AVON ROADRIDER TYRES , Do you use these ?

Hi all,
Ive got a 1973 750 Interstate with TT100 410 x 19 both on WM2 rims, but I need new tyres.
I am thinking of using Avon Roadrider AM26 90/90 19 on Front & AM26 100/90 19 on Rear.
Does anyone else have this combination & how does it handle at low & Hi speed.
My TT100's do make the bike wobble a bit going over white lines or road ruts but the bike feels fairly steady at 80 or 90.
It does feel a bit light on the front but I think lots of commandos do.
I know tyres are an old thread but I cant find anyone on record using this combination.
I know this might seem a daft question but I assume these tyres will be OK to use with tubes on my original WM2 rims.
Cheers Don

I'm about to replace 90/90x19 front and 100/90x19 rear. The smaller front stears quicker and is less stable which I never liked, so will replace the front with 100/90x19. My rear is an AM26 Roadrider while the front is an AM20 Roadrunner. These new Avons stick better than the previous 4.10x19 sizes. My '72 front fender is narrower than '73 onward stainless type, so was a bit nervous about 100/90x19 size. Did some measuring and looks like it should fit.

Don Tovey said:

I am thinking of using Avon Roadrider AM26 90/90 19 on Front & AM26 100/90 19 on Rear.
Does anyone else have this combination & how does it handle at low & Hi speed.

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I run this exact combination, and know many others that do the same. I have zero issues running them at any speed and regularly will run 80mph-100mph if I'm not putting another soul at risk.

Very happy with my set on my MKIII, They wear fairly well and seem to have good wet traction.

Easy one this, go for the roadriders - cheaper and better, eliminates white lining and twitches that the other tyres pick up road imperfections as well, also wear pretty well to.

I was recently looking at these tires as I am planning to buy new tires in the very near future. I found a number of vendors online that sell these tires for less than 90-dollars each (in the US). I wanted to be sure that if I bought from one of them that I wasn't getting new-old stock, so asked Avon how to verify the date of manufacture.

Their response was that in the series of numbers and letters that tells you the tire size, weight rating, speed rating, etc, that the last four digits are the date of manufacture. So as an example 3209 as the last four digits would be the 32nd week of 2009.

I know you didn't ask, but what the heck...it is still good info to have when you go shopping.

Russ

Hi all,
that last bit of info from Russ about date of manufacture is really handy to know. In fact all feedback is much appreciated from you all.
Ive found a shop locally that will do both tyres, 2 tubes & 2 Rim tapes for £135 inc tax, which seems quite reasonable to me.
Now I have a doubt about whether to put the 90/90 on the front or a 100/90 on the front to match the back tyre.
Originaly it had 410 x 19 front & rear.
I look forward to any more reports of Avon these tyres.
cheers Don

Try Steve Sirrell at Scholes (unless this is where you got your quote from). They're usually quite competative with their prices.

Personally, I would stick to 100/90 19 on both rims, for two reasons, firstly I prefer the look as the bike looks balanced (to me) and secondly, I have never found any benefit when I have had a smaller 90/90 19 tyre on the front although this was a few years ago.

I would recommend the Roadriders as I have the AM26s on my Trident and they feel very good. I will be changing my rear tyre on the Commando to an Avon Roadrider AM26 later this month, so if you get the best deal in and around Leeds, let me know please.

P.S. Wyldes on Kirkstall road also stocks these tyres.

What sort of riding do you do Don,these are a very good tyre and feel really secure,but I think you will find the rear tyre life rather disappointing,
I think the rim width needs to be wider as the std rim wear the center of the tyre real quick,the front wears nicely, but only just clears the stays.
These a even better than the old super venoms, I had to fit a super venom over christmas time, rear end felt greasy again .
My worthless opinion, AM26 ROADRIDERS are the best 19'' tyres I have found so far for good spirited riding.

I usually run Super Venoms on my Commando. However, I have tried a set of Road Riders on my BMW. Compared to the Metzlers that I usually run on the BMW, I found the Road Riders to be a little 'twitcy' or less stable in a straight line. As a street sport tire though, they're great.

A couple of years ago, I needed to complete a racing school since I had allowed two years to pass without racing. My race bike was in pieces, so I decided to strip my BMW street bike down and prepare it for the track. I didn't want to waste a pair of race compound tires on the BMW, so was looking for a good DOT legal street tire that would work reasonably well on the track. My local bike shop recommended the Road Riders.

I had the dealer strip off the Metzler's and install the Avon's. The first thing that I noticed was that I had to concentrate just a little more at keeping the bike straight. Not much mind you, just a lot easier to transition into an off straightaway turn.

On the track, the tires handled very well; to a point. Grip was superb until the third lap or so. Once the tires really heated up, they became a bit squirmy. They felt kind of 'greasy.' Once they cooled down, they were great again for a few laps. Apparently race compound tires are not only stickier, but they stand up to heating better and actually get better as they heat up. At the end of the day, they held up fairly well and I completed the school, often ahead of several of the students on modern sport bikes.

Anyhow, I wouldn't hesitate to run the Road Riders on my Commando.

SteveMinning said:

As a street sport tire though, they're great

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That hits the desciption on the head

SteveMinning said:

... Compared to the Metzlers that I usually run on the BMW, I found the Road Riders to be a little 'twitcy' or less stable in a straight line. As a street sport tire though, they're great...

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I would be curious as to which Metzler tires you were running. I was also looking at this brand, and noticed that the choice is limited in a 100/90-19. However I noticed that some of their tires are made of different rubber compounds with harder rubber in the center getting stickier toward the outside.

I know this is a blatant hi-jack but I would like to learn more about those tires also! Sorry and Thanx!

Russ

rvich said:

SteveMinning said:

... Compared to the Metzlers that I usually run on the BMW, I found the Road Riders to be a little 'twitcy' or less stable in a straight line. As a street sport tire though, they're great...

Click to expand...

I would be curious as to which Metzler tires you were running. I was also looking at this brand, and noticed that the choice is limited in a 100/90-19. However I noticed that some of their tires are made of different rubber compounds with harder rubber in the center getting stickier toward the outside.

I know this is a blatant hi-jack but I would like to learn more about those tires also! Sorry and Thanx!

Russ

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I was previously running an ME77 rear and I think it was an ME33 Lazer front. Best tires I've ever run on the BMW.

Hate to offer another option but the Bridgestone Battleax is also a great tire and it comes with a dual compound design, Harder in the center and softer on the sides. I run the BT-45 on my 72 and it's also a great feeling tire.

Hortons Norton said:

Hate to offer another option but the Bridgestone Battleax is also a great tire and it comes with a dual compound design, Harder in the center and softer on the sides. I run the BT-45 on my 72 and it's also a great feeling tire.

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No 19'' rear though is there :?:

Sorry about that I run an 18" rear, I'll just go away now, LOL LOL

Hi all, My riding style is easy going these days. I'm not into track days & the commando does not seem to accelerate that quickly, (especialy after ive been out on the Bandti).
I dont go that quicly round corners either as it feels a bit slippy round bends. This could be because the TT100's are getting hard with age & giving less grip. I would say I ride like an old bloke most of the time.
No more blatting down to Johnsons cafe or The Chelsea bridge in London anymore when I was young.
The price I got was from Wildes in Leeds but I only live 4 miles from Sirrels so I might phone them for a price.
Maybe with grippier tyres I can be a tearaway again & scrape my knees around bends like I used to on my Atlas.
Thanks again,
Cheers Don

I think you should keep the bike level, dropping the front can give high speed problems. I have been suffering with it for years. Just had a 19" rim put on the front with an Avon Roadrider 100 section. I have used various Avons over the years, both on cars & bikes, & have hated every one of them, both on modern & classic. Our local tyre specialist reckons the Roadrider is good, so we will have to see. Been for one 15 mile trip so far this year with the new Avon, & wasn't too impressed, the front gave out on one corner, but maybe it was because the tyre was new & it was only 5 degrees.
If it ever stops raining, I would love to ride it again :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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English weather ruins lives.

Avon support the 19" rims the best so I use them so they contimue to do so, have a rodrider on the back and it seems better than the roadrunner on before, still have a super venom 90/90 on the front which will be relaced by the roadrider when its worn.

Hi Don,
I have been through quite a number of the 100/90 - 19 Roadriders and love them. When my rear tyre is worn out, I fit the new tyre to the front and move the older tyre from the front to the rear. This works well as you are only replacing one at a time and your mileage is spread over both ends. I probably get about 5,000 miles out of a tyre this way. Works for me. I do have 2.5 inch alloy rims fitted now on both ends and the wider rims give a better feel, but they still work a treat on the standard rims.