Upsizing Rear Tire to 190/55 (w/ pics)

[Top_Speed1]

190/50 is a step backward- not tall enough to provide any benefit....

Tall enough? I thought it was wide we were looking for. What's the benefit of taller??

The number after the 190(mm) is the ratio number. It effects the tall(ness) or overall circumference of the tire. So don't get a 190/50, get the 190/55

Yes, your dream-o-meter will be much closer to actual speed once you fat-side to a 190/55

 

[Chief G]

I did the 190/55 and also went Michelin on the front of my 2013 FJR. No more front tire noise, speedometer is very close to GPS, and the cruise will now hold 80MPH out on the west Texas interstate. At 8K on these tires and expect to make around 10K or a little better. Running 38 front and 42 rear. all riding is 1 up.

 

[Spud]

For those not wanting to read 14 pages, I'll give what is MY summary of the diffs. I just pulled a 180 and put a take off 190 back on for a weekend ride.

Going to the 190

PROS

plug and play--tire fits fine

speedometer more accurate

looks better (I'd call this objective, not subjective--it really does just look better...)

easier to get on the center stand (on my Gen II it's quite noticeable)

CONS

Cost more

Big Chicken strips no matter how bad ass you are in the corners (if you care about that)

DEBATEABLE

Handling: If I want to push hard in the corners I trust the 180 more. It may be psychological, but the 190 scares me a little knowing that the bike is raised, so it will take more lien to touch a feeler than what the engineers designed, and knowing that you'll never find the edge of the tire without a lowside. I believe i can feel the edge of the 180 when I'm getting there....

So, for me, it's a toss-up. If I'm putting a fresh set on and know I'm going to do lots of canyon carving in the hot summer, I'll probably go with the 180. Otherwise, I have no complaints with the 190 and it looks cool.

 

[TomInPA]

Spud, good review. Do you use an aftermarket shock? With my Penske the rear is already lifted, so getting to the edge of a 180 tire was pretty easy. In fact, I liked being able to point to that 1/8" chicken strip. With the 190, they look comparatively huge, (disclaimer, there is still silt and gravel on the roads). The higher rear end made the 180 not drag hard parts, and I don't feel close to dragging them with the 190. I don't feel any additional instability, but technically it should be there. No regrets. Lovin' the 190.

 

[CA G-Man]

Geez, guys.... If having chicken strips is such a problem for your manly egos just take a belt sander to your new tires and be done with it!

 

[Spud]

I've got a Gen III shock on my Gen II, so i think ride height is the same. I'm not bringing up the chicken strips to brag about cornering (I've ridden with plenty of guys on FJR's that go way deeper in the corners than I dare). The point I'm trying to make is the bike is obviously engineered for a 180 because just as you reach the edge of the tire, you're getting to where maximum lean should be. On the 190, I look at all that vertical tread left and I get worried that you could suddenly lose the edge. Even if it's just in my head, it makes me a little more nervous to push the bike as hard with the 190 on.

 

[CA G-Man]

I think I get where you're coming from Spud, but I come at it from a different angle: if I ever get to the point where I'm riding that aggressively I'll be glad to know that I'll run out of clearance before I run out of tire. In reality I think this is very much a hypothetical situation for me.

 

[Fred W]

I'm kind of with spud on this.

It is pointless having a whole bunch of rubber on the sides of the tire that you can never use. To properly mount a 190 tire the rim should probably be wider than the FJR's is, so that the tire retains its normal profile, which should be roughly the same shape as it is with a 180 tire. If that were the case you would still have the increased width and circumference, but the profile would allow the entire tire to be used.

Obviously the tire profile shape varies between tire brands and models somewhat. The old Dunlop Roadsmart rear tire used to have a particularly wide-flat profile that was quite easy to run edge to edge without even touching the pegs down. I don't recall anyone ever saying they ran out of tire edge when running a roadsmart. Maybe a tire shaped more like that in the 190/55 size would have benefited by being squeezed a bit more by the rims?

 

[SLK50]

Hard parts will leverage the tire off the ground long before you

are longing for that missing 3/16" of contact.

In the ten years or so I've been following FJRs around

I've never heard anyone claim "they ran out of rubber".

 

[BanjoBoy]

Geez, guys.... If having chicken strips is such a problem for your manly egos just take a belt sander to your new tires and be done with it!

I prefer to buy'in "take offs" at the race track.

Actually, I don't worry 'bout the size of the chicken strips, butt I do read 'em to help w/ bike set up. 'N as I mentioned previously, w/ the 190, you'll run off the edge of the front tire before the rear which iz undesirable.

Running a 190 duz have many bennefits, (And a few draw backs.) Right now, I'm go'in w/ a 180 and Soupy's raising links. (The link is for lowering links, but if you contact 'em, they'll make raising links too.) https://soupysperformance.com/yamaha-star/fjr-1300/soupys-yamaha-fjr1300-2st-gen-2006-2015-threaded-style-lowering-links.html

 

[Big Sky]

I installed a 190 Michelin PR 4 last time because that's what the shop had in stock. This was on a Gen I with a Gen II shock (heavier spring) and a PR 4 front. I did not like the feel of the 190. It seemed more effort at the bars was required to put it on a corner line and constant pressure to keep it there. Steering just felt heavier, even in slow-speed maneuvers. I will revert to a 180. In fact, I will revert to Pirelli Angel GTs. Just 2¢ worth of personal opinion...

 

[HotRodZilla]

We will run out of clearance before we run out of tire, front or rear, regardless of size. I've done some heinous **** on a bike, and have levered plenty of them off the rear tire. Never "ran out of tire."

The things people make up to worry about...

 

[SLK50]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Big Sky" data-cid="1218376" data-time="1427376993"><p>

I installed a 190 Michelin PR 4 last time because that's what the shop had in stock. This was on a Gen I with a Gen II shock (heavier spring) and a PR 4 front. I did not like the feel of the 190. It seemed more effort at the bars was required to put it on a corner line and constant pressure to keep it there. Steering just felt heavier, even in slow-speed maneuvers. I will revert to a 180. In fact, I will revert to Pirelli Angel GTs. Just 2¢ worth of personal opinion...</p></blockquote>

Sounds like you're describing characteristics of a 190/50 and

not the 190/55 everyone's gushing about here. Big difference.

Angels were my go-to tire for years. Preferred for their grip by

the Ricky Racers among us.

But now I'm older ( 10th season on an FJR ) and slower and

prefer the neutral and stable handling of T-30 GTs

 

[Top_Speed1]

Yep, and I hate to keep pounding this, but some peeps are not paying attention to the ever so important "Ratio" number.

190/55-17

 

[Big Sky]

Wish I could verify 190/50 v. 190/55 but the bike it was on is gone. I'll see if my shop has the size listed on the invoice record. I like the light and neutral steering of the Angel GTs (not STs) - even as the miles pile up all the way to the end - and they wear as well as anything I've ever run. Again, my 2¢.

 

[user 86528]

As a relative newbie to motorcycling who is always being left for dead on the curves by my more experienced friends on less powerful bikes, can someone just clear something up for me please. On my FJR with good tyres on a good, dry road, my pegs should scrape long before the back tyre loses traction. Is that right? I'm just a bit chicken of losing it on the bends and quite frankly, being told by my friends that I should get some knee sliders.....for the soles of my boots!!

 

[BanjoBoy]

As a relative newbie to motorcycling who is always being left for dead on the curves by my more experienced friends on less powerful bikes, can someone just clear something up for me please. On my FJR with good tyres on a good, dry road, my pegs should scrape long before the back tyre loses traction. Is that right? I'm just a bit chicken of losing it on the bends and quite frankly, being told by my friends that I should get some knee sliders.....for the soles of my boots!!

Well, if'n yer a n00b, ya prolly shouldn't be push'in it. The FJR is not a good n00by bike since it's so heavy. (Lighter bikes are much mor forgiving!)

That said, I've humiliated many a sport bike poseur on mah 660# FJR!

If'n you have decent tires tyres, a decent suspension set up, (For your weight.) and yer relaxed at the bars, (Not fight'in the thing.) pick'in proper lines, (That don't require mid corner adjustments.) and proper body positioning, grip isn't a problem on clean smooth pavement. I usually run 41F psi and 43R, and still have plenty of grip. If yer tyres are sliding, you might wanta check the date; I had a rear that was 5 yrs old, 'n that thing wuz slide'in all over the place!

Maybe you just need mor practice? Work on be'in relaxed, 'n be'in smooth, then speed will come naturally.

 

[Top_Speed1]

World must be coming to an end, I'm agreeing w Banjo now 2 posts in a row!

And, on the Lighter bikes being more forgiving?... it's totally the opposite with women!. The lighter ones are definitely NOT more forgiving than the heavier ones. hehe, womenz... can't live w 'em, can't kidnap 'em for ransom cuz nobody is dumb enough to pay for that kind of nagging trouble!.....It's Friday (somewhere), relax ladies... I'm joking! (sorta)

 

[CA G-Man]

To put what Banjo said another way - It depends. Is your suspension old and squishy and set on "soft"? Is there gravel/water/ice/snow/leaves/oil/diesel in the corner? Are your tires new/cold?

There are many situations when your grip will fail long before you're scraping pegs (just ask Redfish Hunter!). Take it easy and feel out the limits of the bike at your own pace.

 

[user 86528]

I could probably do with more practice. Apart from one major week-long trip of a couple of thousand miles each year, I might use the bike for a 24 mile round trip to work perhaps twenty times and perhaps another ten fair-weather day trips of around 80 miles each year so yeah, definately a part-time biker! I mainly use my scooter for commuting to work each day as easier to filter/lane split in London traffic congestion. I don't 'think' the suspension is squishy - bike has only done 16,000 miles from new. I'm fitting a set of new PR4GT's in the next week or two. I don't want go round corners like Valentino Rossi, but then I also don't want to go round like a total pussy. Perhaps I'll get some training.