16.5 front and 17inch rear can it work?

[badmonkey]

Is it possible to use a 16.5 front and 17 inch rear?
Thanks

[Sunny]

Just from common sense and some engineering thinking..............I have no idea exactly how they might work..................but I'll give it a shot as I doubt any had actual experience using this combination..........

I think they will work, but probably not very well.  The 16.5" tires supposed to have better side grip at extrem lean angle when compared to 17" tires.  That could cause some handling (front/rear balance) issue for you.  Make sure both tire will at least turn on basically the same radius if you know what I mean.........

Again, this is just what I think which could and probably be wrong.  Hopefully some tire vendors will see this and jump in here to give you some inputs!   ;)

[Sunny]

Forgot to say that doing this will defiitely require you to at least make ride height adjustment to adjust the chassis/geometry!   ;)

[badmonkey]

I knew I would have to correct the ride height, but I thought when they first came out with the 16.5 rims that some racers at first were using the 16.5 front while still using the 17 rear till the tire development caught up...

[WebCrush]

you got backwards.

when 16.5"s were still being developed, the hot setup was a 17" front, 16.5" rear.

That has since changed with 16.5" front and rear

[badmonkey]

oops ;D ;D

[Super Dave]

Tires for 16.5's are very heavy.  That was one of the big reasons why the Honda FX bikes were slower than the DOT shod Supersport bikes.

They are really designed for very high HP, high grip situations.  

Question has to be, are you utilizing the 17's enough first at lap record pace?  Then maybe the 16.5's might be better, if you have enough HP.

[badmonkey]

It wasnt so much that I was worried about record pace , I just need to replace front magnessium rim and found a 16.5  marchesini for dirt cheap and was wondering of the combo would work. Hp is not a problem on a SV lol ;D ;D ;D

[quicktoy]

if i remeber correctly, some of the motogp guys last year were running combos at certain tracks, I dont remeber which size front or rear, but it was one and the other

[Zac]

Almost all the top Euro supermoto guys are running 16.5 fronts with 17 rears.  The SMs tend to push the front around a lot (little weight on the front) so it helps with a little more front grip.

-z.

[khanson]

I prefer a 22" front with a 25" rear for the added bling factor!

Super Dave told me I've got to look phat and can't be haten' on my homies!

[Super Dave]

Yo, yo, yo...

You can't loose with twenty-twos...