16/19" vs 18/21"? We have this discussion with customers almost every single day. If nothing else, this post may help educate new E Ride Pro owners on the best wheel size for their riding style. It's worth noting there are great 19" tire options for your OEM wheels, so please don't assume you need to spend big money to get better tires.
Let's start with the best tires for your OEM wheelset. For 50% on road/50% off road, we really like Shinko 241's tires in the 2.75" size both front and rear. They grip way better than you might think and do very well in hard-pack terrain. Another option is the Shinko 244 dual sport, although this tire was made for much heavier dirt bikes and the rubber compound is a bit hard for a 130lb bike. It does have more tread, but you'll want to avoid wet concrete with this tire. For #emoto dirt tires, we like Tusk Ground Wire's in 70/100-19 up front and 80/100-19 in the rear. For a very detailed breakdown of OEM-sized tires, check out our Top 10 picks
There's no denying we love 16/19" wheels on our E Ride Pro SS. This size keeps the bike nimble and fun, without robbing too much power, and they fit/feel natural on the chassis. The wider profile feels more like a mini-moto and traction is significantly increased. One difficult myth to bust is some people instinctively thinking the rear wheel will be 3" shorter. This is not true because the taller side-wall is very similar in height to your OEM 19" tire. If you run lower 12-15 PSI, it also adds a more plush feeling to the suspension and adds tons of traction. 9 out of 10 bikes leave our shop with this setup for good reason. Tire sizes are well-established in the moto world and the options are nearly endless. Because it gets asked all the time, we fit 70/100-19 front and 90/100-16 rear. The rear tire will barely miss the chain when the wheel is dished properly, but it will fit nearly perfectly. We typically fit a 54t sprocket, but you can easily reuse your OEM 55t sprocket and chain.
For all you taller riders out there, 18/21" might be a good option for you. We typically reserve these larger wheels for riders over 6' tall because they raise the seat height to a more comfortable level. Unfortunately, they can also add rotational mass/weight, which slows down the nimble and fun feeling of your Pro SS. That said, they do add some roll-over height and can smooth out the bumps. If you are a casual rider that likes to sit down often, Shinko 241's in 3.5x18" and 3.0x21" are not a bad option. Our main warning here: be careful with larger dirt bike tires. 18/21" is standard on most KTM gas dirt bikes, but those huge 100/100-18"+ tires are made for 250lb bikes with 50hp. They weigh a ton and simply do not belong on our smaller #emoto bikes. All too often we see people online trying to cram the biggest tire they can fit, which requires trimming knobs (a terrible idea btw). Zoolander can't turn left, but you should be able to turn whichever way you want. If you want to go with an 18/21" dirt setup, the best tire option for you is a 90/100-18 rear and 80/100-21 front.
Over the last 3 years, we've done a tremendous amount of testing and weighed almost every tire that has come thru our shop. You can see the result on our Tire Weight Chart here. When considering wheels and tires for your E Ride Pro, we truly believe 16/19" wheels are perfect for most people, finding the balance of traction and feel without a big weight penalty. If you're a taller rider, 18/21" is a great alternative to raise the seat height and make the bike a bit larger in stature.