Ducati 916 Tyre Size
The 916, 996 and 998 all run the same tyre size. That’s a 120/70-17 front and a 190/50-17 rear.
These are fairly common tyre sizes so you’ll have a lot of choice.
The 748 models all run a 120/60-17 or 120/70-17 front and a 180/55-17 rear.Â
Most people have switched from the less-common 120/60 to the 120/70 which, alongside the 180/55 is probably THE most common tyre combination, so there’s no shortage of decent rubber.
Can you run a 190/55 instead of a 190/50?
Most modern bikes run a 190/55 instead of a 190/50. The 55-profile tyre is 5% taller, so around 1cm. This will help the bike turn in. However more useful than the additional ride height is the fact that running a 190/55 rear opens up your choice of tyres, meaning you can consider lots of other options than if you were to stick to the 190/50.
Ducati 916 History
There’s no much than can be said about the 916 here that hasn’t already been said a thousand times over. For me, the 916 represents a time where just about the only place you could read about motorcycles was in a newspaper or magazine, where GATSOs didn’t exist, iridium visors were cool, you could park your bike in town on a steering lock and it would be there when you got back and you could genuinely go out for a Sunday blast and get somewhere near the limits of your sportsbike without worrying about traffic or traffic police.Â
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Ducati 916 Stock Tyres
We think the 916 stock tyres were Pirelli Strada but we’ll update this when we find out.
The Best Tyres for the 748 and 916
Tyre technology has moved on an awful lot since these bikes were being rolled off the production line.
That’s my 998S pictured above. I found it was very fickle when it came to tyres.
We’ve split our recommendations into three common use cases.
All of the options below are available in 180/55, 190/50 and 190/55 rear tyre sizes.
Road Legal Trackday
If you want tyres for sunny Sundays or for tearing up your local trackday, these are a good shout.
Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa V4 SP
Fast Road
For most of us these tyres are ideal. Fast warm up, loads of grip and decent wet weather ability too.
All Weather Road
The benefit of a sports-touring or touring tyre is that they warm up much quicker and are better in all conditions yet still profile loads of real-world grip.
The 916/748 models are slower steering than more modern sportsbikes. You have to be more careful with Sports Touring or Touring tyres on these bikes as the tyres tend to have a flatter profile which slows down the bike’s steering. I fitted Metzeler Roadtec 01 SE tyres to my Ducati 998 and it made the bike feel like it had a flat front tyre. So we’ve chosen the below options as they have a rounder profile to keep the handling sweet.
Ducati 916 / 748 Tyre Pressures
You can find your motorcycle manufacturer’s recommended tyre pressures in your owner’s handbook. You’ll also find a tyre pressure chart sticker on the swingarm.
If you have no idea what pressures to run, this is our general rule:
Scooter: F 30psi, R 30psi
Normal Motorcycle: F 36psi, R 42psi
Big Tourer: F 42psi, R 42psi
125cc Bike: F 33psi, R 36psi
You should always check your tyre pressures when the tyres are cold. Check out our range of motorcycle tyre pressure gauges here.
About Two Tyres
Our mission is to ensure we listen to every customer’s needs and ensure they’re riding on the right tyre. Out of the showroom, your motorbike is a compromise, designed to suit a huge range of riders and riding conditions. To get the best out of your bike in terms of handling, performance and safety, tyres make all the difference. In fact we think it’s the most cost-effective performance enhancement you can make!
We are based in London where we supply and fit motorcycle tyres and consumables in our workshop. We also mail order motorcycle tyres around the UK, across Europe and even to places as far-flung as the USA, Canada and Japan.
Need help choosing the best tyres?
Choosing tyres can be tricky. We’re here to help. We hold direct accounts with every motorcycle tyre manufacturer, so we’re well placed to give comprehensive and honest advice to help you choose the best tyres. If you can’t quite make your mind up, give us a call on 0207 205 2205 and we’ll help you narrow down your choices.
We are motorcycle and scooter tyre specialists, with over 25 years in the trade. Between us we fit 10 pairs of tyres a day in our workshop, so we have good real-world experience of what works and what doesn’t.
We ride to work, we ride for fun, we race and ride off-road. If it’s got two wheels, we’re into it.
Give us a call or drop into our London motorcycle workshop and we’ll do our best to help you.
Are your tyre pressures letting you down?
We couldn’t find a tyre pressure gauge that was well-built, easy to get on-and-off the valve without pressure loss and could stand up to day-to-day abuse in our workshop. So we found a manufacturer to build one to our exacting standards.
We’re confident this is the best motorcycle pressure gauge out there. That’s why it comes with a 3-year, no-nonsense, money back guarantee.
Whether you want a digital tyre pressure gauge or a good old-fashioned analogue pressure gauge, we’ve got a gauge for you. Now you can quickly and easily check your pressures, to keep your bike handling well and to ensure you stay safe.
Here at Two Tyres, we stock more than just tyres. Take a look at some of our essentials for any biker.
Motorcycle puncture repair kit – Our top-rated kit includes everything you need to carry out a roadside repair and get back up and running.
Motorcycle tyre pressure gauge – Our tyre pressure gauge has been rated in RiDE magazine and features a clever design to make it easy to get accurate readings.
Motorcycle first aid kit – a DIN-rated first aid kit that’s compact and also includes extras that are handy for any biker. A must-carry in some EU countries.
HyperCharge battery charger – The HyperCharge is a smart charger that can charge lead-acid and lithium batteries and it’ll charge bike and car batteries too.
Cordless tyre pump – Small enough to fit in your luggage, this tyre pump doubles as a powerbank, so you’ll never have a flat tyre or phone battery again!
All of these products have been well tested and are top-rated by our customers.
