Interesting thread. Twenty years go if you were going out on the track with an nsr or rs you would have wanted the best slicks available. Hrc went to wider rims back then to increase the contact patch because of the state of tire technology. They were willing to sacrifice increased rotating mass to gain traction.

Tire technology has come a long way since then. I think even the best 250 2T riders in the world from 20 years ago would feel comfortable racing these bikes on today's street going tires. A set of Bridgestone battlax bt-003 are available for our stock rims and will out perform almost any slick racing compound from 20 years ago. I order mine online and they get delivered to the front door.

The added weight and inertial mass of a larger rim isn't going to provide any performance improvement.....maybe just some aesthetics.

That's just my opinion.