Rims & Tires

Rims & Tires

Design Changes and Tire Availability

Due to the age of the early FJ's, new owners usually ask about tire availability. The original FJ1100 produced in 1984 was fitted with 16 inch front and rear rims. The use of these rims continued until 1987. Note: in 1988 the FJ was not imported to the States. In 1988 Yamaha fitted a different set of rims to the FJ. It received a 17 inch front and a different 16 inch rear. The rim appearance changed from the original three hollow spoke design to a more

modern standard 3 spoke design. In the name of progress, the industry had changed the standard rim size that it was using on bikes. Tire manufacturers starting cutting back the types of tires that were being manufactured for these older rims. The popularity of the FJ has kept the market alive for 16 inch tires but, most are targeted to the sport touring market and therefore the variety of rubber compounds are limited.

Bias-Ply, Belted Bias & Radial

The early 16 inch rims were designed to be fitted with bias-ply tires. There are still a wide variety of these made to fit the FJ. If you are interested in sticking with original equipment then many choices remain. Most folks opt to put radial tires on these rims. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Myself and countless others have made this choice for years. Radial tires are very stiff across the tread patch, due to a rigid center belt, yet, they still flex in the side wall area which gives a more comfortable ride. Here are some related quotes:

"A pure radial tire is useless because it's too flexible to steer. This problem is solved by wrapping the simple radial carcass with a circumferential, or near-circumferential reinforcing belt, or belts, under the tread area only. This leaves the radial-ply sidewalls very flexible....."
"Simply put, a radial tire combines a tread region of great lateral stiffness, with very flexible sidewalls. The virtues of of radial construction are these (1) Cooler running.....,(2) More grip....., (3) Reduced tread wear.
"All the forces of braking, cornering, and acceleration have to pass through two elliptical areas (the tire footprints) formed as the tires flatten against the road."
"As noted elsewhere, motorcycle stability gets most of it's damping from the tire footprints. With radial (tire) construction, the foot-prints become larger and longer, tending to increase stability,"
"Sportbike Performance Handbook", Kevin Cameron, 1998
A few other purists use belted bias tires. They are sort of a cross between radials a bias-ply using the same basic core design as a bias-ply tire with the reinforcing center belt of the radial. They offer the greatest over all stiffness of any tire design.
There is a temptation, for some, to mix bias-ply and radial tires on either ends of their motorcycles even though the majority of riders advise against it. Some governments that have legislated against this action. In the UK it is illegal to use a bias-ply tire in the rear and a radial tire up front. Tire manufacturers advise against this as well. I have no real experience with this though, I am inclined to believe that mixing any combination of these three tire types on any motorcycle, especially one as powerful as the FJ, is asking for trouble. In support I offer a dialog written by my friend, Bob Voll:
Go back to radials-becoming-common-on-cars days. Most radials stuck better, especially at higher camber angles, than most bias-ply tires; putting radials on, say, the front usually meant that Moe would spin his Dart when the rear stick ended way before the front was in distress. There were (are) compound differences (how sticky, on what surface, at what temperature, at what loading, at what camber angle), sidewall stiffness differences, contact-patch size, shape and stability differences, breakaway characteristics... So, it's a question of front-to-rear balance, no different than putting drastically-different tread patterns or compounds on each end, even if they're the same construction. And the balance equation isn't static--a front/rear combo that works great on, say, dry, warm summer asphalt may be very different in the cold, the damp, on concrete, when pitched, whatever. Remember that car tires and single-track tires have basically nothing in common. Cornering loads on a car tire are always basically side loads (certain swing-axled disasters excepted) cornering loads on a motorcycle tire are always basically vertical loads. I believe that makes it easier for a tire engineer to build a bias-ply motorcycle tire that is competitive with a m/c radial, than it is to build equal car tires. Think of the two most-different (matched) sets of tires you've ever used. Now imagine your bike with the front from one set and the rear from the other. Maybe it's acceptable, maybe not. The bottom line is that the rider becomes the test engineer. You can bet that neither Yamaha nor a tire company spent any time figuring out rake, trail, shocks, steering head angle, wheelbase for an FJ with two different manufacturer's tires mixed on the bike, much less with a bias/radial combo. You are, likely not equipped to do nearly the comprehensive testing that a bike or tire manufacturer would do. [Bob Voll]

Riding Impressions/ Modern Radial Tires

The tire that is at the top of the heap in popularity is the Metzler MEZ2 on the stock FJ 16 inch rims. It is said to give excellent performance without sacrificing tire life. The average life indicated is about 5000 miles. Of course this depends on your riding habits. I have seen reports of as low as 3000 miles and as high as 9000 miles. For the 17 inch front that was later fitted to the FJ most have been fitting the MEZ1 in combination with the MEZ2 on the rear. Handling is a bit improved with this option. Tire life remains about the same. There are rumors that Metzler will stop making these tires soon. They should offer a replacement line but, right now nothing is concrete. I will update as soon as more information is available.
The second most popular choice is the Michelin Macadam. This tire is an excellent option as well, however, many people have reported issue with the front tire cupping. The indicated tire life still remains comparable with the top ranked Metzler despite this complaint. It have personally been a fan of Michelin for years. I have gotten great results from every tire that I have sampled from them. I have not used the Macadam front yet, so, I have no impression. The prescribed cure for irregular wear of any kind is to shave the tire back into shape with a file. I have not had to do this in the past, however, I have used this technique to remove the sealer that is used to protect the tires from the factory with great results.
Third place goes to the Pirelli Dragon GT. Many of the people that I have polled during the construction of this page have said that they would move directly from the Metzler MEZ2 to this option as they are practically the same tire. The Pirelli has a smaller following due to a couple of issues. First, is a normally higher priced than it's Metzler counter part and second, it is a little harder to obtain.

Tires Available in Stock Sizes

Click on the image to access the tires page. Please note that the prices included are manufacturers retail and therefore much more than you will pay though a good wholesaler. Also I added no offerings from Bridgestone, Kenda or Cheng Sung because I heard nothing good about them. Continental does not offer tires in FJ sizes.

Fireblade Tire

I saved this for last because I cannot recommend it due to safety concerns. I was advised against doing this by my friends but, I am stubborn. I fitted a 130/70 16 Michelin Hi-Sport on the front of my 1986 FJ1200. I have had no problems with it at all, however, I have not been riding it aggressively. The result is that the bike turns quicker due to a lower tire profile. I personally like the way the bike handles with this tire. It should surprise no one that this tire has not lasted very well. I have less than 3000 miles on the bike since installing it. I paired it with a Michelin Macadam 90X. The Macadam is an excellent tire in my humble opinion. It has very little wear on it since the install and appears to be wearing evenly. The Hi-Sport is showing no irregular wear patterns either.

Rims: Maintenance and Changes

Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands: Mounting Alternative Rims

Others have been more proactive about tire availability issues and mounted newer factory or aftermarket rims on their FJ's. This action opens up a wealth of options to the owner. It requires a very competent mechanic to do this sort of thing well and, though, I have not looked into it, I can venture a guess that it would be difficult to hire a shop to do this for you due to liability issues. Our resident expert on this subject is Barry Edwards. Click on the picture to go to his page on rim changes.

I will be updating this section soon, I have a GSXR rear rim on order for my FJ.
Things change. I will not be doing this swap, though, I have the rim out in my garage. Anyone who wants one can email me as long as you live somewhere in the continental US. I went to a bunch of trouble to get all of the parts together. If you would like to save yourself some leg work this is the deal for you.
The details of the swap can be found here if you are curious.
Here is another interesting quote from the "Sportbike Performance Handbook" that serves the other side of this issue. I add this to play devil's advocate. Before you do anything to alter the 150 MPH projectile that you park between your knees I would ask that you think first.
"Although great big tires may look bitchin' on that 20-year old Kawasaki Z, go carefully. At the time, those chassis had to be braced to make them even marginally stable with the grip of race-sized tires. Just levering on bigger tires is not enough of an update. If you want a vintage Super-bike, build the whole bike: rims, tires, braced chassis, updated suspension."

Wheel Bearings

Because the FJ can attain such high mileage it is important to look at these. The best test to see if you need to replace them is to pick the bike up with a lift or the center stand and spin the tires. They should spin freely and not squeak. Obvious, eh? The best place that we have found to order from is CBR Bearing: 1-800-769-5388 front (2) 6302-2RS, rear (2) 6304-2RS and the sprocket carrier bearing (1) 6305-2RS.

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Design Changes and Tire Availability
Due to the age of the early FJ's, new owners usually ask about tire availability. The original FJ1100 produced in 1984 was fitted with 16 inch front and rear rims. The use of these rims continued until 1987. Note: in 1988 the FJ was not imported to the States. In 1988 Yamaha fitted a different set of rims to the FJ. It received a 17 inch front and a different 16 inch rear. The rim appearance changed from the original three hollow spoke design to a more
modern standard 3 spoke design. In the name of progress, the industry had changed the standard rim size that it was using on bikes. Tire manufacturers starting cutting back the types of tires that were being manufactured for these older rims. The popularity of the FJ has kept the market alive for 16 inch tires but, most are targeted to the sport touring market and therefore the variety of rubber compounds are limited.


Bias-Ply, Belted Bias & Radial
	The early 16 inch rims were designed to be fitted with bias-ply tires. There are still a wide variety of these made to fit the FJ. If you are interested in sticking with original equipment then many choices remain. Most folks opt to put radial tires on these rims. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Myself and countless others have made this choice for years. Radial tires are very stiff across the tread patch, due to a rigid center belt, yet, they still flex in the side wall area which gives a more comfortable ride. Here are some related quotes:
"A pure radial tire is useless because it's too flexible to steer. This problem is solved by wrapping the simple radial carcass with a circumferential, or near-circumferential reinforcing belt, or belts, under the tread area only. This leaves the radial-ply sidewalls very flexible....." "Simply put, a radial tire combines a tread region of great lateral stiffness, with very flexible sidewalls. The virtues of of radial construction are these (1) Cooler running.....,(2) More grip....., (3) Reduced tread wear. "All the forces of braking, cornering, and acceleration have to pass through two elliptical areas (the tire footprints) formed as the tires flatten against the road." "As noted elsewhere, motorcycle stability gets most of it's damping from the tire footprints. With radial (tire) construction, the foot-prints become larger and longer, tending to increase stability," "Sportbike Performance Handbook", Kevin Cameron, 1998 A few other purists use belted bias tires. They are sort of a cross between radials a bias-ply using the same basic core design as a bias-ply tire with the reinforcing center belt of the radial. They offer the greatest over all stiffness of any tire design. There is a temptation, for some, to mix bias-ply and radial tires on either ends of their motorcycles even though the majority of riders advise against it. Some governments that have legislated against this action. In the UK it is illegal to use a bias-ply tire in the rear and a radial tire up front. Tire manufacturers advise against this as well. I have no real experience with this though, I am inclined to believe that mixing any combination of these three tire types on any motorcycle, especially one as powerful as the FJ, is asking for trouble. In support I offer a dialog written by my friend, Bob Voll: Go back to radials-becoming-common-on-cars days. Most radials stuck better, especially at higher camber angles, than most bias-ply tires; putting radials on, say, the front usually meant that Moe would spin his Dart when the rear stick ended way before the front was in distress. There were (are) compound differences (how sticky, on what surface, at what temperature, at what loading, at what camber angle), sidewall stiffness differences, contact-patch size, shape and stability differences, breakaway characteristics... So, it's a question of front-to-rear balance, no different than putting drastically-different tread patterns or compounds on each end, even if they're the same construction. And the balance equation isn't static--a front/rear combo that works great on, say, dry, warm summer asphalt may be very different in the cold, the damp, on concrete, when pitched, whatever. Remember that car tires and single-track tires have basically nothing in common. Cornering loads on a car tire are always basically side loads (certain swing-axled disasters excepted) cornering loads on a motorcycle tire are always basically vertical loads. I believe that makes it easier for a tire engineer to build a bias-ply motorcycle tire that is competitive with a m/c radial, than it is to build equal car tires. Think of the two most-different (matched) sets of tires you've ever used. Now imagine your bike with the front from one set and the rear from the other. Maybe it's acceptable, maybe not. The bottom line is that the rider becomes the test engineer. You can bet that neither Yamaha nor a tire company spent any time figuring out rake, trail, shocks, steering head angle, wheelbase for an FJ with two different manufacturer's tires mixed on the bike, much less with a bias/radial combo. You are, likely not equipped to do nearly the comprehensive testing that a bike or tire manufacturer would do. [Bob Voll]

Tires Available in Stock Sizes
Click on the image to access the tires page. Please note that the prices included are manufacturers retail and therefore much more than you will pay though a good wholesaler. Also I added no offerings from Bridgestone, Kenda or Cheng Sung because I heard nothing good about them. Continental does not offer tires in FJ sizes.


Fireblade Tire
	I saved this for last because I cannot recommend it due to safety concerns. I was advised against doing this by my friends but, I am stubborn. I fitted a 130/70 16 Michelin Hi-Sport on the front of my 1986 FJ1200. I have had no problems with it at all, however, I have not been riding it aggressively. The result is that the bike turns quicker due to a lower tire profile. I personally like the way the bike handles with this tire. It should surprise no one that this tire has not lasted very well. I have less than 3000 miles on the bike since installing it. I paired it with a Michelin Macadam 90X. The Macadam is an excellent tire in my humble opinion. It has very little wear on it since the install and appears to be wearing evenly. The Hi-Sport is showing no irregular wear patterns either.

Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands: Mounting Alternative Rims
Others have been more proactive about tire availability issues and mounted newer factory or aftermarket rims on their FJ's. This action opens up a wealth of options to the owner. It requires a very competent mechanic to do this sort of thing well and, though, I have not looked into it, I can venture a guess that it would be difficult to hire a shop to do this for you due to liability issues. Our resident expert on this subject is Barry Edwards. Click on the picture to go to his page on rim changes.

I will be updating this section soon, I have a GSXR rear rim on order for my FJ. Things change. I will not be doing this swap, though, I have the rim out in my garage. Anyone who wants one can email me as long as you live somewhere in the continental US. I went to a bunch of trouble to get all of the parts together. If you would like to save yourself some leg work this is the deal for you. The details of the swap can be found here if you are curious. Here is another interesting quote from the "Sportbike Performance Handbook" that serves the other side of this issue. I add this to play devil's advocate. Before you do anything to alter the 150 MPH projectile that you park between your knees I would ask that you think first. "Although great big tires may look bitchin' on that 20-year old Kawasaki Z, go carefully. At the time, those chassis had to be braced to make them even marginally stable with the grip of race-sized tires. Just levering on bigger tires is not enough of an update. If you want a vintage Super-bike, build the whole bike: rims, tires, braced chassis, updated suspension."