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#62 ·
Okay. So I read this whole thread and not much info on using the 160/60/17.

I am using my bike just for street riding, casual rides with friends, and NO track at all because my country does not have a single track. I like the wide tire profile looks like the R6 and bigger cc bikes.

So will changing to 160/60/17 rear and 120/65/17 front affect my bike riding negatively? keeping in mind, not going to use for track, but I do need safety though. and If i were to change to these sizes, is there any suspensions I need to adjust? my rear preload spring are currently at 6 (second highest) with the stock tire sizes on.
 
#63 ·
on the subject of tires, in my Autox and track experience i went wider is better idea. went 30 over from a 215 to a 245 and pretty good Potenza RE01 rubber. could not maintain tire pressures due to the larger contact patches. between autox runs i would gain 9 psi. 20 min track run gain 12-15 psi. i started at 30. before going home after a cool down i was down to 19 psi. the best thing i could have done was get the RIGHT size tire for the wheels and better compound. and / or forged light weight wheels. the wider wheels also made steering heavy feeling, spongy even with smaller sidewalls. the car would crab. the front wanted to go one way and the rear the other. the specified size will do just fine. don't try to chase a set up. i mean , you can, i would like to say invest in the best rubber you can afford. a change in compound or construction will be a day and night difference.
 
#64 ·
ironman9 said:
Okay. So I read this whole thread and not much info on using the 160/60/17.

I am using my bike just for street riding, casual rides with friends, and NO track at all because my country does not have a single track. I like the wide tire profile looks like the R6 and bigger cc bikes.

So will changing to 160/60/17 rear and 120/65/17 front affect my bike riding negatively? keeping in mind, not going to use for track, but I do need safety though. and If i were to change to these sizes, is there any suspensions I need to adjust? my rear preload spring are currently at 6 (second highest) with the stock tire sizes on.
Click to expand...
You couldn't have read this whole thread. In post #38 I go over some of the changes that can occur when changing tire sizes. There are other posts that go over the change also.

Going bigger, while not to much of a safety concern, will change how the bike steers and rides. You should be prepared for this. While you don't need to change the suspension, it would, most likely, help in making the bike ride better with the different tires. That is something you are going to have to experiment with on your own though. Unless someone on here has done the change and is willing to share their setup info.
 
#70 ·
Well,

I finally had the time and the need to change my rear tire. I wound up settling on the Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S21 because there was a reasonable price on it at bikebandit. I went with the 160/60R17. I've made quite a few changes to the R3 thus far.. lowered, flipped the clipons under the triple, rearsets, etc etc... This ranks up there as one of the better choices I've made. Worried about there being any negative consequence as far as handling? don't listen to the nay-sayers... its handles great. Worried it is adding rotating weight? phhh i did a side by side comparison between my stock tire and this lightweight S21... no noticeable difference. Overall it was a fantastic choice and it really looks more in proportion with the rest of the bike.

Definitely a thumbs up here on the 160/60R17

OH I ALMOST FORGOT!! My speedo has never been more accurate!! Did not see that coming!
 

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#72 ·
160 For looks? yes...

Speedo inaccuracy? debunked. Speedo now matches two different GPS for the first time ever.
Weigh? debunked... new tire = same or less weight
Tire profile? ehh... honestly not much different, you'd have to work harder to get those 'chicken strips' everyone goes on and on about.. but the kind of person worried about that on a street bike (not a track bike) is a bit of a dbag that shouldn't be on the street anyway.. so no worries.



FangShui said:
Good to keep this in mind....

http://www.sportrider.com/does-size-matter

Bigger tire will be for looks only. The profile will be different than was designed for the R3, it will be much heavier (unsprung weight issues), and will handle differently. Will probably cause greater inaccuracy in the speedo reading, as well.
Click to expand...
 
#73 ·
Have not settled on a front tire yet. Not sure it will be an S21.

I don't get too wound up in the fear mongering that you have to have matching front and rear tires.. 'for the handling' ...

experience tells me it doesn't really matter.

jman said:
You're running 160/60/17 rear, what about fronts? For the S21 I see 120/60 or 120/70. Which one fits better?
Click to expand...
 
#74 ·
There is a 200 gram diff between a 140/70 and 150/60 which puts it over 5000grams in most brands, a 160 designed for a much bigger heavier bike is going to have diminishing returns in all areas.
Unsprung weight is very important,
as is grip and heat to maintain grip, 250 size bikes struggle with this.
If you're running out of edge with a 150/60 then address BP because your exhaust and LHS lower fairing bracket will be worn away.
 
#75 · (Edited)
The stock tires, are heavy.... they're conservative tires.

You can, and I imagine, most people do, buy a performance oriented set of tires, which often weigh less. Most people can, quite easily mind you, get a 160 that weighs less than the stock tire.

I completely agree with you, unsprung weight is very, very important... as is sprung weight. So it is important to advocate for smarter decisions, not just blanket statement likes "a 160 is heavier and therefore a bad idea".. that is just insanity. There is more than adequate unsprung weight to get these tires warm.

Oddly... everyone was worried that their 'chicken strips' would be huge. So i thought .. well I've had the tire on for 2 days now.. why not do a side by side comparison?

I'll attach a picture of the tire as it is on my bike right now, and a shot of the tire I took off (stock tire).. with rather tame riding (i'm not a street rossi by any stretch of the imagination), my so called 'chicken strips' have actually gotten smaller! What???

Where do I go from here? well maybe it is time to take the 250 tire off my custom chopper and put it on the r3? wider swing arm? sky is the limit? I'll attach a pic of the side by side of the 250 vs the 140 stocker... hahah

No in all seriousness, despite all the fear mongering that goes on here, i went out .. got the tire that I wanted, and I've yet to see a single downside! So I can honestly say this was probably the 2nd best thing I've ever done to the bike (lowering it being #1 ). It handles freaking amazing. The speedo is finally right. It looks better.... I couldn't be happier.

Is it right for the race track? probably not i have no clue, and don't really care. Is it right for the street? heck yeah it is...

Aufitt said:
There is a 200 gram diff between a 140/70 and 150/60 which puts it over 5000grams in most brands, a 160 designed for a much bigger heavier bike is going to have diminishing returns in all areas.
Unsprung weight is very important,
as is grip and heat to maintain grip, 250 size bikes struggle with this.
If you're running out of edge with a 150/60 then address BP because your exhaust and LHS lower fairing bracket will be worn away.
Click to expand...
 

Attachments

#76 ·
Maven said:
Well,

I finally had the time and the need to change my rear tire. I wound up settling on the Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S21 because there was a reasonable price on it at bikebandit. I went with the 160/60R17. I've made quite a few changes to the R3 thus far.. lowered, flipped the clipons under the triple, rearsets, etc etc... This ranks up there as one of the better choices I've made. Worried about there being any negative consequence as far as handling? don't listen to the nay-sayers... its handles great. Worried it is adding rotating weight? phhh i did a side by side comparison between my stock tire and this lightweight S21... no noticeable difference. Overall it was a fantastic choice and it really looks more in proportion with the rest of the bike.

Definitely a thumbs up here on the 160/60R17

OH I ALMOST FORGOT!! My speedo has never been more accurate!! Did not see that coming!
Click to expand...
I ordered the same size S21, and a friend had trouble getting the tyre onto the rim. It sounded like it didn't want to go on, and looked a bit awkward.

The Bridgestone site has a size chart saying that 160/60 should go onto a 4.5" rim, did you have any issues getting this put on your bike?
 
#78 ·
Maven said:
Well,

I finally had the time and the need to change my rear tire. I wound up settling on the Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S21 because there was a reasonable price on it at bikebandit. I went with the 160/60R17. I've made quite a few changes to the R3 thus far.. lowered, flipped the clipons under the triple, rearsets, etc etc... This ranks up there as one of the better choices I've made. Worried about there being any negative consequence as far as handling? don't listen to the nay-sayers... its handles great. Worried it is adding rotating weight? phhh i did a side by side comparison between my stock tire and this lightweight S21... no noticeable difference. Overall it was a fantastic choice and it really looks more in proportion with the rest of the bike.

Definitely a thumbs up here on the 160/60R17

OH I ALMOST FORGOT!! My speedo has never been more accurate!! Did not see that coming!
Click to expand...
what are you running up front did you stick with the stock ?
 
#79 ·
what about a 120/60/17 front an 160/60/17 rear i had that set up on one of my FZR400's an it made a huge difference in a positive way never thought i could have made that bike turn better than stock but it worked ...i see the KTM runs a 110/70/17 front an a 150/60/17 rear an well that is a great sharp turner there ....plus doing a lil looking back in some things had a friend with an F2 that had a 110/80/17 front and a 130/80/17 rear back in the day an it cornered like it was on rails ..so if the 160/60/17 fits looks well seems to perform just fine my question is what front is gonna be the go to for a R3 i think the 120/60 front with the 160/60 rear should be good but also having just picked up the R3 i havent had time to go through an do some measurement for the front rim to properly fit the 120 .........i have how ever came across an interesting bit from a late night google sesh about the similarities of the R3 an the Fz07 for instance the forks are the same 41mm same travel so it is a safe bet that if the triple trees are the same space apart there is your direct bolt on front rim ( for those wanting dual brakes an a 120 size tire ) saw someone in the Asia market did a full on dual brake 120/70/17 front an a 180/55/17 rear conversion bike looked pretty sharp too .... of course there will be performance changes ...but its all in the individuals own personal taste ....an i am curious as to how everyone mods go an what they notice in performance gains an loses so that others can see review an then make a choice ..........call me George cuzz im curious
 
#80 ·
Proooofffff!!

"We got a tip from Chris Parrish, a racer in the South who is leading the points in the competitive WERA Southeast, that he’s been having good luck running the same Bridgestone slicks on his R3 that he runs on his SV650. We have exhausted most of the other tire options on the market looking for a good tire that pays contingency, so we’re hoping that the Bridgestone slicks work out. The Pirelli Supercorsa has been the best option we have found previously but Pirelli doesn’t offer contingency so we’re still looking. The Bridgestone slicks are a larger 165 rear and 120 front, so there was some concern as to whether we could maintain a hot enough carcass temp to improve traction and justify the heavier tire weight. Zeke threw on a set for Friday practice went out for first session. I wasn’t there, but Sergio was texting me updates… First session, Zeke took it a little easy to see how they tires felt and see if he felt confident. He said the tires felt good. Next session out he started pushing them a little harder, trying to see where the limit was, testing the grip. He did a 2:03, then a 2:02. Still totally comfortable on the bike, and just feeling out the tires. Already at a podium pace, and closing in fast on his best time of 2:01.0. The tires felt planted. We had a winner."

link: http : // www . yamahar3racing . com /2016 /09 /race-report-cvma-2016-2017-round-1-chuckwalla-valley-raceway-ccw-yamaha-r3/

Just remove the spaces
 
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