Re: why was a 19" sized rear wheel selected? huge deal going
Ok so riders on English and European roads had it more civilized than Americans in the 19" wheel Golden Era, but maybe not when there were only peddle bicycles and horse wagons around on 26" and bigger rims, which first motorcycles adapted then reduced over decades to stronger shorter spoked wheels.
It has subsequently been found that smaller dia tyres allows you to corner faster... Also the "chopper" era and racing influences make the change to smaller dia an "owners personal choice"..
This is the most interesting mystery to me to show world a thing or 3 on Peel skinny meats. Its took a few months on my 1st Combat to run into THE Hinge following an 1100 that'd passed me in open as we entered a dike like 35 mph 290' 1/4 mile long sweeper at 80's mph, thot I was gonna dia young flung off a far down fall. Point being the 'chassis' let me down not tire behavior or traction. This is when deep Commando depression set in - used up money I could of had a really capable 17" motorcycle. A few days later found out how sluggish slow a Combat was on drag strip even folding tire up on torque that exploded R knee protecting the Combat. Few months later found used 2000 SV650 and started Norton tear down to learn mechanics and have oil tight Combat to be rid of at a loss. Got handy on SuVee on THE Gravel to point was flat tracking it somewhat and then could out ride the locals and visitors on 17" tires on hwy twistes but was too scared to break free not knowing what would happen or how long before re-grip, so called Kieth Code on special permission to get wild at one of his corner safety courses. Learned how to moderate spin so tire didn't melt to gobs like main instructor or wire brushed abraded away like Code did, just smeared out 1/16" wide thin tags off grooves. Saw Commandos like old peddle bicycles after that and swore off all 17" DOT legal tires too.
David Davenport, DynoDave, Bob Patton, Gerry Bristow, NOC, INOA and Brit Iron list crowd guided my Combat restoration over 5 yr and so blow up pensive and scared of it > took 1000 miles before I gave WOT but for break in wisdom. Still didn't want it so tried to break it and find its limits with my hard gained sense cycle handling by then. Pressed harsher and harsher till similar G's as the Ninja and SV, but nothing bad happened, hm. Pressed my life/luck pass anything prior but nothing bad happened except tunnel vision dimming breath taking G's till point i now abhor the 17" tires as too corner crippled on poor profile shape and too unstable wondering around on too wide patch, more like inflated inner tube towed behind ski boat than salaam ski rear edge.
Only reason for wide road tires is to absorb-spread heat of corner cripples engine power they can't hardly hook up much power on w/o spinning out of traction, aggravated by too rigid thinking of current frame designers. Peel is so much better she don't have to hold long heat loads on corners stuck in counter steering phase 2 handling -[though has to hold better in that phase than 17" race tires to get enough energy going to hit new handling phases], so don't need fat meats and can take full advantage of 18/19" rear slalom ski edge profile.
World had not caught up to Peel tri-linked capability in Phase Three and Phase Four straight steering handling on skinny tires but there is a Phase FIVE
level that interests me most now but could only do on THE Gravel d/t power lacking for tarmac use. There is nil leaning in P-5 handling nor any let off of forward hook up traction. Only places I've seen P-5 used is hill climbers and AWD 1000 hp rally cars and some hopped up go carts, so think the 16" rear meat may help explore than on next Peel. I know what I got in Ms Peel in spades already but she over rev'd before I joined this forum...