18" front or 19" rear?

So, I'm considering switching out either of my wheels to have the same sizing front and back. Here's a list of pros/cons.

18" Front:
pros- Better turning, more tire availabilty, easier stopping with dual disk upgrade

cons-Not easy to find stock, would probably have to send off wheel to Buchanan's to get re-laced ($$$)

19" Rear:
pros-Rear disk, easier to find

cons-Would need wheel spacers/adapator, streetable tire availablity, would need to mess with gearing for highway.

thoughts/opinions?

My next project will use 21's in the front and rear

--Chris

Kev Nemo said:

So, I'm considering switching out either of my wheels to have the same sizing front and back. Here's a list of pros/cons.

18" Front:
pros- Better turning, more tire availabilty, easier stopping with dual disk upgrade

cons-Not easy to find stock, would probably have to send off wheel to Buchanan's to get re-laced ($$$)

19" Rear:
pros-Rear disk, easier to find

cons-Would need wheel spacers/adapator, streetable tire availablity, would need to mess with gearing for highway.

thoughts/opinions?

Click to expand...

I'd leave them alone with an 18 rear and 19 front if you're doing the dirt track tires . Those are the sizes made in the DOT tires like the Dunlop K70 and K180. 19s require dirt track tires that are not DOT and are likely very soft. 18s may work if you want the 4.00 front but the steering will go to pot. A 4.00 is fine on the dirt track, but not so good on the road.

So what height would you suggest to balance a 19 front and 18 rear-4" rear and 3" front?

Kev Nemo said:

So what height would you suggest to balance a 19 front and 18 rear-4" rear and 3" front?

Click to expand...

I'm not quite sure what you're asking...

I know the 3.50-19 front/4.00-18 rear both look and work well on my old SR. From past street experience I know a 4.00-18 or 19 would make the street handling very slow compared to the 3.50-18 or 19. The rim width won't be hypercritical like it would be with low profile radials. The fact is most all 70s Japanese bikes 350 and above have rims that will work fine with those tire sizes, especially your 750.

On the flat track there are other reasons to run the 4.00 versus the 3.50. Much the same as the street ride, it has to do with both traction and steering, but the benefits are kind of reversed.

I found a 4.0x18 s-rated TT rear and a 3.50x19 p-rated front/rear here:

http://www.tireexpress.com/prod.cfm/cid/6701/pid/5636

Is that good pricing or can I find better? Are the different speed ratings a concern?

Kev Nemo said:

I found a 4.0x18 s-rated TT rear and a 3.50x19 p-rated front/rear here:

http://www.tireexpress.com/prod.cfm/cid/6701/pid/5636

Is that good pricing or can I find better? Are the different speed ratings a concern?

Click to expand...

The P rating of the K70s seem like they should be adequate at 150 mph constant speed rating. That's all it's worth. If you plan to cruise faster than that for any length of time, you may want to go to a higher rating... ;D

The price is only as good as the total including any shipping. that's why I'd say check with a shop to see if they can meet or beat the total, although I see they claim free shipping.
Some shops may do you a good deal.

Parts Unlimited MSRP lists the 3.50 at $90.95 and the 4.00 at $93.95, which should be max price at a shop, most of whom would carry parts from Parts Unlimited or similar priced wholesaler. There should be no shipping charges since shops usually have a great shipping deal with the wholesalers. I've never paid shipping on any parts I've gotten from any regular supplier at the shop where I worked, nor did any other customer, with the exception of things like big ATV mowers and such.