180 rear tire

What are the benefits of adding a 180 back tire to my 78 1000 b? Is it the same footprint or does it just look Kook? Like the tiny ltd tank.

It will make the bike handle more poorly rather than better. It will increase unsprung weight. It will cost you $$$ for a different rear wheel and possibly an offset countersprocket. It may cause the chain and/or tire to rub the frame or swingarm.

Oh wait - you asked about benefits. Never mind. Ed

Simple question , but lots of variables on answer.
180 will look cool if a fat tire is desired . BUT Needs wider rim to match to make sense. Otherwise sidewalls will be pinched in and this adversely effects handling . Wider tire needs to have chain clearance maintained .( Offset sprockets )
Handling in corners may be effected unless you balance bike with wider front tire and wheel to match the new wider rear footprint
Dave

Was looking for a change as in upgrades but dont want to lie to honey bunny to get what I want as for reasons to why Im on a spending jag. I think Ill look at a different chain guard for the 130 tire on my a4 with lester rims instead. after all new emulators and springs and bearings and chain would be sitting on the shelf a long time

A larger footprint would allow more power to be transmitted without spinning the tire, but if your engine is stock, that is not an issue.
If you want to improve ride and handling, some premium tires, shocks and fork springs will transform the bike. The most stunning improvement, and best bang for the buck, is regular attendance at a track school. The weakest part of nearly every motorcycle is the nut on the seat. :whistle:
If you are just after looks, go with a 300mm tire and be done with it.

There's advantages! Do some homework on superbikes of that era and read some of the rules if you can find them. You start to see the evolution of the superbike brought on by innovation by these racers and teams. Fact based data, look at the big win years and compare to the prior years and you'll see where the changes were made to improve handling. If larger wheel/tire setups didn't work, they would still be running 18 skinnys. Realize, it is the package, same goes for frame geometry, brakes, shocks. it's a package thing!

Les

les holt wrote: ............................Realize, it is the package, same goes for frame geometry, brakes, shocks. it's a package thing!
Les

Exactly! Just sticking a wide tire on the rear without considering the rest of the bike isn't going to buy one anything other than preventing wheel spin. Notice those super bikes had much more going for them than just a wide tire. Otherwise the bike with chick below would be in the winner's circle instead of the other bike. Ed

My 1075 ported 900with rs 34s is I think where I want it as far as power, and the 1000 ltd with z1 tank is just now coming back to life after being found all sun bleaching and being ignored.A good runner 17 k miles for 500 bucks and parts ready to start paint and buff covers but the 900 a4 scattered in the shop is getting picked for parts and Im thinking of going another way and a titled frame and motor,,, it is what it is. Im in a learning curve at this point,and looking further on the trail.

Been there, done that. That is, upgrade my '73 Z1-900 to wider wheels/tires: 17" Excel rims, SS spokes nipples, Avon radial tires, GS1100 swingarm to fit wider rear wheel and tire (166mm wide Avon radial), Works Performance shocks, Race Tech front fork springs w/emulators, braced frame and aftermarket engine bolt kit, offset countershaft sprocket, offset rear sprocket, etc. I knew it would not be an expensive endeavor, but in this iteration of my old Z1 (there have been earlier handling improvements on this beast), I wanted to see how the handling would change with my already braced frame with aftermarket engine bolt kit and the suspension upgrades accompanying the 17" wheels and radial tires.

Did I like the chagnes. You bet! The handling is better as is the braking, and the bike sits lower which suits my 29" better. I

Hey 9 er! What do you want? I motorcycle for the Daytona 200? Or a mellow cruiser to got to the edible store, then go to the cruise night joint and hang out and be COOL? You have a couple of Kawi's. Build one for the cruise nights! 30-40 MPH around town! 100mph on a straight road for 10 seconds. Get that nice old school new build swing arm from Les! a 3.5 Akront rim and a 150 tire. could squeek by with a 3/8" offset. of take your Lester and a stock 16" Mag, cut those halfs off, cut the lester and make a double weld! There was a guy on here a few months back, he never stuck around! But I asked him for pics of that double weld lester. How about a $1000 Billet Victory motorcycle 8.5 x 18 wheel with a 280 tire With a $400 chromoly double club foot swing arm welded solid in a raked 79-80 Shaft drive KZ1000 frame? One of my projects After all of that. I'll probably only get $500 for the roller! Hey, I am partial to the drag style hot rod!
I hung around with the Best Builder in the World! The infamous " Puppet"

Puppet! James DiTullio, noted as the best top fuel bike chassis builder of all time. Some good reading about him out there!

Les