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Bellagio tire

T

tone

Just got it firing!
Joined
Mar 9, 2011
Messages
19
On the Bellagio the standard front is a 120-70-18 metzler

My new wheel is a 17inch rim Alloy Recommended tyre 120-70-17

So i am thinking to keep the look of the bigger tyre what would happen if i went to a 120-80-17 Metzeler ME 880 Marathon Touring Front Tire
Would i screw up the handling.
tone
 
tone,
If you want it to handle like a Harley the 120/80 should be fine, If you want it to handle like a Griso stick with the recommended 120/70.

Mark
 
The standard tyre is bigger than the one i want to put on,So would have thought it would not have made that much differance ???
 
You're losing about 1/2 inch in ride height with the smaller wheel.
And that's about what you get back from the 120/80 tire.
So in theory your handing shouldn't change too much.

The only thing I can think of is that the taller side wall on the 120/80 tire may have an undesireable flexing quality.
You can remedy that by adding air to the tire, but then you might be riding around on something that feels and grips like a bowling ball.

The other thing you can do is to go with the 120/70-17 and lower the forks a bit in the triple tree.
This would get closer to stock ride height and steering geometry.

But it's all kind of a black art (at least for me), and you'll probably have to experiment.
 
I dont want to have a big gap between the mudguard and the wheel.i am having the alloys mirror finished.
And dont want a trails bike look lol.Hence the slightly taller tyre.
By going to the 17 inch rim i lose 12.5 a side or under the mudguard.The 80 profile gives me 10mm back.
 
tone,
As the priority seems to be appearance have you considered dropping the front guard 10mm +.
Shouldn't be hard to do with some spacers as it is not a structural item.

The bigger tyre is likely to slow the steering a little which would seem contrary to the idea of fitting the smaller diameter wheel which would usually be done to sharpen the response.
If aesthetics are your primary reason for the change then you will probably have to play around a bit to get the best handling result and the bigger tyre might suit you best. As Beaufort suggested you can play with the forks etc to retain your ride height if necessary but that should be done in conjunction with the whole suspension setup.
Why don't you try both tyres if money is not a major problem, it's not like the extra tyre is going to bust the bank if you have just bought a set of replacement wheels, the cost of a tyre is a small amount of money in comparison.
Personally I would start with the recommended tyre size and then try the other if the smaller one didn't suit your purposes, but my preference would be biased towards handling. Looks are important but no point looking cool if you are not enjoying the ride.
One last thought, Corsa Italiana is a UK dealer - http://www.corsaitaliana.com/ - who has done a number of specials including the Bellagio, I think they have used 17 inch wheels on the front, it might be worth sending them an email for their feedback on tyre selection. Some of the photos I have seen look like they are running a bigger tyre so it might be best to get the thoughts of those who have actually done this type of mod.
Mark
 
Hi Tone,

Its interesting, the owner of Corsa Italiana's personal bike is a Bellagio (coz they are such good brilliant bikes!). He has laced a 17inch front rim and and in order to keep the handling the same he has fitted the LUX suspension. The overall look of the bike is a lot lower than my Bellagio (standard black). He has a different front mudgaurd I order to keep the look. I do not know what tires he is using.

Rob
 
I know Corsa Italiana's bikes and really like the look.I think i will go with the 80 profile tyre.To be honest the handling of the bike bike far exceeds my skills.So a little off the edge will not bother me.
Worse thing that could happen is i have to buy a 70 profile tyre.
this is my bike at the moment.
Nobbyatthebradford.jpg

The alloy wheels are being polished at the moment.i have been quoted £120.00 for a tyre fitted and balanced.
And £15.00 to have the rear remounted and balanced so looks like i going to have save my pennies :)
 
I decided to go with a standard size tire in the end,Had a Metz Sport tech fitted in the end.
12082011813.jpg
 
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