Good tires for the road

[larrymgibson]

When I get my 1947 Chief back on the road this summer, I intend to travel a lot of miles. Any recommendations for good all weather tires? Made in the USA? I am more interested in gripping the road, rain or shine, than in looking original.

Thanks for any insight

Larry Gibson

[Yellow53Chief]

Hi,
Two things to consider; whitewalls vs blackwalls, and 5.00 X 16 vs MT90 X 16, 130/90 X 16. The original tires were 5.00 X 16. These are difficult to get in a high quality tire. Coker tires in the 5.00 X 16 size are not considered high quality, but more of a 'display' tire. Many of the Goodyear and Firestone reproduction tires are made by Coker and are 'display' tires. The more easily found MT90 X 16 tires are about 1" smaller in diameter compared to the 5.00 X 16 tire. There is a greater variety of blackwall tires than whitewall tires. I have had great luck with the Avon MT90 X 16 whitewall (Gangster) tire, but it is no longer available, and it was made in England, not the U.S.A. Dunlop and Metzler tires are two of the better brands for road-work. If you want tires made in the U.S.A., you will have to contact the manufacturer in order to find out where the tires were made.

[Steve Slocombe]

I've always liked the Avon tyres. More recently I've been using the Heidenau tyres, which look similar to the Cokers but are speed rated and less expensive.

[wideglide38]

I too like the Avon (Safety Mileage MKII) tires for my older scoots.

[Yellow53Chief]

Hi,
Thanks for mentioning the speed rating. It is very important, and high quality tires will be speed rated. An 'S' rating is good for 112 MPH. A 'T' rating is good for 118 MPH. An 'H' rating is good for 130 MPH. Most of the Coker made tires have no speed rating; it is always best to check a tire's speed rating.
The Avon Safety Mileage MKII tire come in a 5.00 - 16 size and has one of the better looking period-correct tread patterns for a vintage motorcycle blackwall tire. I don't believe that particular tire is available in a whitewall. The tire is 'S' speed rated. I have heard many good things about it, though I'm personally running the Avon Gangster wide whitewall tires. The MKII tire has a '69' load rating which corresponds to 716 pounds. That is a high enough load rating that even if two heavy people are on the vintage Indian, there would be a safety margin left. A new Polaris Indian Chief might want tires with a heavier load rating; something like a '74' which corresponds to 827 pounds. Most of a motorcycle's weight is carried by the rear tire, and that has to be considered when choosing a tire.

[larrymgibson]

Thanks for the replies.
It currently has Dunlop Touring Elite MT90 B16 74S tires. I installed these before our trip to Sturgis in 1992. We tent camped, rode double and carried a big load. Counting the 1300 mile trip there, we have about 2000 miles on them. We made the trip home (thanks, kids) with the Indian in a van. The bike and tires have lived indoors (mostly in our living room) since. The tires look brand new, but the tread is hard. There is no cracking on the sidewalls.
I think I'll run a few slow miles locally first, but for the road, I want some new wheels, bearings and good gripping new tires. I'll look into the suggestions for tires. Thanks again for the replies.

Larry Gibson

[Skirted]

What little experience I have is with Continental MT90 K112. http://www.chaparral-racing.com/prod.../329-0155.aspx

And the Avon Safety Mileage MK II http://www.jpcycles.com/product/210-...FUYehgodYrYLiA

The Conti had smooth cornering and griped real well with a tread pattern that is wobble free on highways with rain grooves and metal-grid bridge decks. Riding two up this is a welcome plus. I ridden in hard rain and never felt they were losing grip. They have a slightly more balloon look compared to Avon Safety Mileage II. Back tire probably should have been replaced by 2800 mi but I ran it carefully to about 3300 to get through season and it was worn smooth. A tire that wears out faster will be typically be a softer compound but it will grip the road better.

I installed a pair of Avons this spring and don't have a lot of miles on yet. Feedback I got from guys running Avons is they definitely wear longer which became my priority as 3k miles can rack up quick. So far I don't feel the cornering is as good as the Contis but probably less of a concern once I get used to differences in handling. I like the aesthetics of the Avon a little more than the conti. As stated the Avon is made in England which whether perceived or real provides more peace of mind vs an Asia tire

Lastly I did a lot of price searching when buying tires. Of all the places I searched, Chaparral always had the best prices when shipping is factored in.

[larrymgibson]

Thanks. That's the info I was looking for. 3k miles could happen before a trip to Wyoming and back was completed!

[pisten-bully]

Just mounted another new pair of Avon Safety Mileage MKII, the pair I took off had over 13K miles on them and might have been good for a few more. Running 30psi in them makes all the difference in the world for handling... running Indian tire pressures of 16 or 18 psi makes these tires uncomfortable in the corners - - - for me anyway!

[indian301]

I have been using Avon Mark 2's for over 20 years on my 1948 Chief and I love them. I average between 10-13,000 miles on them consistently by rotating them front to back. My bike has over 62,000 miles on it. They are good in the rain as well in dry weather.

Dave

[larrymgibson]

Thanks. That's the kind of experience I was hoping to hear.
Larry

[phillie]

Avon Venoms. You can hammer down in the corners and drag the floorboards with no worries and they make a great looking whitewall too.