Is a 21" front tire better than a 19" front tire?

Guest:  Bill

Episode Summary:
What if the right tire could transform your off-road motorcycle experience? Join me, Bret Tkacs, as I explore this question alongside fellow rider Bill, who is debating between a BMW 1250 GSA with a 19-inch wheel and a Triumph Rally Explorer with a 21-inch wheel. Together, we dissect how these choices impact performance on rugged terrains like gravel and rocks. We delve into how tire size affects bike suspension and handling for riders of different physiques.

The journey doesn't stop at tires. We also explore the challenges and joys of choosing the right off-road motorcycle, with a special focus on large adventure bikes like the BMW GS and Triumph Tiger. As we discuss the need for modifications, such as stock suspension adjustments and custom handlebars, you'll gain a better understanding of how to enhance stability and comfort on rugged terrains.

Full Transcript:

This is Bret Tkacs, and welcome back to Around the Wheel. Today I'm chatting with Bill. Bill is just a regular rider, like the rest of you guys, and happened to send me an email that was loaded with lots of conversation but had a very specific question that I thought all of you would be interested in. Bill, do you mind just reading that email to the listeners here?

Not at all, Bret, love your video series. I'm 6'4", 270 pounds. I currently ride a 2019 Scrambler XE. I want something bigger to handle all my motorcycle camping gear and my weight easier. I have a good lead on a 2023 BMW 1250 GSA. My only concern is the 19-inch tire for off-road. I know you put a 21-inch tire setup on your GSA. How bad would a 19-inch tire be for minimal off-road sometimes gnarly (rocks, stones, heavy gravel) if we were doing a BDR / Smoky 500? I run Motaz tires on my Scrambler. I also have a good lead on a 2023 Triumph Rally Explorer which comes with a 21-inch wheel. I understand the issue in low gear with the T-plane and I want to know your thoughts on tire size on the bikes. Cheers, Bill.

Perfect. Thank you, Bill. That really, I mean, there's a lot of stuff going on here. When I'm listening to your email and I'm thinking of everything from your height and weight, you know you're 270, you're 6'4". That makes a difference because at that point we're also talking about making suspension adjustments to, you know, if we really want the bike to be ideal and if you're discussing 19" versus 21", we're definitely talking about, how do you get the most out of that machine. So, before I get into the whole wide versus narrow options modifying a bike, power delivery, suspension, the type of suspension that both those bikes use, I'm going to answer that first initial question. The question was, you know, 19" versus 21", and how much of a difference does that make? And that one's actually a fairly easy answer for me.

For most people, this is a really common question, Bill. By the way, I get asked this a lot by email and at camps and everything else. And when you mention minimal off-road, my initial response to that is a 19 is fine. It's great. If all you're doing is gravel roads, service roads and you're touring, a 19" is a fantastic tire.

But you didn't stop there. You didn't just say minimal off-road, you also mentioned some very difficult and challenging terrain. And that's when we start really going, okay, what are we buying the tires for? Or the wheel size for, is it for the 90% or 95% of the riding or is it for the 5%? And we get that with tire selection where people go, hey, do I really need this knobby? I've got a 95.5 and I only ride off-road 5%. Well, it doesn't matter about how long, it's what kind of off-road. If that off-road is basically 95% paved and 5% because it's got gravel on it, then that's fine. But when we start talking about the difficulty, that's where the change is. So you mentioned you had watched one of the videos I made about the 21".