19 Vs 18 Wheels (2015)

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Jaguar
I am running 18 inch wheels front and rear,using lipless rims which are much easier to clean/polish .The lipped/flanged rims drive me bonkers to keep clean.Rear is an Akront and the front is a Morad.Both are 2.15/ WM3.The tyres are 100/90 on the front and 110/90 rear,currently using Avons which are bit wider than some other brands,something to be aware of.
The bike handles well.
Brett
 
Deets55 said:
jaguar said:
I know the hot set up for a CB750 is 18/18, thought the same might hold true for the Nortons.

Not looking for a restoration of keeping it stock.
I want to do meaningful changes that improve how the bike performs.

Buccannons is a name I know, anyone else more "budget" friendly or is it better to just bite the bullet?
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http://www.tritonmotorcycleparts.com/29 ... line-store

Don (aka Madass140)
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Interesting site.
Cool parts!
 
Back in the 70s I replaced the 19s with 18s on my featherbed Triton - turned it into an instant shit-heap. If you change the trail in the wrong direction, it stuffs the handling. I found the bike became heavy to ride and had a tendency to run wide in corners where previously it had stayed neutral. If you are fitting 18s to a commando, you are in a better situation because you have room to reduce the offset on the fork yokes. If your bike has 27 degrees rake, you can go down to approx. 35mm offset without necking yourself.
 
gortnipper said:
I have been considering this same dilemma for over the NZ winter next, and think I will be going with Excel shouldered alloy rims + AM26 90/90-19 F and AM26 4.000-18 R. That should give me better options later if I want to shift to BT45s or another tire if the Avons dont suit.
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I have also been thinking very hard about new rim and tire choices lately, and very much want to lace up shouldered rims as well. I'm assuming you are thinking about the Excel 2.15x19 front and 2.50x18 rear rims like what's offered from Buchanan's. For tires, I am leaning very hard toward the ContiClassicAttack 100/90-19 front and 110/90-18 rear tires for those rims. Although, another possible rear rim / tire choice could be another 2.15x19 rim for the rear with the Conti 110/85-19 rear?? If anyone has an opinion on any of these rim / tire choices, please advise. I've had Akront shouldered rims on other bikes long ago and am familiar with the cleaning issues, but just can't resist the look.
Bill
http://www.buchananspokes.com/products/excel_shouldered_aluminum_rims.asp
http://www.continental-tires.com/mo...res/classic-classic-racing/conticlassicattack
 
pantah_good said:
gortnipper said:
I have been considering this same dilemma for over the NZ winter next, and think I will be going with Excel shouldered alloy rims + AM26 90/90-19 F and AM26 4.000-18 R. That should give me better options later if I want to shift to BT45s or another tire if the Avons dont suit.
Click to expand...
I have also been thinking very hard about new rim and tire choices lately, and very much want to lace up shouldered rims as well. I'm assuming you are thinking about the Excel 2.15x19 front and 2.50x18 rear rims like what's offered from Buchanan's. For tires, I am leaning very hard toward the ContiClassicAttack 100/90-19 front and 110/90-18 rear tires for those rims. Although, another possible rear rim / tire choice could be another 2.15x19 rim for the rear with the Conti 110/85-19 rear?? If anyone has an opinion on any of these rim / tire choices, please advise. I've had Akront shouldered rims on other bikes long ago and am familiar with the cleaning issues, but just can't resist the look.
Bill
http://www.buchananspokes.com/products/excel_shouldered_aluminum_rims.asp
http://www.continental-tires.com/mo...res/classic-classic-racing/conticlassicattack
Click to expand...

Yes, those are the ones. Haven't decided between WM3 or WM4 for the rears though tending towards WM3.
 
The ride height at the rear affects the way the bike steers in corners. You usually have enough adjustment on the rear shockers to set the bike to steer the way that suits your style.
 
On the Seeley I use WM3 on front and WM4 on rear, however it is set up to steer very light and quick
 
pantah_good said:
gortnipper said:
I have been considering this same dilemma for over the NZ winter next, and think I will be going with Excel shouldered alloy rims + AM26 90/90-19 F and AM26 4.000-18 R. That should give me better options later if I want to shift to BT45s or another tire if the Avons dont suit.
Click to expand...
I have also been thinking very hard about new rim and tire choices lately, and very much want to lace up shouldered rims as well. I'm assuming you are thinking about the Excel 2.15x19 front and 2.50x18 rear rims like what's offered from Buchanan's. For tires, I am leaning very hard toward the ContiClassicAttack 100/90-19 front and 110/90-18 rear tires for those rims. Although, another possible rear rim / tire choice could be another 2.15x19 rim for the rear with the Conti 110/85-19 rear?? If anyone has an opinion on any of these rim / tire choices, please advise. I've had Akront shouldered rims on other bikes long ago and am familiar with the cleaning issues, but just can't resist the look.
Bill
http://www.buchananspokes.com/products/excel_shouldered_aluminum_rims.asp
http://www.continental-tires.com/mo...res/classic-classic-racing/conticlassicattack
Click to expand...

I ran Conti car tires for a bit and hated ever second of it. Has turned me off of the brand
 
acotrel said:
On the Seeley I use WM3 on front and WM4 on rear, however it is set up to steer very light and quick
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Interesting about the wheels on the Seeley.
I am building up a Seeley Honda right now.
Running the "Lester Mag" wheels that some were delivered with.
Relatively narrow for such a wide/heavy bike.
19 Vs 18 Wheels (2015)
 
From your photo, it looks as though your hands would be ahead of the steering head - take care !
 
Just bars on there to move the bike around.
Have the correct clip ons installed now.

Photo is just a basic mock up.
 
WM4 (2.5 inch) x 19 inch rims. Avon Roadrider 100/90 19s. Light steering, no wobbles or weaves. As recommended by Avon. And me.
 

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Those are beautiful wheels! WM4 (2.50")x19" would be my first choice for both as well, but Buchanan doesn't offer the 19" shouldered Excel in WM4. But, I now see that they will be offering WM4x19" shouldered Borrani's soon, so I guess that settles that. Where did you get yours and who made them?
Bill
 
Dragging this one out from the closet.. I'm helping my G'friend restore her dad's '74 Commando, keeping the classic and original look in mind, we are planning on staying with chrome 19" wheels though I am recommending to go with a wider rim at least on the rear for a little more contact. Looking at the Avon chart on the previous page, I see they recommend a WM3 for the 90/90-19 and WM4 for the 100/90-19. It looks like we can get this rim combination from Central Wheel, has anyone run this combo and is their wider WM4 chrome steel wheel of good quality? ie, no excessive ripples due to being rolled wider? We had already purchased these Avon's before even considering this option. Thank you in advance for your input.
 
A fatter tyre gives more contact area, but the down-force per unit area is less and the fat tyre can change the handling. Better compound rubber might be the way to go.
 
acotrel said:
A fatter tyre gives more contact area, but the down-force per unit area is less and the fat tyre can change the handling. Better compound rubber might be the way to go.
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A fatter tyre only puts more rubber on the road when it has an appropriate rim size. If not, you are going backwards.
 
Tyre pressures can change the size of the contact patch and also affect the handling. If the frame geometry is designed for 19 inch wheels and skinny tyres, it would be unusual to get benefit out of 18 inch wheels and fatter tyres, unless the fatter tyres are of better compound. What can happen is you corner faster, but with much more rider effort. Smaller wheels reduce the trail, so the bike can self-steer less as you accelerate out of corners and become less nimble. I think you would find the Molnar Manx uses 26 degree rake with 18 inch wheels - the original used 24.5 degree rake with 19 inch wheels.
 
The first Commando had steering geometry etc. which was specified by Peter Williams - probably the best handling, but crashed a few inexperienced riders. Most road bikes do not have road-race steering. They are neutral-steering as standard. Putting smaller wheels on a Commando is probably going in the wrong direction. The bike might feel very dead. However good 19 inch tyres might be more expensive than good 18 inch tyres.
 
I have WM3 18 on the rear and WM2-18 on the front. I have RD 400 aluminum cast wheels. Someone gave me those wheels and I didn't realize the front was 18 until I tried to put a 19 tire on it! I use Avon tires, 120/80 18 rear, 90/90 18 front, the bike handles great by any standard. I think the 19 front might have given a bit more ground clearance though. That might give you an idea about how good the handling is. I am planning on eventually raising the front of the bike a bit with the longer internal tubes and extra springs.
 
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