Looking around on Americanmototire.com I found that they list a Metzler tire in 130/70VR-17

http://www.americanmototire.com/cata...oducts_id=3464

They dont have an exact size for the rear tire but using a tire calculator it looks like the Metzler 200/60VR-16 wont fit. It is .24 inches taller in diameter so less than 1/8 on either side there shouldn't be any clearance issues that way. Width wise however a 200mm tire is aproximatley 23/32nds (.78 exact) inches wider overall or 3/8ths (.39 exact) wider on each side. Measuring on my bike there is only about 3/8ths of an inch clearance between the stock 180 tire and the drive belt so it appears that a 200 tire is just a little too wide.

Metzler does make a 180/70VR-16 and a 180/60VR-16 though. The stock tire size is 180/65-16 so you will have to go 5 percent lager or smaller on the side wall height which is a difference of + or - .71 inches in total height (21/32nds) or .355 inches on either side (23/64ths). I personally would go with the 180/70VR-16. Just wanted to give you guys a heads up on replacement tires and give you an idea of the sizes.

 

There's also 150/60-17. That's almost the same diameter as a 130/70-17, only wider. Don't know if it would fit though but a beefier front tire would look good, IMO.
Anyone has mounted a 150 on the front?

 

Doing the math, it would add 13/32nds of an inch in width to either side of the tire. Doing a rough measurement on my bike, it seems there is about 20/32nds gap between the tire and the inner edge of the fender. So you will have about 7/32nds gap. This is about half way between an 1/8 and a 1/4. taking into account tire expansion, I don't think I would go to a 150 on the front. A 140 would be good and 145 would be about as wide as I'd be willing to go. You also have to take into consideration handling characteristics, as the front tire gets wider, it will be harder to lay the bike over into a turn at a trade off of making it more stable at speed in a strait line.

 

lots of people running 200 on the back of 09-10 baggers. remember no tire is going to come out measuring exactly as advertised once mounted.

 

I haven't heard of anybody running anything but stock tires on the 09-10's unless they had after market wheels. Just taking some rough measurements on my bike, it doesn't look like it will fit. I hope I'm proved wrong as I'd like to put a 200 Metzler on the back of my bike. Anyone out there with a 200 Metzler on the back of an 09-10 bike?

 

Just curious if the load rating is up to par for our touring bikes with these Metzlers.

 

they are are near the stock rating.the rear is near 100lbs lower but i think it would be all right.most of the raidals you get with after market wheels dont have the load rating of the stock wheels either.

 

Sounds like a viable alternative to the Dunlops, then. Definitely worth looking into. Thanks for researching this for us. I'm about due for a rear and will definitely check these out. (although, the stock Dunlop still has decent tread on it with 18,600 miles)