Tyre choice and combination

[talkToTheHat]

I've had conti milestones about 20 months and 8k, rear is square and on the wear markers on the shoulders, both have lost the narrow sipes along the crown a long time ago and have felt much worse than new for a long time now. Time for a change as bike is in the workshop.

Currently running 3.00-19 front and 140/90-15 rear, tube type. Will run 90/90 front and 150/90 rear. Says so in the owners manual and everything.

Avon website claims 90/90 roadrider and either size of cobra is permissible
Workshop tries to order such from Cambrian and is told I need a venom rear and a speedmaster mkii front. Workshop calls me because they knew I wouldn't like that, offer some Michelin Commanders. I say I'll get back to them.

I phone Avon. They say fit roadrider and venom, speedmaster is for ancient bikes, gave me part numbers and everything.

Who is right here? Any reason why cobra or venom in 140 or 150 /90 will not work with a road rider?

I think the roadrider is bias ply, how are cobra and venom built, and what are the regs on mixing carcass designs?
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Bandit. does. everything.

[stevo as b4]

My KMX125 is using a stiff radial rear tyre (tubeless type) and a non radial front (tubed type tyre) I've done 100miles since fitting and find the handling considerably better than with the continental trail tyres it had before.

Only downside of the radial that I can see is that it's a lot heavier than a tube type cross ply tyre. But the stiffer and taller sidewalls of my new metric rear radial massively outweigh that I'd say. The front tyre is a light and soft tube type and so should not have affected wheelie ability at all I hope!

[talkToTheHat]

I thought radials had softer sidewalls as they no longer carried the belting?
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Bandit. does. everything.

[davebike]

[barrkel]

[talkToTheHat]

Radial rear and crossply front is a thing amongst newer, more powerful cruisers that moved away from the balloon rear tyre look, going for a similarly wide or even wider but lower profile tyre, but keeping a skinny front.

Further research suggests the roadrider/venom combination is widely published, and looking closely at the cobra range, the 140/90-15 is one of the few that is not bias ply, so it is a legal match for their 90/90-19.

Still don't know what happened to the venom range.

If needs be I shall order tyres myself on advice of Avon and have them fitted by my local friendly motorcycle workshop.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[stevo as b4]

The stiffer sidewall's are more of a tubeless thing than a radial thing I would say.

But on the other point about mixing tyres, show me a Knowledgeable Copper this days? Not many expert VOSA clipboard standard traffic coppers seem to exist??

Anyways, the tyre names are almost the same, and the tread pattern is also near enough the same too!

oh&fuck the police!

[davebike]

the R in the size is a bit of a give away

Yes few Knowledgeable one out there one in my work today but you fairly safe he is British transport police
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Dave
NC750Xdct + others at work !
[email protected]

[talkToTheHat]

Solved by email from Avon and a little research

Venom discontinued recently. Much old stock. Venom-R remains as a brand for excessively wide cruiser radials. The cobra in 140/90-15 has updated sidewall construction and tread pattern. Hard to find anyone stocking cobra in that size at less than extortion prices. Avon recommend roadrider front with either of those rears.

I think Cambrian tyres were tried to use the safety card to shift an old rear and archaic front.

I'll find some tyres, I've got maybe 500 miles left in the contis, maybe 2k if I don't ride like I mean it. I give them two weeks of pottering about town then since bike has been fettled some....
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Bandit. does. everything.