Tires and tire pressure

[Fixman]

I have a 57 Pan that I want to be as stock as possible. Which tires do you all recommend (Coker?) and what pressures are you guys using.

Fixman

P. S. I did a search without much luck.

[daveyb]

Coker makes some of the best looking vintage style tires imo. that's what i run. 12psi in the front and 14 rear. 16 on rear if you're carrying a passenger.

[panfreak]

I also run cokers, and have to agree on the looks. I have heard though that they wear faster than something more modern, and although my 3000 miles barely show any wear at all so far, this might be a consideration if you are a high-miler (I'll tell you in a few more thousand how I feel about this). They seem to grip fine for me, but I'm not trying to race the Isle of Man either.
I might draw flack for this as I know LOTS of people run lower pressures, but I don't. I had a long discussion with a guy from coker about this, and what I got from it is that they know a hell of a lot more about tire composition and performance than I do. There are inherent risks involved with doing anything outside the manufacturers recommendations, and after a near fatal blowout of my front tire at highway speed, I don't take chances with my tires. When 32 is recommended, running 12 would give me the willy's when I'm doing 60 down a busy highway.
Chewy.

[daveyb]

i've heard arguments from both ends of the spectrum on this deal and i've taken all wise words into account. i've got about 5000 miles on my current set (cokers) and they have very little wear. i'm not a hotrodder by any stretch but i do hit the interstate regularly and cruise at 75. the bike handles well. i will say, that i would not run the max psi on a rigid frame. that'd be a real spine rattler. i'm not sure how much the manual specs apply to modern tires, but cokers are tube type and should be safe to run a little less pressure. panfreak, i've never experienced a blowout in 25 years, that must be a real ass-clencher!!yikes!

[sleeper]

(Personally) I think Cokers are overpriced. Especially for a "restoration only" tire.....
They did have a problem w/them a while back...
Balancing was impossible on some.

I much prefer Avon SM Mark II's they are 'full profile height'. & are made using modern rubber & new technology.
But still very much look like the ol tires...
6 yr warranty on mfg. defects...& have a Hi-Speed rating on them. Not just for looks. Cool
Great in rain, & on the switch-backs..

As far as air pressure, I just follow the tire mfg's recommended psi......(cold)

[fourthgear]

I'm running the Avon's , as Billy says it takes nothing from the old look and they take different pressures from the stock spec's, really nice tires .

[caschnd1]

I run the Avon SM Mark II 5.00x16 on the back of my chopper. But my old back can't take the full recommended pressure. I run it at 18-20 psi and get a much smoother ride. I know my wear suffers for it, but it's worth it to save my back a little pain. I get about 10K from a set of tires.
On the front I run a Avon Speedmaster 3.00x21. I run it at 32psi. I could probably get about 12K miles out of it, but always swap it when I swap my back tire.
I can't bring myself to put a modern tire on my old chopper. It just wouldn't be right. Not to mention, if the profile in the back isn't right it looks like total crap! I don't want to be able to park a semi-truck between my fender and my tire ;D
OH... and don't even get me started on the wide tire craze that has been sweeping the chopper world. YAK! I think I just spoiled my appetite.

-Craig

[Cotten]

A caution on balancing:

Modern spin balancers with conical centers rarely if ever give reproduceable results on a star-hubbed wheel. Bubble balancers seem worse.
The thrust collar within the star is not accurately centered, allowing it to be installed upon the balancer in a different position each time, and rarely in the true center!
Even when I machined an adapting spacer, results were hardly better, certainly not worth the expense, and the damn weights are ugly.
For over a decade, I have been getting dramatic results with internal balancing gels, especially PJ1 "Balance Plus".

.....Cotten

[Fixman]

Cotten, how about a recommendation on which tire to use, and the pressures you recommend.

Fixman

[fourthgear]

Hay cotten , where is pj1 available , I would like to try it . JP's , NAPA ?

[caschnd1]

PJ1 makes a number of motorcycle chemical products. Go to Google.com and search for "PJ1 Balance" and you'll find it. The product is called PJ1 Balance Plus. It is available at J&P and a number of other sources online. They all list 8oz and 12oz bottles (or bulk 6 gallon). How much do you use per tire? That information is not provided on the sites I looked at.

-Craig

[panfreak]

Cokers are expensive.
But they had the vintage look I was really after that I just didn't find in another tire. And I will add that they do in fact use a MODERN rubber composition the same as other tires. I keep hearing "restoration only" but yet see it no where on their web site. They can be ridden daily, but by nature of their bias design and tread pattern, they will wear faster and not ride as nicely as a modern tire.
I kinda see this as another take on the linkert vs s+s carb argument.

Fixman, have fun in whatever you choose for your '57.

[Cotten]

Fourthgear!
Just about any motorcycleshop should stock Balance Plus, especially dirtbike shops. Unless they dropped a few grand on a bells-and-whistles balancer. Then they will chew you out if you ask for it.

caschnd1!
I normally squeeze an 8 ouncer into a tire, unless I suspect it to be unusual.
And by "squeeze", I mean I use an old grease gun to get it into the valvestem. PJ1 isn't sold as a leak sealer, but it will seal the stem if you just squeeze the bottle.
It probably is not labeled as a leak sealer for liability concerns. For similar reasons, I refrain from endorsing brands of tires, nor inflations other than what's in the manual.
(Personally, I have stacks of half-used '80s Goodyear double-whites that shall last me a few more decades. Nothing else lasts as long on a sidehack.)

So, Fixman!
Your own trial and error, and subjective feel for the machine shall always be the last word on pressures anyway.

Most commonly, riders choose comfortable pressures that are significantly lower than manufacturer's specs.

...Cotten

[Fixman]

I will most likely go with the Coker (Firestone Replica) tire, http://www.coker.com/
and will continue to use low presure (16 Rear and 14 Front) like I have for many years.
Thanks all for your input. Very interesting.

Fixman

[Sidecar]

I run Cokers.
14 front - 16 rear.
I was running 12 front 14 rear.
Put 5000 miles on the rear and it wouldn't pass inspection any longer. Got the new one on and am now running 16 in it.