[Strykerrabbit]

Just got back from my mechanic shop. Basically all is good with the michelin commander 2 tire . I was worried about the tight fit and the deflection of the belt (tightness) . We added a couple washers to extend the distance between the plastic belt guard and the tire so there's no chance of friction. I was assured that the belt was tight and the tire was aligned. No need to go back to stock size so now I have a 210 40 18 Bridgestone exedra as a backup. Might just sell it but we'll see.
Something I found out though on my own. All tires are not created equal. The shinko tires 240 x 40x 18 was on my bike when I bought it. That was replaced by the michelin. Same size but what ???? . I had the convenience of comparing. The shinko is a full 3/4 inch skinnier at the top from edge to edge. The michelin measured 11 and 3/8 inches across and the shinko was only 10 and 5/8 . Wow . And that's why the shinko wasn't anywhere near rubbing against the belt guard like this michelin. Pretty crazy

 

[Strykerrabbit]

I don't doubt that you are correct. We had to add a washer to each bolt holding the guard down. And what's more , when I stood the new Bridgestone exedra( 210 ) up against the old shinko (240) that just came off , it was looking to be about 2 inches shorter in height. Now I know that tread wear of 1/4 inch would total to about 1/2 inch height difference but this was way more. One would think that 240/40r/18 is always the same regardless of manufacturer but not true as we see and compare. I'm happy with the commander 2 for now and I've got the exedra as backup . 😎