Tire Sizing Questions

Hey KZR!

Please forgive the abundance of questions and my neophyte level knowledge, trying to learn and get aquatinted with my new bike as soon as I can. Within the next year or so I will be replacing the tires on the GPz and trying to find out options and correct sizing. Stock the PGz comes with 110/80-18 (front) and 130/80-18 (rear) from what I can find out. Wondering what other sizes would be appropriate if any, and what type of tire I should be looking at, likely a dual compound if I had to guess.

A bit about my riding style, this is a pleasure bike that I do not use for commuting. Its a canyon carver on the weekends and days off only, I ride aggressively but nothing out near the edge and always take priority of safety over getting just that little bit faster around the curve. I am looking for something with reasonable mileage, but good stick in the twisties to help with confidence and control. I see Battlax coming up often as well as some Michelin and Pirrelli as well, just not sure where I should be looking.

Thanks a ton!

Irish

Welcome to KZR
All the brands you mention are good tires. You can add Avon to the list as well. Some here like the Shinko tires which are pretty cheap in price.
Size wise each manufacture publishes real sizes and it varies in a given size brand to brand. You may or may not be able to increase size based on fender and chain clearances
Good Luck
Dave

I would definitely stay with the stock tire sizes. Putting wider tires on stock rims deforms the cross section of the tire (guess how I know) and doesn't put any more tread on the road.

I would shy away from Michelin. They made great bike tires in the past, but I have used their Macadam tires and they sucked. I have been using Pirelli Sport Demons since 2009 and they work great. I'm on my second set. Ed

Stick with the stock sizes, BT45 works nice for me. Those zx 750 18" rims are the same width as the z1100R, a 3.00 rear as opposed to 2.15 or 2.50 fitted on all the earlier 750/1100 models. If you go to a 140 rear i think you will regret it.

If you are really keen, the zx1100 and zx750 turbo has 10mm wider front discs; from 270 to 280mm.

The zx1100 has a 17 rear, I think I prefer the look of th 18" rear as on the 750.

Nice find, those 750 have a great motor with plenty of poke, the 1100 are arm wrenching and can get a bit ' lary ' sometimes ,

+1 on staying with the recommended sizes. Thats what the bike was designed to run on. I have also heard that you should stay with the recommended brand as some bikes with OEM Dunlops ,for example, will run crap on Michelins of the same size. I dont know how true this is.
Many OEM tyres are unavailable now anyway but the maufacturer will have the equivelent upgrde.
I have BT45s on my bandit and on my old CBX750 and they do very good for my riding style (old lady,coming home from church). I wouldnt buy cheapo tyres.,its not worth it.

Outstanding information and suggestions gang thank you! Stock size seems to be the right answer and consensus here so that is where I will tread (snicker snicker hehe), and great to hear about the Pirelli tires as well, the Sport Demons were ones that came up several times when reading. Thank you all and really helps out with my hunt

Irish

Tyrell Corp wrote: Stick with the stock sizes, BT45 works nice for me. Those zx 750 18" rims are the same width as the z1100R, a 3.00 rear as opposed to 2.15 or 2.50 fitted on all the earlier 750/1100 models. If you go to a 140 rear i think you will regret it.

If you are really keen, the zx1100 and zx750 turbo has 10mm wider front discs; from 270 to 280mm.

The zx1100 has a 17 rear, I think I prefer the look of th 18" rear as on the 750.

Nice find, those 750 have a great motor with plenty of poke, the 1100 are arm wrenching and can get a bit ' lary ' sometimes ,

Thanks Tyrell, I spent most of this summer and fall on a 79' SR650 and loved it, but was looking for a bit more poke just nothing crazy. The thing that I loved about the 750 engine was that it was very easy t olive with and use for cruising and just normal around town stuff, wasn't an animal and had power when and where I wanted it but nothing out of control. When you ARE looking for more though, as soon as you hit 7000 rpm's it turns into a wailing banshee and comes alive as if possessed. I wanted something fun and plenty of power to use and grow into as my experience comes up, but wasn't so over the top that it would make normal day to day riding any different and this fit that bill perfectly. I can certainly get into trouble on it, but I have to be looking for it and ask for it before it becomes a handful and that was the deciding factor for me.

- Irish

I'd bump the rear size to 140. That bike has a 3.0" wide wheel so a 140 is perfectly fine. Guys stick 120's on the 2.15" wide rear 18"wheel on many of the KZ's, and a 140 on a 3.0 wheel is a better fit than that so no worry.

I actually acquired my zx750 wheels and 1100 discs from another GPz1100 twin shock project, it was wearing a 160 rear at the time ! Needless to say. whilst swing-arm clearance was tight, the real problem was the tyre profile was squeezed from round to square ..1000 miles later of clumsy steering but cool looks I removed it. The rubber was extra thin in the centre tread whilst still being just within uk road legal tread depth...

If a 140 works then all the better, if you get just the same precise steering 'feel' . Not tried it personally. Just don't go silly on bigger profiles. I've read this 130 measurement tolerance can vary between different tyre manufacturers..not sure if there is anything in that nowadays.

Nessism wrote: I'd bump the rear size to 140. That bike has a 3.0" wide wheel so a 140 is perfectly fine. Guys stick 120's on the 2.15" wide rear 18"wheel on many of the KZ's, and a 140 on a 3.0 wheel is a better fit than that so no worry.

Good to hear, thanks a ton Ed

Tyrell Corp wrote: I actually acquired my zx750 wheels and 1100 discs from another GPz1100 twin shock project, it was wearing a 160 rear at the time ! Needless to say. whilst swing-arm clearance was tight, the real problem was the tyre profile was squeezed from round to square ..1000 miles later of clumsy steering but cool looks I removed it. The rubber was extra thin in the centre tread whilst still being just within uk road legal tread depth...

If a 140 works then all the better, if you get just the same precise steering 'feel' . Not tried it personally. Just don't go silly on bigger profiles. I've read this 130 measurement tolerance can vary between different tyre manufacturers..not sure if there is anything in that nowadays.

LOL yeah sounds like those tires were a bit squished on the rim hahaha! And yeah will be looking at stock sizes or potentially 140 size depending on price and what tire manufacturer themselves have to say.

Thank you,
Irish