[mike_bike_kite]

I passed a lovely white classic 500 this morning. It had a set of chunky tyres just like the ones in the picture below. How would tyres like this affect the bike? The guy's bike looked great but I don't think the tyres would suit my Peg. Shame.

[gizzo]

Clown Shoes.

[High On Octane]

They look like Continental TKC 80's or Shinko 804/805's.  Essentially the exact same tire and made in the same factory, but the Shinkos are half the price.  Great tires for dual sporting, wouldn't last long for regular commuting tho.

[mike_bike_kite]

I guess style is a personal thing but the guys bike was very eye catching. The tyres looked much larger than standard but it might just of been the look. I wondered how they'd effect handling, acceleration etc. Would larger diameter mean a higher cruising speed?

[Arizoni]

IMO, tires like the ones shown on that motorcycle often disprove the adage, "bigger is better".

The are heavier so they add weight and by doing so, they slow down acceleration.

The larger diameter will also slow acceleration.

Yes, they decrease engine speed at any given speed which can sometimes help reduce high speed engine vibration at cruising speed but it might shift the max vibration to some other speed that you like to ride at.

The change in ratio on a Royal Enfield will almost never increase the top speed.  Royal Enfield's low horsepower is the reason for its limited top speed.

The larger tires also have a higher rolling resistance when compared with the smaller, stock tires.  That too can eat up horsepower and reduce the top speed.

They can also effect handling making the motorcycle handle more like a tractor.

[9fingers]

And to add one to Arizoni's comments, I would not want to lean the bike much in a turn with those tires on it. Them are dirt riding tires!
9fingers