what kind of tire are you looking for? one that looks vintage or one that is just balls out all handleing?
Coker makes reproduction vintage tires which make the look of a vintage bike but I wouldn't ride hard on any of them, even though it is new rubber technology it is still a old tire design. Althouhg I like them and see a lot of old skool choppers guys using the firestones, I reguard them as showground rim protectors.
Stay away from kenda, cheng shin, or any other brand that you have never heard of. They are cheap tires and you get what you pay for. I might as well take a long greasy shit and wrap it around the rim because thay is what they feel like. I had cheng shins on my 79 cb750F and I can't tell you how many times I smeared turns on the street because the tire couldn't keep up.
The three that I have used and continue to use are metzler, Avon, and Contenentals and I recommend all of them.
The metzler lazer I use on my daily rider 75 cb750. I have abused thse tires in manhattan traffic, psuedo off roading (if you count curb hopping and riding through construction sites off roading), performance riding, and touring and they are awsome. They don't look out of place on an old bike because they have a vintage looking tread design, and they have lots of grip of you bed them in right. My front tire has lasted me 5 years of hard riding and the rear lasted 3 (I have to put a new rear on again, all in all Id say they lasted probably 15K). Commuting takes its toll on a bike and my rear has lots of sidewall meat but there have been times where I have had to overinflate them to carry heavier loads, stupidly done burnouts, or just the highway running has wiped out the center rain groove. I am still riding on it but the tire doesn't have the awsome wet weather grip it once did. I have locked them up on occasion but it was difficult. This is the tire I really like for urban bikes.
The avon roadrunner I have on my 79 cb750F and my t500. This is a really nice high perf tire for older bikes. The tread is really like a sport bike tire and it too has awsome grip. It takes a little longer to really break them in but once they are broken in they are really confidence inspiring. They don't have great wet weather grip but it is good. I have about 3K miles on avons and they wear nice and even but I don't think they are probably only good for 7-10K if you take care of them (proper inflation, etc). they are definalty harder to lock up than the metzlers and really get the bike slowed too. This is the tire I really like when I am pretending to be freddie spencer during his honda years.
The Continental Challenger I didn't buy, they came on a bike I bought and they were in good shape. I was surprised by this tire. I have it on another honda and it is really good. usually cheaper than the metzler, I want to say it is as good in the looks and grip department as the metzler but I haven't abused this bike like the other cb750. I haven't had them that long so I can't speak to their wear either, but so far I like them. The Conti is a heck of a lot more inspiring than a kenda or a cheng shin, which is good. One thing I did notice about the conti's is that they howl when they get close to the edge, with the avon or metzlers when I locked them up it was either silence or full on squeal. With the conti's when I get close to the brake edge they howl which I like because then I know when the tire is going to slide.
I have heard a lot of mixed reviews of the bridgestone bt-45s. I have never owned a set but some guys think they are the cats arse and others think they suck. The guys that usually tell me they suck are mostly the crotch rocket guys if that helps. Personally I have never had a set, but bridgestone is a good manufacturer so I would trust them to make a good tire. A motorcycle tire is only as good as the rider and his/her style so I susepct that the bridgestone may work only with some riding styles and not with others.
Even though your tire is tubed, you can run a tubless outter tire (make sure it is still a bias ply if your tire is set up for it). It will be harder to mount the bead, but you will get less sidewall flex and a little better handeling tire. I have been told many times that you don't mount bias ply tires on rims designed for a radial and vice versa. I have no idea why but I follow it (baaaaa...baaaa...yeah I am a sheep).
good luck.
Coker makes reproduction vintage tires which make the look of a vintage bike but I wouldn't ride hard on any of them, even though it is new rubber technology it is still a old tire design. Althouhg I like them and see a lot of old skool choppers guys using the firestones, I reguard them as showground rim protectors.
Stay away from kenda, cheng shin, or any other brand that you have never heard of. They are cheap tires and you get what you pay for. I might as well take a long greasy shit and wrap it around the rim because thay is what they feel like. I had cheng shins on my 79 cb750F and I can't tell you how many times I smeared turns on the street because the tire couldn't keep up.
The three that I have used and continue to use are metzler, Avon, and Contenentals and I recommend all of them.
The metzler lazer I use on my daily rider 75 cb750. I have abused thse tires in manhattan traffic, psuedo off roading (if you count curb hopping and riding through construction sites off roading), performance riding, and touring and they are awsome. They don't look out of place on an old bike because they have a vintage looking tread design, and they have lots of grip of you bed them in right. My front tire has lasted me 5 years of hard riding and the rear lasted 3 (I have to put a new rear on again, all in all Id say they lasted probably 15K). Commuting takes its toll on a bike and my rear has lots of sidewall meat but there have been times where I have had to overinflate them to carry heavier loads, stupidly done burnouts, or just the highway running has wiped out the center rain groove. I am still riding on it but the tire doesn't have the awsome wet weather grip it once did. I have locked them up on occasion but it was difficult. This is the tire I really like for urban bikes.
The avon roadrunner I have on my 79 cb750F and my t500. This is a really nice high perf tire for older bikes. The tread is really like a sport bike tire and it too has awsome grip. It takes a little longer to really break them in but once they are broken in they are really confidence inspiring. They don't have great wet weather grip but it is good. I have about 3K miles on avons and they wear nice and even but I don't think they are probably only good for 7-10K if you take care of them (proper inflation, etc). they are definalty harder to lock up than the metzlers and really get the bike slowed too. This is the tire I really like when I am pretending to be freddie spencer during his honda years.
The Continental Challenger I didn't buy, they came on a bike I bought and they were in good shape. I was surprised by this tire. I have it on another honda and it is really good. usually cheaper than the metzler, I want to say it is as good in the looks and grip department as the metzler but I haven't abused this bike like the other cb750. I haven't had them that long so I can't speak to their wear either, but so far I like them. The Conti is a heck of a lot more inspiring than a kenda or a cheng shin, which is good. One thing I did notice about the conti's is that they howl when they get close to the edge, with the avon or metzlers when I locked them up it was either silence or full on squeal. With the conti's when I get close to the brake edge they howl which I like because then I know when the tire is going to slide.
I have heard a lot of mixed reviews of the bridgestone bt-45s. I have never owned a set but some guys think they are the cats arse and others think they suck. The guys that usually tell me they suck are mostly the crotch rocket guys if that helps. Personally I have never had a set, but bridgestone is a good manufacturer so I would trust them to make a good tire. A motorcycle tire is only as good as the rider and his/her style so I susepct that the bridgestone may work only with some riding styles and not with others.
Even though your tire is tubed, you can run a tubless outter tire (make sure it is still a bias ply if your tire is set up for it). It will be harder to mount the bead, but you will get less sidewall flex and a little better handeling tire. I have been told many times that you don't mount bias ply tires on rims designed for a radial and vice versa. I have no idea why but I follow it (baaaaa...baaaa...yeah I am a sheep).
good luck.
