Well said Mark.

 

It depends what you mean by performance: you have a larger patch of rubber on the ground, so there's more rolling resistance and more weight to move. This can eat up some horses. On the otherhand, if you're hotroded out, and blow-away your skinny tire every-time you take off, a larger tire will give you more traction and thus increase your performance. Also a fat tire will slightly increase you pre-grinding lean angle, although you'll probably barely notice.

Neither here nor there: aesthetic taste.

Pros: Larger contact patch = better off-the-line traction. Slightly increased lean angle.

Cons: more weight and rolling resistance = couple hp loss at rear wheel.


Yes, but it might "bulge" a little. You can usually go around 20mm wider than stock tires on a stock rim.

Yes, but you'd have some modifying to do.


If you really like the wide-tire look it's "worth" if you think so. From a non-aesthetic functionality-based position, no, it's definitely not worth what could easily turn into a $1k project to a couple millimeters of width to your back tire.

 

Mostly styling. Bigger rubber is only really justified with much bigger power. One issue to watch for is if you increase the difference between front and rear tire widths you have to lean the bike more in a corner to get the same turn rate because the contact patch moves out further so angles the bike away from where you're aiming, but also you might get more lean angle before anything decks. Very small differences though unless you fit something really wild.

 

Thanks for all the great answers. I will keep my current rims, but one of the reasons I ask; Noticed sportsbikes have wider tires, both front and rear, which made me think that wider is better.

Perhaps it works only on that style/type of riding?

 

Dragsters tend to have large rear tires, and small front tires: lots of grip in the back and minimize rolling resistance in the front.

Sportsbikes tend to keep the front and rear tires the same size. Many of them actually aren't much fatter than yours (what's yours? 165mm? New bikes are 180mm?) they just look it because the tread extends pretty high up the sides since they lean so far over.

 

My 05 has 150mm. They look skinny next to the sportsbike that parks next to me at work. His are 180mm.

I don't plan to drag knees, but I do enjoy the curves now and then. Think I will switch out my OEM tires for some Metzlers.

 

Good move - either Metzelers or Avons (my choice). I use a wider tyre on the rear of my old Glide because it has a higher load rating than the stock size (and looks a bit better!), but it is difficult to say the same for using a wider tyre on a Dyna.

You could always buy a Buell if you want to match that sportsbike!