does any one know if you can fit a 180 rear tire on a 98 f3? ours is needing new tires and i love qualifiers on my buell so was going to go with them on the f3 for cass. but my race tires are 180/120 combo and i dont want to have to get new ones already

 

i just put a 180/55r17 last week on my rear tire on my f3. it's the dunlop sport max d208 the discontintued tire. i manage to find that tire at a local motocycle shop for 130.

it fits perfectly fine on the rim and it fits quite well with the bike. although i did pull out the tire hugger. i never tried to see if the hugger fit with that rim. i didnt want the hugger in the first place so i didnt even bother testing it to see if it fit. but without it fits fine. i took it for a spin and found only slight differences between the two tire. both of my old tires and new ones were same make and brand just different sizes.

although i was scared of testing it to it's full potentual not knowing what can happen. i did hit my limit with my bike. i found that the bike tends to have a better turn in area and is able to lean less to make a turn better. i tested it fully of my ability and i felt that the rear side of the bike was overall more heavy. but i was able to lean the bike more then i was able to before. stability was slightly different not off i might add. overall i feel it improved the handleing characteristics of the bike.

in terms of acceleraton and what not.. feels the same. still pops ****** what not.

i did however had to zip tie my rear break line to the passenger foot peg area since it was orignally hooked to the hugger. and since there was no hugger i had to support the line someplace or else it would it the tire.

BTW don't let these guys bull**** you about sizes and what not about this being a 5 in rim and a 180 tire is way to big for it. it'll fit perfectly.

i've been selling tires (for cars) for living the paste couple of years and i learned a thing or two about tire sizes. a 180/55r17 on a 5 in wide rim will work perfectly well. fact is a 6 inch wide rim is capable of fitting a 180 tire. you don't want your rim being bigger then wider or shorter then 5-6 inches.

take example the stock steelie honda rim that you see on eg/ek hatches are 185/70r14 which btw are 5.5inches wide respectively. this tire is in terms of circumference and width is only slightly differnt from each other. conversion of a 185/70r14 to a 17 wheel would be 185/55r17 only 5 differnt in terms of width. but motorcycle tires are without the 5 in the end. tires are basicly if anything the same size. but this i know holds true. i have in my lifetime put countless 180 sized rtire on countless 5 inch rims. so i know it is more then capable of fitting the same size onto a motocycle rim.

so that's my reasoning on using the 180 rear tire. i know it'll fit and run perfectly at that. and i know i won't have any issues with clearance because of the removed the hugger. but it's really up to you if you want to go that route.

in defence to the 5.5 in wide wheel. it is most IDEAL* to use a rim of this size but using a 5.0 or 6.0 inch wide rim is fine aswell.

 

simple answer is yes you can .. it will take away from your cornering ability slightly but most people will not notice a major difference

 

i don't agree with blade8r at all. Yes the tire will fit but it won't work as it has been designed too. The tire isn't meant for that size rim and is being pinched onto that wheel. The pinching affect causes the profile of the tire to change in a way that is not intened or designed for by the manufacturer. This will cause the bike to turn in slower overall. If you want the most potential out of your bike for the twisties use the stock 160 rear tire and as i said in a previous post run a 120/70-17. You'll have to raise the front fender just a bit but the bike will handle much better than putting a 180 on it. Good luck.

 

you know what we should do if the bigger isn't better? we should put bicycle tires on our motocycles. due to the dynamics of what everyone is claiming that wider isnt better. shorter should be best. we can be mad JDM with that ****.

anyone who wants to put a 180 rear and hasn't is a douch bag. if you god honestly want to learn about the 180 rear tire then you should try it out yourselves on your bike. and not go with the internet band wagon and say, "wider isn't better". because yada yada. no evidence other then i don't agree, "the manifacture didnt put one on. so i wont." so how is putting on a muzzy on your ride is justified? it shure has hell didnt come from the manifacture and they sure as hell didn't design it to be.

this is why we call it moding your ride. it changes it. as does changing your tires. or putting muzzys or nitrious kits. synthietic oils. whatever.

here is my evidence btw:

i actually put a 180 rear tire on my ride. It is differen't. but I perfer it more. and btw i still sell tires.

 

I ran a180 too and I hated it. The bike didn't turn in nearly as fast as it did with the 160 and I prefer the F3 with the hugger on. Thats just my opinion. I'm not for the fat tire look, I think it looks like *** but your free to do what you want. I prefer my bike to do what it was intended to do and that was tear up the twisties. Go to a track and find the guys running the F3's and I highly doubt that a single one of them is running a 180. Good luck with your 180 and have fun selling your tires!

 

i wasnt wanting it for the fat tire look i could care less about that i hate the fat tire craze.

 

Wow look at the newbie already talking **** only 13 posts in [sm=badidea.gif]

 

I know its hilarious, but he sells tires all day so we'll give him a brake and even a pat on the back. I just might throw in a smilie face sticker for effort. Good day on the forums laddy!

 

ok first off i am sorry i didnt mean to start drama by asking a little question i was really just wondering. thanks for the input i will just have to try it and see if i like or dis like it.

either way i still have my buell!!!!!!!!!!!!