[tstaton]

Gents, I'm hoping to get some new tires for the Spring.  I live in Manhattan and run into some nasty road conditions pretty often, so I was thinking a switch to some wider tires would be a good move for safety, especially since I often have my lady riding with me (somehow on an Enfield).  It looks like the Dunlop K81 is the widest tire I could go with.  I was considering doing a K81 on the front and rear.  Anyone run their bike like that?  Thoughts?  Any other tire advice?  This is my first new tire purchase, so any help you guys can give me is MUCH appreciated.

[Blltrdr]

Gents, I'm hoping to get some new tires for the Spring.  I live in Manhattan and run into some nasty road conditions pretty often, so I was thinking a switch to some wider tires would be a good move for safety, especially since I often have my lady riding with me (somehow on an Enfield).  It looks like the Dunlop K81 is the widest tire I could go with.  I was considering doing a K81 on the front and rear.  Anyone run their bike like that?  Thoughts?  Any other tire advice?  This is my first new tire purchase, so any help you guys can give me is MUCH appreciated.

I'm not sure a 4.10 K81 will fit on the front and even if it did it would probably make your bike handle like crap. The 3.60 K81 seems hard to come buy in the US.

You could use Avon AM26 on front and rear. Seems there are plenty who use them and are happy.

K70's are another option.

[tstaton]

Will either of the options you mentioned actually give me a wider tire than the avon speedmaster front and rear tires that came stock on the bike?  Even if I went K81 in the back and K70 in the front, would that be a safety upgrade or give me greater width?

[REpozer]

Whats wrong with the Speed Master? Seems to do pretty well on pavement .

 If I were running dirt roads( I do sometimes) or riding an easy trail (I do sometimes) I would probably go to a K70. .....or even a trials tire pattern.

[Blltrdr]

Will either of the options you mentioned actually give me a wider tire than the avon speedmaster front and rear tires that came stock on the bike?  Even if I went K81 in the back and K70 in the front, would that be a safety upgrade or give me greater width?

Go to the manufacture's sites and compare the different tire specs.

You could also check out the Avon AM9 Universal it is very similar to the K81.

Fitting a wide a tire in the front can cause bad handling characteristics and to big in the back you might find clearance issues. Another issue is rim size. The Bullet uses 1.85" WM2 rims and fitting to wide a tire on the rim can distort the profile and change handling characteristics. I personally would stay with the stock sizes 3.25/3.60 or 90/90 Front and 3.50/4.10 or 100/90 Rear. The stock ribbed Avon Speed Master is a very good tire and the rear Safety Mileage works but most upgrade to a modern tire for performance.

You have picked a subject that is hotly debated all the time so research is important. Maybe be more specific on your needs. "Nasty conditions", does this reference the street surfaces, weather or both?

[ScooterBob]

Whats wrong with the Speed Master? Seems to do pretty well on pavement .

There is a REASON the trusty old Speed-Masters have been on the Enfield since Moses was a young man ....... 

[baird4444]

I have been cutting and pasting these tire comments for 9 years now. There
isn't really anything definitive but there is a lot of good info...
sorry to overwhelm some of you- Mike

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In prepration for my upcoming trip to the REunion in Minnesota I purchased a Cheng Shin Rear 3.25/3.85-19 (Z91206) tire from CMW. The original Avon was replaced with a Cheng Shin 3.50-19 that I obtained from JC Whitney some 7K miles ago.
Since the JCW tire was several dollars cheaper and had given good service I considered getting another but finally chose the CMW item.
Now to the point...... the JCW tire was thin walled and flexable compared to the Avon it replaced. I was concerned with it's durability but it did hold up for over 7K miles. I expected the same with the tire from CMW and was pleasent surprised when it turned out to be a much heaver tire than JCW's. At this point I think the CMW tire is worth the extra money and it will be interesting to see how long it lasts.
Leonard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I personally would stay with the stock sizes 3.25/3.60 or 90/90 Front and 3.50/4.10 or 100/90 Rear. The stock ribbed Avon Speed Master is a very good tire and the rear Safety Mileage works but most upgrade to a modern tire for performance.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The front is a chenn shinn k70 copy. 3.50X19. They call it a C180- they are only around $25-$30. The rear is an Avon SM MKII 4.00X19 they usually run around $110 or so. The combination seems to work very well. I thought about putting Cheng Shinn's on the back but was advised by Dan Holmes that they were too soft and would wear out really fast. Cheers, Pat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out campfire talk "quick release rear wheel". I posted 1-5-08. Basically I strongly recommend the Avon Road Rider AM26. Use 90/90-19 front and 100/90-19 rear. This is a fabulous choice. In my opinion you will not find a better for the Enfield.  - Vince

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`


FWIW, I have a similar setup on my Bike. Front is a Chenn K-70 copy @ 350X19,
rear is a Avon SM MKII 400X19. Handles great. The Avon was a little "blocky" for
a while, until I got the edges worn down some.
Cheers,
Pat
~~~~~~~~~
A 4.10 is just a low profile 3.50. It should be narrower than a
4:00-19, although the only way to tell for sure is to measure it. Not
all tires of a given size are actually the same size.

I run K81's on my Commando. Nice tires, but too wide for the front on
my Bullet (hits the fender stays). Should fit on the rear I would
think, but I haven't actually tried it.

Debby
-- In royalenfield@yahoogroups.com, Damon Fever <twotyred@...> wrote:
> The 4.0 x 19 Metzeler trials universal I have on the rear of mine is
very close to the swingarm on both sides. I think I would avoid a 4.10
tire and stay with a 3.50 for road use.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> In the second photo your front tyre looks quite square-sectioned, must just be the lighting, it's not that square really. It's just a Dunlop K70, 3.25-19. I still have the stock Avon on the rear and that tire really does look square! I have a Kenda dual-sport tire I'm planning to install on the rear - lots of dirt roads around here - but I haven't gotten to it yet.
   ( Debby’s front tire- I like the look… )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello Dave25, I don´t know your tyre, but I tested an Bridgestone BT45 front at the rear with no good result. It wore out in 3500km!! Not very much, isn´t it? For the tyre size - you can install an 100/90 tyre at the rear without problems - the BT45 had this size.
 Another unproved hint: if you want to use a front tyre at the rear - just reverse the mounting direction that is said to help.
Horst and his Rennfield


……………………………….........................


Hi Udo

I recently replaced my rear tyre with an Avon Super Venom.

Brilliant! She now rolls gracefully into corners rather than feeling
like you were tipping the bike over as with the original speed
master.

Tracy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.tiresunlimited.com/motorcycle_tires.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Hey Pat;
Why are you tired?
Anyhow as your'e putting Dunlop K-70 3.25x19 on the
front, put Cheng Shin K-70 3.50x19 on rear.
Looks period correct and balances visually.
I had 350x 19's on both front and rear and front
looked too large.
Your'e welcome,
Bill.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But they look good on a military, the 325x19 does look better on the
front of my black deluxe though. If anyone is interested Walridge
cycle is advertising 350x19 Dunlop K70s.
Must be a few years old because Dunlop don't make em any more.
CJ
Try JC Whitney, they have the cheapest price for them I have seen.
Sorry but I threw the wrapper with the #s on them away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
pat, the dunlops are to old to use by now. cheng shin is the same
pattern and recent production. model c180 is a 350 and will do fine
front and rear. try discount motorcycle tires in colo.
Ajay
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dunlop still makes the k70's according to their website. 3.25X19 Tires unlimited
has them for $53 locally and online.
So now you've confused me. Are they surplus old production then?
…
please excuse me for my rushed answer re: the k70 dunlop. the rear
tire is the problem. i prefer my front and rear to at least come
from the same mfg. the cheng shins fit well and handle all the r. e.
puts out. they cost far less also. thanks for catching my hurry up
answer. ajay---
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quick question,
Did you have to change the rims as well?? or only the tires - for the rear!
Dodo
Answer:
I have a 3.25 x 19 Dunlop K70 on the front and a 4.10 x 19 Dunlop K81
TT100 on the rear.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm not Bill but if you want to run K70s on your Enfield you're going
to have to use a Dunlop 3.25 x 19 on the front and a Cheng Shin 3.50
x 19 on the back. Dunlop does not make a 3.50 x 19 any more and Cheng
Shin does not make a 3.25 x 19.
I have used both brands and have had good luck with both of em.
I don't think too highly of the Cheng Shin ribbed tires though.
Both stick to the road well and they look like they belong on the
bike. Some of the newer tread patterns might be better for sticking
to the pavement but they don't look like they belong on the bike.

CJ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ajay;
Dunlop 3.25x19 on front and Cheng Shin 3.50x19 on rear.
Matching tread patterns, ballanced operationally and
visually, period correct and a good comprimise for most
riding conditions.
Bill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i CAN report success with the new
tyres!(Avon AM20f / AM18 r) On my exploratory run,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I haven't fitted it yet, but I just ordered another SM II rear tire for
mine, I went with a 4.00 X 19 instead of the 3.50 X 19 though. I may not
replace it immediately though, cause the one on there still has a bunch
of life left in it. The front will be replaced with a cheng shinn k-70
copy in 3.50 X19 sooner as the OEM avon is starting to dry rot on me.

Pat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chen shin 350X19 K70 front tire
Avon SMII 400X19 Rear tire
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out the Cheng Shin tires that J.C.Whitney sells. They are vintage
tread design and are excellent dual purpose tires. The price is right
too!!!!!!

www.jcwmotorcycle.com

Wayne in Ohio
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rear Avon SM tyre is not up to the requirements for the bullet
given it's weight and power output according to a guy who puts
bullets through SVA tests. I like the look of the AM20's!

Martin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm running AM43 Avon Distanzas on both the front and rear 100/90 19
front and 110/80 rear. The ride is excellent and the grip and
compound is much the same as the Venom. The tread is marketed as a
dual sport 95/5 or 95% on road and 5% off road. They are used on
the Triumph Tigers and some other big dual sporters. I keep the
tread running in the right direction and did not reverse the rear.
I have used it over several hundred miles in the gravel/dirt and it
hooks up fine. On the hard pavement, it corners like the Venom.
Milage to date on the tires (tyres) is about 2300 with no
appreciable wear. On my last trip, The longest yard, we also rode in
flowing water during a major storm and over some thin black ice.
Great tire. : )

Norm in Aztechland
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But: clearance looks tight on the front. The OEM tire is a 3.25-19,
which I measured as 80 mm wide. There's a half-inch or so of clearance
with the fender stays on each side so the Kenda might be a tight fit.
The OEM rear tire (3.50-19) measures 90 mm wide, and the K81s on my
Norton measure 100 mm wide. They're 4.10-19 which I think (?) is about
the same as a 100/90. Looks like it would be very tight. I'd prefer a
90/90 on the front but that size doesn't seem to be available.

Has anyone tried anything similar? I'd hate to buy the tires and find
out they don't fit!

Debby, eager to go dirt riding
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I run with a chengshing k-70 copy on the front-3.50X19, and an Avon SM MKII on
the back 4.00X19.
Works out great.
You could use the chengshinn on the back if you want, but they are sort of soft
and will wear out faster.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I`m still on the stock tyres, ribbed front and block rear.
AM6 Avon SM MKII 325X19.
AM7 Avon SM MKII 350x19.
The bike is light enough not to need wider tyres.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Geof
I've just replaced the rear Avon with the K81 4.10/19 at 21k.It leaves
about 3/8"-1/2" clearance on righthand side of tyre between the
swingarm.Much more stable feel than the skinny looking speedmaster.
As for the front they list a 3.60/19 K81 and is the correct match.

Regards

Colin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I use Avon Roadrunner Universal 410-19 rear and 360-19 front. I love these
tires but will soon replace the front with a AM20 90/90-19 because the smaller
size Roadrunner Universal is almost impossible to find and Avon does approve the
Roadrunner Universal rear and AM20 front combination which still gives a classic
look. I would never go back to the speedmasters for street use.

Rob in Houston
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Putting a wider tire on that skinny rim may give you the look you want, but it will distort the profile. You will actually get less wear and worse handling than if you get a better tire in the right size. Get the Avon Roadrider AM26. Front 90/90-19. Rear 100/90-19. These tires will transform your bike.
Vince
~~~~~~~~~~~

the rim dictates the tire size If you go too wide,the tire will feel like it's rolling over. I have just broken in a new set of roadriders,oem size   WOW !!! so much smother than the speedmasters, and a real stable ,,, the only  way to go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 You are right. You would have clearance issues with a 4.00 in. tire. If you are riding on dirt or other rough roads. The stock tire would be as good as the Dunlop. For street riding the Avon AM26 series can't be beat. 90/90-19 front  100/90-19 rear.
         - Vince
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


DURO TIRES
Thanx for all replies.I am looking at the HF261A in 100/90-19.
They are one of the better cheap tires, but they are still a CHEAP tire. I do sell them to those who won't get a better tire. I did not find a Duro tire in an appropriate front size. The 100/90-19 is oversize for the front. You will lose some of the steering the Enfield is noted for. The Avon AM26 is a fabulous tire and perfectly suited to the Enfield.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When your buying tires, remember a 4.10 is the same as a 3.50. Its smaller then a 400

[t120rbullet]

Even if I went K81 in the back and K70 in the front, would that be a safety upgrade or give me greater width?

That's about an ill handling combo as there can be.
Wide is not exactly good on a light bike like the Enfield. Simple physics, more weight on a smaller contact patch makes for better stick.
The stock Avon's do real well as do the Avon AM26's.
CJ

[MotoJ]

That's about an ill handling combo as there can be.
Wide is not exactly good on a light bike like the Enfield. Simple physics, more weight on a smaller contact patch makes for better stick.
The stock Avon's do real well as do the Avon AM26's.
CJ

I have to strongly disagree with that. I run that combo on my '99 and it sticks to twisties like glue in the county and sucks up bumps on the crap streets of Baltimore like a Hoover. I keep the pressure up to 30-32 to save the rims from the potholes. The chunky tread deals with mud, sand, and rain great.

I think the K70/81 option tackles all surfaces pretty well if you want a versatile pair of shoes. I wouldn't go back to a skinnier tire or one with a less agressive tread, now that I've tried both on the streets and roads I ride on. These aren't Ducatis we're scooting around on. I think you can get away with a lot. I do agree a K81 on the front might be too much, though. It would be like a Rokon! Chris Bartlett runs that though, I think. Chris?

[r80rt]

http://www.dropbears.com/u/utilities/tyrerim.htm

[MotoJ]

Thanks R80RT. Looks like the 4.10 is as big as you can go.  K81/4.10 on the rear and a K70/3.25 on the front is what I have. i don't even remember what the Speedmaster front was- I think it might have been 3.25 as well. I think the Dunlop has a little taller profile though. No clearance issues with swingarm or fenders. Below is a review off BikeBandit for the K70s.


By georgeroyalenfield

from Monroe, NC

Pros

Good Cornering
Good Ride
Cons

Difficult To Install
Best Uses

Street Riding
Comments about Dunlop K70 Vintage Motorcycle Tire:

Every Avon I've ever bought has been a b**** to install on my Royal Enfield, and these Dunlops are no different. That being said, these K70's look just right, the pricing was excellent, and so far, they seem to perform well. I can drag pegs on both sides, but that reflects more on the bike and it's lack of clearance than the tires. If you're a nutcase with an Enfield or Norton needing 19-inchers, these are the tires for you!

Motorsports:
Casual Rider, Mechanic, Motorcycle Enthusiast
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

[The Garbone]

I love my K70s,  they handle much better in sand, grass and rough and very well on the pavement also.    I like the stock tires for pulling a hack and that is about it,  hate how the front on the stock tires reacts to lines and other such imperfections on the road when on a solo bike.

[MotoJ]

I love my K70s,  they handle much better in sand, grass and rough and very well on the pavement also.    I like the stock tires for pulling a hack and that is about it,  hate how the front on the stock tires reacts to lines and other such imperfections on the road when on a solo bike.

Me too. I think Dunlop should send us a free set for the sales pitch!

[GreenMachine]

yeah ithis will probably be the last year for the oem tires...they'll have 5 years on them and 10k when its all said and done...actualluy could just replace the front as the rear looks like it could e good for another 5k .I like he OEM tires as they have held up great and the bike rides good.  In addition they seem to perform adequately on the occssion gravel roads here  (squarish avon tire on the rear helps alot)...Overall the OEM seems to be a good light duty dual purpose tire..i bet those k70's and avon am26 handle better on the street but not as good on pack gravel and that's what i have to deal with on occassion..

[t120rbullet]

I have to strongly disagree with that. I run that combo on my '99 and it sticks to twisties like glue in the county and sucks up bumps on the crap streets of Baltimore like a Hoover.

There are people that say those 2 foot wide tires on the back of the sore bought choppers handle great also.

The K70 has a rounded profile. The K81 has a trigonal profile. You can't get much further from each end of the spectrum as far as tire construction goes. Both are good tires when you use them on both ends.
That said I used that combo on my 99 for 4K miles and just can't find anything great to say about it. The K81 was bald in 4K miles and there was nothing it did better than the stock Avon that lasts 10K miles except look a bit wider. BFD
CJ

[Vince]

     tstaton, the K81 is a trigonic profile. This means it is triangle shaped. The actual contact patch is extremely narrow. Even oversize there will be less road contact than with the narrower standard tire. It was designed this way to give low rolling resistance to the bikes of the day, circa 1965. This sapped less horsepower from the engines of that time. The triangular side wall put maximum rubber on the road for the turns.
     The K70 is almost an automotive tire with its block pattern. It doesn't turn like the K81, but it gives better mileage and a higher load.
     DO NOT MIX THESE TIRES. The profiles are completely incompatible and the bike will not handle properly.
     When changing tires you also must take into account the rim width. Putting a wide tire on a smaller rim distorts the profile. Your contact patch will be no larger, and in many cases smaller, than the properly sized tire.
     Most people looking for a wide tire are really looking for a better tire. Wider is not better. It is only wider. You need to choose tires to enhance the handling and performance issues important to your ride.
     If you have rough roads the stock tires are just about ideal. For better roads I recommend the Avon AM26.
     Call me at 1-866-VINCEMC to discuss this further.

[MotoJ]

There are people that say those 2 foot wide tires on the back of the sore bought choppers handle great also.

The K70 has a rounded profile. The K81 has a trigonal profile. You can't get much further from each end of the spectrum as far as tire construction goes. Both are good tires when you use them on both ends.
That said I used that combo on my 99 for 4K miles and just can't find anything great to say about it. The K81 was bald in 4K miles and there was nothing it did better than the stock Avon that lasts 10K miles except look a bit wider. BFD
CJ

Shucks, I just know what I like. I don't think the comparison with car tires on customs is even close. We're talking about maybe 3/8"-1/2" width difference between front to back and the radius sure looks the same to me. I sorta remember "trigonal" from algebra but really, WGAF? I have 2.5 k on both and the wear is the same so far Anyway, I was just offering my $.02 to the poster about my tire experiences.

One thing the Dunlops do better than the Avons is cost less.

What have you got against CJs BTW?

[t120rbullet]

What have you got against CJs BTW?

Nothing, CJ's are cool. A tad bit slow and don't handle well though.
CJ

[ScooterBob]

Nothing, CJ's are cool. A tad bit slow and don't handle well though.
CJ

A TAD bit slow?? Hahahaha! The one that I had was a case study in Glacial motion ....  - It was FAST one, too!! Hahaha! The advantage to the bike named after you is that it's right at home on a road that really ISN'T a road .... as fast you can RIDE it ... Heeheehee!