tyre choices

Hi there;

This is my first post in this forum. I am an spanish owner of a mk3 commando. also got a 955 triumph sprint, but the commando is definetively my love.
Well, now is time to cange my worn bridgestones bt-45. i have been using bridgestones since te first time i tried them, as i think that is a good compromise between grip and durability. before that i used metzelers and pirelli sport demons.
i have a 19 " front rim and 18" in the rear. Now i have read on the internet very good things about the new continental conti classic attas radial tyres for classic machines.

Have anybody tried them? if so, please let me know....
thanks to everyone and excuses about poor english

Eduardo , Piru's brother ?
I don't know about the radial tyres as I stick to Roadriders, but if you get any positive comments I will probably try them myself.
Hope you are doing ok and Me and Annie will see you all in October (on Commando).

cheers
sam

hi Sam:
Yes....is me...Piru told me you are comming in october, and also told me about your new commando. Hope to see you and your new machine. we can have a ride whith both commandos and Piru´s trident and see some nice places in Asturias area. You will find a nice article in MCN about that tyres. I think i will fit them. They are a bit more expensive than bias ones. They have modern compounds and construction, and continental says that improves the handling specially at high speed.
Let´s see if someone have tried them
See you in october Sam.....bye

I have not tried Battlax myself but have read a couple pretty hot shot riders liking them over the Avon or Dunlop choices so may already have the best bet going. I do not like 100 d/t the lack of brake grip on front. I like 110 on both ends for the balanced feeling and decent wear but 120 rear does last longer but feels a tad more sluggish to throttle and steering, when going harsh enough that sort of thing can be felt. You can mix - match radial and bias no problemo just a bit different front to rear air balance to compensate. Bias tires I think tend to climb road crowns slope at speed more than radials, which is only noticed flying along hands off.

The Classic Attack range only has one 19 inch front (100/90/19) and two 18 inch f / r.
Can the 19 be run on the rear also ?
I wonder where they are made,I ran a set of Road Attacks on one of my TL1000's,the rear was made in Germany and the fronts in Korea which got some strange cupping etc.
It seems there is no tyre/tire available for a 1.85 rim that is wider than a gnats dick,I looked at CentralWheelComponents website,around $700 for alloy WM3 and WM4 rims with spoke kits and freight.
At least what is available could then be mounted on the manufacturers recommended rim width.
Decisions.

Edit.
I sent a email via their website to Continental in Germany asking if the 19 is universal.

You can mount a rear on the front and a front on the rear no issues but to get the load vector arrow correct way around.

If you think the manufacturers know it all on tire width per rim width then there's something else wonderful ya don't know what ya missing out on.

If ya really want the best performance G force corner grip get real race compound tires and just use em up in expensive but memorable glee. Those will teach a thing or 3 about un-tamed iso frame phenomena too. Seriously must try race tires in public, start out cold as good as regular road tire but gets better and better as heated till something else limits going harsher. Takes me about 20 min 30 miles in twisties marked below 45 to get race tires ready to leave exact road texture imprint or little tags off edges of the shallow grooves. If gum balled or braided away ya just wasting tire time and traction hook up. Might only get 1000 miles out of center but 3000 if able to use tire up to the edges. Wide tire on narrow rim is more arc'd so harder to get to edge so can get over more with nice patch area working and less sudden let goes over the edge. Less rim = less mass where it matters most too. yum

Did Continental test the new tyre on a Commando ? I have the impression that their idea of 'classic' is fully-faired BMWs and eighties Japanese (which still had quite narrow wheels and so can't use 'modern' radials). I can't quite imagine that a 90% aspect ratio tyre of any construction truly feels like a modern tyre.

I'll be interested to hear how radial tyres are on a frame with a rubber hinge in the middle...Take it easy to start with as you're probably playing development tester !

I have not mixed and matched radials on my Combats but would not hesitate to if some would fit and expect to on my Peel. I doubt many can or would ride any bike in public near the limits and conditions needed to reveal construction differences. I've mix-matched on my SV650 and was pensive at first till reading BMW vintage issuing both types on same bike no problemo. Couldn't tell much one way or another, so a non issue. Basically most to expect weird is less than the difference of out of balance air pressure by a few lb. Who will be the first to try it on their Cdo? Main thing on tires to me is expense and effort so send me some radials and I'll let ya know if it wakes up THE Hinge sooner of later.

Thanks to everyone, all your comments are so apreciated

Avons Roadriders are up to three weeks away locally and no reply from Continental which matched the Norton Owners Club.
Its a lonely road on the Norton front. :lol:

Time Warp said:

Avons Roadriders are up to three weeks away locally and no reply from Continental which matched the Norton Owners Club.
Its a lonely road on the Norton front. :lol:

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Use Vintage tyres - they are in stock here in the UK and may have an agent in Aus. Remember, the Roadrider can be fitted with a tube according to Avon. Whilst waiting to get a new construction Roadrider, the continentals did not come in the 19 inch fitment for the MKIII and their tyres may not be suitable for a tube - you will still be able to fit one, but it may not be road legal or may invalidate insurance in the event of an accident.

I have the Roadriders on one bike and really like them. I gave them quite a thrashing this year and love the way they feel completely planted.
I also have two Modern sport bike with radial tires, Battleaxe by Bridgestone on one and Michelin Power Pilots on the other, both radial type of course. These bike do not feel as planted in corners as the old bike with the Roadriders does. It might be the difference in tire size, or it might be the more flexible radial tire that I am experiencing. This is especially apparent when leaned hard over on a tight corner at 70 or 75 mph and then encountering a bit of rough surface. The old bike (a Vincent, havent put the new rims and tires on the Norton just yet) tracks perfectly whereas the two modern bikes will give some pretty disconcerting wobbles. So Im not totally sold on radial tires. Perhaps they are advantageous on a near perfect race track, but no so much on the real roads we encounter.
IWhen the roads are a bit rough and very twisty I tend to cover ground quicker on the old bike vs moderns, especially now with the new slightly larger and stickier rubber fitted.
Perhaps at some point I will get used to the floppiness of those really large (190) radial tires on the modern bikes, but for now the Roadriders are the favourite. The sizes mounted on the Vincent are 4.00x18rear 100/90/19 front. The 4.00 x18 rear is very close in width to a 110but has a higher weight carrying capability and is made to fit a wm3 rim, which was the widest available at both Devon and Central without a long wait.

The combo is superb and I will put the same setup on the Norton over the winter.
Glen

Worntorn, I run into exactly the same untrustworthyness of the fat tire wonders, when the going gets fun laying low on power and can flat tell ya its not the radial construction so much as the fatso tires edge profile shortening up surfaces resisting load vector then bouncing distorting as it walks around on wrong way contact shape, that feeds back into too rigid set up. Also being balloons guess what that implies and very easy to observe on the IOM antics. The main reason for wide mc tires is heat dissipation so don't melt as fast to loose grip. Newbies now run like 50-60 PSI Nitrogen in attempt to keep profile stable. You of course are being immature and bad example to press into tire behavior limits in public places, shame on you, can't live forever doing that. Its good example to me though who expects to die each time even staying legal and timid. When it gets time to show up them fat tire buzzy bombs handling with Peel power to mass, I've already found almost 60 lb feels like on ice skate edge security. Its said the Commando as 1st able to sustain 120 mph was reason for H rated tires in our sizes so will have a pow pow to see if some can be made in Z rated level. Best wishes on safe returns.

hobot said:

You can mount a rear on the front and a front on the rear no issues but to get the load vector arrow correct way around.

If you think the manufacturers know it all on tire width per rim width then there's something else wonderful ya don't know what ya missing out on.

If ya really want the best performance G force corner grip get real race compound tires and just use em up in expensive but memorable glee. Those will teach a thing or 3 about un-tamed iso frame phenomena too. Seriously must try race tires in public, start out cold as good as regular road tire but gets better and better as heated till something else limits going harsher. Takes me about 20 min 30 miles in twisties marked below 45 to get race tires ready to leave exact road texture imprint or little tags off edges of the shallow grooves. If gum balled or braided away ya just wasting tire time and traction hook up. Might only get 1000 miles out of center but 3000 if able to use tire up to the edges. Wide tire on narrow rim is more arc'd so harder to get to edge so can get over more with nice patch area working and less sudden let goes over the edge. Less rim = less mass where it matters most too. yum

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That is quite a dangerous statement to make hobot, considering peeps on here may take your word as knowledge rather than opinion!
Considering the possible insurance consequences as in " using tyres not fit for or recommended for purpose" perhaps you could tone it down a bit or alternatively moderate your statements as your OWN OPINION.
Cheers
JohnT

if the reader has been on the forum for any length of time, i would expect that they would put no merit of validity into any statement by this "expurt" - even provided they could understand what he posted :shock:

JohnTy said:

That is quite a dangerous statement to make hobot, considering peeps on here may take your word as knowledge rather than opinion!
Considering the possible insurance consequences as in " using tyres not fit for or recommended for purpose" perhaps you could tone it down a bit or alternatively moderate your statements as your OWN OPINION.
Cheers
JohnT

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Hi again....well... As far as fitting a new and different tyre is not a matter that you can't go back to your favorite ones, i've finally ordered them. 100-90-19 for the front and 110-90-18 for the rear. First impression is that is a ver y rigid tyre whith a very nice rubber. It seems to be difficult to fit them in to the rims. Next week i will do it and let you know my feelings whith them. Having a look at them, the first thing i notice is that they are a very different tyre from the ones i've been using till now.(dunlops bridgestones and pirellis)
I forgot to tell you that i am riding wm3 front rim and wm4 rear.
I will tell you all my feeling whith the contis....bye

Hi again....well... As far as fitting a new and different tyre is not a matter that you can't go back to your favorite ones, i've finally ordered them. 100-90-19 for the front and 110-90-18 for the rear. First impression is that is a ver y rigid tyre whith a very nice rubber. It seems to be difficult to fit them in to the rims. Next week i will do it and let you know my feelings whith them. Having a look at them, the first thing i notice is that they are a very different tyre from the ones i've been using till now.(dunlops bridgestones and pirellis)
I forgot to tell you that i am riding wm3 front rim and wm4 rear.
I will tell you all my feeling whith the contis....bye

I use brudgestone battle axes on my seeley 850, wm4-18 rear, wm3-18 front. they are wasted on me. I have well developed paranoia from using the old style dunlop triangulars in the sixties. The way I ride, the bridgestones never move, even on the fastest laps. If you really stress your tyres by exerting a lot of side pressure, you must eventually reach the situation which existed with the hard old compounds - a lot depends on your riding style.

That is quite a dangerous statement to make hobot, considering peeps on here may take your word as knowledge rather than opinion!
Considering the possible insurance consequences as in " using tyres not fit for or recommended for purpose" perhaps you could tone it down a bit or alternatively moderate your statements as your OWN OPINION.
Cheers JohnT

Click to expand...

Ha that's a good one for folks who ride un-tamed Cdo's that are about the most dangerous bikes to seek limits on, whoowhoowee. Just try and find some facts on this tire vs rim size deal. Info is out there in what has been done and what might even be an issue to worry about on seeming too wide a tire on too narrow a rim. Tires can make or break cycle handling but there's confusion about tire handling upsets that ain't related to a tire's traction. I've ridden the snot out of this supposed bad practice and will again for planned bike shoot outs in the tightest quarters. You or others may not like the handling sense of more rounded profit is all but it ain't gonna hurt ya by blow up or ripping off. What is bad dangerous advice from me is pressing to find differences in various tire limits that are traction related on lower and lower and higher and higher air pressure. Just takes setting a low angle on hi throttle and good sense of what ya want out of life.

Tire width means study of thermodynamics, patch shape involves tribology and elastic deformation spring hysteria study. Impressive as those 190 tires look when ya see em burn out or wet run there's still only about 1.5" wide patch doing the business. Any way if ya ever can snag a ride on non DOT race soft compound - they are the cat's meow for secure stuck down feeling. Don't be fooled by a sitting still patch, it narrows up at speed, which I like.