|
|
| *Vultures Knob>>>Cruiser Bike |
Motorcycle Tire Size Question (ACE Tourer)? |
Hello all! I just had a new front tire put on my cruiser and ran into a curiosity. I have a 1998 Honda ACE Tourer 1100. The factory recommended tire size is 130/80HR18 (the Dunlop D206). Well, through some miscommunication with the dealer, I ended up with a 120/90-18 (Dunlop D404). They assurred me that the size really is irrelavent to stability and control when you adjust the size a little in either direction. Well, while riding the bike I DO notice a difference (maybe the difference is only there because I went from a dying tire to a brand new one or I'm nitpicking), but I notice that the front end seems a little less stable then before. When cruising the interstate at 65ish, I notice that the front end is affected more by wind and passing vehicles. When it would ride nice and straight on the old tire it now feels almost like its wobbling a little. It's hard to describe. Your dealer is full of crap, and should be ashamed of himself. You need to have exactly the same tire aspect ratio. Take it back and make them replace it for free with the right size, and a good tire, or tell them you'll call Honda. The same thing happened to me along time ago, and when the owner of the dealership found out about it, and the service guy was trying to snow me, he fired him. Good luck. That's a great bike. Jeffy..is right....going from worn tyre to new one makes a difference....going from worn tyre to wrong tyre ...(not rocket science) any small changes to the geometry of the steering on a bike has a huge effect on how the bike handles..so changing the diameter & profile will be noticable...(this is not always a bad thing) if the bike dosnt feel right...may be you could get the dealer to change it..but who miscommunicated..you or the dealer???.... If its the dealers fault he should change it...if its your fault .. see if you can work out a compromise on the cost of the new tyre...(trade in the D404)... As an after thought...in general...the more "solid " the front end feels the slower the steering response..so if the bike feels a bit twitchy at the front end the control may be better once your use to it.. I asked a similarly related question not long ago. I was told that the steering geometry could be impacted by changing the tire sizes. I was also told that a small change should be all but unnoticable. Did they balance the new tire? Is that why it feels like it's wobbling? Maybe it feels loose because you have a big bike and just went to a slightly narrower front tire. You just gave up 10mm worth of potential contact patch. Keep in mind a brand new tire will not have the same feel as a tire that's broken in either. The other guy is right though. Whether the slightly different tire size makes that much difference or not, the dealer screwed up and should replace it with the right tire. Good luck and happy riding. |
| Tags |
| Stationary Bike Recumbent Bike Bmx Bike Kids Bike Schwinn Bike Cruiser Bike Road Bike Folding Bike Mountain Bike |
Bike Categories--Copyright/IP Policy--Contact Webmaster |