16 inch tires are getting hard to find!

[fjbiker84]

After looking through a few past discussions on availability of 16 inch tires I went shopping this morning.  To my disappointment the Avon AV45s and 46s are no longer available and most brands only offer either the 150/80v16 rear or 120/80v16 front but not both.  Fortunately the Pirelli Sport Demon is available in both front and back (thanks to AviationFred for the link at Motorcycle Superstore) but even those look to be almost out of stock. If you have an 84 or 85 with the 16 inch tires I recommend you stock up now.

[FJmonkey]

Or bite the bullet and upgrade to 17"...

[Alf]

Avon have replaced AV46 with the new 3D Ultra Xtreme, available in 150/80/16. The problem is the front, yes

Dont fot that Pirelli Demons. Thats the worst tyre that you could fit. It was excellent 30 years ago in my RD 350, but those were a bad election even then fitted in our FJ. The tyre flex even at moderate speeds and destroys the handling

[FJ1100mjk]

Or bite the bullet and upgrade to 17"...

Or jack up the gas cap, and put a bike under it that already has 17" wheels on it. 

[bigbore2]

Randy spoke with Avon recently and he told me Avon probably will make the 120/80-16 in the 3D Ultra Extreme but were waiting for the AV45 front to run out first.

[bigbore2]

Still listed at American Motorcycle Tire- AV45 front  $110   the pic is of a rear tire though

By the time one wears out, we will all know if we have to go to 17".
   
I got 11,000 mi on my last one, and I just mounted a new AV45.

[red]

Just sayin'  . . . the stock FJ front forks and brakes are not prizes, either.  I'm also not a fan of the stock handlebars.  With all the odd parts and pieces needed to make the front wheel become a 17" size, I just want to find a complete and compatible bike front end assembly (wheel, brakes, axle, forks, triple tree, handlebars, brake line, et c.) on eBay.  That entire assembly could be a real bargain, and an easy fit, when the time comes.  The newer and stronger all that stuff is, the better.  Then I can change what goes into the steering head completely, all in one move.  I might even spring for that new GPS speedometer, which looks just like a factory stock instrument, while I'm doing this swap.  I could sell the leftover parts on eBay too, just to cut down the costs a little more.

16" rear tires are not so scarce, so I could probably hold off changing that part for a good while yet.

Cheers,
Red

[jscgdunn]

Red,
Easiest for your bike would be later model FJ forks and wheel.  Later model calipers or blue spots...both work good.  I understand forks can be improved quite a bit with cartridges, especially RPM ones.  Next easy option is YZF 600 (98 vintage).  Triple tree from the 600 is bolt on and forks are cartridge type; in this case you get a 3.5 inch wide wheel.  Rear wheel/brake stay from the 600 needs a bit of machining. but you can run 170 tire.

[FeralRdr]

Avon have replaced AV46 with the new 3D Ultra Xtreme, available in 150/80/16. The problem is the front, yes

Dont fot that Pirelli Demons. Thats the worst tyre that you could fit. It was excellent 30 years ago in my RD 350, but those were a bad election even then fitted in our FJ. The tyre flex even at moderate speeds and destroys the handling

I disagree Alf.  I found the Sport Demons to work great on my '87 and really liked them.  I found them to have great feel, and excellent grip.  My only real complaint was that they didn't last very long ( only 4400 miles/7000 KM's).

I can only assume that the difference in our experiences with the Sport Demons, is probably due to our differences in: riding styles, comfort/competency levels, individual weight, suspension setup, and maybe even tire pressures. 

[Alf]

 

Curious,yes!

But that feelings are not only mine. Near every FJ owner that I know in Spain agree with me, because the Demons are the cheapest tyres available and these are the usual fitting in most buyed second-hand FJ. When the owners contact with our group and test another tyres... well, I dont know anyone returning to the Demons (being half of the price of the next cheapest tyre, so it is a BIG incentive)

[FeralRdr]

I would just assume that you probably ride at a higher comfort/competency level than I do Alf. 

As such, you probably would run into the limitations of any tire before I ever would.   

To be clear, I don't question that the tire doesn't meet your needs (obviously by quite a bit.), and as such is an inappropriate choice for you.  Nor do I question that many other folks in your local region feel the same way.  Tire selection is a bit of a subjective issue.   My key point is that even though a certain tire may not be a good choice for some folks, it may be just fine for others.

My key advice to anybody looking for a good tire, is to try as many of the tires out as possible.  Eventually you will find what works best for you. 

[Alf]

I would just assume that you probably ride at a higher comfort/competency level than I do Alf. 

sorry, but the level is irrelevant, I think. The rear tyre flex above 100-120 kph. And in a panic braking, you NEED the best front tyre available

My key point is that even though a certain tire may not be a good choice for some folks, it may be just fine for others.

I agree with you speaking about modern radial tyres. The differences between i.e. Avon Ultra or Dunlops Streetsmarts are most part of them due to the rider and his level/style of riding, but both are above the level of competence of the 90% of this forum members (or any member of any forum,  ), I think. But with a 30 years old design tyre, I'm not so convinced 

My key advice to anybody looking for a good tire, is to try as many of the tires out as possible.  Eventually you will find what works best for you. 

[Sparky84]

Randy spoke with Avon recently and he told me Avon probably will make the 120/80-16 in the 3D Ultra Extreme but were waiting for the AV45 front to run out first.

I'd hope that it was about the Avon 3D X-M AV65 in 16" to go with the AV66 for the rear that they already make

Cheers Alan

[Neoday2]

Speaking of the Avon 3D X-M - I just finished my first season on them, handled well enough and actually wore out the front before the rear, at about 11,500 miles.  The front tire has 400 more miles on it but the rear probably has at least another 1-2k before I am down to the wear bars.  I was not super heavy on the throttle all the time but this did include two rallies and a lot of touring. I'll be putting them on my bike again for next summer.

And now I know I can not worry about wearing out the rear tire as much   

[whyzee79]

You can still get BT-45 battleaxe in 16"   Are these any good?