can you feel much difference up front steering, turn in, etc?
I imagine it would feel like cold custard in an old sock, but that is just my opinion. Hopefully you can get a proper reply from one that has tried that size.
You may get dramatically different opinions on this question. I can't say that i know of anyone that is running a 130/90/16 tire.
I am not for sure, but I believe the OEM 16" front wheels were 2.75" wide. The 90 aspect side wall may give enough space to not pinch the tire profile too much. I would be very cautious riding for awhile after trying this.
Fred
so what are you guys doing for tires? Avon is running out of the AV 45's, the AV 46's are gone as you know. I guess I could buy 2 front AV 45's and store one, as the Storm 3-D X-M 150/80-16, is the matching rear available.
Or................
For the 16" front and 16" rear wheels, take a look at Pirelli Demon Sport Touring tire.
Front http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/6243/i/pirelli-sport-demon-sport-touring-front-tire (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/6243/i/pirelli-sport-demon-sport-touring-front-tire)
Rear http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/6244/i/pirelli-sport-demon-sport-touring-rear-tire (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/6244/i/pirelli-sport-demon-sport-touring-rear-tire)
Fred
....or converting your FJ to 17" rims.
Don't you oem 16" rim guys see the writing on the wall?
Quote from: Pat Conlon on September 21, 2016, 11:48:12 PM
....or converting your FJ to 17" rims.
Don't you oem 16" rim guys see the writing on the wall?
I am with Pat on this. I understand that there is some expense involved with converting a 1984-1987 over to 17" wheels front and back. There is the debate on whether or not a better handling FJ will result from the swap. Regardless if it does or is equal to the original characteristics. There is no denying that the tire manufactures or slowly dropping the 16" sizes that are required for the early FJ's.
Fred
I think the larger tire might rub the front fender.
Here is a place that has, at this time, four front tires in stock: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Avon-Tyres-Azaro-AV45-ST-Tire-120-80R-16-Front-90000001053-120-80-16-120-80ZR16-/231641100515 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Avon-Tyres-Azaro-AV45-ST-Tire-120-80R-16-Front-90000001053-120-80-16-120-80ZR16-/231641100515)
Randy - RPM
at this point in time, 16" Avon front tires are still easy to find, around $90, which is very reasonable for a radial.
I am just going to buy 2 and put off the other option of conversion, for a while. I got 10,000 mi on the last one, so that should work for a while yet. The writing Pat, the writing.
So who is willin' to comment on the idea that the 16" wheel is what the bike was designed for, not 17" and performs better. And I have done a bit of parts swapping on dirt bikes with great success, so 17" could actually be better or at least as good, performance wise.
Thanks Randy. One of these days I am going to get out there and bore you to death for a couple hours.
Quote from: bigbore2 on September 26, 2016, 10:35:30 PM
.......So who is willin' to comment on the idea that the 16" wheel is what the bike was designed for, not 17" and performs better.
You are kidding, right?
Quote from: Pat Conlon on September 27, 2016, 01:02:55 AM
Quote from: bigbore2 on September 26, 2016, 10:35:30 PM
.......So who is willin' to comment on the idea that the 16" wheel is what the bike was designed for, not 17" and performs better.
You are kidding, right?
I hear crickets .
Ha!
I'm waiting for folks to chime in about how those awful 17" rims and modern tires, fucked up their FJ's.
Crickets indeed.
First of all, the FJ wasn't "designed for" 16 inch wheels.
I would have to ask which frame parameters were optimized around 16" wheels? None that I can think of.
Same thing for bias ply tires. They used bias because radial wasn't available at the time.
This is like saying you shouldn't upgrade your horn because the FJ was designed for that wimpy-assed stock horn.
Back in the mid-'80s the 500 GP bikes were using 16"wheels. The reason the early FJs had 16" wheels is because the racers were using them and having them on a "sport" street bike helped identify the bike with performance.
Yamaha was smart enough the make the move to a 17" front wheel, which, by the way, did NOT require a major redesign of the chassis
this is my first "sport" bike. I profess to know very little about this bike unless I have done that particular mod.
I am still amazed at how this bike must have been received, as it is pretty advanced for its time. its still a solid bike, 30 yrs later.
so I take it the 17" wheel is a definite upgrade by all who do it?? I guess the tire selection pretty much guarantees that.
All the crickets over here are dead.
Not the quickest to get back to answer, somehow those 12 hr shift have something to do with that. Hey, I'm too old to be doing 12 hr shifts.
Quote from: bigbore2 on September 28, 2016, 10:37:55 PM
.........so I take it the 17" wheel is a definite upgrade by all who do it??
Well, Yamaha did it themselves, changing to a 17" on the later bikes.
Ever wondered why Yamaha only changed the front to a 17" (and stayed with the 16" rear).
Because it was fix, not fashion.
Noel
Quote from: bigbore2 on September 26, 2016, 10:35:30 PM
So who is willin' to comment on the idea that the 16" wheel is what the bike was designed for, not 17" and performs better.
I'll comment...
I rode the heck out of my 86 with the 16". Once I put the Avon radials on the bike it changed the complete characteristics of the bike. In fact the first two rallies I attended with my stock 16" wheel FJ.
Once I designed the RPM fork valves is when I realized I was going to have to upgrade.
I was able to ride the bike so much harder that problems started to arise. Not so much with the tire/wheel but with the brakes. Since the front forks were now operating at a much more controlled manner, the control of the bike was much greater, I was able to ride into any corner really deep. That in turn showed the weakness of the front brakes.
I was warping the front rotors every time I rode the bike hard. I warped a set in Porterville. Since I had to go home to fix the transmission on my FJ, I installed anther set of straight rotors I had. I warped that set in Colorado.
The took care of that for me, a late model set of lowers, a FZR1000 wheel and blue spot went on after that.
So, the change to the 17 does many things for you. I offers you much more tire selection options, better and larger brake rotors and blue spot calipers.
My wife's FJ still sports the 16" with an Avon. Robert has been riding that FJ at all of the recent rallies and does very well with it.
Randy - RPM