Period but new tyres

I'm in the same position, but can't find a tyre to fit. The clearance is very tight on some slimline bikes due to the chaincase brackets. An 18" rim set well back on the chain adjusters gives a little more room but can upset the steering.

For the period look, you already have the right tyres fitted. Avon SM/Speedmaster tyres have the old tread pattern but modern compound. You would have to be trying very hard indeed to push them beyond their limits. When racing my Norton, I switched to TT100s but when it reverted to fast road use, I rapidly returned to SM/Speedmasters.

I agree with Gordon that the Avon tyres are much better than their reputation, getting the pressures right makes a big difference, changing to modern low profile tyres will also lower the gearing and 18" wheels may change the handling ,but I still would have liked to give it a try. If it ain't broke -- keep fixing it ,till it is!.

I use Miyazaki on all my bikes now - great grip and handling and two for the price of one Avon. Their wear is not as good but that is how you get the better grip - still 3000 plus on the rear.

Previously ben_langton wrote:

Thanks for the tips so far.

Its the wet reputation of the Avons that has got me thinking and I have some modern tt100's off a friends cb750 that I could use. I did some research on the T's and reports aren't too good on them either despite me thinking they were the tyres of the day for track use, why such a poor rep. On the road?

In the days when I'd junk desperately rubbish Japanese tyres for known, reliable, Western replacements â I'm talking late 70s to mid 80s â I'd get an immediate improvement from TT100s. Around 1979â1980 I rode a Yamaha RD250, its original fitment (I think) was Yokohama â I stuck a pair of TT100s on it and the experience went from something like cringing on ice to tearing up the roads. Those TT100s, and Avon Roadrunners, then ruled supreme. There's nothing wrong with Japanese, Korean or whatever tyres now, as far as i can tell. Opinions, by their very nature, vary, but I've stuck with TT100s on my Commando, if only because they're the tyres I'd see fitted in shop windows back then, and illustrated in NVT's marketing literature. But it's not as simple as that â TT100s have a reputation for being a bit skittish in a straight line, by which I really mean over white lines, overbanding or whatever, and I think that's true; but IMHO they give great confidence in cornering and when braking, which to me is when it really matters. In the wet. On the road. YMMV, but that's how it's been for me. Any good?

The Avon SM is also a tough tire that seemingly lasts forever and is often used well past its best years. Its also a tyre that held national and world flying k records at speeds up to 190 mph (not recommended!!). With better weather it is likely that the 200mph figure would have been achieved.( Even more unbelievable he used a Norton clutch to handle the 130bhp!)).George Brown,Super Nero.

About 15 years ago, I was donated quite a large collection of part-worn TT100s. Sorting through them to check for age and wear, I noticed that several of them were not made in the UK. The list of other countries included France, USA, Italy and much to my surprise Japan!!!!

The Japanese made tyre was clearly marked as a TT100 and had the same tread pattern and similar sidewall markings but was Matt Grey (Gray) in colour. As it had the the least tread wear I tried it out on my Atlas expecting wet weather riding to be very interesting.

Surprise number 2........it was absolutely fine, behaving exactly as all my previous TT100s had on both wet and dry roads.

At about the same time, I also bought some tyres for my Cafe Race Atlas which had the same tread pattern as the late and not lamented Dunlop Arrowmax. These had 'Made in Taiwan' written on the sidewalls. Again, these turned out to be a good set of tyres, in all conditions, despite being around half the price of the original Dunlop version.

Previously ben_langton wrote:

I'm looking for advice on modern tyres with better grip, handling characteristics but period tread and look.

I currently run Avon speedmaster on the front and SM on the back and took the bike round the castle Combe circuit at a pretty good pace but tentatively. I've just been round Mallory on another bike with road riders on which were great what I want is the predicatability of them with a period look.

Any ideas?

Hi Ben, don't know if this helps but when looking for a rear tyre for my 650ss I got some advice from the very helpful people at Avon tyres. The original rear tyre fitted to SS models was the Avon GP which whilst still made is apparently for track use only and not road legal. However to get the more rounded profile they recommended the Roadrunner universal 4.10 19 61H which is almost identical in size to the safety mileage and fits into the slimline frame without any problem. This tyre also is better rated for load and speed than the SM and I've found it handles fine . Kind regards, Cliff

The problem with TT100s in the wet is that they have a fairly triangular profile which, in normal riding, wears to a flat crown. When you then lean over in the wet, your contact patch is the apex of the angle between the worn flat area and the rounded area. It makes it very skittish. I discovered during my racing era that I couldn't keep up with a friend's Domi on wet roundabouts with my bike on TT100s and he was on Speedmastr/SM combination. My bike was skittering all over the place. Speedmaster/SMs are good in the wet.

Although SMs had a bad reputation in the old days, I understand that they are now made with modern rubber which should make them a bit less scary.

I've had good results from Mitas tyres although on lower powered bikes and not in the rain. I know other people who use them are happy.

A 4.10x 19 does not fit my slimline, perhaps later bikes had more room although the part numbers do not show this. Perhaps with the wheel set well back in the S Arm a bit more room is generated. I would only say check that your supplier is happy to accept a return if they specify that it will fit. I think there are charts that give actual fitted widths ,check against what you have already and the clearance thats there.

I rode a 29bhp BSA, round Lancashire in the 70s and 80s and probably experienced more wet weather riding than in most other Counties, excluding the Celtic wastelands and found the old Avon Speedmaster front and a safety Mileage rear to be absolutely excellent and never once let me down!

Most people seem to fit tyres these days, inferring that they have the skill to ride them to the limit, with this or that rating and in most cases its bullshit! Like having a bigger cc number on your side-panel!

Usually, in the old days, before the tyres broke away, something else on the bike would chime in, like a grinding centre stand

A pair of Yokohama's on a Honda also in the 80s, definitely showed marked differences in Dry/wet weather handling, but I did "meet the nicest people"!

Most roads in Britain now restrict the rider to below 50mph, as for track days I would have thought it better to have two sets of wheels and tyres, probably work out cheaper in the long run!

Having said that, the roads were better cared for 40 years ago!

Previously John Hall wrote:

I rode a 29bhp BSA, round Lancashire in the 70s and 80s and probably experienced more wet weather riding than in most other Counties, excluding the Celtic wastelands and found the old Avon Speedmaster front and a safety Mileage rear to be absolutely excellent and never once let me down!

Most people seem to fit tyres these days, inferring that they have the skill to ride them to the limit, with this or that rating and in most cases its bullshit! Like having a bigger cc number on your side-panel!

Usually, in the old days, before the tyres broke away, something else on the bike would chime in, like a grinding centre stand

A pair of Yokohama's on a Honda also in the 80s, definitely showed marked differences in Dry/wet weather handling, but I did "meet the nicest people"!

Most roads in Britain now restrict the rider to below 50mph, as for track days I would have thought it better to have two sets of wheels and tyres, probably work out cheaper in the long run!

Having said that, the roads were better cared for 40 years ago!

Hello Well I think its all down to preference to what you like and get use to riding on, Where I like a combination of both Avon up front and Dunlop for the rear works well On Both my Norton Twins,yours anna j

Previously robert_tuck wrote:

The Avon SM is also a tough tire that seemingly lasts forever and is often used well past its best years. Its also a tyre that held national and world flying k records at speeds up to 190 mph (not recommended!!). With better weather it is likely that the 200mph figure would have been achieved.( Even more unbelievable he used a Norton clutch to handle the 130bhp!)).George Brown,Super Nero.

Hi Robert,

Are you sure the George Brown connection isn't an ' old wives tale ' as I have never seen a picture of him competing on standard road tyres and I wouldn't think some-one of his racing experience would take any chances, but I stand to be corrected if the proof isout there !

Regards, Richard.