How to check to see the maximum tire size to fit your bike

How to check to see the maximum tire size to fit your bike
Doesn't matter make or model.

If you are going to try and switch to a wider tire or a little taller tire then you have now , and want to see if it will fit without mods try this.
Buy some kids modeling clay (dollar-tree $1.).
Roll out a 1" thick (hotdog shape) piece , about 12 " long and press it to your tire from rim to rim, tape if necessary.


Get on your bike, and your wife on the back and roll the bike back and forth , make sure you don't run over the clay.
Then get off the bike and look where the clay is dented or scraped and measure the height from the tire to the thinnest part of the clay.

Again both of you get back on and roll the bike so the clay is at the point of closest contact and jump up and down.
Then check again to see if the clay is distorted and measure the height from the tire to the thinnest part of the clay.
Lets say that you have 25"tall tire and the dent on the clay is at the top of the tire and is just over 1/2" thick, and you double it (top and bottom) and you now can go 1" taller , or a 26" tall tire.
But if you have a tire 6"wide and the dent is on the one side and is 3/4", and no dent on the other side,, you now can go to a tire just a little smaller then 7.5" wide.
I know these are not very good examples but you can get the idea of how to find your max tire measurement.


good luck,
Horse

Good idea (as always)

George

new pictures added

Thank you so much George.

I'm looking forward to going to the Darkside.

My bike is on the Darkside anyway so this would be a huge plus!!!

Thank George

easy way to check, but Im thinking of going to a 205/65R16 on a vtx 1800 R. may not work as well moving to a flat faced tire

bump---- to check if the tire will fit.

I ordered a dunlope 195-60-16 sp5000 and it should be here today I will let you know how it goes.

Mikeyger wrote:I ordered a dunlope 195-60-16 sp5000 and it should be here today I will let you know how it goes.

take pics
thanks

I call it the "Clay Turd Trick", mostly good for overhead clearance. Belt and fenders you can measure.

That's a really sweet idea man. Great thinking for sure!

Ohhh. Nice. Ive been trying to figure out if my 85 shadow 500 can accept a wider tire. Now I'll be able to figure it out. Thx.

Hurg wrote:Ohhh. Nice. Ive been trying to figure out if my 85 shadow 500 can accept a wider tire. Now I'll be able to figure it out. Thx.

Hurg, I have an 86 Shadow 500. "basically same bike" Do you have a ct on it? And what brand/size did you go with? I didn't even look cause I didn't think I could get a tire skinny enough for it.