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If there's already a thread on this, or a good resource, feel free to point me in that direction....
So I have a general idea for what the numbers mean on the side of a tire mean, tread width, aspect ratio, rim size....
But I used to think that 160 = lightweight/motard, 180 = midweight, 200 = heavyweight...
That was fine, esp. when I was running whatever the tire dealer said I should on different bikes, but I've started to buy take-offs and have started to get a bit confused.
My 1199 came with a 200/55 in the rear, but apparently Dunlop doesn't even make that size?
Oh, and the Pirelli website doesn't list a 200/55 Supercorsa (SP or SC), which is weird, b/c as mentioned that's what came on the bike.
To add to the confusion, I've heard that the measurements aren't *really* comparable between different brands.
I've also heard that a different tire size can affect the performance of electronics like traction control. Doesn't sound right b/c if my math is right, a 200/55 has a 3.40m circumference, a 190/60 is 3.43m, and a 190/55 is 3.37m...in other words they're all +/- 1% of reach other.
So, given that my understanding is that rear tire size is a balance of contact patch size (exit drive) and handling (with larger = harder to flick from side to side)
1. Is there a "right" size for a specific class of bike, or at least one that most people agree is best?
and
2. If the answer to #1 is "yes" would it also depend on the track being ridden? For instance would you sometimes choose a smaller tire on a tight technical track like NHMS where you might want a larger tire for a faster track like NJMP (or vise versa?)