Thread: 120 70 17 tyres
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Old 01-03-09, 06:44 PM   #11
northwind
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Default Re: 120 70 17 tyres

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill.Cross View Post
I'm with fizzwheel. And what do yo mean by "better" anyway? Faster into turns, more stable at speed? The GSXR's wider rear tyre makes it slower to turn than it need be, for instance, but other things go the other way. Don't know what effect a larger profile front would have, though if it made the front higher, that would increase rake and trail, making it slower to turn in and more stable at speed. It's too complex, as Fizzwheel says, just to guess.
You'd drop the front end to compensate, usually, which will give you equivalent ride height, tighten the head angle back up, but reduce the trail and wheelbase by a few mm. Or alternatively, raise the rear. Or both of course! In theory the 120/70 has better mid-corner grip, I suspect that the historic reason SV racers tend to use 120/70 might be much like the 520 chain thing, it's easier to find race 120/70 rubber, easier to buy and sell takeoffs too.
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