06 kawasaki ex500 tire selection for track day

Need some advise on tire selection on my ex500 2006
Has the factory 17" wheels
What size tire should i run? What is the best option?

 

Are you using warmers? Ive run rosso IIs and dunlop alpha 13s with those rims. I love the dunlops over the rIIs,but either one will be up to the task of a trackday. Rosso IIs if you dont have warmers or the dunlops if you do have them. I know there are the rosso IIIs out now,but I have ZERO experience with them,and not sure if they even come in a 150 rear.

 

So you run a 150 rear tire?
What about the front?
I don't run warmers

 

110 F and 150 R

 

Watch the ratio on the front. I believe the 110/90 may rub the fender at speed.

...or maybe that was just an issue with some sets of aftermarket bodywork.

 

My ex500 came with a Bridgestone 150 on the rear and the handling characteristics could best be described as "terrifying". Was great up to about 85-90%, then the bike would literally fall away under you. Went to a 140 and it was a vast improvement (the 150 was pinched because of the narrowness of the rim which screwed up the profile). Different manufactures tire sizes are different so a 150 from another brand might be fine.

 

This ..... so much this. What size the rear of the 500? is a 3.5 or 4 inch wide rear wheel?

 

Don't recall. Skinny LOL

 

For my first track days on my EX (with no warmers) I ran 110/150 Michelin Pilot Powers. I never really got to the edge of the 150 rear and the front ended up cupping pretty bad. When I switched to the 110/140 Bridgestones (003s at that time) the bike felt like it turned it a lot easier and I was able to use all of the tire. Now I run the 120/140 Bridgestone combo and have been realy happy with them.

 

3.5". I told him the same thing!

 

I did 5 trackdays on my EX500 long before I ever started racing. I was running the BT45's that everyone likes on the XR100.

at a soft 30 lbs., they were quite capable for me, at my newb pace. I'm not going to pretend others might be much faster than I was their first time out, but "round and black" are usually good enough for someone with no track experience...

i was running the stock 130 rear size, and probably a 100 front, unless 110 is stock.

 

110 front and 140 rear, definitely. Ran trackdays an raced on Bridgestones without warmers in these sizes. People are always trying to squeeze too much rubber on small rims.

 

If you are super cheap (like I am) you can run 120 front tire takeoffs both front and rear. And if you are really REALLY cheap you can get two front takeoffs, then the next time take your front tire and put it on the back and only get one front takeoff. Always keep the best front tire on the front, then swap it to the back.

 

The 150 rear alpha 13,im getting under 1/4" from the edge and the bike feels like its on rails.......personal opinion. At this point my bike lacks nothing in terms of handling.......power,now thats another story

 

yep

 

So i'm thinking he should get these? 110/70-17 front, 140/70-17 rear.

http://www.bridgestone.com/products/motorcycle_tires/products/detail/pr004/

 

The bt-090s are awesome even for racing......at least on the rear.

 

Elod, time to call Stickboy Racing.