Avon has discontinued rear tire for 1st. Gen. Ventures

[frankd]

About 2 weeks ago, I bought a new AM42 Avon 140/90B16 for my 89 Venture (it's not installed yet). This week, my brother brought the 83 around, and now it also needs a new rear tire. I looked, and couldn't find anybody that had the AM42 now--what they have is the AM72, and it costs about $200. Isn't the AM72 a radial tire? The one I have came from Chapporal Motorsports, and when I called them today I was told that the AM42 was discontinued and replaced with the AM72.

 

$200 is too much for the little bit my brother uses the 83 for. I imagine I should just order a Dunlop E3 for it, but I also see the Metzler 880. Has anybody used them? How do they feel and how long do they last?

 

This whole thing kind of upsets me....we find a tire that we like, and then they discontinue it.

[Yammer Dan]

Guess Avon don't want our business.

[Coffeepot]

I have used these tires on my '84 VR for many years, front and rear, without issues. They meet or exceed my standards although I always wish for more mileage out of the rears.

[KarlS]

I switched to Elite 3's last year and like them better.

[utadventure]

I'm on my third Metzler 880 on the '86 and will be installing another this year. I get about 12000 on a rear and twice that on the front.

 

Good luck!

[Rocket]

I'm on my third Metzler 880 on the '86 and will be installing another this year. I get about 12000 on a rear and twice that on the front.

 

Good luck!

 

I'm on my 2nd rear on the 86, after 2.5 months & 10,000 miles hauling a loaded trailer around the US.

 

The 83 is on its 5th rear, since I got it.

 

Both bikes got fresh tires for the trip & got the rears changed out after it.

 

:mo money:

[Skid]

I have a brand new E 3 in there garage for a First Gen rear and I don't even own a First Gen. May be Yammer will sell it...

[Yammer Dan]

I have a brand new E 3 in there garage for a First Gen rear and I don't even own a First Gen. May be Yammer will sell it...

 

I know where it goes!!

[Venturous Randy]

In my opinion, and I have put over 120,000 miles on my 83 with several different brands and so far, the best handling combination is an Avon front and a Dundop E-3 rear. I was not the only one with 70mph and up tail waggle on a 1st gen with an Avon rear tire. Maybe this is why Avon discontinued them. Even though the bias/radial issue is directed to not matching on the same axle due to different sidewall flexes, I still don't think I would want to mix a bias front and a radial rear, but it may be ok.

RandyA