Bullet Tyre Size: Front and Rear for Every Bullet 350 Variant

Bullet tyre size by variant

The three trims differ in paint, chrome and brakes, not in rubber. The Military keeps a drum at the back while the others get a rear disc, yet the wheel and tyre are the same width. That makes the bullet standard 350 tyre size identical to the base and top models, and the bullet standard 350 back tyre size stays at 120/80-18 too, so any shop that stocks one fits all three.

Reading the front and back tyre markings

Take the bullet 350 front tyre size, 100/90-19. The first number is the tread width, 100 mm. Next, 90 tells you sidewall height works out to 90 percent of 100 mm, roughly 90 mm. Last comes 19, the rim's inch size. A hyphen where a car tyre shows R marks bias ply construction, the normal build for this kind of bike.

The bullet 350 rear tyre size (some riders say bullet 350 back tyre size), 120/80-18, is wider at 120 mm with a 96 mm sidewall and sits on an 18 inch rim. The smaller rim and taller wall bring its overall height close to the front tyre. For each letter of the code, open how to read tyre size.

Ratings 57P and 62P on a 195 kg Bullet

Index 57 rates the front for 230 kg and index 62 rates the rear for 265 kg. P, the speed symbol, stands for 150 km/h. The bike weighs 195 kg with fuel, and most of the load from a rider, a pillion and saddlebags sits over the back wheel, which is why the rear carries the higher index. When you buy, never accept a lower load number than the factory one. The tyre speed rating page lists the other letters.

Earlier version: the 3.25-19 tyre

The older twinspark Bullet 350, with a kick start and a 346cc engine, used 3.25-19 on both ends, according to the maker's specification sheet for that model. Here 3.25 is the width in inches, about 83 mm, with a sidewall close to its width. On that bike the sheet gave the front a 4 PR ply rating, while the bullet back tyre size came as 4 or 6 PR for riders who carried heavy loads. These tyres will not go on the new bike, because the rear rim is now 18 inch.

Going wider at the rear: sums in millimetres

Plenty of owners ask us for a broader rear because it looks beefier. A good shop rule: the new rolling diameter should sit within 3 percent of what the factory tyre measures, which keeps the speedo honest and the 170 mm ground clearance nearly unchanged.

Diameter is the rim in mm plus twice the sidewall. Even when the sum works, a 130 section tyre on the factory rim may rub the chain or the mudguard stay, and a tyre that is too wide for its rim leaves the tread profile pinched. Check clearance with the wheel fully in the swingarm before you pay, and inform the insurance company. Run any other pair through our tyre size calculator.

Tube type now, tubeless only with new rims

Wire spoke rims have spoke holes through the rim bed, so air leaks past them unless a tube holds it. That is why the factory tyres are tube type. Fitting a tubeless tyre on these rims still needs a tube inside. True tubeless running needs sealed spoke rims or alloy wheels, which the Bullet does not get from the factory. Compare the two systems in tubeless vs tube tyre or see our page on Bullet alloy wheels.

When to replace Bullet tyres

• Grooves worn flush with the little raised wear bars.
• Fine crazing on the rubber, typical of a Bullet parked out in the sun all summer.
• A bubble on the sidewall, a gash, or threads showing through.
• Rubber that has aged: past roughly five years from manufacture, have it checked even if tread remains. The date stamp is a four figure group, week first and then year; see tyre manufacturing date.

Expect the rear to need replacing well before the front, since it both drives the bike and carries rider, pillion and luggage. With any sidewall damage, crawl along gently to a nearby repair stall and get it examined.

Pressure, siblings and more sizes

The right size only works at the right air. The cold figures are on Bullet tyre pressure. The Classic 350 tyre size page covers the sister bike, which shares this front and rear combination, and Hunter 350 tyre size covers the smaller wheeled roadster. Our bike tyre size list covers other motorcycles too.