I’m looking for a more “aggressive” or dual sport style tire setup to put on my 1980 xs650. Front tire/ wheel setup doesn’t seem to be an issue to find, but the stock 16” rear wheel is proving a little harder to find rubber for. I’m not looking to build a full on scrambler, but trying to smudge the lines between scrambler and cafe style bike to fit the vision in my head. Any leads or advice on different tire and wheel combos I can fit in my stock swing arm (and front forks while you’re at it) would be much appreciated.
-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
Wheels and tires
- Thread starter CjVoller
- Start date
If your '80 is the drum rear brake SPII then any earlier 18" rear wheel from '74 on will swap right in. That would be much easier to find rubber for.
Cool thank you 5twins, I think a larger wheel will compliment the look I am going for. Seems there isn't much space in the rear swing arm for anything larger overall (wheel and tire combo), but the stock tire is relatively wide so should be able to find something a bit skinnier for an 18" wheel allowing me to sneak a little further into the taper of the swing arm. is that your thought behind going to a larger wheel too?
Not knowing your budget, if you’re on a drum brake bike, you may lace up anything you want. An 18” in front rim and 17” rear will open a whole lot of tire options. In most cases, a 130 wide tire fits, but maybe not at 18” rim. You’d have to research all of that.
I have a set of Duro HF307's on my '77. I cannot comment on how they feel as the project lies dormant in storage and never ridden them yet. They are 18" rear and 19" front. Price was very reasonable too.
Another option if you are wanting to stick with the 16/19 wheel combo is the Bates Baja tires offered by Lowbrow customs. They are a bit more pricey, but are certainly aggressive looking.
Another option if you are wanting to stick with the 16/19 wheel combo is the Bates Baja tires offered by Lowbrow customs. They are a bit more pricey, but are certainly aggressive looking.
Oh that looks so cool so far....I gotta keep an eye on this one.
