Why does everyone always run short rear tires?

[StangLX302]

This might be a dumb question, but I noticed in most of your pictures that most of you have smaller (shorter) than stock rear tires. What is the advantage? (besides effective gear ratio)

[atczack]

A little better cornering, easier to slide around the corner's, quicker pickup off of the bottom end. I just think it look's cooler, kinda like a bulldog: smaller in the rear end and muscular up front. Only one of my 200x has small tire's on the back, and my 400ex also. The rest have 22x11x8's for mudding.

[BigGreenMachine]

short rear tires give better handling characteristics due to the shorter sidewall to rim size which allows less sidewall flex under hard turning.

[StangLX302]

Makes sense.

[a-camp]

Cruzin esay....

[straight pipe]

by how much does the shorter tires slow you down?? i have a sx that other than a k&n is stock.

[trikerider2oo7]

they will only slow you down maybe a couple mph. depends on whow much smaller you plan on going. what size tires do you have now and what size tires are you wanting to put on?

[hrc85250r]

dont forget the lower center of gravity, so yur ride is less likely to tip around corners...

[yater]

I think 20" tires are perfect on a sport trike/quad. Anything smaller and you just spin the crap out of 'em and lose top end. It also gives less clearance in the rear

[Trikeaholic]

I think 20" tires are perfect on a sport trike/quad. Anything smaller and you just spin the crap out of 'em and lose top end. It also gives less clearance in the rear

tell that to all who ate my 18's dust at the TF drags!

Seriously, 18's are IT for trike performance, just dont forget your skid-plates!!

plus, a race trike with 18's just looks bad AZZ! :w00t:

[mad_max]

by how much does the shorter tires slow you down?? i have a sx that other than a k&n is stock.

'pipe, my SX runs 20's and I like everything about them (low center of gravity, handling, etc) EXCEPT it makes the SX feel like it has 4 speeds instead of 5.......... now if we could get somebody to make optional ring & pinions or quick change rearends! :w00t:

Heres a older pic of it with 18's....waay too short!

[Trikeaholic]

here is a cool pic of some old school racers

[83185s]

that sx with the 18's looks pathetic..sry man thats just my opinion..anyway i think people like them cause they think there cool :)) lol..jk..they dont look good really on anything other than a sport/race trike/quad i think..imagine 18's on a big red..not a pretty site huh? but imagine them on a tri-z or 250r...good site...lol

[350x'inNY]

tell that to all who ate my 18's dust at the TF drags!

Seriously, 18's are IT for trike performance, just dont forget your skid-plates!!

plus, a race trike with 18's just looks bad AZZ! :w00t:


Yes... those were nice tires you had at the drag at TF! I think they were mine though! hahaha :welcome:

I played with them on my 350X before.... talk about quick acceleration! Was a stiff ride, and with the lower clearence, I knocked my rear skid plate off!

Now that I got my 82R, I'll have to play with them on that sometime soon!

Here's a pic of them on my Showgirl pre-resto....

Bruce

[Dammit!]

I used to run 18's on my 200x. I ran 14/37 gearing to compensate and it was a good deal faster than stock. I even managed to use those in the snow a couple times.

[TimSr]

dont forget the lower center of gravity, so yur ride is less likely to tip around corners...

This is the real reason they are used on the track. Lower center of gravity allows you to powerslide better without tipping over as easily. Same reason they are used on quads.

I think about half the people who run them, view tires more as a fashion statement than a a functional necessity, and run them purely because they feel that its what a trike should look like, regardless of their riding conditions.

As a general law of nature, anything you do to improve handling on the track will work against you on the trails. When my machine comes off the track, the 18" Turf Tamers get replaced with 22" All Trax. Im laughing just picturing somebody following me through the rocky trails in Wellsville with 18" tires.

[NOS_350X]

Well Tim i dont think i could keep up with you on the trails with the 18" hoosiers, but i bet i could hang with my 18" shredders. I think that 20's are the best all around tires. But if you dont mind changing tires 18's on the track and 21's or 22's off. I normaly keep the 20's tamers on my X and the other 350's i switch around. I go for the smaller rear's because it makes it so much easyer to pitch it completly sideways.

[Lots_Of_Nothing]

Tim is absolutely correct, and I will NEVER ride in my "trails" again with 18" tires, I took my 84' R in the trails with 18" tamers... by the time i was done, my swingarm skidplate was ripped off the mounting tabs and dragging, and the engine skid plate looked like someone beat it with a hammer for hours.. I still have that plate because its useless and not worth a thing.. maybe i'll snap a pic.

[Trikeaholic]

Yea, I run 20's on my woods bikes that seems to be perfect. both the X's have 20 inch shredder XC's. Nice tire.

[bigredhead]

22. 11. 8 bear claws on the rear..

Mud devil on the front.

6 ply bear claws are heavy and stiff.... but can crush nails without going flat !

[TimSr]

Well Tim i dont think i could keep up with you on the trails with the 18" hoosiers, but i bet i could hang with my 18" shredders. I think that 20's are the best all around tires. But if you dont mind changing tires 18's on the track and 21's or 22's off. I normaly keep the 20's tamers on my X and the other 350's i switch around. I go for the smaller rear's because it makes it so much easyer to pitch it completly sideways.


http://www.3wheelerworldforums.com/showthread.php?t=29852

Pitching sideways isnt your primary concern there!

[straight pipe]

i just realized that i never posted a pic of my sx yet.here goes! the riding i do up here is mainly all trails. i can just imagine how far i would get in the swamps with the smaller rear tires. ground clearance is an issue already with the 22" my buddys quad has 13" of ground clearance and has tall mud bugs mounted on a 500 cat 4x4. if he goes through mud hole and spins out i have to ride in betwwen his trax to make it without hanging up.

[yater]

That sx looks really good. I wouldn't mess with smaller tires on an sx. I put 20" kenda klaws on mine and regretted going with the smaller tire. Unless you really want to rip around, I'd stick with stock size for clearance. The sx doesn't feel right when you lose the top end either.

[hondatrikesrule22]

that sx with the 18's looks pathetic..sry man thats just my opinion..anyway i think people like them cause they think there cool :)) lol..jk..they dont look good really on anything other than a sport/race trike/quad i think..imagine 18's on a big red..not a pretty site huh? but imagine them on a tri-z or 250r...good site...lol

They are kinda like thongs on hot chicks and fat chicks...lol. They only look good on the hot chicks. :naughty: Seriously, I love the way 18s look. They are just sick looking on the right bike.

[Rex Karz]

Fashion statement, no way. Out here, in the summer it's all hard pack, and tall tires suck for hard packed dirt. It's a whole new ATC on 18's, gotta be able to break them loose when turning.

Tires make the #1 biggest difference in an ATC's handling. Plain and simple, have more than one set! I use 20" Wooly Boogers for mud, 18" Duros on the hard pack, 26"ers for desert/rocks and paddles for the dunes.

Although, I would'nt put 18's on a Big Red or a 250SX in any condition, That's a Fashion Disaster! What would Melissa and Joan say??

[2strokepwer]

tell that to all who ate my 18's dust at the TF drags!



Hmmmm, why didn't you race me? I feel like a good race will be awaiting you. LOL :w00t:

[mad_max]

that sx with the 18's looks pathetic..sry man thats just my opinion..

I agree, I tried the 18's because the price was right (but the rest wasn't).

I run 20's and I have to say that the trade-off (lower center of gravity and lower top speed) compared to 22's is worth it IMO. ;)

[Meat-BoX]

My 20" Fast Trekkers are perfect for the Trails here in NY They Look cool but I got them for the lower profile and stiffness for handleing. The 22"-11"-10" tires that came with it looked like big floatation devices up front and out back. The kenda Front max I got is just Right thx to the info I got here. Its 22"-11"-10" but its much better quality than the original tire. Ive noticed a huge difference in handleing since I got the new Tires. And I look cool :rolleyes:

Heres a Pic to show you why 20" Tires rule for trail riding and Looks :rolleyes:

[Trikeaholic]

Hmmmm, why didn't you race me? I feel like a good race will be awaiting you. LOL :w00t:

If you offered to race, I probably couldn't understand you and just politlley smiled and nodded my head.


:D

[twgranger]

I love the 20in tires more than the 22in tires. It is more stable and i can tear @ss arounds corners better than with the big balloons.

[edog]

Yes... those were nice tires you had at the drag at TF! I think they were mine though! hahaha :welcome:

I played with them on my 350X before.... talk about quick acceleration! Was a stiff ride, and with the lower clearence, I knocked my rear skid plate off!

Now that I got my 82R, I'll have to play with them on that sometime soon!

Here's a pic of them on my Showgirl pre-resto....

Bruce
is that a g body?

[2strokepwer]

If you offered to race, I probably couldn't understand you and just politlley smiled and nodded my head.

Ahh, you were just scared, thats all. LMAO :D

[BigGreenMachine]

Handling depends on the type of the tire just as much as the size. If you were to compare a 22x11x10 Kenda Viper to a 22x11x10 Holeshot you would definately feel the difference between them in the handling of the bike. On my Tecate I have 22x11x10 Trail Pro's and it slides like a champ, its a balloon type tire. If I were to switch to a Holeshot I'd have better handling due to its flat profile and the stock ground clearance. I really want 18s for the dirt roads and sand pits around here but I trail ride more than anything, trails like Wellsville where you need clearance. I think I'll stick with some 22's and work down.

[martyrsxblood]

small tires are a fashion statement i put them on my atc and it made it goe slower and the skid plate allways scraped


the up side is that is you can go up hills better hmmmmm dont get small tires

[HRC1]

I think common sense needs to apply here. There is no right answer for what size tire is best, or they would only make one size tire. Just because somebody bolted on a set of 18's and tried to go mountain climbing, Ripping the skidplate off in the process, doesent make 18's a insturment of the devil.
Certain circumstances call for different size tires. Period. I have ran 18's on my 85" 250r with nothing but positive results from the start, but i ride it mostly on my track with little to no rocks present. I have had it to the dunes with the 18's with no probs either, except for all the 4x4 ruts. But i would be retarded to thinkin i can go muddin with it set up for MX. You won't see any pics of a factory racer on a track with 22's. There is a reason for this. I lost prob 20 sec a lap by switching to a shorter tire. And you wont see anyone racing the blackwater with 18 in mx tires. And as far as gearing goes, go up one tooth on the front and your almost identical to stock gearing when switching from 20's to 18's.

[ATCnut]

I run shorter rear tires not because they are shorter, but because the particular tire (OHTSU MR501 Radial) is such a good tire, but it only comes in a 20".