| Author | Message | ||
     Billetmetallic |
Looking for a 16.5 inch front and rear tire for street use, but it seems that only racing slicks and racing rain tires are made in this size. Can anyone confirm that there are no street tires made in the 16.5 inch size? thanks | ||
| Gohot |
I'v looked at all the tire catalog's I can for years now, sure dont seem to see them for the street, infact rarely do I see them period. 16.5's must be special order and then in 'race' catagory's not typically in the street catalogs. Avon does get into some odd sizing and special applications though, might give it a look around. | ||
| Eboos |
Save your money, don't get 16.5" wheels. There are no DOT tires for them, and there likely never will be. 16.5" wheels are ment to give more side grip for road racing bikes to allow them more corner speed. They are only available in either slicks or rains and intermediates/wets. | ||
| Anonymous |
There will never be 16.5 inch street tires. The regulatory organizations that must approve wheel sizes won't approve a size that's just 0.5 inch off a current standard, because there's too much risk someone will try to mount a 17 tire on a 16.5 wheel or vice versa. With a full inch difference the attempt is obvious. The tire companies make 16.5 inch race tires because they like having a taller sidewall with the same outside diameter as a 17, or for other very technical reasons that only relate to racing. It also doesn't make their lawyers unhappy that it makes many slicks impossible to fit to standard street bike wheels. The new AMA Pro Racing organization has gone on an anti-16.5 inch campaign, as they feel it only added to the cost of racing. If you need 5 front and 5 rear $1200 16.5 inch wheels per bike at the professional racing level, you've just spent $12000 on wheels before you've even begun the season. | ||
| Bombardier |
Anonymous, I assumed the size was a compromise between turn in effort and straight line stability. |
