Rear Tire on Front

[Rio Wil]

Has anyone come up with a rear tire of equal or one size larger than the oem (150-80-17) front tire size. I am still looking to extend the mileage of the front tire. 

[shortleg]

   Go to the goldwing site and take a look.
 A few of the trike guys do just that, the trick is
that they mount them backwards.
          Shortleg[Dave]

[Pete]

Having done this on a KZ1300 and a V65 Sabre.

On the KZ1300 I went 110-90 to 120-90, worked fine larger, lasted much longer etc.
On the V65 Sabre I went 110-90 to 120-80, worked fine larger, lasted much longer etc.

   
D103 160/70-17 REAR is available but check actual height, width to be absolute sure that it is actually larger and will still fit and clear every thing.

Now for the bad news - it may be wise to NEVER remove both hands from the bars, since the rears on the front, introduce at best a mild shake,weave with no hands. One hand always dampened the shake for me - your results may be different - different bike, different tire so test it carefully.

Good luck, Pete.

[Ricky-D]

Has anyone come up with a rear tire of equal or one size larger than the oem (150-80-17) front tire size. I am still looking to extend the mileage of the front tire. 

Well, you're correct! There certainly isn't much out there. That's a result of the manufacturer (Honda) trying to maintain control over everything. Originally the Honda dealer was the only source for a front tire on the Valkyrie.

And there are differences between front and rear tires also. My experience shows that front tires have lesser tread depth when compared to rear tires. They also have different compounds for the front and rear tires. Engineered for durability and safety they will say. Mileage is a low priority I would think.

The prices of motorcycle tires have risen out of proportion to any other item and are becoming prohibitively expensive. If I could fit a car tire on the front I would probably give it a try.

I've a Shinko in the garage that I got a good deal on last year and have it waiting for when I need to change out the front.  What I don't want to do is go with a smaller front tire. That is what most rear on the front tire exchanges have had to do. Go with a smaller tire.

If you find a good rear tire that matches the size, I'd sure encourage you to post that information. There are many that would welcome finding out about that particular changeover.

In the meantime I just keep an eye out for a good deal and will continue to buy when a deal comes along. The miles never stop piling up on my Valkyrie so I'm sure I will use all the tires I purchase.

***

[asfltdncr]

Hey Rio,
I put a Dunlop d404 130/90/17.  I also mounted it to rotate counter to the directional arrow.
It has at least twice the tread depth and I haven't felt any difference in handling unless maybe if you like to ride at three digits.  I also think because of tread depth and/or compound that the ride is "softer" up front.  I'm sure you can get the specific speedometer variance with the different circumference tires from others in this forum or the Darksider's forum.
I figure that the Darkside on rear and rear tire on front should last around 20k miles but as others will chime in, don't forget to service your final drive (grease splines)at 10k.

[Valker]

I'm running the same rear tire as one post up. It looks like it will last 40,000 miles as I can't tell it has worn at all yet with about 13,000 on it. Handles perfectly.

[Hoser]

Dunlop makes a bias ply D404 front in the proper size for a Valk, might be a good match for a car tire. see link
http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/tirecatalog_tire.asp?id=37

[Rio Wil]

I am currently running a E3 and with 10K miles it looks like it might go another 2-3K.  Its interesting that the E3 is about .7 inches larger in diameter than the D404  front or rear (per Dunlops site)....That will just further piss me off about the speedo inaccuracy.  Did it ever occurr to anyone at Honda that if they could consistantly make speedo's that read about 8% high, they could make speedo's that read 8% less and dad-gum if they would not be dead on....not that hard especially with the i/s....and not that difficult even with the mechanical one.

 Elite 3 Radial Front
 150/80R17     72H         26.77     5/32     783 @ 41
D404 Front
 150/80-17      72H       25.97     5/32      783 @ 41
D404 Rear
130/90-17        68H       25.97      9/32      694 @ 41
Avon
Cobra AV71 (front)   
 150/80R17           72H         26.5    5/32          672

Maybe installing another 150/80/17 would get me through the next 4-5 months and then put the 130-90-17 on for a extended trip up north....might be nice to have the extra thread thickness for a cushion on gravel roads/repairs.

Sure was hoping someone knew of a "one size larger" rear that would fit...must not be Christmas yet....chuckle

[X Ring]

Rio, if you do decide to run the rear tire on the front make sure you reverse its rotation.

Marty

[R J]

Rio, if you do decide to run the rear tire on the front make sure you reverse its rotation.

Marty

W H Y?

[Rio Wil]

think it has something to do with the way the plys in the tire are laid down and torque direction, but  i am hungry and the wife said din-din is ready and i am outta here....)

[MarkT]

I'm running a Dunlop E-II K491 bias ply rear on the front - tread is twice as deep as normal front tires and more aggressive.  Handling is excellent.  I did not mount it backwards.  I disagree with the theories I've heard about that, per the tread pattern - but the cord overlaps vs. rotation makes sense to me.  I do not ride at triple digit speeds, though I do get close.  No handling problems at all.  There was talk for a short while that they were going to discontinue this tire - then they didn't.  The tread is a little deeper than the 404.  You can see the K491 in the front in this pic. 

[galleto]

Hey guys Hi u´doing ?
I am just wondering if somebody can assist me to get a white wall tires for my Valk, I´ve been looking for them unsucessfully ¡¡¡ Appreciate your support

Regards

[Rio Wil]

here ya go:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/31/402/6033/ITEM/Dunlop-Cruisemax-Whitewall-Front-Tire.aspx?SiteID=CSE_Nextag_402&WT.mc_ID=80005&zmam=88421133&zmas=1&zmac=4&zmap=6033

[Rio Wil]

MartT, I am not finding that E-II in 17 inch.....any pointers?

[Hoser]

Here is a rear tire for the front in the correct size. hoser It's a Shenko
712 REAR
STREET / CRUISER TIRE
The 712 Rear was designed for mileage and performance—without the high price tag. A staggered, positive ration tread pattern ignores highway rain and provides excellent wet weather adhesion. Other features include:

•H rated (130 mph)
•Tubeless, 4 ply nylon carcass
•Lateral grooves increase inline stability
•DOT approved
Size Retail Price
 
140/90-15 80.95
130/90-16 71.95
130/90-17 76.95
150/70-17 84.95 X
110/90-18 58.95

[MP]

Thanks, hoser.  I think that is the first one in oem size I have seen.

MP

[Hoser]

It should work well with a car tire.  JCW has it in thier catalog. Has a pic in the Shinko web site   hoser

[Jack]

Thanks, I needed a tire and just stopped in to see what was available.  Ordered the 712 from JCW.

[Hobo]

Here is a rear tire for the front in the correct size. hoser It's a Shenko
712


Isn't the stock size for the front 150 80 17?

The Shenko 712 listed here is    150 70 17.
This would be a little shorter tire, don't know how much difference it would make. 

[X Ring]

No one makes a rear tire in 150/80-17 that's why you have to use one that close.  I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on one in 160/70-17.  It is about .6 inch shorter.  According to the tire converter it will have a 2 mph lag at 80 mph.

http://www.ajdesigner.com/fl_tire/tire.php

Marty

[Fla. Jim]

http://www.angelfire.com/nj3/terminalvalkocity/reversetire.html

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,975.msg13576.html#msg13576

[Ricky-D]

No one makes a rear tire in 150/80-17 that's why you have to use one that close.  I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on one in 160/70-17.  It is about .6 inch shorter.  According to the tire converter it will have a 2 mph lag at 80 mph.

http://www.ajdesigner.com/fl_tire/tire.php

Marty

I agree with you Marty!  That size (150-80-17) is a front tire size only. Honda does that purposely.

I'll be interested in hearing what tire you use, and how it fits.

My speedo runs fast to begin with so a smaller front will jump it even more.

***

[X Ring]

Mine runs 3-5 mph fast so I'm not concerned about another 2. The tire is just over 1/2 shorter than speced for the Valks.  I just need to find out the width of our front wheel so I can compare it to the tire specs.  The tire I'm looking at is the Metzler 880 speced for the rear of the BMW K1200LT.  Since the Beemer is a sport tourer with hardbags, trunk and more horsies than the Valk, I think it will be able to handle front end duties on the Fat Lady.

Marty

[Larry]

Did it ever occurr to anyone at Honda that if they could consistantly make speedo's that read about 8% high, they could make speedo's that read 8% less and dad-gum if they would not be dead on....not that hard especially with the i/s....and not that difficult even with the mechanical one.

  Off topic 
I thought the Valk speedos, the IS at least, read a bit high???? There have been some past postings about this.

[X Ring]

When I got my first bike 5 years ago, a friend who had been riding for 20-30 years told me all m/c speedos are optimistic.  I've checked mine against radar trailers and my gps.  They've all run fast.

Marty

[MarkT]

I bought the Dunlop Elite - II, AKA K-491, from http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/ on 6-13-08 size & SKU #:  MT90HB-17 SKU# 51593 . Note the size is nomenclature for bias ply tires, as I said.  It actually corrected my speedo error from about 5 high to about 2 high at 60mph per my GPS.   No handling problems at all from the bias front and radial rear.  That sku number isn't found right now at that site.  I didn't look on the Dunlop site to see if the tire is still listed, or look for it on other sites.  I understand the 404 is the closest thing Dunlop has to the Elite-II, if it's been discontinued.  The K491 has a bit more tread depth than the 404.

[daytona]

Just installed A stinko 130/90-17 rear up front/with (Venom rear) Only got a few miles on it but so far what's not to like! From these folks it ships free over $75.00 so had to buy some cleaner to get it. Mounted it backazzwards. I can't say a bad thing about it soo far. I've used this tire B 4 with the same rave!   tread depth just over 10/32's
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/31/401/6188/ITEM/Shinko-230-Tour-Master-Rear-Tire.aspx


 

[Rio Wil]

Any idea of the thread depth....9/32?

[Ricky-D]

Hey Marty, I went out yesterday and looked at my front tire and I think there is a possible conflict with that 160 tire you're going to try.

Like I said, I am really interested in what you end up with.

I see where a 160 tire is like a half inch wider than a 150 tire, and on my IS it looks like there will be very little clearance at the front with the fender.  You may have to spread that part of the fender.

Be sure to let us know what's the final result!

***

[X Ring]

I'm not that far down the road yet.  I don't need a front tire right now so I'm still in the research phase.  One thing I don't know is the width of the front wheel.  I don't want to install a tire that is designed for a wider wheel because the sides will bulge even more than normal.  I checked out the tire MarkT recommended and I like the specs; however, I don't like the white letters. 

Marty

[MarkT]

I checked out the tire MarkT recommended and I like the specs; however, I don't like the white letters. 

Marty

Mine doesn't have white letters.  Did they change that?

[X Ring]

This is what I found.  http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/31/402/6030/ITEM/Dunlop-491-Elite-II-Touring-White-Letter-Rear-Tire.aspx

Marty

[John U.]

This is what I found.  http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/31/402/6030/ITEM/Dunlop-491-Elite-II-Touring-White-Letter-Rear-Tire.aspx

Marty

I couldn't find a 17" tire at that link.

[John U.]

This link is for the blackwall D404 rear tires: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/31/401/9955/ITEM/Dunlop-D404-Metric-Cruiser-Rear-Tire.aspx

[X Ring]

This is what I found.  http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/31/402/6030/ITEM/Dunlop-491-Elite-II-Touring-White-Letter-Rear-Tire.aspx

Marty

I couldn't find a 17" tire at that link.

Try the online catalog.  That must be a typo on Motorcycle Superstore's website.  http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/tirecatalog_category.asp?id=8 

Marty

[John U.]

This is what I found.  http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/31/402/6030/ITEM/Dunlop-491-Elite-II-Touring-White-Letter-Rear-Tire.aspx

Marty

I couldn't find a 17" tire at that link.

Try the online catalog.  That must be a typo on Motorcycle Superstore's website.  http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/tirecatalog_category.asp?id=8 

Marty

Thanks Marty, I see it now. The white letters are a bit unfortunate. I wonder if they can be sanded down past the white layer? Or I could paint them to match the bike.

[X Ring]

I'm not a fan of Dunlop tires, especially their OEM tires like the 404.  I converted the inch width of the K491 to metric, 132mm.  2 mm wider than the tire daytona chose.  Using the size he picked I found the following tires in that size on M/C Super Store's site:  Avon AM26 Stormrider, Pirelli Sport Demon, Shinko 230 Tour Master and 712, Bridgestone Battlax BT45V and S11 Spitfire, Metzler Lasertec and ME 88, Kenda K657 Challenger, IRC RS310 Durotour and Continental Conti Tour.  Most of these are sport touring and touring tires and other than the size, I haven't checked their specs.

Marty 

[MarkT]

I'm running a Battlax BT-45 on the front of my wing.  I don't think it's available in a good size for the Valk but I haven't looked lately.  I've had no problems with the K491.  It used to be 11/32 tread depth I see they list it now as 10.  Next time I need a front I would be happy to get another - if it has white letters I could remove them with a sander in a few minutes.  But we'll see - by that time there may be another rear bias tire that's even better. I don't go through as many tires now that my riding is spread among bikes, and I haven't been on road trips frequently like I used to.   BTW, my experience - and what I've read - indicates that bias ply tires are actually better suited for cruisers than radials - just the opposite of the story for cars.  Better ride, better grip, more aggressive tread patterns, longer life, I don't know what else.

[X Ring]

MarkT, this got me thinking and I did a search for alpha numeric to metric motorcycle tire conversion charts.  I found this one on Kenda's website.  http://www.kendausa.com/_includes/Conversion.html  It shows the MT90 is a 130/90 sized tire.  I'm definitely keeping an open mind about this.  With the advantages of running a rear tire on the front plus the ones you've stated for bias plys and the lower cost, I'll be trying it.  I'm just going to do some more research to narrow my choices and see if I can find one with similar specs to the stock Valk size. 

Marty