Please explain wheel sizes to me

[postoak_imp]

I have read dozens of posts on various motorcycle forums where someone was changing their wheel size. They usually don't explain why they are doing this, I guess just assuming everybody knows.

Sometimes they change both wheels sometimes just the front or just the rear.

What are they trying to accomplish?

Why do people switch to 17 inch wheels on the CB1100?

[jimgl3_imp]

much wider selection of tires for 17" wheels

[LongRanger_imp]

Aside from providing many more tire options (17"), I'm not sure why anyone would go to the expense of changing their wheels on this bike.

[alprider]

tubless has is own good side......well ok this is only a theme overthere by the 2017 EX models......but here on my place we have since 2014 only the spokes (EX) version and too no standard. the standard we got here only in 2013

[Wisedrum]

In Germany it is not easy to change the wheel size of your motorbike and it will create a hugh amount of costs. Despite from buying the wished wheel(s) you afterwards have to make them official in the papers of your bike through an very expensive TÜV individual inspection, if the TÜV will ever give you a go for it, it depends....

You can do it on your own without this stuff, but there will surely some problems in a worse case arise, more than you can take.

I like the non spoke tubless wheels of my 2013 CB after I got used to them. It took a while. There are no spokes, that has to be fixed and controlled every once in a while and they won't brake as some unluckly experienced, there's no shiny glance to be lost and changing tires needs no tubes to raise the price for it. Honda had an idea with their first edition of the CB in mind, the wheels were one part of it. In the following years they stepped away from this idea formerly proclaimed with utter convinction into something, something whatoever? Judge by yourself!

Wisedrum

[zirconxi_imp]

Most people I know change wheels size to obtain certain cosmetic appeal they are looking for.....Anyway, any changes must take into account the changes in the bike handling once a non stock size is fitted.

[Ack-CB11_imp]

In the racing world, the gyroscope action effects how the bike is on "turn in". The larger the gyro the harder it is to twist or lean over. 17" must be the magic size. This is the reason for 2 15" wheels on mine instead of 17's like the rear.

ACK

[postoak_imp]

So, in racing, there is only an incentive to put a smaller wheel on the front?

And people go to *larger* wheels just for cosmetic purposes?

[Cormanus]

Perhaps people go for larger wheels on off road bikes to increase clearance.

[the Ferret]

I had to go 1 up larger sizes on my CB 1100 because the tires I wanted (Michelin's) didn't come in the stock sizes. Wasn't for cosmetics, wasn't for turn it, it was simply a matter of availability. If stock sizes would have been available in the Michelins I would have bought those.

I ran stock sizes on my ST 1300 and on my FJR, but Michelin makes those in the stock sizes.