Seemed like a good idea at the time......

[ribbert]

This article was in the latest edition of Road Rider in an article citing the ten biggest "misses" in motorcylcling. (Sorry Mike, the chain oiler missed the cut)



Noel

[X-Ray]

Nice article Noel. 

[rlucas]

Hey, at least the 16-inch wheel held the front end up, went 'round-and-'round, and allowed you to steer...Milli Vanilli served no useful purpose whatsoever.

[FJools]

...Milli Vanilli served no useful purpose whatsoever.

Didn't they start the Karaoke craze ?

[Mark Olson]

...Milli Vanilli served no useful purpose whatsoever.

Didn't they start the Karaoke craze ?

You know it's true. 

[rlucas]

...Milli Vanilli served no useful purpose whatsoever.

Didn't they start the Karaoke craze ?

My point exactly.

[gumby302ho]

  I think its pulling teeth on the 16'' rim size, what old big heavy bike would not want to stand up in a corner when jamming on the brakes anyway, further more your braking should already be done before entry, I thought the main reason for switching out the 16'' was for more options on radial tires and brands etc. Obviously the 17'' incher handles better when pushing hard(thanks racing world) but the 16'' can be pushed. I am sure there is an FJ purist on here that could kick some serious ass on a 16 incher vrs some of us which have upgraded to the larger front. Notice all the bikes in the article where sport bikes made to turn. I get a little flustered when they say 16 inchers are best for scooters and the like!!  For only a half inch on top and another half inch on the bottom as the tire turns there seems to be a night and day difference. Dont get me wrong, I want to upgrade to a 17'' like many but I can still sail on my 16s. 

[wildfire]

Milli Vanilli .God help us all. So it wasn't bad dream.

[TexasDave]

 I think its pulling teeth on the 16'' rim size, what old big heavy bike would not want to stand up in a corner when jamming on the brakes anyway, further more your braking should already be done before entry, I thought the main reason for switching out the 16'' was for more options on radial tires and brands etc. Obviously the 17'' incher handles better when pushing hard(thanks racing world) but the 16'' can be pushed. I am sure there is an FJ purist on here that could kick some serious ass on a 16 incher vrs some of us which have upgraded to the larger front. Notice all the bikes in the article where sport bikes made to turn. I get a little flustered when they say 16 inchers are best for scooters and the like!!  For only a half inch on top and another half inch on the bottom as the tire turns there seems to be a night and day difference. Dont get me wrong, I want to upgrade to a 17'' like many but I can still sail on my 16s.  

The only advantage to 17" tires on the FJ is a wider variety to chooose from. The difference in handling was slightly better on the race track at track speeds.  Kenny Roberts was working with Dunlop 25 years ago and went to a 17" front which he preferred. Today most AMA roadracers are running 16.5 front wheels. The AMA has given Michelin the contract to supply 17" tires for the 2016 race season and the riders are not happy about being made to use them.  Dave

[FJ_Hooligan]

From direct real world experience on an FJ I can honestly say that changing from the 16 inch front wheel/tire to a later model FJ 17 inch front combo was the most significant modification that I ever made to my FJ. 

The FJ with a stock 16 inch front handled like a truck, required constant and deliberate countersteering to hold a line, and wanted to stand up in turns if I touched the brakes.  It was bad on new tires and even worse on old flat spotted ones.  By comparison, with the 17 inch setup the bike floats effortlessly through curves with minimal input and changes lines smoothly and easily.

Your experience may vary, but I have sampled both configurations and gladly said goodbye to the '80s.

[Pat Conlon]

Don't forget the lighter unsprung weight the 17" rim and tire provides, vs that pig heavy 16" rim/tire.

Better tire compound selection, better prices, wider footprint, lighter tire/rim assembly, no brainer.

[Mark Olson]

You can haul ass on the 16" front tire and corner just fine as long as you don't touch the front brake in corners. Heavy steering in corners and quite the workout in the twisties was what you got. You had to rely on engine braking to slow down with a bit of trail braking from the rear if you overcooked a corner.

On my 86 I went thru several changes to the front wheel . By first eliminating the pesky anti-dive , then messing around with springs and fork fluid levels, different brake masters , In the end I just changed my riding style and quit braking in corners and bled most of the speed off before I entered the corner.

Then I went to the WCR and my eyes were opened to the modifications that turn our FJ's from good bikes into great bikes.
The rest is history.

I agree with the statement of "the 17" front wheel was the most dramatic change to the handling of the FJ" ..