Avon Tires No Longer Available?

[Stephen Hill]

I see from the latest Andover Norton newsletter that they are selling Avon Roadrider tires for Commandos.
I found a few other other vendors that appear to be able to supply Avon Roadrider tires in sizes for Commandos.

I am a bit puzzled as I recall the tires were no longer being made in the UK as of the end of 2023.
And I also recall some discussions on Access Norton about alternate sources of tires.
So what is the current situation?

 

[marshg246]

I see from the latest Andover Norton newsletter that they are selling Avon Roadrider tires for Commandos.
I found a few other other vendors that appear to be able to supply Avon Roadrider tires in sizes for Commandos.

I am a bit puzzled as I recall the tires were no longer being made in the UK as of the end of 2023.
And I also recall some discussions on Access Norton about alternate sources of tires.
So what is the current situation?

I've lost track of where they are made (maybe France?) but they continue to be available. Right now, 19" are hard to find, 18" much more available. I usually buy them from Amazon, Walmart.com or motosport.com. Today, motosport.com has 3.25x19 and 100/90-19 and both Amazon and Walmart are out of stock. All I bought in the last two years were fresh.

 

[CanukNortonNut]

Stephen,
Try: Walridge Motors, British Cycle Supply, Fort Nine. They all should carry the Road Rider mk2's in 19 inch.
Should be available
Cheers,
Tom

 

[nortonmargie]

I've lost track of where they are made (maybe France?) but they continue to be available. Right now, 19" are hard to find, 18" much more available. I usually buy them from Amazon, Walmart.com or motosport.com. Today, motosport.com has 3.25x19 and 100/90-19 and both Amazon and Walmart are out of stock. All I bought in the last two years were fresh.

Per the US importer, who I ran into at a show, the Avon factory moved to France.

 

[Stephen Hill]

Good news. Avon's website rates the Roadrider Mk II as a high mileage tire, which is not what I have read on this website. Fortunately my back wheel has an 18 inch rim, which lets me run a fatter tire and that helps with mileage.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Per the US importer, who I ran into at a show, the Avon factory moved to France.

That is definitely true, but what don’t yet know what they are making and what they intend to make / drop.

It’s not just us on old bikes. Avon and Triumph jointly designed tires for the R3, triumph set the bike up for these and fitted them OEM. Now Avon have stopped making it !

 

[Fast Eddie]

Good news. Avon's website rates the Roadrider Mk II as a high mileage tire, which is not what I have read on this website. Fortunately my back wheel has an 18 inch rim, which lets me run a fatter tire and that helps with mileage.

The extra width doesn’t really impact mileage.

The big impact is the ability to use a dedicated rear tyre which has something like 40% more tread depth than the Universal tyres, ergo 40% more mileage…

 

[YING]

Avon has full page ads in both Motorcycle Classics and CafeRacer magazines showing the Roadrider tire.I would think they would still make the universal tire in 19”.I don’t know how they say they say it is high mileage though. I like them very much but go through them on a regular basis.
Mike

 

[Fast Eddie]

Avon has full page ads in both Motorcycle Classics and CafeRacer magazines showing the Roadrider tire.I would think they would still make the universal tire in 19”.I don’t know how they say they say it is high mileage though. I like them very much but go through them on a regular basis.
Mike

“High mileage” is a relative statement.

The stickier tyres get, the lower the mileage, and tyres are getting stickier and stickier.

Modern super sport / track day compound tyres last little longer than all out race tyres.

So comparatively speaking, the RR gets good mileage.

 

[Flatspot]

I’ve got RoadRiders on the T160 and Commando, and today have just put 2 onto the wheels on project Triton. My dealer assures me that they’re still being made, just not here in UK.

Late edit - 100/90-19 front and 110/90-18 rear.

 

[Fast Eddie]

I’ve got RoadRiders on the T160 and Commando, and today have just put 2 onto the wheels on project Triton. My dealer assures me that they’re still being made, just not here in UK.

When you get the new wheels back, let’s us know whether it says made in England or France on ‘em.

 

[Flatspot]

Easily done, both are made in England although dated 3923 and 4823, so last years production - but they’ll outlive me I’m sure

 

[Fast Eddie]

Easily done, both are made in England although dated 3923 and 4823, so last years production - but they’ll outlive me I’m sure

Thanks, I’m still wondering if it’s true that they are actually being made again? Be nice to see some ‘made in France’ ones to confirm.

 

[Flatspot]

I bet they won’t still have the stylised Union Flag either side of the name though.

 

[t ingermanson]

Good news. Avon's website rates the Roadrider Mk II as a high mileage tire, which is not what I have read on this website. Fortunately my back wheel has an 18 inch rim, which lets me run a fatter tire and that helps with mileage.

I'm looking for a 100/90-18 and can't find anything in stock in the States. Just about ready to pull the trigger on a Battlax instead.

 

[Flatspot]

I'm looking for a 100/90-18 and can't find anything in stock in the States. Just about ready to pull the trigger on a Battlax instead.

You guys’ll shoot anything

 

[ashman]

Good news. Avon's website rates the Roadrider Mk II as a high mileage tire, which is not what I have read on this website. Fortunately my back wheel has an 18 inch rim, which lets me run a fatter tire and that helps with mileage.

How can a fatter tyre help with more mileage, I run stock 19" on my Norton and I run wider tyres on my Thruxtons my old 2013 Thruxton I ran Avon RR and with the wider tyres I still got the same mileage out of them as on the slim Avon's on the rear of the Norton, around 12k kms on the rear tyres on the Thruxton and about 6.5K miles on the Norton, its not about how long they last with me as I push my bikes hard in the ranges and tight twisties so sticking on the road is more important to me and my 2016 1200 Thruxton I am getting the same mileage on the rear tyres around 11k/12k kms and it has more HP on the rear, I run duel compound trye (Metzler's) on the rear of the 1200 Thruxton.

Ashley

 

[Stephen Hill]

ashman asks "How can a fatter tyre help with more mileage".
I guess I am not 100% sure. It just does.
But I can speculate.
Assumption 1. Both the narrower rear and the fatter rear tire is the same technology.
Assumption 2. The contact pattern on a fatter tire is larger than on a narrower tire.

With a larger contact pattern, the weight of the bike is distributed over a larger area, which means reduced force per square unit.
Similarly the cornering forces are reduced per square unit.
Similarly the braking forces.
Similarly the accelerating forces.
Reduced weight, cornering, braking, and accelerating forces equals reduced tire wear.

I rest my tired case.
Let the barrage begin.

 

[acotrel]

Tyre pressures probably have more effect on wear rate than tyre size. At low pressure, tyres get hotter, give more grip and probably wear faster. A fat tyre is probably more difficult to heat-up than a skinny one, if the same pressure is used for both. Bikes which do not lean much in corners are less tyre-dependent, so can accelerate better in corners.

 

[robs ss]

Good news. Avon's website rates the Roadrider Mk II as a high mileage tire, which is not what I have read on this website. Fortunately my back wheel has an 18 inch rim, which lets me run a fatter tire and that helps with mileage.

I have 18” on the rear and run RR II 4.00 x 18 - I get 7000 miles