Anyone running a 190 rear?

firefighter81 · 08-29-2004, 09:40 AM

I've got the one that came with my bike, the tire was ridden hard, and is pretty shagged. It's a Michelin Pilot medium compound DOT race tire. I've ridden a 998 with the same tire but a 180 and it was SO much easier to corner. I hate this 190, it seems to just want to fight me the whole way through the corner to stand back up. Even my buddy who sold me the bike said the rear tire is just too wide and he hates it vs the 180 on his 998. I gotta get rid of this thing soon and throw a 180 on the back. Anyone else have similar experiences with a 190 vs a 180?

Stang Man · 08-29-2004, 05:47 PM

When I bought the Ninja it had a 190 on it. Now, the ZX11 is heavy enough, and I'm sure that 190 isn't helping that feeling at all. It is rather slow to fall into the corners, so I plan to go the 180 when its time for a new tire...

916desmo · 08-29-2004, 06:51 PM

i know what you are talking about. i have the same tire on my 916 right now. the bike has magnesium rims on it and it still doesnt want to corner like my ss with a 160 and stock rims. once it is leaned over it feels like it is on rails, but when i have to lean over a little more to sharpen a corner it wants to fight me. the ss seems to just fall into a corner but is a lot less stable. i am going to try pirelli's on the 916 with a 180 rear soon. i notice the front just doesnt feel right when going into a corner either, it wants to slide with no warning. the super corsa's on the ss have never done this and seem to not need the warming the pilot sports do. for the street they seem to be a better tire. i also read a tire study and found that the pirelli is much lighter than some of the other brands. as much as 2lbs in some cases. when you calculate the rotating mass, by changing tires it is like getting a free set of magnesium rims. if you already have mags, going with a heavy tire can defeat the gains you get with the mags. i think the heaviest were the dunlop then the michelin, then bridgstone, then pirelli was the lightest. just somthing to think about when going with a new set or rubber.

02gixxer600 · 08-29-2004, 07:16 PM

The person who I bought my bike from had a 190 on it.... I put a 180 on it and the difference was insane. i have no F***ing clue on why he put the 190 on a 600ss

but your bike came with it right from the factory right? It was designed for that tire so i would be hesitant in changing it myself.

Not saying dont do it cause im sure it will be OK with your riding experience but just not mine

i would proably hit the throttle a little too hard in a corner and lowside...

firefighter81 · 08-29-2004, 07:44 PM

No, all of the Ducati Superbike line came with a 180 stock. The guy who had it before me wanted to try a 190 out, he hates it, but wasn't gonna put on a new tire just to sell the bike. So I'll put the 180 on it, also I have been looking into the Pirelli SuperCorsas, just gotta make a decision I guess.

21 natas · 08-29-2004, 08:28 PM

I had a 190 on my gsxr (it came on the bike) and didn't care for it much, I went to a 180 and have been running 180's since.

02gixxer600 · 08-29-2004, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firefighter81

No, all of the Ducati Superbike line came with a 180 stock. The guy who had it before me wanted to try a 190 out, he hates it, but wasn't gonna put on a new tire just to sell the bike. So I'll put the 180 on it, also I have been looking into the Pirelli SuperCorsas, just gotta make a decision I guess.

well then dump that 190... i hated mine and absolutly love the 180. No questions.

I just wasnt sure what yours came with cause the newer liter bikes are coming with 190s

916desmo · 08-29-2004, 09:31 PM

the ducati calls for a 190 or a 180 rear tire. the stock tire is a 190/50 but the 180/55 is the upgrade for all superbikes. the 180 and the 190 have the same footprint when leaned over so traction is not affected in a turn. the 180 just has a taller profile and lets the bike lean faster. if you do a lot of long distance on straight roads the 190 is better because it has a larger footprint when upright and will not wear as fast. if you do more twisties or dont care about wear, then the 180 is the way to go.

firefighter81 · 08-29-2004, 09:41 PM

Ok, my mistake, I thought the 180 was stock. Everyone that I have met so far has a 180 on theirs. But then again this is the land of twisties, so the 180 seems to be the way to go.

02gixxer600 · 08-29-2004, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 916desmo

the ducati calls for a 190 or a 180 rear tire. the stock tire is a 190/50 but the 180/55 is the upgrade for all superbikes. the 180 and the 190 have the same footprint when leaned over so traction is not affected in a turn. the 180 just has a taller profile and lets the bike lean faster. if you do a lot of long distance on straight roads the 190 is better because it has a larger footprint when upright and will not wear as fast. if you do more twisties or dont care about wear, then the 180 is the way to go.

I thought the big bikes in ama and motogp went to the larger width tires for more contact patch in the turns... guess i was wrong???

Or does the 16.5 inch rim have something to do with it too?

Might have been my imagination but i thought it was harder to get rid of the chicken strip on my 190 and it wasn't hard to get rid of it on the 180... not talking about effort to lean over but actual angel.. But like i said could have been my imagination and preconceived thoughts about it. care to share a little more info to me?

mrzedexsixargh · 08-29-2004, 10:01 PM

If the factory put a 180 on it, they did it for a reason!

(*Disclaimer: This post does not reference everything the factory does ;) )

916desmo · 09-01-2004, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 02gixxer600

I thought the big bikes in ama and motogp went to the larger width tires for more contact patch in the turns... guess i was wrong???

Or does the 16.5 inch rim have something to do with it too?

Might have been my imagination but i thought it was harder to get rid of the chicken strip on my 190 and it wasn't hard to get rid of it on the 180... not talking about effort to lean over but actual angel.. But like i said could have been my imagination and preconceived thoughts about it. care to share a little more info to me?

sorry for the confusion, i was talking about ducati superbikes and street tires. the tires they run in moto gp are not the same as what we use on the street. i have no clue if the 16.5 makes a diference, it may. also each tire has its own profile. look at a pirelli diablo and a pilot sport side by side. even though they are both 180 tires they have a different shape. as for the chicken strips on the 190 vs the 180 the 190 is almost flat so getting rid of the chicken strips on the 190 should be easier. could it be that your bike came with the 190 and by the time you changed to the 180 your skills improved so the 180 seemed easier? i know as the tire size goes down i have a harder time getting rid of the strips on the street. i have a 160 on the rear of my ss and still have a 1/8" of strips left on it but the front is well worn all the way to the edges. on my 916 with the 190, the strips are gone on the rear but i still have virgin rubber on the front.

02gixxer600 · 09-01-2004, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 916desmo

sorry for the confusion, i was talking about ducati superbikes and street tires. the tires they run in moto gp are not the same as what we use on the street. i have no clue if the 16.5 makes a diference, it may. also each tire has its own profile. look at a pirelli diablo and a pilot sport side by side. even though they are both 180 tires they have a different shape. as for the chicken strips on the 190 vs the 180 the 190 is almost flat so getting rid of the chicken strips on the 190 should be easier. could it be that your bike came with the 190 and by the time you changed to the 180 your skills improved so the 180 seemed easier? i know as the tire size goes down i have a harder time getting rid of the strips on the street. i have a 160 on the rear of my ss and still have a 1/8" of strips left on it but the front is well worn all the way to the edges. on my 916 with the 190, the strips are gone on the rear but i still have virgin rubber on the front.

yeah you are prob right. thanks for the explination

96SNAKE/03RR · 09-01-2004, 07:42 PM

The 190 on my TLR doesn't bother me all that much as I initially thought it would. It still turns in quickly but obviously not like a 180. From what I've heard, a 180 is not the most stable option on the portly TL. Nothing but the 180 will be on my track bike(BT002).

What I would like is for the tire manufactures to make a street version of the race 190/55 that's out there. In the meantime, I will go to the Bridgestone BT014 190 since it raises the rear a bit over most 190 designs that I've seen. I'm still wearing down the crappy D207's that came with my 03 TLR but in their defense, they have been nothing short of rock steady on my Suzuki.