[NorEaster]

Sorry to bother everyone; but should a 3.25 x19 tire fit on the front of a 2014 C5 Classic?
They list the K70 in a 19 at NFG.
I just put new shoes on my gal and she's wearing IRC GS-11's now.
http://www.irc-tire.com/en/mc/products/commuter/gs-11/
I'm finding that the indented area of my front fender, between the fork legs is just lightly touching the tire. I need to figure out how to get just a tad more space in there.

[pmanaz1973]

I put some Dunlop K70's of that size on my 2014 C5.  The gap was too tight in my opinion and I ended up taking the fender stays into a local welding/fabricating shop and they cut and welded a 5/8" piece into each one on the flat spot.  I sanded them down and rattle canned them and all is well.  The tiny gap that was there made me really nervous.  The K70's are so much better than sock it is hard to believe- it did however, raise my bike an inch or so.

[mattsz]

Nice to see you back, NorEaster!

If your bike has the 19" front wheel, then I think that should be the right size.  I'm surprised you, and pmanaz1973, have had trouble - I thought your C5 and my B5 had the same front fender arrangement, and I have plenty of room for the 3.25x19 K70.  Pmanaz, is your front K70 a 3.25?

[Craig McClure]

The recommended size for a front tire of a 19" wheeled Royal Enfield is 3.25, the 3.50 is to fat, but ok for rear..  I have used IRC tires & K70's, liked them both fine.

[NorEaster]

I ordered the IRC GS-11 3.25H10 front tire and the 3.50S18 rear. I based my choice off of what I have read here about the K70's. The clearance on the rear is fine but it's very close on the front.
I'm wondering if it falls back to the whole "handmade" aspect and that there are different specs on the fender from bike to bike.
I really like the feel of the tires and they handle the tar snakes in the road everywhere in these parts just fine. Much better handling than the stock.

[pmanaz1973]

  Pmanaz, is your front K70 a 3.25?

Yes it is - and it was close, like 1/8" close.  The work to lengthen the stays cost me $50 and I did the finish and painted them.  Totally worth it.  I have a lot of dirt roads out here that I ride on and those Avon tire were down right scary on dirt.

[mattsz]

Yes it is - and it was close, like 1/8" close.

Huh.  I've got more like twice that for clearance.  Maybe the B5 fender is wider...

[pmanaz1973]

Huh.  I've got more like twice that for clearance.  Maybe the B5 fender is wider...

Could be; or my fender stays were a bit more "unique" than yours.  I had to bend them a bit to center the fender when I got the bike.    Don't get me wrong - my tire never rubbed, but it was so close that when I picked up a rock in the tire tread it would bounce around in there for a bit before dropping out.

[mattsz]

The fender stays do not affect the width of the fender at the "indents" - it's way too stiff.  Centering over the wheel, yes, but I've got almost 1/4" clearance for the 3.25 K70 on my bike...  but there's always the possibility that things are different between bikes... 

[GSS]

K70s in 3.5x19 front and 4.0x18 rear worked fine for my 2010. The original front fender had about 4-5 mm clearance on each side but I needed to fabricate longer stays......changed to a skinny old style 500 cc chrome fender last year and this would definitely give you even more space on each side. Thanks.

GSS

[pmanaz1973]

I really wanted to run a 3.00X19 Front and a 3.50X18 rear, but I've been told Dunlop no longer makes these sizes.  Either way, I could't find any on the web.  The 3.50x19 front 4.00x18 rear works great.  Really does improve the handling on rough and gravely road in my estimation.  Looks good too.

[hortoncode3]

I had the same issue on my 2009 G5 Military. The fender rubbed the K70 only on the one side. The dealer, Daily Rider out of  South Burlington Vt , removed the fender and dremeled piece of the offending fender off. Problem solved and no one is the wiser.  Never had that issue again. Still don't know what that was all about..

[NorEaster]

After numerous inspections of my front fender, I feel that the scalloped areas behind the fork legs are much deeper than they need be. I took the front wheel and fender off and with a little tweaking made the inner space between the scalloped areas about 3/8" wider but still maintaining enough depth to clear the fork shrouds. Tomorrow I'll take her for a little ride up and down the driveway to get a feel for it and make sure it's going to work ok.

[pmanaz1973]

This discussion got me thinking, so I called a buddy who has a 2012 C5 and we removed and measured his upper right front fender stay - sure enough, stock it is within a 1/8" of my modified one; the oblong mounting hole also appears longer.  This would explain the extra height that some have from the factory.

In true form, the "uniqueness" of RE has to be figured in.  Either way, wouldn't get rig of my K70's, just wish they made a thinner rear tire.

[suitcasejefferson]

I have always used the stock size tires on my bikes. On the Enfield I even intend to use the exact same tires that came on it, more for looks than anything else. I do not ride it aggressively. I prefer to just enjoy the feel and sound of the bike.

I am by no means a safetycrat, but using the wrong tires on a bike can sometimes even be dangerous, especially if you are an aggressive rider. Modern sticky tires might not be a good match for the Enfield's ancient and flimsy frame and suspension.