I just put a new Bridgestone 401 on my 03' 200sx. The tire is the new oversize front 90-100-21. This is the same tire that comes stock on the RMZ450. I thought it might give a little more hook up than the standard size. MXA has also been raving about this tire size (I know, I know). Anyway it turned my bike into a death machine. At any lean angle at all the front end just falls over. I don't mean washes out or starts sliding either. It's as if suddenly the front end has hit a sheet of ice. I've tried every psi from 10-18 and nothing helps. The only way to turn the bike is to find something to slam the front end off of or slowy modulate the front brake all the way thru the turn to keep the front end really weighted. Then lthe back end becomes loose because all your weight is over the front end. A tire designer from a different manufacturer suggested that the tires additional height may have upset the bikes balance. I raised the fork tubes .250 in the clamps to offset the problem and it made no difference. A rep at Bridgestone told me that what I'm actually feeling is that the bike has extra traction and I'm working harder to get it to lean. He told me he would find a 200sx and try the combination out to see if he could duplicate the problem. I suggested that he wear every piece of safety equipment he possible could before going on his first ride. :think:
90-100-21 fr tire
- Thread starter moore_716
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- #3
No, I actually prefer the stinkbug stance. I'm trying to get the front to bite more. I reset the air pressure and gave it a quick spin and it felt better (18 psi). This was with the fork tubes slid up like I had stated. Also, I have a little peanut shaped grass track with no jumps or berms and the tire seems fine. Not better than a normal size front though. I may change the front out now just a matter of principal. I'm going to keep experimenting though. I also was told to think about going to a 250 rear by the same tire designer. He said the 200 is borderline. My bike is set up and geared with a lot of bottom snap right now so I was thinking this may help tone it down a little. I don't want to kill it though. I know this will add approx. 1.5# of rotating mass to the rear, as well as some height, but better traction.
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- #4
Sorry Elf I had a brain fart. No I haven't. I had it set at 107mm but I've since lost 20lb. I haven't rechecked it since. I'm going to take to clicks out of the compression in the front and try that. Then slow up the rebound a little too. I just got done doing a hard moto (for me) on my track and it was a lot better than before. I'm in the process of redoing my track so I haven't been able to tinker with the bike much. I just want it to be safe for when the track is complete. It wasn't at first.
