[flw]

Vulcan 500 LTD (EN500C) comes with a 100/90 tire on a 19X2.15 rim. What is the largest tire I can fit on the rim with no problems or modifications needed?

Thanks for any help or where I can find out.

 

[klx678]

Why would you want to go any larger, just for the looks? I cannot see any performance enhancement what so ever.

A larger tire will slow down the turn in due to larger diameter of the tire and wider radius of the tread increasing the leverage to turn it in. It will also slightly raise the front increasing the rake and trail. It will make your bike feel sluggish.

If it's just for looks and you don't mind the handling slowing up and the bike feeling a bit more cumbersome you might be able to fit a 110/90 on there, but I have no idea if your fender will clear. You might have to slightly modify the fender mount holes or go to a different fender.

I did this very change on a MotoGuzzi I had. Made the bike handle like a truck. The first thing the guy who bought it did was to go back to the 100/90. I used that knowledge a few times in the future, but going the other way. I had a standard Gold Wing that I wanted to quicken the response so I went undersize on the front and rear tires by one size. The bike became much more responsive. I also did the trick with my current Zephyr, but only going down on the profile from 110/80 to 110/70 and getting much the same thing - much quicker steering, which was what I wanted.

 

[flw]

I'm looking for the front tire to get trapped in pavement cracks less than it does now, which is often. I live in a rural area and the closest large town has nasty streets. Short of never going there, any suggestions?

Why would you want to go any larger, just for the looks? I cannot see any performance enhancement what so ever.

A larger tire will slow down the turn in due to larger diameter of the tire and wider radius of the tread increasing the leverage to turn it in. It will also slightly raise the front increasing the rake and trail. It will make your bike feel sluggish.

If it's just for looks and you don't mind the handling slowing up and the bike feeling a bit more cumbersome you might be able to fit a 110/90 on there, but I have no idea if your fender will clear. You might have to slightly modify the fender mount holes or go to a different fender.

I did this very change on a MotoGuzzi I had. Made the bike handle like a truck. The first thing the guy who bought it did was to go back to the 100/90. I used that knowledge a few times in the future, but going the other way. I had a standard Gold Wing that I wanted to quicken the response so I went undersize on the front and rear tires by one size. The bike became much more responsive. I also did the trick with my current Zephyr, but only going down on the profile from 110/80 to 110/70 and getting much the same thing - much quicker steering, which was what I wanted.

 

[klx678]

I'm not totally clear on the nasty streets thing, but I doubt the slight width increase going from the 100 to the 110 will do much for you. I will say if you still have the rib style front tire versus the general tread style where the back is a bit closer match to the front, the rib tire will want to track with cracks and road grooving more so. I also think you may find the newer 100 to be maybe a bit wider than the old ones.

If it's serious "floatation" you want, what you should do is spend a bit for some spokes and lace up a fat 16" front wheel to run a 120 or 130 front tire like the Classic models have. Handling will suck, but it will be more tolerant of the rough pavement.

Otherwise start looking where you want to go, between the bad stuff, and not at the bad stuff. You WILL go where you look. Practice it. You can look a few inches to the side of a hole or patch and you will go there. I learned this in trials riding. You never look where you don't want to go, look where you do want to go.