Hey all. I need new tires for my '77 FLH and would like to go for the old school style tires. Immediately, Coker's Firestone Deluxe Champion Blackwall 500-16 and Avon's Safety Mileage MKII 500-16 come to mind. I have a few questions... First, I'd like to run the same size/style tires on front and rear, can I do this for both tire brands? (It seems like almost everyone that runs the Avon Safety on the rear uses the skinny Speedmaster on the front, and I don't want that). Also, are there any clearance issues relative to the fenders?...my bike is stock and everything I've read seems to indicate that it wouldn't be an issue. Finally, any reviews or riding experience in regards to either of these tires would be much appreciated (handling, type of riding you do, how long the tires last, front end handling, etc.) For what it's worth, most of my riding is just cruising...highways, big sweeper curves, nothing to terribly aggressive. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

 

Hey Knuck213,

I've been researching these same tires but for a 1996 softail bobber that I'm building.
So this is what I come across; these types of tires look great but they have some serious handling issues and "surprises" under certain road conditions (bridges, rain grooves, manhole covers, etc).

The tires look super cool. I love the look.
You can run the same tires front and rear. Some tread designs will require you to run the tread reverse on the front.

This is from another forum. It's one of the only tire reviews that talks about the ride quality that I found of these type of tires.
http://cx500forum.com/index.php?/top...e-tire-thread/

Good luck!

 

Just an update on what I decided to do... As much as I didn't want to use a skinny tire up front, I found that there are a lot of folks with these old FLH's that are running 21"s up front and I love the way they look, especially when lowered just a tick. And from those that I've talked to on other forums and such have said that they handle well for the type of riding that I do. So, I ended up going with the Avon Safety Mileage MKII 5.00x16 rear and Avon Speedmaster 3.00x21 front and will be dropping the suspension as finances provide; pretty simple mod and seems like the results are great.

Soro - I had seen that thread and talked with folks who ran the 16"s front and rear and just reversed the tread on the front tire and, like you said, had a few "surprises" specifically in rain grooves. I also contacted Avon about the Safety Mileage in particular (if I would've stayed with 16"s) and they said to 'absolutely, under no circumstances run a Safety Mileage on the front and that they would assume no responsibility for anything that could possibly go wrong'. They stated that 'it was designed as a rear tire ONLY'. But whatever... The bike will have new shoes this week and hopefully a new stance in the coming weeks as well.

 

Cool! thanks for the info. I'm looking forward to seeing some pictures of your new tires on your bike.

 

OK..Ive been riding since 1965, and for years these old school Bias Ply tires were all we had. We rode on em just fine. And unless your'e a maniac and won't use any common sense when riding, you will survive just fine like we did for all those years. I am actually considering putting a set of Cokers on my Softail Deluxe. I bet the look will be outstanding. To the poster who expressed concern about bridges, rain grooves, and manhole covers, I can say this. I use caution when encountering those items with ANY tire and ANY motorcycle. If you don't use caution on such obstacles, you will get what ya ask for. That being said, would I go tearing up the road with old school Cokers?...No I wouldn't. But if your'e looking for an old school look, and ride sensibly, I can tell you that I rode those type tires for years and I'm still alive and kicking. Naturally, by using those old school tires you will be taking a step backwards in technology and will have to adjust your riding accordingly. But if your'e going to be riding an old school tribute or bobber style bike, I can't see you doing any road racing in the first place. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

Bloozeman,
Thanks for your experience on the older tech tires. I think this is just one of those things where I need to try these tires to understand them. I love the way they look (like Firestone champion deluxes). As an artist, that's so much apart of my connection to motorcycles, but I also ride my bikes. I'm not looking to be a GP star on my softail bobber, I just want to make sure I can take the bike on a real trip (100 miles or so) and ride chill or spirited and not worry, etc.
Hard to qualify this kind of stuff, I know.

 

Soro...Give em a try..You may love em, or hate em, but ya won't know till ya try. You can always sell em if ya don't like em. I can't see a 100 mile trip being a problem.

 

Thanks my friend, I sort of forgot I could sell them.

 

Figured I'd do an update on the tires/wheel combo for those that are curious or interested; Soro, for you in particular. As I stated, I ended up going with the Avon Safety Mileage MKII rear tire (5.00x16 on a 3.5x16 spoke rim) and the Avon Speedmaster front tire (3.00x21 on a 2.15x21 spoke rim). I've already put well over 500 miles on them and it completely changed my bike; even my friends noticed a difference and were convinced that I had completely redone the front end. I love the look and feel of the tires (yeah, the front looks a little different with such a skinny tire in a wide fender, but I like the fact that it makes everybody do a double-take when they see it). The rear tire has tons of deep tread, the front has decent tread, kinda wish it was a little deeper (but hey, that's the style); the rubber compound seems pretty grippy and very responsive. In regards to running a 21" up front instead of the stock 16", I can't explain how much better the bike rides, handles, and tracks. It cruises straight as an arrow, softens bumps MUCH better and feels like a dream. I will admit, it does find and follow any imperfections in pavement easier than the fat 16" did, but you get used to it or just find a different part of the lane to ride in. The only other difference I've noticed is that I seem to be countersteering more in turns than I used to. Mind you, I'm not carving the roads like a Buell or anything, but it might be the new width of the tire playing tricks on my mind...who knows. All in all, I wouldn't change a thing. And I will definitely not be going back to the 16" EVER. If y'all have any other questions, comments, or anything, feel free to ask or share. Stay safe.