chief tires

[tfburke3]

Need some 5:00x16 tires for my 47.Not interested in Cokers.
Looks like Avon safety milage on back and speedmaster for front ,or front and rear safety milage mk2.I like this look better but this tire not listed as front.
Shinko also an option.
I dont care about wear and milage,more about grip and handling.
recommendations appreciated.
Tom

[PaulCDF]

Tom,
I am running Avon MKII front and back. Works for me; but I have a pretty sedate riding style. Just did 25 miles today speeds mostly under 55.

[tfburke3]

Thanks Paul,I can still scrape the floorboards with 50+year old Arcos but some minor side wall cracks and slide outs with some heavy rear braking I will probably go with that set up.
Tom

[Tom Wilcock]

I have had bad experience with speed wobbles on pavement with rain grooves using Avon MKII tires.
Tom

[PaulCDF]

"speed wobbles on pavement with rain grooves"

Tom;
Have you found a tire/tyre that is stable on grooves or steel deck bridges, always willing learn. Thanks.

[indian301]

I have owned my 1948 Chief for 33 years. Tried Metzlers first, great tire, but did not look the part. Speedometer read too fast. Starting using Avon M2's in 1993. I am on my 5th set. 55,000 miles later I still like them. Yes, they feel like you are doing the Hula dance grooved pavement, but unless you use a modern tire your choices are limited. I rotate my tires front to back and average 10-12k on a set.

[pisten-bully]

...take a look at Hidenau K34, I haven't found them to be squirrelly on rain grooves (switched from Avons and I've only got about 4k on these so the jury is still out...but so far so good!)

[Tom Wilcock]

I have only used original Good Year Super Eagles and the Avon MKII tires. Both were squirrely on open mesh steel deck bridges. I don't remember ever riding on rain grooves with the Good Years (that was many years ago and rain grooves probably not invented yet). From a previous forum discussion about tires I learned that Dunlops were the best for handling on grooved pavement. I don't recall the tire designation. Based on that discussion, Dunlops will be my next tires.
Tom

[Tom Wilcock]

One of the forum discussions on tires is under the title "74 FLH tires" on 05-08-21.
Tom

[tfburke3]

Thanks for replies
Is anybody running the avon speedmasters(front) and safety milage(rear),or just the two rear tires?
As far as dunlops I really like the American elites on my flht but they would look wierd on the chief.
I will check out the 74flh tires thread.
Tom

[Skirted]

Several years ago I ran the Continential K112 front and back. Very nice on grooved pavement and nice handling in cornering as well compared to Avon MK II.....which is what I've been running front and back for several years now. Didn't get much mileage out of the back tire K112 hence switching to Avons. The K112 is Kinda in between a modern tire and the Avon in appearance. Probably have a pic of it on bike somewhere.
Nothing like modern Dunlops for handling, longevity, and smooth on the grooves but agree the sacrifice is they look a out of place on the old Chief. I put modern Dunlops on the 64 Panhead but to me that's a modern bike.

[RichO]

I'll just throw this on the pile. I've had really good luck with Coker's Firestone ANS (All Non-Skid) 1940's style tires, Steering, stopping, irregular surfaces, long wear issues. Granted I've only used their 19's and 18's but they do stock a 500-16 and I would expect the same service from them. They have that "old time look: too!

[exeric]

This is a picture of the Coker-Firestone 500/16 on my '48FL. About 4 years old, low mileage, easy garage kept life. I always use actual tire soap for installation, and clean with tire maintenance products. . . .

firetire.jpg

[RichO]

Eric, Those maybe Coker Firestones but not the ANS type. I have more than four years and they are in really good shape and no cracking. I never clean them except to wipe them (dirt/dust) with a rag. I retired as a heavy duty fleet mechanic so batteries and tires were my bag. We even had a gage to check the depth of usable ties checking (Cracking). Important for cash verse useage on heavy trucks and off road heavy equipment. Anytime I've brought up tire problems with Corky it's the brush off. Sometimes some of their tires seem to improve but i don't know why. We had a rule five years on a battery and no more than seven on tires no matter what they looked like.

[exeric]

Thanks, Rich. I love the looks of the Firestone 16's, but for the exorbitant price I would expect at least middle-of-the-road quality. I bought Shinko tires for my '51FL and they're holding up quite well. Asian tires are of generally good to high quality, at a good price so I don't think there is any excuse for what I've experienced with those people in Chattanooga who have their tires made by people who can make good tires. . . . Just saying.