Help choosing tires

100 and 120

or even 90 and 120

and it is scary how fast the bike will pick back up from banked and switch directions if your used to 110 front and 130 rear

i put stock/orig factory width avons on my MKII project and almost drove off the road for a few weeks trying to pitch it around

i had to ride it different then a bigger tire bike ( my 900 had 100/130 at the time)...at speed it would not even need to be leaned way over to blast down a twisty road.....it was razor quick steering , with no drifting...but it WAS scary it would change directions faster than i was used to, like i said i almost oversteered into the ditch a few times hauling as in switchbacks





but that little bit thinner tire looked cool and in traffic was sick fun

Quoting the second post: Me too.
BattleAxes are nice, I had Metzlers after and I swear those Lazer front tires are the best rain tire you could get. Avons make nice tires for sure.

I may get a disagree here but I think that the worst possible choice would be to rock Dunlops on your bike. Dunlops have all the traction of rocks. I bought a set for my car as well, NEVER will I EVER buy Dunlops again. I have heard people say Dunflops and now I know why. The rubber compound just doesn't stick like other tires do. Initially they are probably just fine but quickly they get hard.
I really love Michelin tires but I don't think they make them in that size. I had a couple of sets of the Pilot Powers, I could never get the tires to spin on my 1200 rex with bolt ons that really woke her up. The other tires Pirelli Diablos and Conti Motions were ok but always spin and slide when pushed hard, not as much as when cold but still there.
Acceleration may not be an issue but panic stopping is and for that I like to have the best possible grip whether I need it or not. I honestly think if you do Metzlers you can't possibly go wrong. Many have said those are the best tires they have ever ridden on.

Man that there was one sweet ass ride if I do say so myself. You really got rid of it? Like Elvis?

trianglelaguna wrote: 100 and 120

or even 90 and 120

and it is scary how fast the bike will pick back up from banked and switch directions if your used to 110 front and 130 rear

i put stock/orig factory width avons on my MKII project and almost drove off the road for a few weeks trying to pitch it around

i had to ride it different then a bigger tire bike ( my 900 had 100/130 at the time)...at speed it would not even need to be leaned way over to blast down a twisty road.....it was razor quick steering , with no drifting...but it WAS scary it would change directions faster than i was used to, like i said i almost oversteered into the ditch a few times hauling as in switchbacks

but that little bit thinner tire looked cool and in traffic was sick fun

i didnt order a front tube. i thought you(Ed) had said tubes werent needed for the front, but then i reread your post and realized it was the rimlock that wasnt needed. Looks like I better get the front tube as well, huh?

For sure!

Timely topic. I just had my buddy order BT45s for my B2. I told him to order tube type but he ordered tubeless. He is insistent and so is a guy we know who works at the Dunlop motorcycle tire test facility here in Huntsville, that I can run the tubeless tires with tubes on my spoked rims. Can anyone verify this one way or the other?

yes you can

Yup, I think everything is pretty much tubeless these day, but I may be wrong :whistle:

The Bridgestone suite shows both types for the BT45 so I was a little concerned.

N0NB wrote: Tubes will be dictated by the rims. As I understand it, the cast wheels before 1980 or 1981 or so required tubes as the bead lip on the rim will not seal a tubeless tire. Unless the wheels have been changed to a newer version, you'll need tube type tires and tubes.

I have sort of a problem with that myself i have the same type of rim on my 76kz 400, ànd my tube has blown out twice there was no rim locks on my tire the tire guy says, if i had them put on my tubed tire would this solve the pr oblem?? My rear break locked up due a hard braking thinking that may have damaged the tube inside..? There is no lip around my rim like u said would that make a difference with the rim locks?

Mgwood80 wrote:

N0NB wrote: Tubes will be dictated by the rims. As I understand it, the cast wheels before 1980 or 1981 or so required tubes as the bead lip on the rim will not seal a tubeless tire. Unless the wheels have been changed to a newer version, you'll need tube type tires and tubes.

I have sort of a problem with that myself i have the same type of rim on my 76kz 400, ànd my tube has blown out twice there was no rim locks on my tire the tire guy says, if i had them put on my tubed tire would this solve the pr oblem?? My rear break locked up due a hard braking thinking that may have damaged the tube inside..? There is no lip around my rim like u said would that make a difference with the rim locks?

Were the tubes damaged where the valve stem attaches to the tube? If so, then yes, you need rim locks or some other device to prevent the rim from slipping inside the tire. If your rims do not accommodate rim locks let us know. There is another (old school) method used by racers back in the day. Ed

650ed wrote: The rim locks are only used on the rear tire. They are designed to prevent the rim from slipping inside the tire and damaging the tube during heavy acceleration or high speed shifts. The risk is that each time you accelerate or shift hard the rim can slip a little itty bit inside the tire, but the tube does not slip at all. So the tube's valve stem which is stuck through the rim is eventually pulled from the tube. If it does this enough (maybe a thousand of an inch a thousand times) it can shear off the tube's valve stem and POOF - ALL the air goes out in one fell swoop. Can this really happen? YES INDEED! It happened to me years ago on my BSA in heavy traffic at about 45 mph when I shifted gears. I can tell you it is NOT an experience I wish to repeat!! They are not needed or used on front tires.

Your KZ650-C2 will need tubes; the KZ650-C2 alloy rims are not designed to run without them and trying to ride without them is very dangerous. Tubes can be used with tubeless type tires; this is no problem at all. The only exception would be if you changed over to radial tires in which case you would need to use tubes designed and designated for use in radial tires. The good news is that there are some really good non-radial (these are called bias ply) tires that fit your bike. ALWAYS replace the tubes when you replace tires.

My KZ650-C1 uses the same tires as the KZ650-C2. I have tried various tires over the 35 years I have owned it and today I am using Pirelli Sport Demon tires with Metzeler tubes (these tubes were recommended to me by Pirelli). I use a 100/90 V 19 Sport Demon on the front and a 120/90 V 18 Sport Demon on the rear. I have had these tires on for the past 5,000 miles and I have been VERY happy with their performance. They provide great traction and they are not worn much at all considering the mileage on them. Here's what they look like. Let me know if you need help finding them. Ed

Even tho i have the rim with out the lip bead will the rim locks prevent the tires from moving the tube or damaging the stem causing a flat??

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