New Tire Thread

Folks, I have a new dilemma. I'm on a mission to replace the tires on my 83, and WOW, what little options we have anymore. I need Front 120.90.18 and Rear 140.90.16. I have been running the OEM Bridgestone Spitfire S11 for past 5 years, mostly for the retro look and RWL. Bridgestone no longer makes our size in that tire. I've looked on many websites, and 2 email replies as well. When browsing for replacements, putting tire sizes in, very little options, and very very little options of the same tire in both Front and Rear.

Question: Has anyone purchased tires for their 1st gen lately? What did you find or settle for?

Thanks in advance

Paul

Folks, I have a new dilemma. I'm on a mission to replace the tires on my 83, and WOW, what little options we have anymore. I need Front 120.90.18 and Rear 140.90.16. I have been running the OEM Bridgestone Spitfire S11 for past 5 years, mostly for the retro look and RWL. Bridgestone no longer makes our size in that tire. I've looked on many websites, and 2 email replies as well. When browsing for replacements, putting tire sizes in, very little options, and very very little options of the same tire in both Front and Rear.

 

Question: Has anyone purchased tires for their 1st gen lately? What did you find or settle for?

 

Thanks in advance

Paul

Im runnin an Elite 3 on the back and a shinko on the front. The Shinko makes a little noise but ive got about 6k miles on both tires and both seem to be holding up well!

Ive got an 88 venture by the way. Not sure if the 83 and 88 are the same

I went with Kenda Kruz on mine, and that was both front and back, but they do humm but are some meaty tread tires.

Shinko 230 Tourmasters on front and rear of the 89. Love them.

I believe @cowpuc liked them as well...he wore out 2 sets!!

Here is partial list of the different ones I have spun off on my 83's Spence.. I didnt take the time to research each shown ad here to make absolutely sure that the tire(s) shown are up to the load rating spec I like to run (so PLEASE dont just click "buy it now" without doing some research to make sure they meet your approval) BUT the ads shown are of tires that I know for fact do have that spec I require available cause I have used em..

I also know you didn't ask for suggestions as to which are good, which are bad (good move on your part - probably would have caused a blood bath within the ranks cause cabin fever is out of hand across our land and you would have ended up on probation,,,,,, I pretty much live on club probation so I will make a short observation here) but I want to mention that I personally had issues with Metzler tire in the form of unwarranted delamination and definitely shy away from further use of their product (in spite of my extensive experiences of riding down bikes with flat tires, I have a personal aversion to such nonsense).

Also, there are numerous tire swap vids and pics floating around this place as well as advanced methods of tire balancing.. Should you find yourself in the need of assistance in this area please feel free to ask as some of us,, myself included, LOVE assisting in this way,,,,,, personally I like assisting even more than actually doing the work!!

Hope the ads below help in your search for tires!

Puc

https://www.ebay.com/itm/140-90-16-Michelin-Commander-II-Bias-Rear-Tire/322436815844?epid=171269799&hash=item4b12bb5be4:g:urcAAOSwk~ZaBoTy&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/140-90-16-Shinko-230-Tour-Master-Rear-Tire/331838243042?epid=171238925&hash=item4d4319c0e2:g:Tv0AAOSwVNxaBoRw&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-Bore-USA-140-90B16-Tour-King-M-66-Rear-Cruiser-Motorcycle-Tire-140-90-16/382216518201?_trkparms=aid%3D555019%26algo%3DPL.BANDIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150817211623%26meid%3D95e567678ba24ce79c9eb349c9205300%26pid%3D100505%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26&_trksid=p2045573.c100505.m3226

https://www.ebay.com/itm/140-90-16-Dunlop-D404-Rear-Tire-32NK46-16-32NK-46-31-0514-0306-0005/231448699364?epid=171233345&hash=item35e36ae1e4:g:l78AAOSw301aVy~F&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/140-90-16-Rear-Kenda-Challenger-K657-Motorcycle-Tire-Cruiser-Touring-046571616C1/231134809773?epid=171171961&hash=item35d0b54ead:g:MowAAOSwp7FaULBp&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pirelli-MT66-Route-66-Motorcycle-Rear-Tire-140-90-16-0851900/352194788496?epid=171138645&hash=item520071fc90:g:rb0AAOSwU4FaAij2&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Continental-02403060000-Conti-Legend-Tires-140-90-16-Rear/122886917274?epid=239002211&hash=item1c9ca18c9a:g:YrcAAOSwyYFaRtpr&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Avon-AV72-Cobra-140-90-16-Rear-Tire/322880843010?epid=171290030&hash=item4b2d32ad02:g:J5sAAOSwa0VaCfqI&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dunlop-mu90b16-white-letter-k491-140-90-16-rear-motorcycle-tire-16-hky/401377912890?epid=2158518114&hash=item5d73fce83a:g:4J0AAOSwEupZgz4G&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/REAR-BRIDGESTONE-TIRE-140-90-16-RAISED-WHITE-LETTERS/112745601915?hash=item1a40295b7b:g:0ogAAOSw7GRZEOAL&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/METZELER-ME880-WHITE-WALL-140-90-16-REAR-TIRE-HARLEY-ROAD-GLIDE-FLTR-04-08/281417924438?hash=item4185d0bf56:g:acEAAOSwVFlT8-0n:sc:FedExHomeDelivery!49445!US!-1&vxp=mtr

Shinko 230 Tourmasters on front and rear of the 89. Love them.

 

I believe cowpuc liked them as well...he wore out 2 sets!!

BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Puc LOVES his Shinko's and gives them them the ol :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:!!! That Video guy from Arizona really knows his tire choice business I tell ya

Me and Tweeksis,, we have an accord = I keep stickin em on and Tweeks keeps wearing em out:sign20:

 

Question: Has anyone purchased tires for their 1st gen lately? What did you find or settle for?

 

Thanks in advance

Paul

I've been using Metzeler ME880 tires for a long time and they are still available. Years ago I tried using a variety of tire brands just to see if the cheaper ones worked ok. At the time, I found that tire life was significantly different between brands. Basically cheap tires didn't last as long and the cost of shipping and installation, never mind the hassle, of changing tires pretty much consumed the difference in initial cost. Have things changed recently? No idea, but I'm still using the Metzelers.

zag

Thanks everyone.

I knew better than to ask for Tire quality advise

Seems the matching sets are Avon Cobra, Shinko 230 and Shinko 777. I have researched them on Revzilla and JP Cycles, and others. A couple above say good things about Shinko 230, and it has good reviews with other riders of large bikes, I like the 230s Load Range, and to boot, I'm a big boy.

So, I think the Shinko 230 is my direction.