so i installed new tires on my bike yesterday. Went with the shinko ravens and so far i love them alot. The question i have is i went with the stock size in the rear but upfront instead of going with the standard 120/70-17 i went with a 120/60-17. it is 1mm shorter on the sidewalls and so far i have noticed it gets into the corners a little quicker and also seems to track real well. What other things do you think i should be watching for?

 

Of course....hold back...be less aggressive & let tires break in 100+ miles or so... Breaking in the center of carcus does not mean the sides have been broken too, check out the sides after riding and you'll see how great your lean, angle...ahhh...love the new tires look & feel...enjoy!!!!!!

 

yeah i always give the tires 100 miles to break in before i get aggressive i guess i should have been more specific. With the small side wall tire on the front tire what am i gonna expect from it.

 

Yep + 1 scrub 'em good before getting too ballsy and yeah the shorter profile will turn
a hair quicker ..... seems a lot of folks lately like the Shinko's .....the price is right for
sure with them.

First time out in the wet in them is what I'd be watching for/getting-used too

 

yeah the price was awesome. For $170usd i got a front and rear tire and then to install them was free because i know a guy with a tire machine. So far the bike handles completely different likes to lean a little more and the grip is pretty good as well. I really enjoy it. Next is some new handlebar weights and also some new brakes before my big ride this weekend. Riding a 32 mile twisty road this weekend for a cherity cruise with the local car club. Should be a good turn out.

 

Sounds like that's just the ticket (32 mile charity run) for a great week-end

don't forget the

 

New tires are awesome. So perfectly shaped and smooth.
Just get used to how they feel/move for a little while. It's strange how different tires feel...well... different.
Scrubbing them in is a myth, btw. Just warm them up like you normally would before going at it.
I hope you like them. I've been thinking hard about getting those next time around.

 

I think the main problem with new tyres can be remnants of release compounds used in the molds...these plus a wet road can see you on your **** real quick! I give mine a couple of hundred ks, just to make sure all the crap's off the tyres, and increase the lean gradually.

New tyres do feel fantastic! I can tell the difference 20m from the shop.

 

Most tyres are covered with a sort of "glaze" - kind of like a thin film of wax - used as a releasing agent to get them out of the mould without sticking. I find it better to "bed them in" a bit too, especially the sides, where the road use isn't immediate, and you may encounter water before the waxy substance has been rubbed off on the road - in which case the rear end will do a fandango and you may need a change of underwear. FWIW.
I have a friend at Dunlop technical who explained it to me.

 

I near lost my old rz500 100m down the road after a new tyre was fitted, screwed throttle, hit band, biggest dry road fishtail followed by a bit of tank slap, so I would say scrub em in too!