I installed a metz 160/60 tonight, also put dynabeads in the front and my E3 rear. Took it for a spin, and was amazed at the different feel of the bike. The ride seemed much smoother and the front seemed to be lighter, stearing was effortless. I am looking forward to my next long ride. See the before a after pics.
I just put a 130 on last year and I don't put a lot of miles on my 9, I don't know if I can wait for this one to wear out before I try that 160?:bigthumbsup:
Bike looks great. Mine is in the air right now waiting on my new chrome 10in rear wheel with a 280, my chrome hub, and my chrome front rim with my 160. After looking at your front I can't wait. Also did you install the dynabeads thru the valve stem or did you put the bag in the tire before it was mounted?
Since I mounted the tire myself (First time), I waited until all was good and the put them through the valve stem. The one thing I noticed was that every picture I have seen of Dynabeads makes them look much larger than they really are. They are tiny.
Has anyone determined if by going to the wider front tire.....whether fuel economy drops off? Larger looks great, and apparently feels great (easy to steer)....but is there a trade-off in fewer MPG's?
I am cornfuzeled, did ya lose actual lean angle? or did ya lose the feel of controlled cornering??
I ask because the C's run a 150/240 combo and after learning the bike I can guarantee the tires are not the limiting factor in cornering . I am actually surprised unless it was a bean counter cutback that Mamma Zuki even put those pizza cutters on the front of the M
:crackpipe: I disagree!
My bike handles corners much better now with the 160. That is one of the best mods you can do, for handling. It makes the bike sit more on a neutral plain with less drag. FYI-My gas mileage did not change either to answer an earlier question.
Everyone's opinion is valid for their experience, but I don't see how a bigger,taller tire in front can reduce cornering clearance. It gives you more lean angle, not less.
My 109 is probably the highest in terms of ground clearance of any here with my rear shock on 7, 160 roadsmart up front, and higher than pegs (about 2 inches)floorboards. My Roadking handlebars put my body back about 4 inches too which transfers weight to the rear. It leans over real good without anything touching. I think mine handles and corners much better than when it was stock. And it handles sharp bumps better too. I would never go back to a 130 front. Just my opinion.
Well in short it would be "better" with the 260 rear to gain some width in the rear since your increasing the width in the front and try to maintain that size difference but it's not like it won't roll down the road fine if you leave the stock 240 on.
People have sworn up and down how horrible the stock tires are 240/130 and while yes the Metz & Elite 3's are much better I personally found the stock tires to be ok. They are what they are, cheaper mass production tires. But I kept mine on until they wore out then I upgraded. But if you got the money I'd upgrade sooner than later and you will like them much better overall.
I just got my 280 metz/10' and 160 custom rims from Coastal Moto and can't wait to put them on but I have some parts going out to LiquidPain so I have to wait to try them out. I hear the ride is GREAT....Can't wait! :drool:
Does anyone have a link to the tire manufacture's web sites that discuss that running a rear tire backwards on the front is OK and will handle the rain. There is plenty of personal firsthand experience here, (which is probably better than their engineers), but I would like to read what they have to say about the braking force, grip and water dispersion. Thanks
I don't know if you will find it.The numer of people running rears on the front is small compared to the total motorcycle riding population. I rode 70 mph in a down pour with confidence. I had to. Cagers in LA drive faster when it rains. (Probably triyng to get home before her Mercedes gets wet.) The bike felt more stable than when I had the stock tires on.
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