I want to replace my rear tire and have gotten several good recommendations from Airheads. Problem is, a lot of inventory is out of stock in 4.00-18 or 110-90-18.
I'd like it to "look right" for my 750/5 but I also ride the bike. I found Dunlop K70 and K81 in the 4.00 size, but don't know the difference between them. Also Bridgestone BT46 in the 110 size.
Can anyone fill me in or should I just buy the cheapest of the three?
Thanks.
The Dunlop K70 is the lowest tire in their inventory and is a perennial favorite for Brit bike restorers and sidecar riders. The main attractions is the blockish tread that places almost the full face of the tire on the road. However, after some wear this usually leads to a square-ish shape which can be unsettling in a corner. The design works on most Brit bikes because, due to ground clearance issues, the bikes can't be leaned that far anyway. And that's the reason I would not use them on an Airhead.
Airheads are capable of leaning over. You may or may not feel comfortable with that, but that's the only way motorcycles corner. So whether you know it or not, you are already leaning over in corners to some degree. You want a tire that that promotes a stable feeling when you do heel over. A tire that feels as natural to you while leaning at any angle, as it does standing straight up. And that's what the "metric tires" do.
• An inexpensive tire that works well on the Airhead is the Bridgestone Spitfire S11. These are basic, high mileage tires with the correct shape to promote good handling. I typically get 9500+ miles on the rear and twice that on the front.
• The Bridgestone Battlax BT46 is a step up from the S11's in the handling and braking department. These were standard equipment on many production performance bikes and typically run about ~$10 more per tire.
► You will want to install any new brand of tires as a matched set, front and rear. Same make, model and age.
► You will want to increase your tire pressures to the 34F and 30R pressure range with metric tires for the longest life and best handling.
► Not all tires sizes are available at all times of the year. Motorcycle sales have dramatically decreased, forcing tire makers to produce tires in small batches. This means you may need to wait on some sizes.
► This also means it's important to check the date code on the tire. Some sale tires might be fairly old stock.
► 90/90-19 front with a 110/90-18 rear would be good sizes for your R75.
Hope this helps.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
Also see this...
https://www.airheads.org/community/airheads-discussions/rt-tires/#post-13799
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
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