Vintage looking tires with modern tread compound

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Coco

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I'm looking for some nice vintagey looking tires that have a more modern tread compound. I'm currently using Bridgestone Battlaxe tires on the Commando, but they seem a bit out of place as the tread pattern looks too modern. Front is a 100 x 19" and rear is a 120 x 18".

I'm thinking of Avon Roadrunners or Dunlop K81. Maybe even Avon Speedmaster front and rear set.

Comments or opinions?
 
Dunlop K81s look "right" on a Commando to me

Coco said:
I'm looking for some nice vintagey looking tires that have a more modern tread compound. I'm currently using Bridgestone Battlaxe tires on the Commando, but they seem a bit out of place as the tread pattern looks too modern. Front is a 100 x 19" and rear is a 120 x 18".

I'm thinking of Avon Roadrunners or Dunlop K81. Maybe even Avon Speedmaster front and rear set.

Comments or opinions?
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Dont

I loved my road runners 30 years ago & always prefered Avons to TT Dunlops. Nowdays I dont worry about what the bike looks like when its parked only what it rides like on the road.
I have gone through the am range 21 to 24 then on to the super venoms on the triples & will try the new 26 next. I have run Dunlop race rubber (excellent) Battleaxe & metzler on the road, all good.
Fit the best rubber "as the saying goes keep the shiny side up & the black bits on the road!"
Chris
 
I'm with tpeever

The K-81 tire has always defined the commando look to me. I have never had reason to doubt the performance except when following rain grooves. I cannot ever get used to that "ball bearings" feel when riding on/in rain grooves. I sometimes question the compounds used in recent years but I still go for that 19" K-81 look.

Mike
 
Chris gets my vote. There are many tires superior to the K81. Of course you have to switch to a 18" rear rim.
 
JimC said:
Chris gets my vote. There are many tires superior to the K81. Of course you have to switch to a 18" rear rim.
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I do have an 18" rear and as Chris said, keep the shiny side up. I know it's not a huge detail but I was just thinking about something more period correct than the Battlaxe when the Bridgestones wear out. I tend to get nit picky about unimportant things.
 
I just weaned my Norton off k81's even though the front is nearly new looking. The ware rate on the rear is not acceptable and the tires are around $100 each. The sidewalls crack so fast and the tread is gone in 3k miles. The tire looks like a 30 year old tire in 3 years. I spent hours looking on the net for alternatives. After getting a matched pair of Chen Shens for my Triumph in the modern design and for about $120 for the pair including tubes and rubber bands I thought I would try the same on the Norton. The Triumph's were Barracuda's from JC whitney. The rear was an 18" so that was out. The front was a 100/90-19 The mfg part number is tm78160000 item 622044. The tire has a nice soft compound.
For the Norton I got Chen Shen Barracudas again but I got the C6000 V rated tire. It is very similar to the other Barracuda but the rubber seems harder and it is a tad smaller in the same size 100/90-19. I got the rear on today and will do the front tomorrow. A quick squirt tonight gave a smoother ride so will be eager to get both on. I am sure they will handle better as the Triumph proved. K81's are history for this Norton.
 
ludwig said:
Unless originality is more important to you than your life , fit the best rubber you can get , and that is NOT a K81 .
I would vote for the new Avon AM 26 roadrider .
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Safety first.

I'll pass on the K81 and stick to the Bridgestone Battlaxe for now.

I had Avon Roadrunners that came on the Commando when I bought it and they were not too bad yet retained a vintage looking tread pattern. They were getting worn so I put on the Bridgestones but I recall they performed ok.
 
Huh. I've always been happy with K81's on my Commandos and just fitted a fresh set to my 750.

I do have a set of those newfangled AM26's on my 850 however. It will be interesting to see what I think of them when I get the bike on the road.

Ask ten different Norton owners, get ten different opinions...

Debby
 
Nothing unsafe about K81s. They are good tires made with modern rubber and are far superior to the tires that came originally on these bikes. They are fairly soft and wear out fast on the rear wheel as someone pointed out above. This fast wear (3000 miles or less) is an issue for some people given the price of the tires. I guess it depends on how you drive and what you are used to whether you need stickier rubber.
 
tpeever said:
Nothing unsafe about K81s. They are good tires made with modern rubber and are far superior to the tires that came originally on these bikes. They are fairly soft and wear out fast on the rear wheel as someone pointed out above. This fast wear (3000 miles or less) is an issue for some people given the price of the tires. I guess it depends on how you drive and what you are used to whether you need stickier rubber.
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When the MKIII gets back on the road, I'll definitely be driving the wheels off of it. If I have to buy a new set of tires every two riding seasons, then that is just the price of admission I'll have to pay. No big deal, but I didn't want to sacrifice vintage looks for performance.

For some reason I'm drawn to the look of the Avon Speedmaster front and Speedmaster Safety (zig zag tread pattern) rear tire.
 
I have K81s on my 73 Interstate but this is my first few thousand miles on my first Norton. Pricewise I was lucky and got a Cycle Gear sale for half price. What about the Cheng Shin C199 for an option? It looks like a K81. They have one listed as 3.25/3.85-19 4PR. Would this size be correct for a Commando with 19s on both ends? Are all these Commandos running tubes? Can tubes be run in pretty much all of the 19 inch tires on the market?
 
Coco said:
For some reason I'm drawn to the look of the Avon Speedmaster front and Speedmaster Safety (zig zag tread pattern) rear tire.
Click to expand...

I had those on my Royal Enfield Bullet. I don't recommend them. You'd be much better off with K81's.

Debby
 
The old style Avon 'Squaremasters' are only 'S' rated (112 mph) so in most countries would not be legal for a Commando. You need at least an 'H' (130 mph) rating.

I don't think road compound Universal Roadrunners are available in much other than the old 4.10 H 19 size although classic racing compounds are.

This doesn't leave much over. Some Metzelers are quite classic looking although they're not my favourites on a Commando.

My general feeling is that tyres are a consumable and most patterns will grow on you. What the hell, they'll be scrubbed out before the end of a good summer anyway.

For a show Commando, nothing looks better than a K81 on 19" rims but they look less and less period the wider you go. I used K81s for many years but was always slightly uncomfortable with what I felt was a tendency to chop out and run wide at the front end. Maybe it was just me or my riding style.
 
I'm not sure I'd want to fit Speedmasters/SMIIs to my Commando, or any of of my other bikes, even if they were made from a more modern compound?
OK as period tyres for a 50's or '60's bike maybe, by the '70's if a rider could afford better then they normally bought something better?
 
For some reason I'm drawn to the look of the Avon Speedmaster front and Speedmaster Safety (zig zag tread pattern) rear tire.
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I think you mean Speedmaster front and Safety Mileage rear. I agree with LAB that these tires look great on 50's and 60's bikes. I have 'em on a 61 Matchless and 61 Dominator but they would look out of place on a MkIII Commando. Besides, they are much inferior tires than the others we have been discussing here. I wouldn't want to be riding around at 70 mph on them. I have yet to try Cheng Shins although I have heard several people say they are fine. They are cheap but Chinese tires make me nervous!!
 
tpeever said:
For some reason I'm drawn to the look of the Avon Speedmaster front and Speedmaster Safety (zig zag tread pattern) rear tire.
Click to expand...

I think you mean Speedmaster front and Safety Mileage rear. I agree with LAB that these tires look great on 50's and 60's bikes. I have 'em on a 61 Matchless and 61 Dominator but they would look out of place on a MkIII Commando. Besides, they are much inferior tires than the others we have been discussing here. I wouldn't want to be riding around at 70 mph on them. I have yet to try Cheng Shins although I have heard several people say they are fine. They are cheap but Chinese tires make me nervous!!
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I don't know anyone who has run the Avons so I'll take your word for it. My MKIII will be far from stock looking so I'm not too worried about that.

I worked as a bicycle mechanic for years and Cheng Shin tires were horrible and sub par bicycle tires that I wouldn't touch for bicycle use, let alone on a motorcycle.
 
aceaceca, let us know how those Cheng Shin Barracudas do. What size rear wheel do you run? I don't see that these come in !9 inch rears.
 
Yellow-cad, The Chen Shin tires you mention that look like the k81 are actually 3.25/85-19. I bought two as the price was right. I was going to move my Dulop k81 to the back and put one on the front. NOT. They are very low profile. I have both my Chen Shin Barracudas C6000's on now.Both were very well balanced. Bike points and leans better now. Has what feels like more oversteer/overlean. If you are not too heavy I would try the other Barracuda I put on the front of the Triumph. It is slightly bigger in profile. Maybe 1/4 inch versus the C6000. They have the same 505lb load range. The real diff is the C6000 has one more belt in the tread, it is a 2side/4tread/V speed. The other is 2side/3tread/Hspeed and softer compound. Both made of nylon cords. I will see how these tires hold up. The rear runs at about 125 degrees F. The front 10 degrees cooler. Even if the wear is no better I would be happy if they do not crack terribly in the sidewall like the K81 does.
 
I've been using Barracuda for years, my mate Trev put me onto them. They've proved to be good value for money, crap milage, tram line a little, but stick and steer well.

Might try Battle Axe next cos the name sounds great :lol:

Cash
 
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