Tires

Did Avon stop making 110/90-19 roadrider? I can,t find them on any of their sites. Thanks

Hutchison hemi said:

Did Avon stop making 110/90-19 roadrider? I can,t find them on any of their sites. Thanks

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Did they ever make one? I thought the 100/90/19 was the 'biggest' 19 incher?

Hutchison hemi said:

Did Avon stop making 110/90-19 roadrider? I can,t find them on any of their sites. Thanks

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In a word, no.

Sadly they never started making them. The Continental Classic Attack is made in 110/85/19" though.

Martyn.

Thanks all.I will probably go with a100/90 19 front and a 110/90 18 rear.

I went with this combo:

Rear: Roadrider AM26 (rear) 4.00-18. Rim size: MT2.50 2.15 - 3.00. rolling radius: 26.4". Tread depth: 7.5mm
Front: Roadrider AM26 (universal) 100/90-19. Rim size: MT2.50 2.15 - 2.75. Rolling radius: 26.4". Tread depth: 5.6mm

Advantages to this combo are:
1. the actual rolling radius of front and rear are the same, so no effect on rake / trail / etc
2. the rear is a dedicated rear, so has a deep tread for longer life
3. the front is a 'universal' so has a deeper tread than a dedicated front tyre, giving longer life.

Handling with these tyres is great. I don't do high enough mileage to have an opinion on their wear rates etc.

I think you got your front and rear labels switched, Nigel, but your point is clear. That does make a good combination for a Commando.

Ken

Hutchison hemi said:

Thanks all.I will probably go with a100/90 19 front and a 110/90 18 rear.

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The extra width on your front tire would make your front end feel less nimble for one, and if you didn't have the proper rim width for that 110 tire width to optimize the tire's profile shape, you also wouldn't get much of an increase in contact patch area either.

*I run the avon roadriders in 100/90/19 and 110/90/18 and they are a great improvement over the dunlop K81's I ran for decades...

lcrken said:

I think you got your front and rear labels switched, Nigel, but your point is clear. That does make a good combination for a Commando.

Ken

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Oops, quite right Ken and well spotted!

I have now corrected it so as not to confuse anyone searching the topic in future.

Hutchison hemi said:

Did Avon stop making 110/90-19 roadrider? I can,t find them on any of their sites. Thanks

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I have run the 100/90-19 Avons for over 5000 miles and my bike handles great...

Matchless said:

..... The Continental Classic Attack is made in 110/85/19" though.
Martyn.

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I believe the only 19" rear Conti Classic Attack available is the 100/90-19.
Bill

o0norton0o said:

Hutchison hemi said:

Thanks all.I will probably go with a100/90 19 front and a 110/90 18 rear.

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The extra width on your front tire would make your front end feel less nimble for one, and if you didn't have the proper rim width for that 110 tire width to optimize the tire's profile shape, you also wouldn't get much of an increase in contact patch area either.

*I run the avon roadriders in 100/90/19 and 110/90/18 and they are a great improvement over the dunlop K81's I ran for decades...

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To rehash this yet again. Avon's recommendation for the 100/90 19 to get the correct profile is for a 2.5 inch rim. Alternatives are 2.15 or 2.75. But, to get the correct profile, you need a 2.5 inch rim. I run Morad 2.5 inch rims (WM4) on both ends with Roadriders. I do quite a few miles a year on my Norton and have been through probably about 20 of them in my time with the bike after trying a few alternatives. So far, since March this year, I'm a couple of miles short of 8000. And that's through our winter. I expect to crack at least 12,000 miles for the year, as I have a couple of big trips coming up next month. Yeah, yeah, I know in Australia we use kilometres but a miles an hour speedo was on it when I got it and just seems right for a Norton. I'm also old enough to have been around in MPH days and know how fast I'm going.

The "cure" of putting a narrower tyre on the front is only needed if your tyre/rim combination is incorrect. The steering with my combo is very light and precise at any speed and any lean angle. I also am a great believer in Jim Comstock's head steady which I have had fitted for many miles.

I see endless tyre discussions on here. where after four pages of, mostly incorrect information, people end up fitting some sort of compromised rim/tyre combination.

I am prepared to restate my claim that my belief is that a 100/90 Roadrider on a 2.5 inch rim puts more rubber on the road at ANY lean angle than a 120 section tyre on a 2.15 rim while providing exemplary handling.

Quite right Ken.

I reckon many classic riders are running rims that are too narrow for the tyres fitted. Even on rebuilt rims. Which may be partly explained by the attitude of some wheel builders...

Central Wheels in the UK were insistent that was asking for rims that were 'way too wide for a British bike'.

When I replied that the bike itself is irrelevant, it is the tyre choice that matter most, and I was simply requesting the rim size specified by Avon, I was told "they don't know what they're talking about" and he knew better cos he'd been building wheels for 40+ years etc... which I found to be a remarkably arrogant statement!

I had to become quite harsh and forthright and absolutely insist that he fitted precisely what I wanted. I think many would not do this as they would think 'well he must know what he's talking about' etc. And they'd get rims that were too bloody narrow!

As a side note: When I finally got them back they had screwed up the bearing re-assembly even though I explicitly told them NOT to remove the bearings... and they got the off set wrong on the front wheel... and the rear tube didn't hold air.

Apart from that they did a great job...

Interesting. You hadn't mentioned this before but it was exactly the attitude I got when I asked for 2.5 inch rims! However, he now has become educated and has done a couple since. He rides my bike and says "handles like it's on rails." A touch cliched perhaps but I've never heard it applied to Commandos before. Now, I'm not saying that TT100s will work properly with a wide rim because they weren't made for them. My rim choice was aimed at using Avon Roadriders in that specific size. We all move on and learn something. Or not!

Fullauto said:

[quote

The "cure" of putting a narrower tyre on the front is only needed if your tyre/rim combination is incorrect. The steering with my combo is very light and precise at any speed and any lean angle. I also am a great believer in Jim Comstock's head steady which I have had fitted for many miles.
I see endless tyre discussions on here. where after four pages of, mostly incorrect information, people end up fitting some sort of compromised rim/tyre combination.
I am prepared to restate my claim that my belief is that a 100/90 Roadrider on a 2.5 inch rim puts more rubber on the road at ANY lean angle than a 120 section tyre on a 2.15 rim while providing exemplary handling.

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I have to agree with this statement as I have seen many an oversize tyre on a small rim even I have done this, that distorts the tyre from what is the optimum shape

My original question about 110/90-19 avons was a mistake. Somewhere along the way I got that size in my head as being the most common on a commando. The posts related to rim size have confirmed my intent to use wm-4 rims although they don,t appear to be available in a flanged rim. The excel dimpled rims are available in aluminum or chrome plated. Does anyone know what the quality of the chrome is ? Tire clearance with that rim will not be an issue with button head fender to fork bolts ?

Hutchison hemi said:

My original question about 110/90-19 avons was a mistake. Somewhere along the way I got that size in my head as being the most common on a commando. The posts related to rim size have confirmed my intent to use wm-4 rims although they don,t appear to be available in a flanged rim. The excel dimpled rims are available in aluminum or chrome plated. Does anyone know what the quality of the chrome is ? Tire clearance with that rim will not be an issue with button head fender to fork bolts ?

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Unfortunately for those who like flanged rims, they are available in 18 inch but not 19. Personally, I like the unflanged because of their ease of cleaning and crap doesn't collect there. I refer to them as "dog pee collectors". Also, I prefer aluminium rims for their light weight which is quite noticeable. Pick up one of each and you'll know what I mean. Also, they look very similar to the standard rims except for the width so most people wouldn't note that they weren't standard.

Fullauto said:

Interesting. You hadn't mentioned this before but it was exactly the attitude I got when I asked for 2.5 inch rims! However, he now has become educated and has done a couple since. He rides my bike and says "handles like it's on rails." A touch cliched perhaps but I've never heard it applied to Commandos before. Now, I'm not saying that TT100s will work properly with a wide rim because they weren't made for them. My rim choice was aimed at using Avon Roadriders in that specific size. We all move on and learn something. Or not!

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I agree here. I requested the 2.5 morad rims from Mike Partridge at Walridge Motors and he raised his eyebrows also when I asked for the whole pattern for a Norton Commando. I have been quite pleased with the results and the AM26 avon's. My 850 fender has clearance for this setup but for an earlier Commando with the narrower fender, might have issues for clearance.
Cheers,
Thomas

I understand the relationship between the profile design of a tire and why mounting a given tire on different width rims effects the shape of the tire's profile and changes it's contact patch area accordingly. I don't disagree with what' been said about mounting a tire on the tire manufacturer's specified rim as being the best performing combination because it maintains the designed profile shape of the tire....

......but there's more than one aspect to the physics of any rim and tire choice. A narrower front tire and rim is more nimble and certainly contributes to a lighter unsprung weight of the wheel which are advantageous. Whether or not these aspects are more, or less, significant than maximizing the contact patch area of the tire by having a wider front rim and tire may not have a singular answer. Maybe the wider front tire is better in a daytona type turn because it holds it line better on long sweepers,... Maybe the lighter, narrow tire is better on twisty road courses where there's a lot of rolling from one angle into another.... Since, I don't race I don't know if road racers change their tire widths for certain courses, but I would be interested to know there's more to chosing a front tire than the simple idea that, "As wide as possible (so long as it's on the correct rim) is best"

Many years ago I used to race a featherbed Triton on old T1 triangular Dunlops. I fitted 18 inch rims to get good rubber onto the bike and completely buggered the handling. The bike then became exhausting to race. A lot depends on the steering geometry. Getting that right involves more arse than class. Every new set of fork yokes costs a bundle and with many frames that is not an answer anyway. With my Seeley, I was just lucky - there is no proven formula.