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Radial VS Bias Ply
As has been said many times and will continue until time ends... the Tire Thread... OH BOY !!!
GL1800 2 wheelers use a radial tire as they are a leaning machine and due to that the contact patch wraps around the tire generally up some portion of the sidewall and are run at the tire manufacturer's recommended pressure. There's lots of choices out there now so it's not so much the Highest must be the best, that never seems to be correct and the needle keeps moving as manufacture's continue making new products. Just because you see big banners at a Road Event those tires flying around the track have little or no tread unless its raining so make your choices based on other riders knowledge that you ride with or know they will tell you mileage, once you find the style and thread Pattern you like give them a try. You can always change them next set, don't ask the bike shop as they will sell what they have and they may be old dryed stock, who wants that. Shop online, I use Motorcycle Superstore they have always had fresh inventory, fair pricing, no problem warranty handling and prompt deliver generally ON SALE and FREE Delivery My tire choice when on two was Michelin ME880's but that has been a while. So shop around...
Some folks out there (Darksiders) thru the years have found that running smaller car tires will improve rear tire mileage but at first care needs to be taken as these tires are designed to be flat on the contact patch to make best contact with the pavement or road surface. Some car tires designed for specific road racing or rally cross may have a slight sidewall design that will provide some bite to the sidewall. As they are radial tires with steel belts they are ridgid in turns so they do not like to roll to their sidewall, to a new rider going Dark this riding on the edge feeling is strange as if your tire falls over off it's square stance. It's not for everyone and takes getting used to. Tire Pressures vary by rider and as I was more a leaner in turns on two wheel's from racing it wasn't for me....
Next we go to Trikes, not to many years ago Bridgestone Battleax BT45 and the Michelin Pilot Activ were and for many me included still are the go to front tire choice in a Bias Ply tire. But with a trike we throw a wrench in the computer because this next part doesn't compute for most folks. Your trike can or can't be raked or have extended forks, possibly have air shocks on the rear or not and guess what with your trike it didn't matter we still used the same tire up front. The correct rear wheel size 180/60-16 but wait we said up front so that's a 130/70-18 but we want to use a Rear Sport Bike Tire and you say WHY / here you go, your trike tire still rotates but now no matter how far you turn the contact patch is now like a car tire FLAT as a trike does not lean for the most part this is why the rear sport bike tire as long as its a rear tire and a Bias Ply tire your good. Rear sport bike Bias Ply tires are made for the burnout boys on the rear wheels passing you on the highway or doing smoke rings in the street or parking lot and they being rear tires have a larger and thicker contact patch hence you get more miles to the tire or burn to the tire. Now there are two schools of thought on airing these fronts up, thought one is keep them close to mfgr pressure then there air then to 41 PSI Plus... I'm in the middle... my trike sports AK20 Traxxion Shock Cartridges and generally ride like a Caddy at most all speeds... so I want my front tire at close to mfgr at Cold Reading so its tighter as I ride, when I hit rain it cools down and the contact patch gets bigger if it starts to snow I let even more air out but always keeping the tires shape. So remember Bias Ply tires are made to roll slightly as the side wall is thinner than the belted radial tire that is ridgid. That's why most people max out their air pressure on this type of tire.
Now for the next wrench that has within the last 3 years in the newest thing from Avon for the front of your trike. And this has caused much confusion in the market from many people that don't know the difference. Avon makes different tires with the same name - NEARLY... you have to be on your toes and check those tires. AV71 Cobra are not trike tires unless it says Avon AV71 then 180 degrees Cobra / Trike on the sidewall and has a MFGR #90000020646
They are rated at 149 MPH and they are a Radial so air to recommended spec on the tire. Remember its a radial so they ride hard, track true and seem to give great mileage. Again shop around as they are now more available but verify sidewall numbers and marking as some dealers think an Avon Is A Avon!! That's all for now hope that helps....
As has been said many times and will continue until time ends... the Tire Thread... OH BOY !!!
GL1800 2 wheelers use a radial tire as they are a leaning machine and due to that the contact patch wraps around the tire generally up some portion of the sidewall and are run at the tire manufacturer's recommended pressure. There's lots of choices out there now so it's not so much the Highest must be the best, that never seems to be correct and the needle keeps moving as manufacture's continue making new products. Just because you see big banners at a Road Event those tires flying around the track have little or no tread unless its raining so make your choices based on other riders knowledge that you ride with or know they will tell you mileage, once you find the style and thread Pattern you like give them a try. You can always change them next set, don't ask the bike shop as they will sell what they have and they may be old dryed stock, who wants that. Shop online, I use Motorcycle Superstore they have always had fresh inventory, fair pricing, no problem warranty handling and prompt deliver generally ON SALE and FREE Delivery My tire choice when on two was Michelin ME880's but that has been a while. So shop around...
Some folks out there (Darksiders) thru the years have found that running smaller car tires will improve rear tire mileage but at first care needs to be taken as these tires are designed to be flat on the contact patch to make best contact with the pavement or road surface. Some car tires designed for specific road racing or rally cross may have a slight sidewall design that will provide some bite to the sidewall. As they are radial tires with steel belts they are ridgid in turns so they do not like to roll to their sidewall, to a new rider going Dark this riding on the edge feeling is strange as if your tire falls over off it's square stance. It's not for everyone and takes getting used to. Tire Pressures vary by rider and as I was more a leaner in turns on two wheel's from racing it wasn't for me....
Next we go to Trikes, not to many years ago Bridgestone Battleax BT45 and the Michelin Pilot Activ were and for many me included still are the go to front tire choice in a Bias Ply tire. But with a trike we throw a wrench in the computer because this next part doesn't compute for most folks. Your trike can or can't be raked or have extended forks, possibly have air shocks on the rear or not and guess what with your trike it didn't matter we still used the same tire up front. The correct rear wheel size 180/60-16 but wait we said up front so that's a 130/70-18 but we want to use a Rear Sport Bike Tire and you say WHY / here you go, your trike tire still rotates but now no matter how far you turn the contact patch is now like a car tire FLAT as a trike does not lean for the most part this is why the rear sport bike tire as long as its a rear tire and a Bias Ply tire your good. Rear sport bike Bias Ply tires are made for the burnout boys on the rear wheels passing you on the highway or doing smoke rings in the street or parking lot and they being rear tires have a larger and thicker contact patch hence you get more miles to the tire or burn to the tire. Now there are two schools of thought on airing these fronts up, thought one is keep them close to mfgr pressure then there air then to 41 PSI Plus... I'm in the middle... my trike sports AK20 Traxxion Shock Cartridges and generally ride like a Caddy at most all speeds... so I want my front tire at close to mfgr at Cold Reading so its tighter as I ride, when I hit rain it cools down and the contact patch gets bigger if it starts to snow I let even more air out but always keeping the tires shape. So remember Bias Ply tires are made to roll slightly as the side wall is thinner than the belted radial tire that is ridgid. That's why most people max out their air pressure on this type of tire.
Now for the next wrench that has within the last 3 years in the newest thing from Avon for the front of your trike. And this has caused much confusion in the market from many people that don't know the difference. Avon makes different tires with the same name - NEARLY... you have to be on your toes and check those tires. AV71 Cobra are not trike tires unless it says Avon AV71 then 180 degrees Cobra / Trike on the sidewall and has a MFGR #90000020646
They are rated at 149 MPH and they are a Radial so air to recommended spec on the tire. Remember its a radial so they ride hard, track true and seem to give great mileage. Again shop around as they are now more available but verify sidewall numbers and marking as some dealers think an Avon Is A Avon!! That's all for now hope that helps....
