Busa Tyres

[OB_ianfila]

Does the Busa need special tyres? I read an article in a UK magazine that said the only 2 tyres for the Busa were, the bridgestones and a special Dunlop 207 only made for the Busa! Is this true? I know most manufacturers make a 190 profile tyre but are they rated to the 200mph capability of the Busa? Has anyone tried other brands of tyres at high speed?

 

[OB_hayabusa]

I have done 10,600rpm in 6th with a standard Dunlop 207, 190, and I'm writing this so they seem to be Okay.

 

[Guest]

Hard to believe Suzuki and Bridgestone would have gone to all the trouble and expense of developing a special tire exclusively for the Hayabusa without a reason. You could probably do 200mph on just about any tire - even those that aren't Z rated for a while ... But how safe is it? How safe would it be to do 200mph on a tire that once had a puncture and had been plugged? Just something to think about - sort of like proper helmets and proper riding gear - you may not need it - BUT what if you do?
It hasn't been long since one of our fellow Busa owners informed us about his good friend who didn't think he would need a proper helmet and now his kids don't have a father.

[This message has been edited by Todd (edited 27 July 1999).]

 

[OB_gixerbike1]

todd, good point!!!

 

[OB_KawAbuser]

Lets assume that the guys racing the Formula Extreme class make as much power as a stock hayabusa and lets also say they ride their bikes as fast as us guys on the street.

So could we also say that the Dunlop 207's and the Michelin Pilot's the AMA racers use are up to the savage Street Rideing Abuse that we do ???

Maybe so, but it is just a matter of getting a tire with the same "190/198" size and profile that the bike came with.

Just think about it.........

 

[OB_hayabusa]

Some of you are forgetting that although we have the fastest production bike on the street, it is far from the fastest bike on the street.

I have been overtaken at 185mph by a GSXR-1100 with D205 tyres.

There are plenty of bikes out there capable of 200+ not hayabusa's that have standard Z-rated tyres.

Some of these bikes are owned by close friends, none of whom have had tyre problems due to high torque, high speed.

Also, I had a puncture in one of my 207's and chose to buy a new one. I will never run with a repaired tyre on the Busa.

High speed is dangerous and all factors have to be considered. Engine, chain, gearbox and a number of other things can go wrong at 190+. Probably with fatal results.

 

[OB_Peregrine]

A counterpoint to Todd's post: The tires (you Brits need to change your spelling! ) that come stock are undoubtedly capable of handling the speeds of this bike, but how often do we ride at this speed on the street? I seriously doubt anyone spends an hour or even 5 minutes at 195 or whatever. So, I'm sure most any of the sport tires available would work. The thing I would be most worried about would the ability to handle all that torque in everyday acceleration, but there again, there are plenty of bikes out there that have been modified and make more horsepower and torque than the stock Bus.

I think a lot of this depends on your riding style. A fairly aggressive rider would want rubber made for the complete envelope of performance. If you know you aren't going to go 10/10ths all the time, the extra tire capability can just be overkill.

Of course my comments are moot because anyone who buys a Hayabusa has gotta be a horsepower freak and needs a tire made to take the punishment!