Coker Tires

[vph-d]

I recently installed a set of Coker Super Eagle replica tires on my 65 FLH. How long does it take for the "slimy feeling" to wear off? These things have been pretty scary so far...
VPH-D

[tfburke3]

I have had some issues with Cokers.cracking of unused tires in heated garage,Poor finish with large nubs all around the tire and the Goodyear replicas that have or had a shallow scallop for the bead,leaving the rim sticking out and not seated on the bead fully.They were returned so I cant comment on handling.
I dont beleive they are speed rated so think they are more of a display tire.
However the 400x18 firestone replicas seem to handle ok.
Tom

[T. Cotten]

I recently installed a set of Coker Super Eagle replica tires on my 65 FLH. How long does it take for the "slimy feeling" to wear off? These things have been pretty scary so far...
VPH-D

Put on your hazmat gear, and wipe down the treads with MEK, VPH-D!

Probably void any warranty though, huh.

....Cotten
PS: '65 FLHs will never handle 'great'... But good enough.

PPS: I received some bicycle tires a few years back that cracked in months.
I haven't been riding them hard, so they are fine.

[RichO]

VPH-D, usually about 500 miles. It's the mold release on them.

[T. Cotten]

VPH-D, usually about 500 miles. It's the mold release on them.

The front's always the worst.

....Cotten

[vph-d]

Thanks guys, I don't expect the thing to be café racer, but this squirming all over the lane is not fun...
VPH-D

[T. Cotten]

Thanks guys, I don't expect the thing to be café racer, but this squirming all over the lane is not fun...
VPH-D

I wish Coker was here to respond, Folks!

But long after I stopped vending tires,
a good customer bought Cokers from a local Dealership.

The tread was funny, with the center groove filled, although maybe not a bad idea?

....Cotten

[len dowe]

Squirmy just on I-25 with the rain grooves.

[exeric]

The scariest tires I ever ran were Cheng-Shins on a '37EL. That was back in the '70s when there wasn't much to choose from, and my paycheck was small. I have to say they wore like iron because they were such a hard compound of rubber but that was not good in Florida's afternoon showers on the way home from work. As for Coker tires; I agree with Tom about their 18" tires, but their all white clinchers, and the 16" Firestone replicas I have received from Coker are a big disappointment. For the money, they should build a better tire.

[RichO]

Len, Some front tire patterns are really scary on rain groovs and iron grated bridges. A light touch on the bars and give it it's head. Grooved fronts are the worse as the road way wants to grab them.

[drinner-okc]

Last spring in preparation for a trip to Sturgis my riding partner ordered a new Coker 1" whitewall for his 65FLH. I ended up lacing a new rim & spokes to his hub (it was one of the Dixie $20 rims BMI is selling) I mounted the new tire, with the dot at the valve stem and put it on the stand to static balance. 5-1/2 oz and the tire still had a bad heavy spot. I rotated the tire 180-deg on the rim, and the same spot was still heavy. I removed the tire and rechecked the wheel ass'y. Where-ever I released the rim it stayed still. Tom called Coker and ended up ordering a 2nd tire. (first came from J&P and was about $40 higher even with gold club) the 2nd tire balanced with 2) 1/2 oz weights a spoke apart about 120-degrees from the stem. Coker took back & credited tire #1, but I think they thought we were full of crap. Later we saw another bike we ride with that had a shop installed Coker tire with 4 large weights on consecutive spokes. I myself ride the Shinko E270, I never liked the earlier Coker tires in turns, I did not trust the edge of the tread to hold the road. They are on my 'mock-up' wheels now.
But also the mold release, Avon MK-II are very slick first mounted. I suggest guys find a sandy or gravel area the first 1000 ft.

[K. Felt]

I wish Coker was here to respond, Folks!

But long after I stopped vending tires,
a good customer bought Cokers from a local Dealership.

The tread was funny, with the center groove filled, although maybe not a bad idea?

....Cotten

The ones I have on my '65 have that filled in center groove. I figured they did that on purpose to help with the squirming on grooved pavement? Still squirms on grooved pavement but fine otherwise.

[PRG]

Howdy chaps,

These have been discussed extensively on Caimag over the years. Couple of observations. Coker can rise to the occasion when making licensed products such as the Firestone zig zags as it is likely Firestone and others specify more rigorous requirements if their name is to be emblazoned on the sides. Have been happy with those on my Knuckle for 5 years now but absolutely not with what it was purchased with. Coker Commanders of two iterations, older open center siping on the front wheel a later closed center as mentioned by Cotten on the rear. My conclusion, Coker house brand/generics are held to no standard beyond that to survive the most basic litigation resulting from the purchaser’s demise.

No amount of pressure variation front to rear could make for a semblance of sure footedness on this machine admittedly challenged for that in cross winds with an accessory front wheel disc fitted. In a fit of desperation before the 2015 Cherokee road run I swapped wheels on each end and achieved a slight sense of stability with the closed center tread now on the front. Ironically with the open tread now on the rear it went from 75% tread depth to cords and partial carcass delamination in only 3 days on those abrasive roads.

Having a perfect pair of original NOS Goodyear’s on which this tire design was based my conclusion was that the far more compliant rubber of modern hysteresis was structurally incapable of matching the more rigid rubber of yesteryear in this configuration and unless one shaved those tires to half tread depth - as is common when using DOT street tires for road race events like time attacks - before initially mounting them, the rider was going to be subjected to this handling vagueness until they wore down considerably. Sense of mortality and lack of patience ruled out that experiment.

[T. Cotten]

Since balancing was brought up, Folks,...

Anybody notice that star hubs won't reproduce the same balance twice on many modern balancing machines?

Even with a centering sleeve through the thrust collar.

You might as well just spin the wheel on its axle.

....Cotten
PS: Is PJ1 "Balance Plus" extinct?