I have a 1974 BMW R90/6 it uses a 400 x 18 on the rear tire
I was running a Heidenau tire or the rear and it is getting close to needing a new one
Does anybody have experience or opinions on the tire to use ? So far I found I can get Heidenau, Duro, IRC, Dunlop K70 or Metzeler Block C
Heidenau offers a square profile tire in your size. Metzler does as well but it is not the block C it is the block K
In general I have found square profile tires not to really last much longer however especially on the front I have seen them shorten braking distance.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
The Heidenau is a good tire and so is the Metzeler, but in a 4.00x18 my first choice would be a Avon Safety Mileage MKII Rear Tire. I've not used one myself, but I have a friend who put one on his BMW rig in England (it was a 4.00x19) then proceeded to drive it across Europe, Russia and Siberia. Then he shipped his rig here and rode it from Tacoma to Florida before shipping the rig back to England. All on that one tire! Now, full disclosure, he was running it on the front (not the rear) of his R100 rig, but this rig was fully loaded for a RTW trip, and his wife was also on board!
Here's a pic he took in Mongolia where you can clearly see the tire--
Have owned 5 rigs but Rig #2 is my current one!
This is as much a question than a suggestion. I have a couple of those Firestone tires found on a lot of resto-builds. Personally I think they look hideous on those builds, but thought they might be ideal for sidecar duty?
JAy
Is it the K60 in Heidenau that is a square profile ?
The Heidenau K60 is a round profile moto tire. Also known as the "Scout".
The Heidenau square tire you want is the K28. Pic---->
Have owned 5 rigs but Rig #2 is my current one!
Anybody running the Avon AM26 Roadrider Front tire on their BMW sidecar rigs. I've seen that one recommend on other posts for the front tire on a sidecar rig, not necessarily a BMW.. It is a conventional m/c tire. I have K blocks front and back and looking for something a bit less twitchy for the front.
Cycleman, the Avon AM26 is a good tire but it's tubeless. If you're running a Block K now, then I assume you should only be looking for tube-type tires?
If you want something that's less twitchy to steer with, but in a tube-type style, you don't necessarily have to go all the way from square to round. A "squarish-ish" tire that does NOT have a hard shoulder on the tread face might be just the ticket. Look around the web for tires with a soft rounded shoulder in your size. Don't know what you need but, for instance, here's an Avon SM Mark II in 3.50x19 that is kinda like what I'm talking about---->
And here's a Dunlop K70 in the same size ---->
Have owned 5 rigs but Rig #2 is my current one!
Bike is a 95 BMW R100RT with a sidecar. Bike has the stock cast wheels so it will take a tubeless tire, even though the K Blocks currently have a tube inside. The advantage of the Avon is that some of them can be run front and rear. I'd like to try something different on the front. Thanks for the suggestions.
Cycleman, let us know how they work out on your RT!
Have owned 5 rigs but Rig #2 is my current one!
Will do once I change, likely early in the fall. I'd thought I could go with a 110/90x18 on the front but measuring the difference between the bolt heads on the unit front end, they would be very close to touching so will likely stay with a 100/90x18, likely in a tubeless, makes life easier with quick flat fixes. A 400 tire width equates to 101 mm, so that should work.
Update. I went with a Kenna 657 100/90X18 on the front. Supposed to be a 6 ply tire and one other fellow liked them on his goldwing rig. So worth a try. Too cold and too much snow to even think of riding but I'm curious to see how it works. This size is one size bigger than the bike calls for.
I still have the K block on the rear but it is due to be replaced. These old airheads with the 18" wheels can be a touch difficult to find tires and it is a bit of trial and error. None seem to last very long on the rear. I couldn't get the K blocks up here in 18" size.
The Kenda K657 Challenger is a tubeless design. I'm assuming you're gonna use it with a tube? Should work OK--the only thing is that a tubeless bead is a different shape than a tube-type shape and won't seat 100% properly in your rim. But it's a fairly insignificant difference, and the bead is rubber so it will conform somewhat to whatever rim you put it on. Just don't take any passengers for the first few hundred miles until you are sure that the tire will clench the rim OK and not become unseated on those hard lefts.
Have owned 5 rigs but Rig #2 is my current one!
Has anyone ordered a Metzeler 4.00 X 18 Block K and the tread width is only 3.50?Is this just a typo or are all of them like this?Referring to the pic the tyre on the left is the Metzeler Block K 4.00 X 18 and the other is a Heidenau K28 4.00 X 18.
Thanks
David van der Schyff
Cape Town,South Africa.
The Block K has been used extensively over the years and been around a long time. It has been mounted with a tube and without even though it is a tube type tire. Cannot recommend mounting it tubeless due to that. From my experience with they they wear well and last a long time is your setup is good. Traction can be iffy if pushed hard but it is predictable with no real suprises once you know the limits. This is not a negative statement just felt it should be mentioned.
