Seriously.

Some 170s will work on a 5 inch rim and have the right profile. 180s generally require a 5.5 inch rim. People that are fast tend to say the 160s work better. People that are more concerned about appearances generally prefer the 180s.

 

hrm. i've never heard anybody say anything along those lines. i'll take your word for it, though.

 

160 definately handles far better on my F3 but I recently put a 180 on and it aint that bad. I was stuck for a tyre and needed the cash for a set on the car and came across a fairly good tread wise Continental road attack 180/55zr17 for $30 fitted! It will at least get me through to when I have cash for a new 160. Gotta admit, it changed the profile a sh1itload to the point where the edges look about 90 degrees to the ground(the ground being horizontal). Just remember that by squeezing a wider tyre onto the narrower rim it's gonna load the bead in a different way and also pull the edges in to create a steeper angle. Turn in is slower as you've probably already read by doing a search? Well, after riding on a 180 over the last couple of days I can say that it's very true but no major drama really. Helps the bike drift nicely though with the edges being "tucked" in.

 

Went out to the garage and took this pic to show you what I'm talking about. The rule is against the last "flat" section on the edge. The profile stays pretty consistant untill where you see the rule touching it. Look at the crazy angle in relation to the swing arm, foot peg etc.

 

The WERA guys primarily run F3s in V7MW class. The national champs for the last few years have all run Bridgestone 165mm slicks. Bear in mind that Bridgestone pays a contingency, so they may not be the absolute best tire for the job, but they're good enough to win.

Check out the WERA forums. From there, I gather that 170s are okay, but 160s turn in better. Folks that run 180s tend to suggest that they turn in more slowly and that they feel a bit awkward when leaned over.

In the end, it's really just a question of form over function. 180s aren't going to kill anybody and they'll look cool, but nobody should be kidding themselves that they'll handle better (on a 5 inch wheel).

 

i have 170/60zr17 rear and 120/70zr17 front.

it rides and corners just fine, next is 180 for the rear. its not like i take the bike to a track....its everyday commuter.

 

I'm thinking about buying a used perrelli scorpion sync 180/55/17,anyone heard about these on f3 s .