Tire Sight?

[T.J.]

Does anyone know what sight to go to for Avon Venom Tires. My brother in-law wants to know what size tire does Avon recommend for his Harley FLHTC 2000. I came up with MT90B16 74H for the front and rear, but I want to be sure.

 

Thanks

[Eck]

You can page down to the bottom of this page and you will see many posts about tires.

Or you can do a seach on AVON

[T.J.]

I tried that Eck. I really didn't find what I was looking for. I would like to show the facts to my B.I.L. for his size tires.

[Freebird]

Here is the official Avon site. Maybe he can find the info he needs there.

 

http://www.avon-tyres.co.uk/motorcycle/?page=tyres&method=listtyres&cat=2

[T.J.]

Thanks Freebird:)

 

Here is the official Avon site. Maybe he can find the info he needs there.

 

http://www.avon-tyres.co.uk/motorcycle/?page=tyres&method=listtyres&cat=2

[dray]

What's in a tire besides air?

 

De-mystifying the black art of tire designations

 

By

Bill Andrews

http://www.ama-cycle.org/roadride/images/tires2_sml.jpgApr. 10 – It's a rotten feeling. You look down at your tire, and there's no denying that those nice deep grooves have become a shadow of their former selves. It's a goner, and it's getting worse with every mile.

As you look around your local shop for a new tire, you see all sorts of letters and words on the sidewalls. Would you believe just about everything you need to know about a tire, including when it was made, is contained there?

It's really not that difficult to decipher the black art of tire designations, and knowing what you've got makes you a well-educated consumer-which is never a bad thing.

Tire size

First off, there's those big numbers and letters that may read something like 130/90 16, or MT90 16. These numbers indicate the size of the tire, and the rim it's designed to go on. In this case, these are both the same size tires.

How can we tell?

http://www.ama-cycle.org/roadride/images/tireNomenclature.jpg

An example of the coding found on a common tire.

Let's start with the first series of numbers, 130/90 16, otherwise known as the metric designation. This is the most popular nomenclature today and it's practically a standard in the automotive world.

http://www.ama-cycle.org/roadride/images/tiresection_sml.jpgThe 130 designates the tire's width in millimeters, measured in a straight line through the tire from one edge of the tire's tread to the other. The second number, 90, is a bit trickier to understand. This represents the aspect ratio between the tire's width and its height, or how tall a tire is in relationship to its width. Simply put, the higher this number is, the taller the tire will be. In this case, the tire is 90 percent as tall as its width, or 117mm.

The last number, 16, is the tire's rim diameter expressed in inches.

The width on some tires may be expressed in inches as well, but usually the aspect ratio is left off.

The other series of numbers and letters, MT90 16, represents the same tire size, but it's expressed in an alphabetical code. M means the tire is designated for motorcycle use, T is the tire width code, 90 is the aspect ratio and 16 is the rim diameter.

Size conversion chart

 

Front tiresRear tiresMetricAlphanumericMetricAlphanumeric80/90MH90110/90MN9090/90MJ90120/80MP85100/90MM90120/90MP85110/90MN90130/90MT90120/90MR90140/90MU90130/90MT90150/80MV85150/90MV85

The alpha numeric system is the older method for tire sizing. And in the old days, tires just didn't get much bigger than an MV85, which corresponds to a 150mm width. Therefore, newer tires larger than 150mm will only carry the metric sizing designation

Speed and construction

Interspersed with these sizing numbers, you're likely to find other letters that'll appear as such: 160/70VR 16, 170/60R 16V, or in other combinations. These two extra letters indicate speed rating and tire construction.

Each letter in the speed rating notes the maximum speed a tire can sustain under its recommended load capacity. For instance, V is equivalent to a maximum speed of 149 mph. Because this rating system was created in Europe, the increments per letter are in 10 kilometers per hour.

RatingSpeed

miles per hourSpeed

kilometers per hourQ99 mph160 km/hS112 mph180 km/hT118 mph190 km/hU124 mph200 km/hH130 mph210 km/hV149 mph240 km/hW168 mph270 km/hY186 mph300 km/hZOver 149 mphOver 240

km/h

The next letter, R, indicates the construction used within the tire's casing. R stands for radial construction and B means belted bias.

Load and pressure codes

http://www.ama-cycle.org/roadride/images/tiresLoad.jpg The next number or letter you may encounter, after the tire size, is the load index. This is the weight the tire is capable of handling when properly inflated. It's usually expressed in either a numerical code, or a letter code. Most manufacturers will also spell out on the sidewall what that maximum load is so there's no guessing—you'll find it usually listed with the tire's maximum air pressure.

It's good to note here that you should only fill a tire to the motorcycle manufacturer's recommended level. Besides under inflation, one of the biggest mistakes people make with their tires is to overfill them to the maximum level indicated on the sidewall. This leads to poor handling and premature wear. If in doubt, either consult your owner's manual, contact your local dealer, or go to the tire manufacturer's website. Most include the recommended pressure for each motorcycle, along with other tire options. And be sure to measure pressure when the tire is cold. Measuring hot will skew the numbers.