ok...the bike I thought that I got such a sweet deal on has a bent Rear rim. I noticed it today when I was getting the size to order a new tire. I thought about trying to bend the rim back into shape, but the dealer said it would probably crack if we tried and they wont mount the new tire on this rim for liability issues. If anyone has any ideas where I can get one of these I would really appreciate it. I really dont want to pay the dealer $580 +tax for one of these, and then spend the $200 for tire and labor. Thanks!


1998 Kawasaki 500R
Tire Size is 130/70-17

ps. does anyone know what these rims are made of?

 

I guess I should have checked Ebay first, I found one for $150 shipped so I bought it.

 

Congrats in making some progress. Kinda sucks about the rim though being bent. What tire ya getting? Hope it matches the front.

 

Im getting the Bridgestone BT45, and yes, it does match the front. http://www.motorcycle-karttires.com/...D=3&LookupID=8

 

ebay is a great place, thats where i've gotten all my stuff for the rebuild on my bike.

 

wow. I did not realize they still made bias ply tires.... hhmmm.

 

Is that a bad thing? I really dont know what Bias ply means

 

Bias ply is using nylon cords wrapped in a different style pattern than what radials are wrapped in.... Remember the old cars back in the day always run bias ply tires until technology caught up and the Radial was invented. Or a super swamper tire. You know the big mudder tires like on lifted 4x4's.....

Bias ply tires tend to create flat spots in the tires. Especailly if they sit in cold weather or for extended periods of time. So, it is harder to balance and maintain a balance on a bias ply. And the way the plys are wrapped, bias ply tires tend to have a stiffer sidewall...

If the bike was an older bike and was origanlly fittedwith bias and designed for that, go for it. But with all the advances in technology to radial tires, I would go with a radial instead of a bias. Radial will have a better treadwear rating, better wet traction and better dry handling, and will not go out of round as easily.... The advantage to a bias ply, they are cheaper.

Bias ply tires operate at larger slip angles than radials. This larger slip angle is what makes bias tires feel sloppy on initial corner turnin. What this means to the driver, you have to 'lead' the corner more to account for the slip angles.
Because of how bias tires react to cornering loads, the tread can be thicker than radial tires "

A bias ply tire, because of the construction of the tire will track more easliy than a radial. A bias will try to folow the grooves in the road more easily...


JMO though.....

 

BigRig18Wheeler,

Thank you for explaining that to me.