Hey all- I just put new tires on my 696 and the stockers were 60's. The kid that did the work I guess assumed they were 70's and put them on. I didn't notice till I got home. I was riding very easy on the new skins and did not notice any difference, but again I was taking it very easy. The owner of the shop said it really should not make a difference, he felt it would change the rake a little bit, keeping it a bit more planted? He also said he would do whatever I wanted as far as swapping to the 60's if I choose. I also now have about 1/8" clearance on my front fender. The owner said if anything ever happened to the fender because of the clearance he would buy me a new one if I stick with the 70's.
So, how will my handling change, is it ok to have such a tight clearance on the front stock fender, and should I have him swap to the 60's?
Thanks as always!
It will slow down the steering slightly. You can adjust for that by raising the fork tubes a bit.
It will also do a better job of protecting your rim against damage as the sidewall is taller.
The 1/8" clearance is kind of tight. Run it at speed to see if the tire touches.
The owner isn't lying to you....you need to make up your own mind if you want to go that route.
Quote from: ducpainter on July 22, 2010, 07:10:40 AM
It will slow down the steering slightly. You can adjust for that by raising the fork tubes a bit.
It will also do a better job of protecting your rim against damage as the sidewall is taller.
The 1/8" clearance is kind of tight. Run it at speed to see if the tire touches.
The owner isn't lying to you....you need to make up your own mind if you want to go that route.
Thanks for the input. I rode it home doing 80 or so on the highway and it didn't touch, so I guess I will go with
it unless someone else has had a negative experience. When you say "a bit" is that more than a smidge? ;D
How bout' a 1/4" lets say?
Quote from: Jimmy Ducati on July 22, 2010, 08:15:40 AM
Thanks for the input. I rode it home doing 80 or so on the highway and it didn't touch, so I guess I will go with
it unless someone else has had a negative experience. When you say "a bit" is that more than a smidge? ;D
How bout' a 1/4" lets say?
I changed my front from 60 to a 70 series. It did fill in the fender gap which I didnt mind, but its close to touching however it doesnt. As for the handling aspect of it, I didnt notice much difference since I already had my forks raised thru the triple more than stock. Maybe the taller tire corrected part of that and all worked out in the end. I do appreciate having more sidewall protection since some of the streets here have lots of pot holes and I dont want to have a bent wheel.
Play around with it, 1/4" might be ok. If you find its too sharp of steering, bring it up again.
Quote from: Jimmy Ducati on July 22, 2010, 08:15:40 AM
Thanks for the input. I rode it home doing 80 or so on the highway and it didn't touch, so I guess I will go with
it unless someone else has had a negative experience. When you say "a bit" is that more than a smidge? ;D
How bout' a 1/4" lets say?
A bit is more than a smidge. ;)
If the tire you're running doesn't hit at highway speeds I'd say it's good.
Keep in mind different brands may be slightly larger, so tire rub is still a possibility if you switch to a different brand.
immo the 60 profile is rounder and the 70 is more like a v.
the 60 will be slower to steer into turns due to it's rounder profile shape with less grip when leaned over but more stable on the freeway due to a bigger contact patch.
the 70 will be quicker to steer into turns due to it's sharper profile shape with more grip when leaned over but less stable on the freeway due to it's smaller contact patch.
if clearence is not an issue I'd personally would stick to the 70.