5" Vs 51/2"

[Boxadog 2000]

Ok so what is the up-side or down-side to having a 5" wheel against a 51/2" wheel.

Bob

[nab 301]

Availibility of tyres ,

[gus]

Upside,they are cheaper and provide quicker turn in than wider rims.
Downside,kinda limited to what rubber you can buy.Everybody points and says what a skinny wheel/tyre you got!
This is based on a 170 on the 5" rim and 180 on the 51/2".
gus

[bigblackfalco]

Bob...I would say stick to the 170.Ok it's hard to get 170's but the bikes handle so sweet with it like that.
I have the option of a 190 or 180 on the Tuono;it's soooooo much better on the the 180!
Bailey.

[julian]

Big ones look better.

[Gromit]

Big ones look better.

What he said - vanity wins every time

[sandbar]

Bob...I would say stick to the 170.Ok it's hard to get 170's but the bikes handle so sweet with it like that.
I have the option of a 190 or 180 on the Tuono;it's soooooo much better on the the 180!
Bailey.

I seem to recall something written by a tyre company expert who said that running a smaller tyre on the same rim does not have the same effect as running the smaller tyre on the smaller rim. It is all to due with changing the profile!! That would presumably apply to the Tuono, in the same way as it applies to the 748/996 - 748 apparently turns better - same wheel smaller tyre.

As far as the wheel size is concerned - I agree - Size is important!!

Sandbar
www.sandbarcomposites.co.uk

.

[oyster]

This item prompted me to take a look at my year-old tyres which were part of the purchase deal. They were new 010's, 120 on the front and a 170 on the rear. But the rear rim is a 5.5"!!! I have become accustomed to the the handling as I learned to ride this bike. The rear has never 'stepped out' or done anything unexpected. So, I guess things can only get better when in due course I fit a 180.
As it is, with the pair of EMC shox on it, the only thing holdig it back is me. Average riding has scrubbed the tyre to within 8-10mm of the edge, nothing has decked down yet.
So am I risking life and limb with this undersized rear tyre that was probably the only one in the shop when the new ones were bought??

[sandbar]

.

Interesting comments on this subject in MCN this week - page 36 - in the test of the 999R

The Marchesini rear wheel is six inches wider, which suits the 190-section better and allows greater angles of lean than the standard five-and-a-half-incher. With the standard rim you have you have a 5mm chicken strip at the edge of the tyre, which Ducati say you will crash if you try and use - simple as that.

There you go - it is the profile not the size - ooooer!!!!!!

Sandbar
www.sandbarcomposites.co.uk

.

[Andrew Burt]

Hello Chaps,

This is all very interesting, but Bockingbandit (Geoff) and I were meant to do a wheel swap last night, he wanted a 5" for the Handling and I the 5.5 for Vanity. We met up last night only to find that BMW in their infinite wisdom cast two different Rims, either with ABS or without ABS and with different versions depending on year, or so I understand. Nothing like keeping it simple and using a disc spacer in place of the ABS ring is there!!!

Needless to say, my wheel has ABS, Geoff's doesn't so our original plan is well and trully B******d If anyone else out there want's to swap a 5% Rim with new tyre for a 5.5" with/without tyre for ABS R1100s, you know who to call (Please ).

Cheers,

Andrew

[Ade B]

My understanding is the larger tyre gives a greater contact patch when putting the power down with bike leant over at the expense of a quicker turn in = harder on the gas at the exit, more speed down the straights. Apparently the 600 supersports mob are now running 190s on a 180 rim in order to handle the ever increasing power of the bikes....

Profile wise - don't more pointy profiles make for more rapid dropping into turns at the expense of stability.

I would have thought the S would never worry a 170 on the power stakes and suspect the BMW marketing people gave the Sport & BCR rep the bigger tyre and steering damper to make it look more butch.

And of course big ones look better.

[sandbar]

...........that BMW in their infinite wisdom cast two different Rims, either with ABS or without ABS and with different versions depending on year....

Eh???

My 2003 with ABS has a 5.5 as standard. When I bought the other 5.5 rim (cos I wanted a red one) I bought one from a non ABS bike. According to my local dealer they are the same part number. Anyway, it fitted perfectly using the same spacer between the wheel and the hub and gave the correct clearance for the ABS sensor without any adjustment.

Maybe the ABS is not the issue, but maybe something to do with the spacing differences between the 5 and the 5.5 ( which doesn't really make any sense) or to do with the year of production (maybe at the time of change to Evo brakes??).

In any event, doesn't it just need a different spacer??? What else can be the difference???

Sandbar
www.sandbarcomposites.co.uk

.

[Andrew Burt]

Sanbar,

I'm still investigating, but Motorworks tell me there are two different part numbers for ABS/Non ABS wheels for 1999 R1100S. Will speak to Darren at MW tromorrow, but agree with you, it should be a spacer issue.

Nothwithstanding, you post suggests you have two 5.5" wheels, where's you old one and is it Silver?

Regards,

Andrew

[sandbar]

Nothwithstanding, you post suggests you have two 5.5" wheels, where's you old one and is it Silver?

No! The one that is now back on the bike is blue, and the Aprilia Red one with its front counterpart is awaiting a decision as to whether or not it is to be used in another project!



By the way, the front was also a straight swap - ABS wheel for non ABS wheel.

Sandbar
www.sandbarcomposites.co.uk

.

[Andrew Burt]

Thanks Sanbar,

That's a funky paintjob isn't it!

I'm doing some more research today regarding the spacers, all I know at this time is that I would need a hub spacer to fit Geoff's 5.5" wheel to my Bike and Geoff will need a Disc or Caliper spacer to fit my 5" wheel to his bike. Nothing's ever easy is it?

Let me know though if you decide you want to get rid of the Red wheel!

Regards

Andrew