RF OWNERS CLUB

Hi I am after some advice. I have a 1997 Rf900. Love it to bits but it's fitted with Maxxis diamond tyres which make it handle terribly. Will the rear take a 190 section tyre? Currently has 180 on. Any advice is greatly appreciated

Get a decent brand and will change the way you feel about it. Also stick with the the 180/55 or go down to the 170/60 which makes the bike handle even better I’m only a recent convert to the 170/60 which was fitted to European markets for sharper handling iirr from what Alien told me. A 190 is too big for the rims size and would slow handling down.

I personally favour Bridgestone T30’s

Heat up quick loads of grip and front end feel. Decent in the wet too. I ride all year.

What conditions you ride in mainly? And what’s the budget?

Oh and hello and welcome to the forum. Just noticed your a new face

I'm with Mike on this one. Last time I changed the rear I put on 190 and almost immediately regretted it.
Cant comment on the 170 option but for me I will put on the standard fitment next time.
The Bridgestone T30 option would also be my preference. I think Bridgestone may have brought out a new version if you want to go bang up to date.

Hawker - I got the t30 evo but in “GT” spec, has been good. Stopped the front cupping and the rear squaring as quick. Better for commuting like me. And not noticed any change when out on a thrash. loving the 170 myself. Granted doesn’t look quite as good as a 180 but bike feels Great imho.

mike-rf600r wrote:Hawker - I got the t30 evo but in “GT” spec, has been good. Stopped the front cupping and the rear squaring as quick. Better for commuting like me. And not noticed any change when out on a thrash. loving the 170 myself. Granted doesn’t look quite as good as a 180 but bike feels Great imho.

Thanks for the heads up Mike,will bear that in mind at the next tyre change, cheers fella

Oh For me it was the other way round. I used to put Bridgestones on most of my bikes and it was only after I got the RF9 that this happy relationship ended. I'm sure they've probably improved since the time I'm referring to (a long time ago) but the type I was using on the front (BT21s?) were so bad at wearing prematurely just off-centre on the right hand side, that I looked around for alternatives.
The switch I made was to Maxxix and - almost ironically, in the context of this thread - I liked them well enough that they took over as my preferred choice.

As regards sizes (regardless of make), a 190 on an RF is just a plain no. I've used the 180/55 on mine since I first heard they were a more common size than the 170, which meant they would always be available, often at competitive prices. I've no complaints of them but I think my first RF did have a 170 on it when I first got it: I do actually still have some recollection that the handling lost a bit of its sharpness when I went to the 180, but I adjusted to it and it's never bothered me enough to want to switch back.

To be fair to you Roger you primarily use the original maxxis supermaxx touring don’t you? Which is the best if the maxxis bunch imho and do feel decent especially for the price. Mates got them on his 600. Felt fine when I had a go.

The maxxis St2 I hated though and the racey ones didn’t give me confidence , you tried either them yet?

Correct!

I seem to remember RF Ro getting a pair of Maxxis - the sporty ones - and saying he liked them... and me commenting that I was equally happy with them, albeit the 'basic' (touring) type.

If there's any weight of argument building against 'the sporty ones' a further bit of evidence might lay in the fact that another mate who was very keen for me to relieve him of a Maxxis sport front [for free] which had been on a bike when he bought it... and after trying it couldn't wait to get it off!

[Yes,I get on fine with the basic ''touring' ones, but that is not to say I'm quite ready for the Honda Owners Club, just yet]

(I've not as yet had any need to use that diamond super-sticky whatever front, so it remains as a spare. From what I'm hearing here, it may be some time before it goes on one of my bikes. If ever )

Here ya go...

3 pages about them (more or less)

http://rfownersclub.co.uk/viewtopic.php ... lit=maxxis

After riding with these tyres for a year they are excellent value for money and I can highly recommend them

With an MOT on the horizon and judging my 180 was heading for an advisory i chucked on a 170/60 and just to and from the MOT station the back end felt a bit sharper.
Time will tell i guess once i have a few more miles on the new rubber

hawker wrote: ↑Thu Mar 16, 2023 9:12 pm With an MOT on the horizon and judging my 180 was heading for an advisory i chucked on a 170/60 and just to and from the MOT station the back end felt a bit sharper.
Time will tell i guess once i have a few more miles on the new rubber

It definitely makes the bike more agile, it fits the rim with less rubber over the edge, making it easier to turn into bends, I'm sticking with 170's

I never knew the bike came standard with 170.

I have only ever ridden it with 180 and it handles well but of course I have nothing to compare it to. I had some 11 year old Bridgestones on mine and my gosh what a difference it made to handling when I put some new rubber on it.....

Changing subject slightly I used to run Dunlop Supersports on my bandit. I happily paid and never noticed anything wrong with the bikes handling. Then I couldnt get them as they were discountinued. Found out I had been running 10 year old new tyres. Had new Dunlops put on and boy what a difference.