850 LeMans 1 tires and other questions from a new owner

[speedyg]

Avon AM26 Roadriders on my 78 le mans and 83 MkIII le mans.
Work great on both.

BTW, great purchase, good investment, you won't regret it, glad to see you are putting on the road. Enjoy the ride(s).   

[wicks]

Running Avons requires the use of a front tire on the rear basically yes? That's all I'm finding looking them up. A universal front+rear tire.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Running Avons requires the use of a front tire on the rear basically yes? That's all I'm finding looking them up. A universal front+rear tire.

The Avon AM26 is a front/rear tire in some sizes, 100/90-18 and 110/90-18 being two of them. The 130/80-17 I just put on my V7 Stone was not.

[PeteS]

Keep the brake pads, change the brake fluid DOT4. The original pads were asbestos. New pads either won't stop as well or abrade the disks. The best tires I ever ran on my LeMans were Avon Super Venoms. Not sure any of the new Avons are comparible though. Keep the tire sizes close to original. The early 850s have the short swingarm and shocks. Its the quickest turning Tonti. Its like a bicycle compared to the later Tontis. Putting wider tires just slows the turning.

Pete

[Swedemoto]

FWIW, I'm running the radial Conti Classik Attack's on the CX. I can't compare against another tire and I'm not dragging a knee, but the feel is good.

[wicks]

Thanks all and thanks PeteS - good advice there, will use the 110/100 tire sizing, definitely like to tip into turns without getting into a wrestling match.

[Tusayan]

I am taking the Ferry from Bar to Bari tonight then up the Adriatic coast of Italy. Many years ago I drove the coast from Montenegro to Croatia, spectacular! S

As you probably understand, the Adriatic coast is the least entertaining motorcycling in Italy, completely unlike the Croatian coast for some reason.  Go inland a bit for entertaining motorcycling.  The coastal strip from Bari to Ancona and north is not a motorcycling hot zone

I took the ferry to Ancona this year and heading west from there enjoyed the Gran Sasso for the first time - snow in the mountains east of Rome in June!  Umbria is also wonderful a bit further north.

Sorry for the thread drift.

On topic - keep the original tires for future display use.  Seeing them in the advert provoked massive nostalgia...  it’s amazing to think the bike had original tires after 42 years.

[canuck750]

Sorry for thread drift


I gave up on the Adriatic coast of Italy and headed back south and rode to the Amalfi coast, rode up to Sorento today, heck of a road!