get plenty warm and have tons of grip for the moderate riding I do in the mountains. The only place I haul ass these days is on the track with a track bike. Street I am very low key, just want to have fun on rides. Hope to get to NC and Tennessee this spring again.
BusyLittleShopThe difference between a 180/55 and a 190/55 is profile and
diameter... the 190 is bigger in diameter and sharper in profile...
the change in geometry is as follows... going to a 190 from a 180
means rake is steepen and trail is shorten... which adds up to quicker
handling but the trade off for a bigger diameter tire is slower
acceleration and lower rpms during cruise... technically speaking if
your bike did not come stock with a 190/55 then I would not recommend
it... stock diameters give the best overall fit and feel at our levels
of joy...
190/55/17=25.228 641mm
180/55/17=24.795 629mm
The difference between a 190/50 and a 190/55 is profile and
diameter... the 55 is bigger in diameter and sharper in profile... the
change in geometry is as follows... going from a 50 to a 55 means rake
is steepen and trail is shorten... which adds up to quicker handling
but the trade off for a bigger diameter tire is slower acceleration
and lower rpms during cruise... technically speaking if your bike did
not come stock with a 190/55 then I would not recommend it... stock
diameters give the best overall fit and feel at our levels of joy...
190/50/17 = 24.480 inches or 621mm
190/55/17 = 25.228 inches or 640mm
Two questions, I highlighted in the first paragraph,"going to a 190 from a 180 means rake is steepen and trail is shorten". Don't you mean going from 180 to 190...? Second, the equality you show are these total diameters of mounted pressurized tires? Thanks...
Rush2112Two questions, I highlighted in the first paragraph,"going to a 190 from a 180 means rake is steepen and trail is shorten". Don't you mean going from 180 to 190...? Second, the equality you show are these total diameters of mounted pressurized tires? Thanks...
When the aspect ratios are the same going to a 190/55 from a 180/55 steeps rake and shorts trail whereas when the aspect
ratios are different going to 190/50 from a 180/55 adds rake and trail... yes the equality I show are total diameters of mounted
pressurized tires...
Well I am on my second set of off DOT race tires from my track bike, 190/55. Can't argue with free. After running the first set of GPA 211's on the VFR I feel it handles great, did not change the geometry enough to really make a noticeable difference to me and when they are up to temperature have very good grip. I'm not dragging knee and hauling ass on the streets with her but it feels very good. I keep the fast stuff in check for the track.
Be real careful with 190s on the 6th gen... the swing arm gives less room than that of the 5th gen... I say this from experience... I took a 190/55 off my 5th gen (think it was a Dragon Supercorsa I was given free) and after 20 minutes of riding on back roads caning it... something didn't feel right... stopped looked... and right in the centre band of the tyre you could see the wear... touched the tyre and it was burning hot... it wasn't rubbing on the edges like I had thought to check but in the middle, from rubbing on the inside diameter of the swingarm in front of the tyre... where the shockie is (to orientate you)... it had actually worn a shallow Groove into the aluminium of the swingarm... scary stuff!!!
I was surprised at this as I noticed nothing of the sort on the 5th gen and threw it back on the 5th gen and it had loads of clearance.
I did not feel any advantage whatsoever on the 5th gen at least... in fact it felt less nimble when running through twisties.
I have plenty of clearance with Dunlop GPA 211's. After thousands of miles on the last set all seems well. This is probably going to be the last set on the VFR as I don't plan running on the track in the wet anymore. I'm just going to stick with slicks on the track bike and if the track is wet I'll pass. I have learned a lot through the years about riding on the edge in the rain at the track and a lot of those skills transfer to street riding and I feel that is a plus. Being very smooth on all inputs is the key. I can drag knee in the rain but honestly its to a little nerve racking riding like that. So after this set I'll be back to a set of good street tires and not a 190/55.
Time for tires, the GPA's are done. Thinking about PR4's, seem to be good on the VFR.
Bosarge22Time for tires, the GPA's are done. Thinking about PR4's, seem to be good on the VFR.
Thats what I'll be having soon
I've ran pr3's and pr4's on an sv650s. Wouldnt run anything else tbh. Just need to use up the life in these tyres haha
PR4's are great tires....won't regret it....
I have read the PR4's really shine in the wet but get a little greasy when its really hot out and your riding hard. Any 1st hand experience on this?
Thanks
Bosarge22I have read the PR4's really shine in the wet but get a little greasy when its really hot out and your riding hard. Any 1st hand experience on this?
Thanks
If its greasy i dont ride as hard, and the same with the wet. I dont feel it safe to. It only takes abit of oil and you're off lol.
But i never struggled for grip with the pr3's or 4's, with my riding style
Otaylor38Bosarge22I have read the PR4's really shine in the wet but get a little greasy when its really hot out and your riding hard. Any 1st hand experience on this?
Thanks
If its greasy i dont ride as hard, and the same with the wet. I dont feel it safe to. It only takes abit of oil and you're off lol.
But i never struggled for grip with the pr3's or 4's, with my riding style
Greasy is a descriptive adjective about how the tire's grip feels when hot... it's not describing the actual road surface.
Rush2112Otaylor38Bosarge22If its greasy i dont ride as hard, and the same with the wet. I dont feel it safe to. It only takes abit of oil and you're off lol.I have read the PR4's really shine in the wet but get a little greasy when its really hot out and your riding hard. Any 1st hand experience on this?
Thanks
But i never struggled for grip with the pr3's or 4's, with my riding style
Greasy is a descriptive adjective about how the tire's grip feels when hot... it's not describing the actual road surface.
Oh. Sorry guys. I somewhat misunderstood that haha.
I've had more confidence inspiring tyres but never found the pr3's or 4's short of grip. If that makes sense?
Got about 5-hundred miles on the PR4's. Love them!
I ran the PR4 tires on the track at Chuckwalla. I never lacked grip and I was pretty much riding at 80% to 90%+ of my ability. I did notice that at lean and hard on the gas, the rear slid out a bit, but it was fully controlled (and fun as hell!). A little slick on the curbs though so I had to be careful avoiding them. It was about 75+ that day and sandy, as the wind was blowing fine dust all over the track. Never once did the tires scare me. I rode at lean angles to scrape my pegs, with the feelers off and the toe sliders for my boots. I never got my knee down, but that was more because of my body positioning being wrong a bit. I left some usable life on the track that day, but almost all off of the sides. I did get on the brakes really hard coming into the turns and no issue whatsoever. Even when coming in too hot to turn 8 when the front tire was chattering over the bumps and audibly screeching, it did nothing wrong. And on turn 13 which is a 10 degree banked corner and wide open coming out of the turn the tires held.
If there is one negative I have found is that the tires went through about 8 heavy heat cycles on the track and I think that they may have gotten a little hard, as it seems that they slip more on dry paint stripes on the street. I had very little miles on them before I hit the track so I don't know if it was that way before. However, this is an extreme example of what the tires can do and if I toasted the compound on the track, then I am OK with adjusting my riding style accordingly on the street as they were never really designed for track duty. They'll work, for sure, but it's not their design. I've run PR3 in the canyons until they turns blue and they worked well.
For almost anyone riding street, I feel the stock size PR4 tires will offer more than what is ever sanely and safely ridden, even above legality, I'm truly impressed with them. Perhaps Q3 or their ilk would perform better, but I pretty much think that 98% of riders would never out ride the tires.
Still loving the PR4's. Only 1 rain day with them but lots of grip and good feedback. A friend put them on his Concourse 14 and he really loves them. Called it power steering for the big girl.
Gonna have to get a set of these pr4's on the vfr. They were good on the sv and i fancy them on the viffer.
Especially after its wheelspun twice with bt023's. Once was a light throttle on a wet road, the second was probably my fault, i let vtec kick in, 3rd gear overtaking a car.
Anybody else find the abrupt valve change upsets the rear wheel grip sometimes?
Still loving these tires, have done more rain days and they feel great.
Did a couple of days in the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina 2 up riding. Tires felt great even in low temps, still liking them a lot.
CornerCarverBecknorton850Bosarge22I put the GPA's on my VFR and have about 1000 miles on them. They feel SO much better then the stock Metzler's. I hated those tires. I'm not sure if the taller profile is helping turn or just the tire itself but dragging knee and hard parts on the big girl would be easy. Feels so much more nimble. I know I won't get a lot of miles on them but for free that's ok. I think I'll just keep cycling old track tires from the CBR to the VFR and save some money. Even slicks.
I have ran slicks on the front of the VFR for 4 years much better than another tire period.I run the michelin power cup v profile A compound on the gsxr750 best tire hands down.
If you ever run it you won't run anything else.
You get the best performance from racing slicks only if you get them to proper temperatures. Unlike on the track, street riding never really gets them warm enough to do so, I bet that in most cases you will still get better performance with good treaded street "sport" tires when riding on the street than on slick racing tires..... = racing slicks for street riding is mostly a waste of money....
Unless you are using take offs from track days or races and they are free or 25% of new...
from your link Norton "Tire Warmers: The use of warming blankets is HIGHLY recommended with POWER CUP. The ideal use of would consist of heating to 176 ° F or 80 ° C for 30 to 40 minutes before riding the tires on the track to ensure the tire use is at its optimum temperature to ensure optimum performance."
More good stuff in the link about how much to increase tire pressure for wet tracks and cold tracks...
Regarding the original topic...try a 170 on the rear of your VFR and prepare to be amazed.
I may give the 170 a shot if the S20 EVOS eventually come in that size.
CornerCarverwgregtKevCarverI dunno, but I just put a 170/60 on my '99... :goofy:
And the size your '99 calls for is...? Notice any differences? How many miles do you have on it?
A 180/55 is standard for all VFRs other than the 4G and the 7G (not counting the bias ply 1G)...Kev did this initially after changing a set of tires on his ST1300.
The ST runs a narrower 170 rear and handles surprising quick for such a large bike. He spooned a 170 on his 5G VFR and came by, tossed me the keys without telling me what he had done. I was really surprised at how quickly it turned in.
I am not sure why people want to run larger, heavier, slower to turn tires on the 5.5" rear rims of 3/4 liter VFRs...
Because... farkle!
AuspanglishBe real careful with 190s on the 6th gen... the swing arm gives less room than that of the 5th gen... I say this from experience... I took a 190/55 off my 5th gen (think it was a Dragon Supercorsa I was given free) and after 20 minutes of riding on back roads caning it... something didn't feel right... stopped looked... and right in the centre band of the tyre you could see the wear... touched the tyre and it was burning hot... it wasn't rubbing on the edges like I had thought to check but in the middle, from rubbing on the inside diameter of the swingarm in front of the tyre... where the shockie is (to orientate you)... it had actually worn a shallow Groove into the aluminium of the swingarm... scary stuff!!!
I was surprised at this as I noticed nothing of the sort on the 5th gen and threw it back on the 5th gen and it had loads of clearance.
I did not feel any advantage whatsoever on the 5th gen at least... in fact it felt less nimble when running through twisties.
Good to know! I thought about running 190/55s but the more I read, the less I want to do this.
Bosarge22Still loving the PR4's. Only 1 rain day with them but lots of grip and good feedback. A friend put them on his Concourse 14 and he really loves them. Called it power steering for the big girl.
I hope Michelin learns a thing or two with upcoming MotoGP experience.
With the narrow (for a 190) 5.5" rim on the VFR you would be better running a 190/50 tyre, as that wil be pinched slightly & basically have the same cross section as a 180. It will be both lighter & of a better profile than a 190/55. They are generally cheaper too.
I did that when I needed a tyre but was about to change my rear wheel from Vfr to 1098s since it would fit the 5.5 and the 6inch.
Felt "okay" on the Vfr, but not as nice as the 180/55 IMO, but ok. Switched it over to the 6inch wheel, the 190/50 felt horrible.
190/55 on the 6inch wheel feels awesome.
Otaylor38Gonna have to get a set of these pr4's on the vfr. They were good on the sv and i fancy them on the viffer.
Especially after its wheelspun twice with bt023's. Once was a light throttle on a wet road, the second was probably my fault, i let vtec kick in, 3rd gear overtaking a car.
Anybody else find the abrupt valve change upsets the rear wheel grip sometimes?
Never with the PR4 tires or PR3.
Vtec imo is a pain in the ass. I like linear power delivery. No matter how you custom dyno tune and smooth out the transition it still will never be like running all valves all the time. It is what it is though and I still love the VFR.
The Pr4's are still running very well and will probably stick with them for the next change.
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