Tires

[FJ_Hooligan]

I've run a radial/bias combo before. Definitely noticed a diving tendency when trying to corner hard. Not fun.

I'll bet that was more of a tire profile characteristic than a radial/bias construction issue. 

[fintip]

I've run a radial/bias combo before. Definitely noticed a diving tendency when trying to corner hard. Not fun.

I'll bet that was more of a tire profile characteristic than a radial/bias construction issue. 

That's definitely possible. It was slightly oversized/pinched as well, probably, since it was a 130. Not a beautiful tire. But on the other hand, having a flexy rear tire and stiff front tire does sound like it would create some odd handling characteristics, and that's what you're doing when you mix bias/radial.

[Arnie]

There is also an error of fact.  The A59/M59 Mich were NOT the first radials for road bikes.
My '85 RG500 came factory fitted with A48/M48 Mich radials on pretty narrow rims. 
They were terrible.  In fact, they were the only tires I've ever changed way before they were worn out.
There was also the Dunlop K700 radial, available in the early '80s.  It too was a POS, but had great tread life.

I'm not going to argue about the benefits (or lack thereof) for radials on OEM FJ 16" narrow rims as I have no experience with this combination.  What I will state is that when I changed to a 4.5" GSXR rear with a 160/60x17 radial tire on it, the handling improvement was immediate, and appreciated by everyone who rode the bike, this included several riders much faster and more skilled than I.
My opinion is that the majority of this improvement came not from the newer compound rubber or even the change in cord angle, but the aspect ratio change of 80% to 60% which allowed the tread profile to remain stable when cornering and reduce or eliminate "squirm". 

[Pat Conlon]

^^ Yep +1 Arnie...

The day I left my oem, heavy, narrow, 16" rims out at the curb for pickup by our recycle truck, was a happy day.

Just bypass all this radial vs bias ply tire controversy and convert to the wider 17" rims...and be done with it.
Lighter rims, lighter tires with better grip and better mileage, wider selection and better prices...

Mo better all around with no down sides. None, zip, zelsch, nada....

I think I'll go now....and leave the radial vs bias ply arguments to the 16" Luddites.

[fuel80guy]

I have two 1100's,one which I'm converting to 17".
The other bike I'm keeping with 16" battalax tires with fzr 400 front calipers.
Should be interesting to see the difference in how both bikes handle.

[ribbert]

You could argue the science of this until the cows come home, but on this particular subject I think the case for radials is overwhelmingly endorsed by empirical (thanks Mike) evidence.

The bikes simply handle, turn and grip better with radials. That's it. While the reasons are interesting, that's all they are, interesting, they are not a deciding factor. I don't need to know any more. Anyone who has ridden extensively on both with an open mind will tell you the same thing.
The outcome speaks for itself.

The other thing to consider is only radial tyres are the beneficiary of modern technology and development. Modern tyres are truly amazing. Spectacular grip wet and dry, dual and variable compound (no transition) no scrub in, fast warm up and good wear.

Mix 'n' match. I had a number of bias/radial (16"/17") combo's and for the most part without issue. However, I had one combination that was near lethal. I pulled over within a kilometre of the leaving the tyre place convinced they had left something seriously loose. It was so bad it prompted and inspection for a broken frame or something that serious.You couldn't ride it in a straight line and hitting the overbanding between lanes would see it leap half a lane. I changed the other tyre not too much later and normal handling returned.

Noel

[ribbert]

People on the UK owners club tend to believe radials on the FJ are a bad idea. Everyone else in the world thinks they are nuts! (No offense, but...)

fjowners.wikidot.com/tires

I came across an FJR forum that believes EBC HH pads will destroy you discs in under 10,000 kms. No doubt about it. Everyone +1's it and agrees. They all know someone who........

Another forum that says you may as well just throw yourself off a cliff as use Arashi rotors. They disintergrate, fly to bits, won't even last a track day, they will kill you. +1"s and general agreement all round and yet a Hyabusa forum swears by them and notes in particular they stand up to track days better than standard discs, and everybody agrees, citing endless examples.

I have seen other similar views on lubricants, additives, tyres and so on.

It seems each forum has a unique take on some aspects of motorbikes that is peculiar to that forum and out of step with the rest of the world. It becomes so entrenched that no one can remember how or where or by whom it was started. I dare say probably no one has first hand experience with any of these things but the myths continue to be circulated and are just accepted as fact.

The UK FJ owners club's bias for bias tyres is their thing.

We have ours as well.

Noel

[fintip]

You aren't referring to blue dots, are you, Noel?

[ribbert]

You aren't referring to blue dots, are you, Noel?

Haha, they didn't even cross my mind but thanks for the reminder, I'll add them to the list.

Noel

[Mick1164]

Pat Conlon.

The day I left my oem, heavy, narrow, 16" rims out at the curb for pickup by our recycle truck, was a happy day.

Just bypass all this radial vs bias ply tire controversy and convert to the wider 17" rims...and be done with it.
Lighter rims, lighter tires with better grip and better mileage, wider selection and better prices...

Mo better all around with no down sides. None, zip, zelsch, nada....

I think I'll go now....and leave the radial vs bias ply arguments to the 16" Luddites.
[/quote]

Out of all the theories put forward on the subject of radials vs bias, this to me seems the best and will enable the correct fit of virtually any size radial, for myself personally whilst there are perfectly good bias ply tyres to fit on my original rims that's the way I'm going to go.

Anyhow for those still sitting on the fence, a pic of Steve Parrish on an FJ1100 in the 1984 Production TT. Running on Metzeler crossplys and averaging 103mph over the course of the race. He finished fourth, only 3 seconds off a podium place against a field of GPZ900's, his only complaint being brake fade and the fact that he got into trouble for using the horn too much through Ramsey ! Lol ! The bikes really were straight out of the showroom in those days !

[fintip]

Luddites? More like just poor...