17 inch front tires

[Cash Dereszynski]

Buying Bridgestone front tire 17 inch radial, any info from exprience ? Bridgesone Bias 170x70x16 0n rear. Had a BT45 Bias 120x70x17 front previously didn't wear that well.
I know many say Avon but I do like my Bstones for grip.
....whatta say ?

  Curious

  Cash

[Cash Dereszynski]

Are there any 16 inch roadracing slicks available ?

Cash

[FJmonkey]

Racing slicks are made with racing compounds. They are intended to get quite hot (up to 100C or 212F if I remember correctly) and then provide proper grip. If you don't heat them up enough you are likely not going to have the grip you want in the corners or under hard braking. Add to a possible crash, the CHP my find your less than DOT approved tires. I had really good luck with the Avon radials before I went 17"

[mrnorm]

Hi the radial tire is good but I would not run it with a bias rear tire!
go all radial or all bias they just don't mix well for handling etc.

[FJmonkey]

Many here have mixed radial and biased tires with out problems. Tires don't fight each other if not matched, the radial will just give you better traction. Tire manufacturers will tell you not to mix them due to perceived liability issue(s). They test tires as matched sets and if sued can show their due diligence with documented test results. Mixing tires, even radial to radial means testing every possible combination of every tire they sell. The cost of time and money for this testing would be outrageous.

I agree that switching from radial to biased requires added caution until you know how the tire(s) behave.

Here is a guy that tested mixing tires on his Concourse, a heavy bike like our FJs.
http://forum.cog-online.org/index.php?topic=49752.0

Tires 101
http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=15649.msg157763#msg157763

That said, I need to find an oil topic to stir up. 

[Cash Dereszynski]

Racing slicks are made with racing compounds. They are intended to get quite hot (up to 100C or 212F if I remember correctly) and then provide proper grip. If you don't heat them up enough you are likely not going to have the grip you want in the corners or under hard braking. Add to a possible crash, the CHP my find your less than DOT approved tires. I had really good luck with the Avon radials before I went 17"

What size Rear 180?

Cash

[FJmonkey]

Racing slicks are made with racing compounds. They are intended to get quite hot (up to 100C or 212F if I remember correctly) and then provide proper grip. If you don't heat them up enough you are likely not going to have the grip you want in the corners or under hard braking. Add to a possible crash, the CHP my find your less than DOT approved tires. I had really good luck with the Avon radials before I went 17"

What size Rear 180?

Cash

On the Avons I ran the stock 150 rear and the 120 front.

Not endorsing this vendor, just showing the Avon options for radial in 16" sizes.
http://tiresunlimited.com/ALL%20TIRES/AVON/AVON%20MC/avon_azaro_ST.htm

[racerrad8]

Cash,

Here is a soft compound racing tire in the stock rear wheel size: http://www.shinkotireusa.com/tire/stealth-d

Then you can combine that with this front: http://www.shinkotireusa.com/tire/003-stealth

If you want to venture down this road, let me know I can have the tires on hand the next day

Randy - RPM