Another avon cracked tire...

[hikermikem]

I was working on my son's 650GZ, and noticed the rear tire shows that nasty circumferential cracking all around the tire on both sides!!

It's another Avon Roadrider AM26 with about 1K on it. Didn't check the date code, but now I have to contact the shop where I bought it & hope they replace it...

The real shame is I just had the same tire mounted on the front, before I noticed the rear. I don't think I would have bought another Avon if I saw the rear first

I know there was a lot of posts about this problem a couple of months ago and I'm wondering if the suspect tires were ever bounded to a certain lot or date range?

Did any of these tires fail in use?? This one looks scary & i'm not too sure how long my son has been riding it - for all I know it was crackeed the day after it was mounted.

Mike

[lilbilly]

I mounted my Avons about 3 wks ago and have been watching them carefully, nothing yet though.

I do know that dennis Kirk will take them back and exchange them at least.

[hikermikem]

Just some follow-up info. The date code for this tire is 3806.

I bought the tire last August, 2008 - nearly 2 years after it was made...

Still waiting to hear back from the shop that sold me the tire.

[Griffin]

A three year old tire shouldn't crack like that. I've seen tires mounted on stored bikes that were ten or fifteen years old that weren't cracked.

They're defective. You should receive some kind of refund, either from the shop where they were purchased, or from Avon.

[zathros]

I was just going to order a pair of Avon's for my resurrection of my '83 GS750 but I am now put off by them. I am getting some I.R.C.'s, not really great tires but they have served me well,last long, and never cracked. The one on my bike now is 18 years old and still has no cracks.

[Griffin]

I was just going to order a pair of Avon's for my resurrection of my '83 GS750 but I am now put off by them. I am getting some I.R.C.'s, not really great tires but they have served me well,last long, and never cracked. The one on my bike now is 18 years old and still has no cracks.

I think IRC makes some pretty good tires. It's getting harder to find tires in certain sizes for our bikes, and I certainly wouldn't dismiss them if they were one of only a few options available for my bike.


I think it's important to remember that tire technology has progressed just like motorcycle technology has over the past thirty years. The least expensive tires currently made are much better than the best tires available when our bikes were new.

[lurch12_2000]

I have a new rear Avon Roadrider AM26 120/90-17 tire on my '82 GS1100E, with a manuf date of 2408, that I bought online from DennisKirk a few weeks ago.
I only have 150 miles on it, with speeds over 100mph and on some twisties. Looks fine, no cracking and I really like the slightly smaller profile for better handling, and it was $20 cheaper.
Granted, that's not many miles yet, but the tires I've ordered online over the last couple of years, have always been less than a year from manuf, inlcuding the Cheng Shin Hi-Maxx ones.

[TheCafeKid]

Over three thousand miles on my Avons, which were purchased fresh at the begining of the season, not a questionable wear mark on em. I will be doing about 2000 miles over the next week, so I will definately keep an eye on them...

[zathros]

Danbury Powersports is giving me IRC GS310's front and rear, mounted and balanced, out the door for $200 U.S. including 6% tax, that's the best deal I have found. I was running a Yamaha/Suzuki parts department when I.R.C. first came out. I always though they were a underrated tire. I have had god luck with them.

[reddirtrider]

I think IRC makes some pretty good tires. It's getting harder to find tires in certain sizes for our bikes, and I certainly wouldn't dismiss them if they were one of only a few options available for my bike.


I think it's important to remember that tire technology has progressed just like motorcycle technology has over the past thirty years. The least expensive tires currently made are much better than the best tires available when our bikes were new.

Interesting. Do you think that bias ply motorcycle tire technology has progressed? I know radials have, but bias ply? My guess is that they use the same molds and materials as they did at the start of production.

Possibly if the tire in question has just been developed, but most new tire technology is developed in conjunction with racing teams and they're all running radials now.

[Griffin]

Interesting. Do you think that bias ply motorcycle tire technology has progressed? I know radials have, but bias ply? My guess is that they use the same molds and materials as they did at the start of production.

Possibly if the tire in question has just been developed.

The compounds have definitely changed. Case in point is the Metzeler Lasertec tire that replaced the old Lasers. Same patterns, different compound, supposed to be both grippier and last longer.

Motorcycle bias-ply development continued strongly until the early-mid nineties. I'm sure it's tapered off considerably since then, but there is at least 10 -15 more years of heavy R&D into bias ply technology since the GS models were manufactured.

Think about the old bias-tire names from "back in the day". Avon Super-Venoms (my favorites at the time), Pirelli Strada, Bridgestone Mag-Mopus, Dunlop Elite, Metzeler Laser, etc.... All those tires are gone, but the companies that made them still offer bias-ply tires in all those sizes, but via newer designs.

I remember when I went from Super Venoms (couldn't get them anymore) to Battleax Bridgestones on my GS700. Wow. Night and day in grip and feel, big improvement. And the Bridgestones weren't considered to be top of the line sport tires like the Avons were.

They also lasted almost twice as long as the Avons, but that may have been somewhat influenced by my changing riding habits (getting old).

[Ola]

I just put on new Roadriders, count me amongst the concerned. Will check dates and tirewalls tomorrow.

[reddirtrider]

The compounds have definitely changed. Case in point is the Metzeler Lasertec tire that replaced the old Lasers. Same patterns, different compound, supposed to be both grippier and last longer.

Motorcycle bias-ply development continued strongly until the early-mid nineties. I'm sure it's tapered off considerably since then, but there is at least 10 -15 more years of heavy R&D into bias ply technology since the GS models were manufactured.

Think about the old bias-tire names from "back in the day". Avon Super-Venoms (my favorites at the time), Pirelli Strada, Bridgestone Mag-Mopus, Dunlop Elite, Metzeler Laser, etc.... All those tires are gone, but the companies that made them still offer bias-ply tires in all those sizes, but via newer designs.

I remember when I went from Super Venoms (couldn't get them anymore) to Battleax Bridgestones on my GS700. Wow. Night and day in grip and feel, big improvement. And the Bridgestones weren't considered to be top of the line sport tires like the Avons were.

They also lasted almost twice as long as the Avons, but that may have been somewhat influenced by my changing riding habits (getting old).

I learned something new today. I can now go back to sleep.

[zathros]

Well I went to Danbury Powersports to order the tires and they said I was mistaken about the price including mounting and balancing. I wonder why he thought I would give him $60 dollars more for the same tires I can get anywhere else. I had figured if they were going to do the mounting and balancing then it wouldn't be a bad deal. Oh Well.

I ended up ordering a pair of Kenda's K671 for the front and K657 for the rear. The price was $128.96, including shipping and handling (JCWhitney). I will mount them myself and balance them too. So I saved $70 dollars. They quoted me a price of $35 dollars per wheel to mount and balance (@ DanburyPowersports) but when I got their the service rep said it could be up to $45 per tire. I asked him what was $35 or $45. He said i don't know yet. What does that mean.

I don't need anything fancy. I just plan to take my 9 year old son for some smooth and easy country rides, nothing crazy at all, not with the responsiblities I have.