180/55 vs. 190/50 vs. 190/55

[Ninja 636]

Cant decide which tires to put on my '06 636. Like the look of the 190 but i heard it does not handle like the 180. let me know what your opinion is. also i am getting the pilot power 2ct. Please help me out.

[therky42]

How agressive do you ride>?

[Ninja 636]

well i ride hard when we are going out wednesday nights and also sunday on 149 sometimes. I try to take the corner as fast as possible.

[MadseasoN]

Go with the OEM size.

[Ninja 636]

^but why? will it affect the contoll that much

[bigjay77]

what about a 180-60, anyone make one of those??? more triangular profile???

[Ninja 636]

never seen one.

[andre3k]

Cant decide which tires to put on my '06 636. Like the look of the 190 but i heard it does not handle like the 180. let me know what your opinion is. also i am getting the pilot power 2ct. Please help me out.

Wow, buying tires based on look, thats a neat concept.

But seriously, Stick with the stock sizes unless you plan on doing suspension adjustments to compensate. Even 180/55 tires from different manufacturers will carry different diameters, throw a tape around some and you will see. Depending on what rear tires you get, your ride height can be altered a bit. Same with the fronts, the 06 zx6r have a funky 65 front tires, so go with the 70 and adjust forks accordingly.

If you've never touched your suspension settings on the bike or set up f/r sag then you'll probably ever notice the difference. In that case just get whatever looks best. :happy3:

[therky42]

I would just get the OEM ones as well, no need to change if your not riding that aggressive and not redoing your Suppension, my .02 cents:icon_thum

[MadseasoN]

^but why? will it affect the contoll that much

If you go with a taller tire then you'll change the steeing geometry of the bike (possibly increasing or decreasing the trail).

A wider tire than the rim was designed for will stretch the tire and you'll get a smaller contact patch.


But like therky42 said, depends on how agressive you ride. You may not even notice.

[Ninja 636]

ya just this week i had my suspension ajusted by MU.

[Ninja 636]

well then what about the pilot power 2ct, does anybody have any input on those?

[andre3k]

well then what about the pilot power 2ct, does anybody have any input on those?

I would go with the regular pp if you aren't doing trackdays. The ct's are pp compounds in the middle with softer edges. You really shouldn't be getting enough lean angle on the street to give the softer edges a good workout. If you do trackdays then the 2cts are better imo.

[Ninja 636]

thanks

[therky42]

I would go with the regular pp if you aren't doing trackdays. The ct's are pp compounds in the middle with softer edges. You really shouldn't be getting enough lean angle on the street to give the softer edges a good workout. If you do trackdays then the 2cts are better imo.
+1

[BigComfy]

Listen to Andre3k he is our national track school expert and knows his stuff(well now he does jk) if your not doing track days etc... run a power on the front and a pilot road on the back. You will get 7-8k instead of the 3-4K (if your lucky with a power rear).

[andre3k]

Listen to Andre3k he is our national track school expert and knows his stuff(well now he does jk) if your not doing track days etc... run a power on the front and a pilot road on the back. You will get 7-8k instead of the 3-4K (if your lucky with a power rear).

I'm no expert. I just pay more to pose.:hello:
The pilot roads seem pretty nice, I was looking to go to those for my next street tire. I'm looking more for mileage than performance on the street now.

[BigComfy]

I'm no expert. I just pay more to pose.:hello:
The pilot roads seem pretty nice, I was looking to go to those for my next street tire. I'm looking more for mileage than performance on the street now.
The roads will give you plenty of grip on the road even com[ared to a 2ct. you just can't push like you can on the track to keep enough heat in them.
Ready to ride when I get my new toy mang?

[marlboroman71818]

I disagree with using the pilot powers. When I had the rear on my bike it slithered all over the place. I could gas it and light the rear tire up on demand. Even the stock bt-056 was gripier than the PP's. Try the Bridgestone BT-014 or Metzler M3's. So far they have given me the best results

[BigComfy]

I disagree with using the pilot powers. When I had the rear on my bike it slithered all over the place. I could gas it and light the rear tire up on demand. Even the stock bt-056 was gripier than the PP's. Try the Bridgestone BT-014 or Metzler M3's. So far they have given me the best results
I love this board b/c of the diff views.

I found thte BT014's very difficult to get up to temp thus finding good grip (be it street or track) + short "grippy" life. Never had a set of M3's but did have M1's and they no matter (again just my experience) constantly slid all over the pace (esp at the track) the powers I've run gripped great and you actually had a heads up before the sliding point.

Again my experience which is limited (4rys and 45K miles +6-7 track days) but My. 02 :hello:

[witchdoctor575]

I disagree with using the pilot powers. When I had the rear on my bike it slithered all over the place. I could gas it and light the rear tire up on demand. Even the stock bt-056 was gripier than the PP's. Try the Bridgestone BT-014 or Metzler M3's. So far they have given me the best results


uuummmmmm...you also are on a bbuussaa. Way more balls that a 636.:eh:

[Thumper]

i moved from 190/50 to 180/55. The 180 is taller and about the same width compared side by side. I prefer the 180 to the 190. I run Qualifiers and once they warm up they are great.

[Patrick]

One more time, the 180 vs 190 debate.
If you're street riding, and your bike came with a 180, I'd recommend staying with it.
A 190/50 will negatively change the geometry, and because of it's flatter profile, it will slow down your turning. Plus it's heavier so it can negatively impact acelleration.

For track use however, the current trend seems to be moving towards a 190/55 set up, although some of it is subjective to a racers riding style.

If you have the skills to be able to utilize it's improved contact patch over a 190/50 it can help you get on the gas earlier coming out of a corner.

As far as brands, take your pick.
All of the tires that are currently being offered by the major manufacturers are really good, especially for street use.

All have a "characteristic" endemic to the design, but at the end of the day, they all can outperform how most of us ride, especially if you're not searching for the outer limits of traction on the track.

IMO, one of the main questions that you need to answer is; what's higher on your list; mileage or traction?

I'm not saying that it's an either / or decision, but there is a dividing line; you can have great mileage with good traction to 8/10ths riding, or you can have great traction at a "race pace" but with reduced mileage.

To a certain extent you also need to be realistic about your riding style and abilities.

If you're the average motorcyclist that's just street riding, even at a fairly agressive pace, you really can't tell the difference between say a Pilot Road, Pilot Power or Power 2CT, IMO.

The only difference you'll be able to tell is in your wallet when you have to change the tires more frequently if you go with a "track day specific" over a more "general purpose" tire.

I'd beware of some of the advice you may get from riders that proclaim:
"Get this tire! It's the SHIT!!"
Especially when all they've ridden on is 1 or 2 different sets of tires.
It's really hard to get an objective opinion from someone that has a very limited range of experience.

As always my 2 cents, YMMV.

[Ninja 636]

Well i just picked up the pp 2ct's with the 120/70 and 190/50 so compared to stock (120/65 and 180/55) should i get my height ajusted. Just got my suspension setup at MU earlier this week. + i would rather have better traction than mileage bc i dont have frame sliders yet......:laughing6

[Chris24]

FOR REAL:

lean a 180 and a 190 up on a chair or something, walk 10 feet away, and ill give you a cookie if you can actually guess correctly.

[RaZ]

What ever happend to the dunlop dm40z's? When i had my first bike in the early/mid 90's those were the tires to have....Now i am looking for a tire for more of a straightline driving i dont plan on riding my bike hard into and out of a corner....

[houseofpaint]

pp 2ct's are nice tires, i don't think changing your profile on the rear would do you any good for street purposes. even racers race with the 180 on a 600 and have no problems. are you sure you actually need that 190? i hope it does you some good, and not just put a bigger hole in the pocket.

just my .02 cents as well.

[Chris24]

come on! get a 240!!!

[BigComfy]

Well looks like someone made a few extra buck off him and will make a few more in the very near(3K miles) future again.

Why ask a question if your mind is already made up?


Out of curiousity where did you end up purchasing the tires from and how much?

[Ninja 636]

well reason why is on the street i really dont think it would make a big diff., Plus i dont take it to the track. I got them off the internet for $285 shipped. i think i got a good deal.