1959 Dominator tyres

Previously peter_gibson wrote:

Hi all

I'm restoring a 1959 99 and was wondering which tyres people recommend these days,the manual says TT100 front and rear but they look a bit junkey I won't be racing but don't want it to look like it should have a sidecar attached yet still want to have that classic look.

Hi Peter, If ever you get the chance to watch a mere lad of 80+ use a 650ss norton and leave a lot of others standing at Cadwell Park, see Colin Gammidge at Beezumph, Morini riders club, etc, using tt100's!! I use them and have the marks on the exhausts!

Tery

Previously peter_gibson wrote:

Hi all

I'm restoring a 1959 99 and was wondering which tyres people recommend these days,the manual says TT100 front and rear but they look a bit junkey I won't be racing but don't want it to look like it should have a sidecar attached yet still want to have that classic look.

Hi Peter,

I have a 99 from '59 too, which I have now for ca. 19 years and have done a lot of miles on it since than. In the summer I am using it as my all day bike and do long holiday travelling on it. It is such a great bike! (In my very humbled opinion, the Wideline 99 is the best bike Norton ever build...)

I used a combination of a classical Metzler front tire and a TT 100 on the rear after I finished restoring the bike and was quite happy with this. So a TT 100 is not really a bad choice for a 99. They look classic, will have definitely modern rubber compounds nowadays, and if you hit a gravel track somewhere on your journey â you will love the deep profile.

But travelling a lot with the bike and like fast cornering because of the superb handling, I was always on the look after modern tires which would fit. The Problem with a standard Wideline frame are the pretty narrow spaces for tires at the fork an especially in the swinging arm. Most modern tires won't fit there â even if you can get one in 19â for the rear wheel. Going down to 18â was never an option for me.

Since a couple of years now I am using Avon Roadrider AM 26 on front and rear wheel and I am completely satisfied with them. They have very good grip in any situation and weather and the handling, especially cornering, is (feels?) more flexible. I my opinion a very good tire to get out the best of the Featherbed Frame. You can get them in 19â without a problem and they fit right into the swinging arm and the fork.

The only drawback might be that they wear quite fast. I have to change the rear tire every year and the front tire every second. But as I am doing a lot of miles per year, they might live longer on other motorcycles.

Oh, yes, if you try them out â use a much higher tire pressure than recommended in the handbook (as with every modern rubber compound). I am using 2,5 bar on the front and 3,00 bar at the rear, I don't know what that is in PSI. That fits well for me, but I have to admit that I like a relatively hard and stiff response from street surface via the tires. I don't feel safe having a âcomfortable rideâ...

On the Commando I have the same tires with much a lower pressure, which fits better to this bike.

Greetings from a cold and wet Bremen

Bernd LienstÃ?dt

Previously peter_gibson wrote:

Hi all

I'm restoring a 1959 99 and was wondering which tyres people recommend these days,the manual says TT100 front and rear but they look a bit junkey I won't be racing but don't want it to look like it should have a sidecar attached yet still want to have that classic look.

well why not try out Mitas tyres on ebay there a copy of dunlop k70 but made in Indian rubber good stuff 300x19 front and 3.50 x19 rear fit the ride there has good has any other tyres out the and cost less yours anna j

1 bar = 14.7 psi, so 3.00 bar = 44.1 psi. Rather high considering the book pressure for the rear tyre of a 99 is 22 psi (front 25 psi). Roadriders are good - I have them on my BSA. My 99 has an Avon Speedmaster 3.00 x 19 on the front, 3.50 x19 SM Mk II on the back, 25 psi in each. Works well for me with good grip wet and dry. I did find with TT100s on the back that they were skittery in the wet. Good for racing though, way back in my impetuous youthful days.

Book pressures are 50 years out of date from the materials used today.The best place to get the correct information would be from the manufacturer and Avon arevery helpful. Iuse Avon Roadriders on the Dommie and like them but I've also used Dunlop TT100s on the Trident and liked them equally as much. I emailed Avon about what pressures to use with Roadriderson my 99 and was told 29psi front and 33psi rear. On their website they give a more general view on tyres used for classic bikes like the Avon safety milage and Speedmaster,http://www.avon-tyres.co.uk/motorcycle"Due tothe modern materials used in the construction of these tyres, we normally recommend 25-28 psi front and 28-34 psi rear."

Something else to bear in mind the Avon SM is about 2" bigger in diameter than the modern equivalents so you will find the gearing is lowered if go modern . Also the bike will sit down a bit at the back which could make a slow steering bike even slower. Against that the stands may be more effective and the saddle height will be an inch lower.

Previously peter_gibson wrote:

I'm thinking of going for Avon speed master on front and Avon AM9 on rear any thoughts on this combination.

Yes, same advice as my previous post, ask those that know the answer: the manufacturers. As for overall tyre sizes, they are all on the Avon website.

A little bit on tyre pressures. Avon are quoted giving a general recommendation: "Due tothe modern materials used in the construction of these tyres, we normally recommend 25-28 psi front and 28-34 psi rear."

This is of course a generalisation. The original recommended pressures for a 99 were 25 front, 22 rear. It is accepted these days that slightly higher pressures are recommended - say 3 psi. That would give 28 front, 25 rear, not far from the 25/25 which I use. Bear in mind that with relatively unsophisticated short-travel suspension systems, tyre deflection is a necessary contributor to roadholding. Over-inflated tyresreduce this contribution resulting in a machine which can be a bit prone to skitter outwards on bends. This is particularly the case on rigid framed bikes. Quite fun to watch if you areriding behind. Less fun if you are on the outside of them on the bend.

Hi again Peter, not the correct link, but cannot seem to get onto the classified section to reply - again try FredWilliams for the tank strap, he supplied me with a stainless one, and it is excellent!

good luck - regards Terry

Hello Peter - I've got a 1962 650Ss with TT100's front and rear. The 3.60 X19 on the front was a real problem to fit. The nuts and curved spacer arrangement from the mudguard lower bracket mountings fouled with the tyre. I got round it just by turning the bolts etc around - so the nuts are now outside the guard. Looks a bit awkward but now I've but a capped nuts on it doesn't look as bad. There is no problem at all with the 4.10 X19 on the rear. On my Mercury I run a Speedmaster 3.00 X19 on the front and a Roadrunner 4.10 X19 at the rear. The Mercury steers much lighter than the SS and I prefer it around town but out on the open road the SS feels more stable - however both are really very good in slightly different ways. Cheers and good luck, Howard