tire options - non standard size question

[tdbru]

I guess tires are parts, right?  anyway, will a 150/70R18 fit on a 18" x 4" rim acceptably.  looks like 4.25" rim width is "ideal" but would it work on a 4" wheel width?  the swing arm looks plenty wide for another 10mm in width, but the present 140/70R18 comes a bit over 1/2" from the swing arm cross brace.  1/2" is 12.7mm.   70% of 140 is 98mm.  70% of 150 is 105mm.  going by straight calculations it looks like a 7mm increase in radius would fit.  Has anyone tried a 150/70R18 yet before?  if so, how did it turn out for handling?
thanks,
tdbru

 

[rdprdp01]

I guess tires are parts, right?  anyway, will a 150/70R18 fit on a 18" x 4" rim acceptably.  looks like 4.25" rim width is "ideal" but would it work on a 4" wheel width?  the swing arm looks plenty wide for another 10mm in width, but the present 140/70R18 comes a bit over 1/2" from the swing arm cross brace.  1/2" is 12.7mm.   70% of 140 is 98mm.  70% of 150 is 105mm.  going by straight calculations it looks like a 7mm increase in radius would fit.  Has anyone tried a 150/70R18 yet before?  if so, how did it turn out for handling?
thanks,
tdbru

Tires are definitely parts. To be candid, there has been much discussion in the CB1100 community about tires and oil!

I recently purchased tires for my CB1100 and remained true to Honda’s recommendation and ended up paying a premium. The ride is perfect, but pricey.

I believe this thread from the prior Forum may be of value to you:

http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?pid=306802

If all goes well, you will be able to search this Forum at the end of May and source the same thread. Best of luck. David

 

[Cormanus]

tdbru, you may also find this thread on the old forum useful. Tyres were discussed a lot there due to the difficulty of finding 18" tyres to fit the bike. 160/60 options for the rear have been popular when available.

 

[Whoops]

tdbru, you may also find this thread on the old forum useful. Tyres were discussed a lot there due to the difficulty of finding 18" tyres to fit the bike. 160/70 options for the rear have been popular when available.

Uh oh. Did I order the wrong size? I just bought a set of Pirelli Angel GT's in a 110/80-18 (front) and 160/60-18 (rear). I am hoping your 160/70 is a typo.

 

[misterprofessionality]

160/60 is the correct one if you're going for the wider profile

The use of this rear tire size has become more common than the stock size among most users of this forum. It started with the legendary Michelin PR3 but over the years as more and more tires have been discontinued, it's come down to previous few truly good tires. Right now a great choice is the Bridgestone T32 sport touring tires, or the Pirelli Angel GT if you can find any.

 

[Cormanus]

Apologies Whoops. Typo on my part.

 

[Whoops]

Apologies Whoops. Typo on my part.

Ta. A relief to be sure. After reading your post, I went to search the old forum for confirmation and wouldn’t you know it, the old forum was kaput again.

 

[Cormanus]

Yes, it did it to me today too. Time for us all to take the plunge and move, I think.

 

[tdbru]

it appears that both 160/60-18 and 150/70-18 are optimal on a 4.25" rim width.  the 140/70-18 is of course optimal on our 4" rim width.  What kind of handling change can be expected by putting a rear tire on that is going on a rim that is 1/4" narrower than "optimal"?  I'm sure they'd fit and seal, but what about handling?  I've heard good things on this forum wrt the T32s, but, if they are unobtanium then I think it's good to understand the options.
thanks,
tdbru

 

[Cormanus]

I'm probably not a good enough rider to know but I've found the bike handles just fine with a 160/60 rear. Are Dunlop Roadsmart tyres available? Aussieflyer on the old forum has fitted them and likes them.

 

[Whoops]

I'm probably not a good enough rider to know but I've found the bike handles just fine with a 160/60 rear. Are Dunlop Roadsmart tyres available? Aussieflyer on the old forum has fitted them and likes them.

I can tell you the Dunlop Roadsmart’s aren’t available here in the US for the rear, as I just bought some new tires after spending an unhealthy amount of time looking for a new matching set. I couldn’t find any set that was currently in stock in the original OEM sizes. The brands I saw that were available last week when I ordered both front (110/80) and rear (160/60) were the Bridgestone T32’s, T34’s or BT46’s, the Metzler Roadtec Z8’s or the Pirelli Angel GT’s. Since most everyone here seems to like the Angels, I played it safe and followed the herd. I don’t recall running into 140/70-18 tire availability issues when I replaced the last set on my 2014.

I am also unable to find the front tire tube in stock anywhere and the 2 closest Honda dealers insist on putting a new tube in when changing tires. It has me seriously considering sending my wheels to Woody’s Wheel Works to have them do the Outtex conversion to tubeless so I don’t have the added expense and headache every time I change tires. It would also be nice to be able to patch my own tire on the roadside with a repair kit rather than calling a tow truck. Dang Honda for not making the tires 17”.

 

[tdbru]

I too wish the Dunlop Roadsmart IVs were available in our CB1100 sizes.  I run them on my other bike and really like them for grip, both dry and wet, and wear. 

So it appears that the Bridgestone T32s are a good set that's available in our standard sizes (110/80-18 and 140/70-18).

-tdbru

 

[Cormanus]

You can get them in Australia apparently. A member of the other forum has them and likes them a lot.

 

[Whoops]

You can get them in Australia apparently. A member of the other forum has them and likes them a lot.

That's truly ponderous considering Dunlop is an American company. Why they would make them available away from their own shores, but not at home. What we need to do is somehow convince other manufacturers to build more street bikes using 18" wheels.

 

[tdbru]

When I go to the Dunlop website it says owned by Sumitomo Rubber.  Evidently Dunlop was sold to an overseas company??  Might explain no Roadsmart IVs for our CB??
-tdbru

 

[Venteuri]

You can get them in Australia apparently. A member of the other forum has them and likes them a lot.

That's truly ponderous considering Dunlop is an American company. Why they would make them available away from their own shores, but not at home. What we need to do is somehow convince other manufacturers to build more street bikes using 18" wheels.

It is not an American company. I always thought it was British, but google proved me wrong as it was founded on Ireland.


[*]1888–1890: John Boyd Dunlop invented the pneumatic tire, patented it, and opened the first tire plant in Dublin, Ireland, in 1890.
[*]1896: The company was incorporated in Great Britain, becoming the Dunlop Rubber Company Ltd. in 1900.
[*]1900s–1920s: The company expanded rapidly, producing automobile tires by 1906 and establishing major rubber plantations in Malaya by 1926 to secure raw materials.
[*]1924: Achieved a significant, early racing milestone by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in collaboration with Bentley.
[*]1950s–1960s: Developed major innovations in safety, including the first anti-lock braking system (Maxaret) for aircraft in 1953 and pioneering work on combating aquaplaning.
[*]1980s Structure Changes: Following financial difficulties, the company was acquired by BTR PLC in 1985, which sold off various divisions.
[*]Modern Era: Today, the Dunlop brand is owned and operated by the Sumitomo Rubber Group in many parts of the world, following a 1982 deal where Sumitomo acquired most of Dunlop's European tire operations.

 

[Cormanus]

One more for Ireland!