I will be running radials next, I ride aggressive "sometimes"so I will be looking for the most stickest tires I can get , long lasting .or heavy load tires isn't something I am concerned with , on my sportbike I am lucky to get 5000miles , so If I can get 5000 miles on tires fo my low rider I am a happy camper .

 

You have a Gixxer 1000 or a Busa IIRC? I'm lucky to get 3000 miles out of the rear on the Bus, but that's just because hitting it can be so much fun. Fronts last a lot longer.

FWIW, going wider in the rear will likely make your Low Rider handle worse, and it will probably wear faster too. It's kind of counterintuitive, but has to do with heat buildup.

 

neither I ride have a 2007 R1 ,I had a busa from 99-04 ,then got a TLR 100 ,then got the R1 , the busa has a lot of torque it eats tires , lol ,as for the low rider I figured the handling may change ,how much I dont know ,but I am willing to take chance for a year , with the tires .

 

Guess it's all about the tradeoffs between form and function, as it always has been.

I was looking for tire width calculator for you that accounts for the rim width, but the only ones I'm finding are set for car tires. Here's a good one:
https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/?wheel1=185-55-16X6.5ET45&wheel2=225-45-17X7.5ET40&fcl=50mm&wcl=30mm&scl=50mm&sr=0mm
The principals are the same, but there are differences between motorcycles and cars (duh!). Biggest concern is that car tires are meant to be broad and flat in the axle direction (a cylinder), whereas bike tires are mostly round in the axle direction (a doughnut).

Big concern with a wide/fat tire is that you may end up with too short a sidewall. In a car, that makes it sporty handling but harsh ride. On a bike, you might end up running out of tire corner too fast when leaning. That, and the weird dynamics when you initiate a turn coming off a sort of flat tread area and onto a narrow radius tire shoulder. Should be ok if you keep the overall diameter of the mounted tire the same as stock, and then maintain clearance on the swingarm, fender, and drive belt. A buddy of mine stuck a fat tire on his BMW and was surprised when I pointed out that it was rubbing lightly on his drive shaft housing.

 

not a big fan of going to the dark side ,with car tires , its not a need for me to have a 200mm rear tire, the bike handles great with the 180 ,so much that I am difninety gonna go with radials ,and ones that are sticky ,I am a big fan of Dunlop tires , so I may go that route ,this summer ,

 

I know this is a somewhat old thread, but due to COVID, there still aren’t many options out there. The only option is having the stealership nail me for $850 for a set of Scorcher 31s or a set of Metzeler Cruisetecs or Marathons in alternate 180/65-16 rear for about half the price not including mounting. I’ve gotten over 12k on the Scorchers and they’ve been a good tire. Anyone have any issues with running Metzelers?

 

When my ‘21 LRS’s HD factory tires need changed, I’m going with a set of Avon Cobra Chrome tires. Love them on my ‘16 RGS. Bike rode and handled so much better! Plus I got a $60 rebate from Avon.

 

I just put a pair of Bridgestone Excedra Max tires on my Low Rider. $290 shipped from Dennis Kirk. I like them so far.

 

I emailed Bridgestone and they told me that because the Exedra Max tires were designed for metric cruisers, the Low Rider would exceed the load rating of the tire and advised me against using them. He said the Battlecruise H50 were for the American cruiser but they don’t make a 180 tire.

 

He should check again, couldn't get a michelin for my 2020 LR so I went with the Bridgestones. BattleCruise 180/70B16 for the rear,100/90B19 front.