180 or 190?

[Wayniac]

My Ninja came with 180 in the rear, been thinking about switching to 190. Anyone else doing this? Pros, Cons? More contact patch would be nice.

[Throttleroller277]

190 is a waste of your time on a 600 in my opinion and personal experience.

If need be, call me and we can discuss. Too much to type on my phone.

Long story short:
More expensive for very little gain, if any

Heavier tire, robbing horse power from your motor

~Brownie

[rybo]

pretty much agree with Jeff on this one -

Use the tire size that the bike is designed for. Fit the tire to the wheel size it's designed for.

as a general rule the 190 and up tire sizes are made to fit on a 6" wide rim. Most 600's come with 5.5" rims, so the 180 is the proper choice.

This isn't an "Always" kind of situation, just a general rule.

[MadVlad]

I've heard of 1000cc riders using a 180 for more contact ground, is this a good idea?

[Sol Performance]

Also make sure you are comparing apples to apples. A 180 for one brand is (probably) not the same 180 for another brand. Meaning brand x can have a 180 width that is actually 178mm where as brand y can have a 180 that is actually a 193mm.

That's where a general answer might not be best for this question. Respectfully reminding that a 200/55 could be best suited for a 6" rim and a 190/55 would be best for the 5.5".

Talk to a tire guy and get the actual width and height numbers of the tires you are considering for the most correct data and considerations.

[Wayniac]

Thanks for the input. Oscar I didn't even think that just because a tire says a size means that's the size, so great point. I've been kicking around the Idea of getting a different brand with this next set, I just worry about having to make a lot of changes to setup with little time at a new track. And 3 races on one set of tires is too many. I think it would be foolish to try for a 4th. What to do, what to do?

[jmaher]

Those tires will do a 4th! Just stay behind me and you will be fine.

Joe

[JimWilson29]

I've heard of 1000cc riders using a 180 for more contact ground, is this a good idea?

May have been true at one time. Years ago we ran 180/55 rears on the 1000's instead of 190/50's because the taller profile allowed a larger contact patch when the bike was leaned over. Now you have 190/55, 190/60, 200/60 tires so no reason to run a 180 on a big bike.

[Wayniac]

Those tires will do a 4th! Just stay behind me and you will be fine.

Joe

I might need some knobbies if I'm going to follow you Joe, :lol: But all kidding aside, I felt like I was fighting the tires all day at Round 3. I can see why new tires let you push to the limit. I'm the hair of a gnats ass above the wear indicator on the sides. I'm worried this new surface will destroy them before practice is over. Plus the confidence on new rubber is one less thing to worry about.

[jmaher]

[quote="Wayniac
I might need some knobbies if I'm going to follow you Joe, :lol: [/quote]

Ouch! :shock: My 05 was pretty good in the dirt. The 09 not so much.

The only way to know if you will like it is to try it. What works for one does not always work for another. Take-offs are cheap (relatively speaking).

Joe