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    #1

    Tire Size R17

    Current 110/70/R17 Front 160/60/R17 Rear

    Question: can i do 120 front and 150 on the rear? on my 89 hawk? what are some of the sizes i can use, sorry if i sound like a noob, its because i am, much appreciated!
    Tags: None
    #2
    My experience.

    I really like the dual compound tires. I use the Michelin Pilot power CT2 110-70 ZR17 54W front with the 160-60 zr17 69w in the back on my 1988. It has GVE and RT springs up front for my weight with stock shock in rear.

    My 1989 I started with the same as the 88 but acquired a used Kosman welded wider front wheel so I run 120-70-17 58W Michelin Pilot Road 4 in front and Pilot Road 3 160-60-ZR 17 69w in back for a better tread match up. Bike has GVE & RT springs and rear has Penske shock.

    On the same twisty road, the 88 turns easier and the tire profile feels really planted and I use all the tread in the back. Somehow I like it a lot. The 89 turns in slower/harder maybe and I still have about 1/2 inch of unused tread on the back. It feels planted well too. I think my speed is about the same but to me the 88 feels slightly easier to go faster.

    Bill,
    88 Blue Hawk (bike #39), 89 Red Hawk, 2021 Rebel 1100 (bike 41) Some Past/sold in reverse order:,FZ09,97 Magna #1&2 , 97 VFR750F, 87 VFR400R, 88 Hawk, 86 SRX 600, 77 RD400, 79 CB650, 04 VFR, 88 Blue Hawk, 89 Red Hawk, Yamaha SRX600, Harley 1200C, Yamaha RD400, Harley 883R, Yamaha 750 triple, Vlx600, Honda 450, Honda 400, CB550F, Kawasaki H1, BMW R69US, Yamaha R5C 350, Honda 160, Bridgestone 175, 1950 Harley 74 w/sidecar, 65 Harley 250 Sprint, 1948 Harley and my 1st bike-1941 Harley 74 knucklehead my dad gave in1963.

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      #3
      Originally Posted by Brenex415 View Post
      Current 110/70/R17 Front 160/60/R17 Rear

      Question: can i do 120 front and 150 on the rear? on my 89 hawk? what are some of the sizes i can use, sorry if i sound like a noob, its because i am, much appreciated!
      The tire size and profile is the most important part of a tire on a street hawk.

      As a general rule (almost an absolute rule) street riders are not out there struggling for grip. They are not pushing the front of the bike on entry or braking the rear loose on turn exit. So compound matters very little. The feel comes from the shape of the tire and the flex.

      Generally, the narrower the tire the more "nimble" the bike will feel. Also the narrower/smaller the tire the less it will weight (this matters less than profile).

      Most guys will want to fit a smaller tire over a larger one but the tire needs to be sized to the wheel.

      Hawks do good on 110/150, the stock sizes. If you do a wheel swap you can go to 120/160 with say, f2 vfr wheels, or some guys have mounted Duc wheels and other aftermarket stuff and went to 170/180.

      Lighter bikes need less tire. Just look at 125 gp bikes.. more weight, more power, more heat, more contact patch needed. . So the big bikes have the big tires.

      But basically on a hawk 110/150 is good. You can absolutely mount a 120/160 on it and be fine. It's not a drastic change to most riders. Same 120/150 or 110/160.. but if buying new, go with stock size. Honda had it figured out.

      Tire placebo is real.. and it's hard to back to back a set.

      The mags and websites talk so much about grip levels as they have their pro-racer test riders test hot sticky tires on closed tracks at race speeds. because of this the average street rider starts to focus on grip levels when grip has almost no bearing on real world street riding.

      a set of Avon's and a set of brand new slicks straight off tire warmers will give you the same amount of tire slip/spin on your street ride. None.

      I'm a big advocate for cheap hard street tires that have a good profile and will last a long time..
      Don't spend money and buy, spend time and learn.

      Comment

        #4
        Originally Posted by Brenex415 View Post
        Current 110/70/R17 Front 160/60/R17 Rear

        Question: can i do 120 front and 150 on the rear? on my 89 hawk? what are some of the sizes i can use, sorry if i sound like a noob, its because i am, much appreciated!
        If your wheels are stock, stay with the 110 front. For street riding, with stock wheels, I've used in the past Metzeler 110/70 front and 160/60 rear. The front tire looks small, but the bike was so responsive to change directions.

        I now have a Michelin Pilot Power: F2 front wheel with 120/70 and VFR rear wheel with 170/60. With wider tires, the bike handles slower in general but still well planted for typical road riding.
        • Likes 1

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          #5
          don't mix bias ply tires with radials on the same bike.
          "It's only getting worse."


          MY rides: '97 VFR750, '90 Red Hawk, '88 Blue/Black Hawk, '86 RWB VFR700 (3), '86 Yamaha Radian, '90 VTR250, '89 VTR250 (2), '73 CB125, '66 Yamaha YL-1

          Sold: '86 FJ1200, '92 ZX-7, '90 Radian, '73 CB750, '89 all-white Hawk, '88 blue Hawk, '86 FZ600, '86 Yam Fazer 700 , '89 VTR250, '87 VFR700F2, '86 VFR700F.

          Comment

            #6
            thank you guys!! What is an F2 Wheel i read VFR as well are these from other Honda's in the Hawk Family or that are parts compatible? Pics of mine coming soon
            • Likes 1

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              #7
              Originally Posted by harpo View Post

              If your wheels are stock, stay with the 110 front. For street riding, with stock wheels, I've used in the past Metzeler 110/70 front and 160/60 rear. The front tire looks small, but the bike was so responsive to change directions.

              I now have a Michelin Pilot Power: F2 front wheel with 120/70 and VFR rear wheel with 170/60. With wider tires, the bike handles slower in general but still well planted for typical road riding.
              I like the Wheels on your Profile Pic

              Comment

                #8
                Originally Posted by harpo View Post
                If your wheels are stock, stay with the 110 front. For street riding, with stock wheels, I've used in the past Metzeler 110/70 front and 160/60 rear. The front tire looks small, but the bike was so responsive to change directions.

                I now have a Michelin Pilot Power: F2 front wheel with 120/70 and VFR rear wheel with 170/60. With wider tires, the bike handles slower in general but still well planted for typical road riding.
                This…

                I updated(?) my Hawk w/a CBR600RR USD fork, 120 front tire and a 5-spoke VFR w/a 160 in the rear. I thought this was the shitz, until I purchased a CB-1 w/a 110/150 combo. Of course that bike is a bit smaller and lighter than the Hawk, but the handling difference is night/day. IMO, that 110 front tire is where all the magic happens. If I was to do it all over again, I would have added emulators to the stock fork and kept the 110 for it’s handling prowess. Still love my Hawk, but there’s definitely a lesson to be learned here…
                This forum is entirely dedicated to wasting time and money modifying a slow motorcycle. - joel

                Nothing like a project to keep you busy, slowly draining funds out of the wallet! - spacetiger

                Our Hawks have all the power any mature, sensible rider can use on any street or highway without carrying around excessively unnecessary big-bore weight and power - squirrelman

                Bike builds can be and most time are art and expression. To take something mass produced and impersonal and make something personal that you can't stop staring at as you walk away. There is nothing I find more satisfying than looking at something cool and beautiful and thinking "I made that". - 6

                Comment

                  #9
                  Originally Posted by Brenex415 View Post

                  I like the Wheels on your Profile Pic
                  For looks, this 8 spoke wheel is what I like best. I believe its from a 3 Generation VFR 8 spoke and is 5.5" wide. There is a lot of info on this conversion, other than using this site you can check out http://www.hawkland.de/beatty/VFR_Whl.html

                  The F2 is referencing the Honda CBR 600 F2 generation. The front wheel is probably the most common swap for the stock front wheel.

                  https://www.hawkgtforum.com/forum/ho...heel-questions

                  So all of this is under the heading of wider wheels on Hawk may look cooler, but the handling will become slower. I have to agree with flyinelvis , the front wheel makes the difference. A stock front wheel has a 2.5" wide front rim... this means the 110/80-17 is the stock size but your choice. But a huge difference will be felt when you go to a 110/70-17, even if you go up to a 160/60 in the rear on stock rim in the back (from my personal experience on road riding).
                  • Likes 1

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                    #10
                    Originally Posted by Brenex415 View Post
                    thank you guys!! What is an F2 Wheel i read VFR as well are these from other Honda's in the Hawk Family or that are parts compatible? Pics of mine coming soon
                    F2 wheel is a front wheel off the cbr600 f2. It's a direct bolt on to the hawk and its wider so it can take a 120 tire and still keep a good tire profile. Lots of guys like the look better.
                    Don't spend money and buy, spend time and learn.

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                      #11
                      You do need a different spacer for the F2
                      Brian - Richland, WA
                      1991 Hawk GT
                      1997 VFR

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                        #12
                        Originally Posted by Brenex415 View Post

                        I like the Wheels on your Profile Pic
                        https://www.hawkgtforum.com/forum/cl...pindles-modded

                        One of these spinals in the post linked here would allow you to use a VFR rear wheel.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Originally Posted by harpo View Post

                          https://www.hawkgtforum.com/forum/cl...pindles-modded

                          One of these spinals in the post linked here would allow you to use a VFR rear wheel.
                          And they don't come up for sale all too often.
                          Don't spend money and buy, spend time and learn.

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