Tires

NerdyNerd

NerdyNerd

XS650 Enthusiast
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I imagine I'm starting to drive you all nuts with my constant questions but I want to be sure I'm getting the correct tires for this bike.
it's the 1982 Yamaha XS650 Heritage Special with the spoked inner tube tires.
What are the sizes and does anyone have a link to something they suggest? I live in a rural town so store shopping isn't an option.
 

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100/90-19 on the front. 130/90-16 rear. Alternatively, 3.50-19 is the original front tire size. 5.00-16 will fit on the rear.

Pickings are starting to get slim in these sizes at the lower price point. Dunlop 404 and Shinko 712 are all that come to mind without getting more spendy. I was recently forced to give up my favorites and now on the 404. They go good, stop good, and shed water. The jury is out on how long they last. I've never owned a Shinko.
 
jetmechmarty said:
100/90-19 on the front. 130/90-16 rear. Alternatively, 3.50-19 is the original front tire size. 5.00-16 will fit on the rear.

Pickings are starting to get slim in these sizes at the lower price point. Dunlop 404 and Shinko 712 are all that come to mind without getting more spendy. I was recently forced to give up my favorites and now on the 404. They go good, stop good, and shed water. The jury is out on how long they last. I've never owned a Shinko.
Click to expand...
You are a life saver! I found and ordered the Dunlop D404 off Revzilla. $220 for the pair
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/dunlop-d404-tires?sku_id=158468
 
NerdyNerd said:
I imagine I'm starting to drive you all nuts with my constant questions but.....
Click to expand...

The search function (top right of page) is your friend. I typed in "Tires" and got 25 pages of results. You could prolly refine that for relevance.



1677266157107.png
 
jetmechmarty said:
100/90-19 on the front. 130/90-16 rear. Alternatively, 3.50-19 is the original front tire size. 5.00-16 will fit on the rear.

Pickings are starting to get slim in these sizes at the lower price point. Dunlop 404 and Shinko 712 are all that come to mind without getting more spendy. I was recently forced to give up my favorites and now on the 404. They go good, stop good, and shed water. The jury is out on how long they last. I've never owned a Shinko.
Click to expand...
What exactly is the difference in those two front tire sizes?
 
In the front tire, the size difference is negligible, depending upon manufacturers. On the rear, the metric tire is over 6 inches wide, with sidewall 90% of that. The 5.00-16 is 5 inches wide and the sidewall is considerably taller.

The old size tires do fit on a stock XS650. @MarieKaramazov fitted them to her Heritage Special. A picture is in her thread.
 
I use the 712 rears all the time but don't care for the matching 712 front. It's kinda "squirmy", giving a gentle head shake as I go through about the 35 to 40 MPH range. I guess I've grown used to it because I hardly notice it anymore, but needless to say, I won't be using one again. For a front tire, I like this Metzler style tread pattern .....


ChengShinC906.jpg


It's worked well with any rear I've tried it with. Unfortunately, Cheng Shin stopped making them, lol. But there is another tire manufacturer, Vee Rubber, making copies now .....

VRubberVRM191.jpg


And of course, you could always buy the original Metzler if you didn't mind paying an arm and a leg, lol.
 
CONTINENTAL RB2 /K112
I've been running on them for years and don't think I'll ever use anything else.
They handle great and wear like iron. Like any tire, alignment on the rear is critical
or you'll burn it up pretty quick. Lesson learned. :doh:

1704797230268.png
 
Not for the XS but for my Shadow. I have a new tire on its way for the rear. I bought a SHINKO SR230 as suggested by the dealer. I’m going to attempt installation as I did on the front and it’s reported it should be easier. On the front there weren’t any weights on the wheel so I slapped the tire back on and didn’t worry about balancing at this time. However, on the rear there are quite a few weights. Question is, are the weights more likely for an imbalance of the tire or rim? I hadn’t planned on balancing the rear either - am I looking for trouble? Should I leave the existing weights on the wheels?
On the rear I can re/re the tire assembly easily if balancing is needed. The front is more challenging because of a lack of good jacking locations.
 

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