Ducati Monster Forum

I'm thinking of upgrading my tires on my 696.

Front: Pirelli Angel 120/60 to Pirelli Angel 120/70. Mostly due to protect my rims from the step like potholes. I have had 4 dings on my front rim so far and cannot afford to have the rim crack the next time around.

Rear: Pirelli Angel 160/60 to Pirelli Angel 180/55. Mostly aesthetics and to inspire a bit more confidence.

Welcome any comments and suggestions!

160 to a 180? how are you planning to shoe horn that on there? That bike ships with a 160 yes?

And why would a wider rear give you more confidence? You have slipping or traction issues?

I read and some Duc owners say that the stock rims can accept a 180 tire width.  Roads here are extremely twisty and uneven. On a few ride days, i have seen fellow riders use up the entire width on their 180 tires.

A) using the max lean on a tire is not always an indication of condition, nor rider. There's plenty one can do to cause a bike to lean more than necessary/wise or force more lean in.  While I may be an indication of riding a bike to the edge, for most folks it's more an indication that we're not getting as much out of a bike as it's capable of due to our skill/style/position

B) Your conclusion that a wider tire = better, is not logical. Bikes depend a lot on the profile of the tire. By going to a wider tire on the same rim you're changing the profile a good bit, probably making it more elliptical vs circular which may well have unanticipated handling changes, which might not be for the best. YOu reference other riders bikes, but you don't note what size rim they are on, what size the bike shipped with etc. My 900 takes a 180, my 620 and KTM take a 160. Different bikes, different wheels.

C) Can and Should are not always the same.


You can go for it, but you're paying for a more expensive tire that I don't think will give you any real world benefits. A grippy proper sized tire and good body position should be more than enough to take on any road

You are quite right. I figure i need more homework before i go through. The riders i mentioned were on 5.5 rims with 180/55 tires.

Yours is a 4.5 right? So yeah, different wheels fitting different tires.

If you're looking for more grip - then step up in the line. Like the Rosso II as opposed to the Angels if you want to still run pirelli. The Angels are a sport tour tire and the Rosso II is a sport. You'll get more grip overall, and even more (by comparison) on the edges. Though you'll end up with shorter overall tire life - such is the penalty for stickier tires

Running a 180 will not give you more grip. Grip is a factor of contact patch which is a factor of weight. I say go with Pilot Power 2CTs on original sizing and you'll be fine. If you want even more grip but less life go with the Q2s.

Also - you might look into your suspension. Properly set suspension help maximize grip, handling, breaking and will help your wheels from taking a beating.

Granted, the 696 has pretty basic forks. But the M1100 forks are drop in replacements and allow for greater adjustment.

What do you think the performance of the Rosso II would be like on uneven roads? And would they fare better under wet conditions?

Thanks Slide Panda. Saved me from quite a wreck :)

ST tires like your angels/pr3's etc tend to fare better in the wet than sportier tires.

180s fitted on the 4.5" tire will not work, at least not how they are supposed to work. it will drastically change the designed profile of the tire.

if you want to go up to 180 you'll need to get a new rim.

So can you give some more detail regarding 'uneven'? What part of the world, what makes them uneven to you?

As noted - unless you get race rain tires - as a general rule when you move to sportier and sportier tires you're going to loose wet grip. If you look at the Angels vs the Dragon corsa tire you can see that the Angels have a lot more grooves by comparison. Grooves (sips) help dissipate water when wet. Of course when dry they are ) traction parts of the tires - so there's your trade.

If you're in a wet area and ride regularly in wet conditions you'd want something like the Angles or similar that will dissipate water better that the more sporty tires likes the Rosso and up

As mentioned, you can by sticky, race type rain tires. But they will cost a lot and have the life of a may fly.

And no problem - we all gotta start some place. least you asked questions like that, and not "How do I fix my (part name) after my crash" - Though really any shop worth you money would not have mounted a 180 to your wheel... and frankly I'm not sure if they even did if you could get it back on the bike.