Got my new tires mounted up last night. Went with Pirelli Angle GTs. Also stepped up the profile on the rear and switched from 190/50 to 190/55. Between that and getting away from the flatspotted front and rear, oh my god what a difference! It just falls into the turns now. Maybe even a little too easily. I had to muscle the bike into every turn before. Anyone thinking of making this change but is unsure, DO IT!
New Tires 190/55 R17
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Angel GTs... 55 profile here... love the profile and the tire!
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I have the Pilot Road 4's in the 55 series. I think going to the 55 made more of a difference than anything. I can actually feel what the bike is doing at lean.
One thing that does concern me slightly, is my chicken strips after only a day of riding already seem to be smaller on the 55 then they were on the 50, and I really haven't pushed it a whole lot yet. Slightly concerned about running out of tire. That said, I never have before, and have always had some healthy chicken strip left.
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Wow... you guys are like 3 years behind... 190/55 is the best tire for this bike - should have been the OEM size. The rounder profile will make getting to the edge harder. You'll drag the pegs before you get any serious wear on the edges with this size. So if you measure your riding skill by how big your chicken strips are, stick with the 50 series tire. Switching to the 55 series gives the bike more neutral handling and requires much less effort to turn. And If you want even more turn-in, push your forks all the way up into the clip-on risers (its only ~ 7mm) and the bike will transition from side to side like a true sportbike... I don't recommend the 180/55 because its designed for 5.5" wheel and we have a 6" wheel. You are stretching the tire carcass out and flattening the profile a bit in doing so.
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Could you explain this a little further?
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Exactly. The 55 series raises the rear a bit and the pushing up the forks lowers the front a bit. The changes in geometry are small, but the dividends are huge. I used to really struggle at Deals Gap to muscle through all 318 turns. After making these changes, the bike just rails through all the turns with minimal effort.
I'm also going 180/55's PP3's should have them installed today. The smaller width combined with taller height should be perfect. I see a few guys at the track running this size instead of 190's. Will give a report.
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I am also thinking of going 180/55. Can you post a picture also how it looks like?
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