Performance of 200mm tyres

[CVSensei]

Can somebody with personal experience of a bike with 200mm rear wheel tyres explain the pro's and con's to me please?

I'm particularly interested in MV Agusta's Brutale Dragster which has said tyres. They look stunning but I'm curious how it affects the handling and power delivery etc.
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2014 Yamaha MT-07 ABS Deep Armour
'If all else fails, read the instructions.' - Grandpa
'Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.' - Arthur C. Clarke

[Albigularis]

200mm tyres have a larger contact patch, so they have slightly better straight line grip. The initial turn in is a little slower on a 200mm rear tyre as well, but on the road with a bike with handlebars, it shouldn't make too much difference. They do take a bit longer to heat up aswell.

I don't think the differences between a 200/50 and 190/55 are worth fretting about on the road. Best sticking to what the bike was designed to ride with.
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Biking history so far-
Aprilia RS125 - Kawasaki ZXR400 - Triumph Street Triple R - Suzuki GSXR1000 L3 - BMW R1200GS - Kawasaki Z1000 - Kawasaki ZX10R C1H - Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring - Suzuki Hayabusa

[G]

There are a lot more factors that affect handling than just tyre size.

Generally superbikes go up to 200 for grip while leant over not straight line (where grip in dry conditions shouldn't be an issue unless you've got Avons) - getting on for 200hp down while coming out of the corner can 'test' a tyre.

For everyday riding, as above it'll slow the handling down very slightly; add a little more rotating mass and so on. Possibly make suspension etc a bit softer.

[stinkwheel]

It's almost entirely fashion.

No personal experience of one but a wider tyre is essentially giving you increased grip at the expense of slower handling.

No road bike NEEDS a 200 section tyre. A 125bhp one like that MV certainly doesn't. It's 100% for the look of it.

On the plus side, they don't get stuck in tram tracks.

Purpose built drag bikes (which the MV is aping) do use wider tyres, they only go in straight lines. Also tend to be pulling silly BHP once you get down under the 10 second class so grip becomes an issue. Some of the faster classes use low-profile slicks off racing cars. I've seen an RD500 drag bike with a 355mm, square cross-section tyre.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[CVSensei]

Thanks all
____________________
2014 Yamaha MT-07 ABS Deep Armour
'If all else fails, read the instructions.' - Grandpa
'Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.' - Arthur C. Clarke