(Yes I have searched but thought asking might be easier...)

Is the MT90B16 same as 130/90-16? And has anyone just bought two rear tires and run the front one in reverse (like dark side)? Any other size recommendations?

I'm not rich so I may go with Kenda's and install myself. I have been pleased with them on other bikes. Any thoughts?

(And what about load rating? I ride solo, weigh in at about 200lb)

 

There are tables available, often provided by tire manufacturers, which compare US and metric sizes. A given US size will rarely, if ever, be the exact same size as the nearest metric size, but close enough to be interchangeable. Search for tire size cross reference and see what comes up.

Tires do two things at once, they age, and they wear with use. Wear is easily understood and can be measured, age is a little less objective. Is the bike parked outside all the time or garaged when not in use? Exposure to the sun ages a tire faster than one protected from the sun. Small cracks in the sidewall usually happen sooner to a tire exposed to the sun, vs garaged when not in use. As it ages, the rubber tends to get harder. For us, that translates into a loss of designed traction. It may be far more noticeable in wet conditions rather than dry. Six years seems to be fairly standard in the industry for replacement even if tread is still deeper than the minimum. I don't know how much safety margin that figure contains. Some people have run tires up to 10 years, I make no recommendation to do that.

Front tires normally are made with about 5/32 of tread depth, while rears are made with 10/32 to 11/32. The rear tire works much harder than the front tire, it both pushes, or "pulls" (stops) all the time, the front tire mostly coasts but is the more effective stopping tire. Many riders find they wear out two rear tires before the front tire is worn to the limit. Obviously, the front tire wears more slowly than the rear.

From a technical standpoint, handling, traction, manufacturer's engineering (even running the rear tire backward), I have NO knowledge about using a rear tire on the front and can make no recommendation beyond the manufacturers saying "NO". The slower rate of wear would create the temptation to run a long wearing front tire well beyond the recommended AGE limit. Also, for a similar sized rear tire, the rear is usually more expensive than the similar sized front tire.

Load Rating: NEVER use a tire with a lower load rating than the bike manufacturer recommends. The safety margin you have would be far less, or non-existent, with the lower load rated tire. Given the same temperature and elevation, tires NEVER gain pressure, they only lose pressure over time. On a fall morning, 10 degrees cooler than yesterday morning, you will have a lower tire pressure even with no actual leak. If you already have a tire with a marginal load rating, that lower pressure could lead to disaster. Even if there is no failure, the tire will heat to a higher temperature in use, and that softens the rubber and leads to faster tread wear. The temperature related pressure change happens regardless of load rating, as does the increased wear rate for a hotter tire. The SAFETY MARGIN from the built in added strength of the higher load rated tire is greater than for the lower load rated tire.

Lots of verbiage, and I still can't answer your specific questions, BUT these are things to consider as YOU make your decision.

 

Short answer is yes.
Tire sizes explained.