The SV I just picked up has a ENKEI 5.50 rear rim which I was told was a conversion kit. It has a Dunlop KR448 180/60R 17 mounted to it. The PO gave me the original rear rim (4.5) with a brand-new Pirelli Diablo Superbike tier on it (160) and an extra front rim with a non-mounted new matching front tire. The Pirelli's are dated 3320 which I assume means 33 week of the year and 2020 manufacture date. Questions - Is the wider rear rim give some type of advantage? Tire choice, grip? Are the Pirelli's too old? I'm not sure I have all the parts to return back to the normal size rear rim size.
Oh boy this thread will get interesting very soon and may explode. Most serious SV guys (aka super fast or think that they are) have moved on from the 4.5 rear rim. And since you have also. I would sell the 4.50 rim and tire, but who's knows if the tire was stored properly. The 5.50 rim gives you many more choices for tire and compound selection and from many tire manufacturers.
Those are not the only two possibilities, but they are the most likely ones. OP: If you switch it back to the 4.5", you will likely need to flip the front sprocket back over as well, otherwise your chain will be at an angle. This assumes he gave you the stock parts to swap it back of course. If it has a stock motor, the 4.5" wheel is probably a tiny little bit better, but it is a pain to find tires to fit it properly. So, it depends on your ability to plan and pre-order tires and your relationship with your tire guy. Having a 2nd rear wheel helps. They are cheap and easy to find. Superbike motor definitely go with the 5.5".
Dunlop dropped the 160 rear slick from their line up so if you go with the 4.5 stock rim, you can run a Pirelli 160, you can shoe horn on the Bridgestone 165 which will fit but is really made for a 5.5 wheel, or you can run a variety of track day 160 tires. If you stay with the 5.5 you can run the Bridgestone 165 slick or their 180 slicks, the Dunlop 180/60 slicks, or the Pirelli 180/55 slick. The 180/60 Pirelli barely fits but the dingle berries on the edge of the tire will drag on the swingarm, the 190/60 Pirelli does not fit. I have no idea on the Michelin tires.. The 180/55 Pirelli is a real good tire and although it's a sc1 compound, it wears very well. I believe it was designed for the Kramer. Probably best to keep the 5.5 wheel as stated above, a better tire selection
And yet here we go again. Way back in 2014/15 with the 180/55 and 180/60 slicks racers said the 190/60 Pirelli rain would not fit on a 5.50 rim on a SV, but yet I saw these rains fitted to SVs in person at OMRRA or WMRRA races. And if someone goes back and looks at those threads they will see the posts, and it's all about which swingarm and brake stay arm your SV has, and Peter Hively remembers these posts very well. The Pirelli NA Slick product range for a 5.50 rim is: 180/55R17 in a SC1 and SC2 180/60R17 in a SC2 & 3. What happened to the SCX, SC0, and SC1 you ask? Well WSBK/WSS bikes dropped the 180/60R17 size and moved to the faster 190/60 size a while ago. The size difference is 5mm in width and 6mm in diameter on a 5.50 rim. And if anyone remembers Pirelli vendors sold a Daytona spec 190/60 back in 2012/13(?) well before WSS switched from the 180/60 to the 190/60. So the fastest slicks for a 5.50 rim are the 190/60R17 in the SCX, SCO, or SC1 So if you have any questions on the west coast contact Chris McGuire @ CT Race Tires, or on the east coast Kevin Graham @ Orionmotorsports.ca
The GSXR rear wheel swap is legal for supersport; GSXR front forks makes it a Superbike (SBK) category
