i recommend whatever you feel like getting because it is your ride and your money. i am merely passing my experiences on to you.

the manufacturer recommends bias but it doesn't say anywhere you cannot run radials nor is there anywhere that definitively says that radials will have a negative impact on the chassis.

what i do recommend is that you do not mix radials and bias. this will have a negative effect on the bike.

and as far as fitment is concerned, i run the michelin because their support says i can on that size rim.

if you read around you might run into a few who run 160's and stand by it. that's fine by me. the profile of the tire will definitely change but if they like running it, who am i to argue.

here's what i did the first couple years. i ran bias ply front and rear. dunlop gt 501's, 110 and 150 (went through 2 sets f&r)(when pushed really hard, the tread gets too much heat and they start feeling greasy). then after that i ran a dunlop d220 front with a gt 501 rear. it was fine day to day but it would get weird if pushed real hard. next up is what i am using now, radials front and rear. no problems even when pushed hard.

now i don't know the state of your ride. if your frame is straight then you need to look at your suspension and how it is setup. most handling ills can be attributed to poor setup (preload, rear wheel not aligned, etc.) or worn parts (bearings, seals, sagging springs, fork oil, brakes, etc.). i've changed out most of my bearings and had my forks rebuilt. no problems.

also, i do not know what kind of riding you are doing. for commuting with a weekend run thrown in, i'd go bias, the tires last longer. if you are going for more performance and want increased grip, radials are the only way to go since that is where all the grippy stuff is at but they wear down faster. there is quite a difference between bias and radials as far as ride quality, side grip, tread wear, turn in, side to side transitioning, feedback, etc.

i could go on and on, but bottom line is you need to think about how your bike is setup and the type of riding you plan on doing. i hope this helps you make a decision. if you want to play it safe, get bias, if you want to experiment a little, get radials.

 

I ride when it is nice, and i ride probably medium hard. It has rained alot this summer so i haven't gotten to get out much. My bike is in tip top shape as far as frame and alignment. that was the first thing i did when i got it was made it mechanically near perfect, i have just recently gotten into the bodywork. As far as your experience, it is very helpful and I appreciate it alot!!! this is the first sportbike i have owned and am learning new stuff everyday.

 

so what are the full measurements on the F1...I dont know jack about tires so I need all the help I can get.

Rear: 150/?? 16" or 17"
Front: 110/?? 16" or 17"

http://arizonamoto.com/Merchant2/mer...ory_Code=Sport

 

stock oem sizes front - 110/90/17, rear - 130/90/17

or check dunlop website for oem fitment guide.

 

so if i wanted to run a 150 in the rear, it would be a 150/90/17?
sorry i really dont know any better when it comes to tires and dont want to spend $100+ on something that doesnt fit.

 

no.

you need to see what sizes are available from whoever you plan on getting tires from.

you know that you are running a 17 inch rim, so we can forget about that number. and you know you want to run a 150, so we can forget about that one as well.

now we come to the middle number which is the height of the sidewall. 90 is pretty tall. but is not made in conjunction with a 150.

so you need to look at what manufacturers are making in a 150. for instance. dunlop makes a gt501 150/70/17 rear and 110/80/17 front. but you can see that the front is slighty "taller" than the rear. this means to get the correct height back on the bike you would need to lower the front a couple millimeters. because a higher front causes lazy steering. while a higher back causes quicker steering.

if we look on the list again, we see that dunlop makes a gt501 140/80/17 rear and a 110/80/17 front. these together will balance out.

if you look at newer bikes the rear has a lower sidewall height than the front, but this descrepancy is made up in the suspension height built into the motorcycle. on the f1 it is not. both ends need to be the same or close and height difference can be made by suspension height adjustment.

back to the 140. it is not what you want but you can use a 150 because the tire will fit, but you will have to make a slight adjustment on the front to keep the bike in balance. this is one reason why getting good tires for the f1 is so hard because both the front and rear need to match up as far as sidewall height goes. if you run a 120 front it isn't so bad because all the tires are lower profile but the 120 doesn't really fit on the narrow f1 rim.

hope this helps. i don't know if i've explained it well enough to understand. hope it doesn't confuse you even further.

 

When I bought my bike it had a 160 on the rear on OEM rim. I hated riding around on it, the clearance was way to close for my comfort. I am now running 140/80 on the rear and it is working just fine. You want to stay somewhat close to stock sizes, they are determined to get you the best performance out of the bike.

 

thanks guys, i understood the 150 and the 17, just didnt know what the 90 was...but i got it now. thanks again guys.

 

I just bought a 89' and i'm not sure of the complete dimensions , but i am pretty sure the rear tire is a 160 and it doesn't rub or anything.

 

There is no such thing as chassis dynamics for a bias ply tire or a radial tire. Some people just post replies on this site having no ideas what they are talking about. They just want you to think they know it all, and you should do the same as them.