2 part review/post. Kenda KM1’s and also a wider rear tire size, to 190 instead of stock 170 width. I am going to post this in the wider tire thread too since this is a double informative post on tire size and also Kenda KM1’s. I will post pics soon but I wanted to finally get around to writing this. I also changed the brake pads and I was going to change the wheel bearings at the same time but it didn’t need new wheel bearings and it was going to be a headache so I just changed the brake pads. Took me 5 minutes to change the pads out. This post is loooong overdue. Sorry for the long read but I have a lot to say.



I purchased my bike, 1996 CBR 1000F in 2018 with only 7200 miles. It now has 18K awesome fun *** miles on it. The bike is badass and vey very fun to ride. This includes city, highway and also Florida Keys miles (not exactly highway but not city either)



I had new Bridgestone Battlax sport touring T31’s (120 in the front, 170 in the back) installed before I received the bike for about $250 for the pair, now they are about $450 for the pair🤬. I went with the Battlax tires after plenty of research and what I read was spot on, thanks everyone at CRBFORUM👍. The bike is very heavy and the tires need to be made for this kind of weight. I have no comparison since I had them on since day one (to me) but they were really good tires, no complaints whatsoever. I woulda bought them again but funds are low at the moment. Good all around(even Florida rain storms)sport touring tires and they lasted about 8k miles without any issues at all. Good grip and always felt secure and tight. I replaced them with Kenda KM1’s (front and back) and also went with a wider rear tire size, 190. Thats why this is a 2 part review.

Kenda KM1’s: These tires are OK, not bad at all, whatsoever, but the Battlax are simply better IMHO. I have about 1K miles on them(highway, city and also Florida keys cruising) and they work good and have no real issues with them whatsoever but the tires that are twice the price are a little better, what a shocker. I know they are not going to last as long as the Battlax either. Hopefully when it comes time to replace them I can afford the Battlax tires.

190 wider rear tire size: I decided to go with a wider rear tire because, well, it looks badass. I have looked at many bikes and I like a wide rear tire. I does look awesome especially from the side for some reason, since I expected the view from the rear to be the most standout. From the back it looks real good but it stands out best from the side. As good as it looks, there is a slight cost. I really wish I would have got the front tire wider too, proportionately. The bike runs very good but I can tell the the rear tire is wider than the front. The bike seems a bit off balance, type thing. I feel now that the back of the bike is bigger overall, not just a wider tire, than the front. The bike was perfectly balanced. Before, I could not tell at all that the back tire was larger than the front, now I can. I feel like the back has been kind of lifted or simply more or that the front tire is now smaller. It doesn’t mean the bike runs bad, at all, just that I can feel the imbalance on the highway at hi speed turns. I will definitely either get the front tire wider too proportinitaley next time or go back to the stock tire sizes and shutup.



Thanks everyone for their input, It has helped me bigtime! Have fun on your rides. Oh yeah, check the weather before you ride, it makes a difference.

 

Did you consider 180/55?
They're the next size up from 170/60 standard.
I'm running 180/55 Pirelli Diablo Rosso II, and they're pretty good, even though they are a couple of generations old.

Looking forward to your pics.

Cheers,

Dennis

 

Nope. I wanted to get the fattest baddest widest tire I could get….I’m american🤣
I grew up riding Harleys and the back tire is a status symbol.🇺🇸

Did you get the front tire a bigger size too?

 

How does the 190 fit? Doesn't rub on anything?

 

"Did you get the front tire a bigger size too?"

There is no bigger size front. 120/70 is basically the standard front sport bike size.

 

My weird Tdm 900 runs a 18' front tyre 😕

 

Twins!

If you are ever on the Naples side - let me know!

 

I got set of KM1s for my VFR. Works great and lasts more than 3-days @ track compared to Q3+. VFR guys who turned me onto KM1s are at 12K-miles on theirs already, probably get 15K-miles out of set. I used 160 rear size that matches my F2 rear-wheel.

Looking for something for my ST1300, but not available in that bike's sizes. Might go with Shinko Raven 009, got 15K-miles from set on my CBR600RR.

Remember, you made TWO changes, not just one. So most of what you're feeling is change in tyre size, not tyre model. Pinching wider tyres onto narrow rims they weren't designed for causes handling issues. Contact patch is rounded more and actually has less traction than before. Wears faster. Turn-in is slower, doesn't feel as crisp. For if it's all for looks, then change in performance doesn't matter.

 

it rubbed a tiny bit on the chain guard. So little that instead of trimming the chain guard, I let the tire wear down the guard the miniscule amount needed. But….it was a little more work to put the tire back on. Please note that you must first mount the wheel back on the bike before putting the brake pads back in..Don’t ask me how I learned that.

 

15K miles out of a tire? How is that possible? What am I doing wrong? I don’t do burnouts or anything of the sort.