Tires

[rdteeler]

I have a question about tires,I bought my 84 R 65 they put new tires on the bike when I bought it..They are 2 different tires,Continental on front, Kenda on the rear.What is the best tire to use on these bikes ? I find the rear tire ( Kenda ) looses air pressure.It is also hard to put air in due to the location of the valve stem.Any suggestions on what is a good tire for my bike .Since I have the bike running good now,I may invest in a good set of matching tires,hopefully they will be easier to put a tire gauge on and air in.PS : also a good price to.Thanks for the help.

[montmil]

Tire and oil threads. Everyone has an opinion. I'll just toss out that Bob "The Snowbum" Fleischer says that Bridgestone tires are his preference for the Airhead generation. I'll keep my three Airhead's rubber selection on the down low.

If you have tubed tires, expect to lose air pressure on a weekly basis. Usually around 2-3 psi. My 1981 R65 runs tubeless tires and doesn't drop air pressure. The other two run tubes so I have to more closely monitor pressures between every ride. This is most often the case with tubed v tubeless tires.

Whatever tire and tube selection you make, that valve stem hole in the rim ain't going to move. If you have your own air compressor, shop around for the slimmest air chuck you can find.

And running tubeless on snowflakes is a whole other thread topic.  8-)

[rdteeler]

Thanks for the info" I was wondering about if it was tubeless are tubed.So it is normal to loose air pressure okay I will just keep a eye on it.Its just a new bike to me and learning its personality.PS : i just thought they may have angle adapters for the stem.

[Bob_Roller]

A 90 degree valve stem extension works well with snowflake wheels and dual front disc, just don't leave it on when you ride the bike .

[Barry]

I have no problem getting a normal car type foot pump on the snowflake tire valves but have a 90 degree extension in the toolkit in case it was every needed in a filling station forecourt.  

Pressure loss is normal on tubes especially natural rubber ones. If I'm using the bike every day I need to top up once per week by 1 - 2 psi. For some reason my rear holds pressure better than the front.

Bob's advice on removing the 90 Deg extension is good. We talked about it some time ago and I worked out that if it weighed 10 grams then because of centrifugal force the bending load on the valve stem would increase to 4.3 KG or 9.5lbs at maximum speed.

[rdteeler]

Thanks that is good advice.Where can I get a angle adapter though ?

[Matt Chapter]

I find the rear tire ( Kenda ) looses air pressure.

My rear tire loses air much faster than my front.  I've had metzlers, bridgestones, who knows what else.  It still leaks, so I suspect something with the rim.  It'll drop 20 psi in a few weeks, if I'm not careful.  I also run a 90 degree adapter, but I don't take it off.  I have the tri y rims, tubeless.

[mrclubike]

Thanks for the info" I was wondering about if it was tubeless are tubed.So it is normal to loose air pressure okay I will just keep a eye on it.Its just a new bike to me and learning its personality.PS : i just thought they may have angle adapters for the stem.

Do you know if you are running tubes or not.
Like Monti said Tubeless air loss is not the norm.
But more than likely you still have tubes.
I personally run Tubeless.The best mod I have done yet.  

If you dig down a page or two you will find a few tire threads with good info  

[BPT]

Would this be the appropriate place to ask about air pressure gauges?  Any recommendations?  I found out about the problems with the snowflake wheels and I can't use the one I have (I suppose with a 90 degree fitting you can use any you'd like).

Looking for accuracy, of course, but maybe good value also?  Anyone have a favorite that they are happy with but won't cost a small fortune?

[montmil]

Thanks that is good advice.Where can I get a angle adapter though ?

Bought this valve stem extension gadget to use with my Triumph. Large, twin brake rotors up front always beating up the back of my hands. Same all on the rear with the rotor and chain. No more.  Works on the BMWs also.

http://www.pashnitmoto.com/shoppingcart.asp

[Barry]

I use a good old fashion pencil gauge.  They are accurate enough and fit easily without needing the 90 deg extension. Checking the pressure is such a frequent undertaking that I couldn't be doing with having to fit the extension every time. I keep it for emergency use only in case it's needed while I'm out.

[BPT]

I ended up using a pencil gauge that I had when I found out my usual one wouldn't fit.  I just wasn't sure of its accuracy (it was really old and well worn).  I do like the compact-ness of them for sure.  

I'd be happy to stick with that style if I could find one that I knew was accurate and durable.  

[georgesgiralt]

Hello !
I fell in love with the Heidenau (ex East German tire manufacturer ) which makes old design tires with modern rubber. The K34 front and the K36 rear are very good.
In France I can get them quite cheap (51 € the front tire, which I bought recently).
As per tubes, I've found that the Michelin loose less air that the other brands. But it is due to the fact that they're not natural rubber but some sort of "butyl" something (and it is not good if you run above 100 mph ;-)
I've had two Dunlop failure because the stem escaped it's gluing on the tube. The first one was in town at less than 50 km/h and resulted in an instant rear flat and the second one was in my shed. I found the front tire flat before going to work... So I ban Dunlop tubes  since that time. But YMMV and there may be more than one Dunlop tube design and factory in the world..
A frien of mine use the radial Bridgestone on her CB500 and she is enthusiastic about them so do not overlook them. I've had good rating  from fellows for the  Michelin Pilot Activ on Airheads too

[decorn33]

In researching tires and tubes for next season, I found 4.00x18 tires and tubes for the rear, and I found both 90/90x18 (3.25) and 100/90 tires for the front, but only found 100/100x18 for tubes. Is this the right size for the front wheel?