Commando Tyres

I fitted a pair of Avon Roadriders a few years ago having used TT100's for years. I found the Roadriders much nicer as my Commando did not wobble when going over white lines in the middle of the road. It's seemed to take less effort to lean the bike over in corners. I'm not sure if the grip is and better but I'm hooked on Roadriders. Production is shifting to Europe now but they will still be available. I also have them fitted to my modern Triumph as tubeless tyres.

I like Road-Riders a lot. There will always be some scratcher / track day specialist who swears by something else, but for ordinary road use they are affordable and easily available. Neutral steering, good grip and absolutely no hint of the white-lining / rain groove wiggles that TT100s were prone to...None of the choppy understeer on poor surfaces either. One of the best handling mods that can be made to a Commando.

In terms of size, that should depend on your rim widths. My wheels were built some time ago. If I was to do it now, I would go wider but on a WM2 front / WM3 rear, I run a 90/90 and a 100/90 (both are 19") I'm happy !

Hello Richard, I'm just about to put two new rims + Roadrider II's on my Interstate Mk2A and I think I've decided to go with the same WM2 front / WM3 rear, 90/90 / 100/90, both @ 19" combination that you have. (Currently 2 x WM2, 100/90 Roadrunner AM20 on the front and original 100/90 Roadrunner on rear, both @19".) This is after much reading on this forum etc.

I'm new to the Norton world so I was please to see that you favour this set up, but... you mention going wider. Would this be rims or tyres or both? I would appreciate your opinion.

Thanks   Roger

I have the same size rims and 90/90 & 100/90 Roadrider setup on my Mk2 Roadster. It suits me, and I much prefer the steering to how it was with a 100/90 front, but it's so much down to what suits the individual rider. One thing for sure, it's worth trying!

Thanks Richard, it's good to know I'm going in the right direction - literally!!!   R.

I used TT100s on my Commando and Rocket 3 for many years and got used to the 'quirks' which I accepted as normal. After reading about the Avon Roadriders, I fitted a pair to my Commando and the transformation was immediately noticeable - particularly the absence of 'white-lining' (which was very noticeable with the Dunlops) - the Avons just felt better in general. I never had chance to convert my BSA but I imagine the results may have been similar.

I've just had this info. from Avon/Goodyear. Any opinions on WM3 front and WM4 Rear???

A 90/90-19 52V TL ROADRIDER MK II F measuring and design rim is 2.15 x 19 . It can however be fitted to rims 1.85 – 2.50 x 19

A 100/90-19 57V TL ROADRIDER MK II F/R measuring and design rim is 2.50 x 19 . It can however be fitted to rims 2.15 – 2.75 x 19.

Although they are tubeless tyres it is permissible to fit the Roadrider to tube type rims to the above measurements. We advise using tubes designed for use in tubeless tyres

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks   Roger

PS. Infact if I'd looked properly on this forum I can see much debate re. WM4 etc. Sorry to have asked the same question again. I'm just keen to get it right but of course it isn't that clear cut.

Thanks again.

... manufacturers have been recommending wider rims to give more support to the tyre for many years now. 2.15 front and 2.50 rear is a good choice. If you went 18" then 2.50 front and 2.75 rear with 100/90 and 120/90 tyres would be even better. Unfortunately, your front mudguard will look odd with an 18" wheel.

I wouldn't go wider on tyres (been there, done that) but I would run the wider rims suggested by Avon as it allows the tyres to adopt a better cross-section form. WM3 and "WM4" (2.5") should be fine but I haven't tried it with 19" rims.

If you have the later front mudguard, introduced alongside the 4.10 tyre, then a 90/90 which is equivalent to a 3.60 does look a bit lost under it. I'm prepared to live with that for the steering but it's a personal choice. At the time I looked, there were no narrow front guards in stainless and in any case, on a Mk3, I needed rear stays only.

The original poster said he has Campbray Wheels. These are alloy wheels so there is no way to change rim widths without changing the wheels complete. I have Campbray Wheels on my Commando and use the Avons without a problem. I think they are WM2 front & WM3 rear and I use 90/90 front and 100/90 rear. They do look skinny but they grip well and the bike handles well. 

Personally I think wider tyres on a Commando spoil the lightweight feel of the bike. 

I don't think the stainless rims I'm planning for my bike come in WM4 but there's presumably no reason why not to go WM3 front and back???

I went the stainless replacement route from Devon Rims, I am delighted with them. WM2 19” front and rear on 100/90 road riders. Really happy with the ride, when I get out!!

They look just great. I've just had my rims back from Salisbury Wheel Builders (actually based in Ringwood and highly recommended). I'll post a picture when the new tyres are on.

Roger

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, the rear has been laced incorrectly. 

Sorry Ashley you"re wrong on this one. Rear wheel r/ h side, outer spoke faces backwards, l/h side  outer spoke faces forward . The rear wheel illustrated is correctly laced. I have several pair of Dommie wheels which have never been rebuilt since leaving the factory, they are all laced exactly as the wheel illustrated in the 'photo.

Approx 25 years ago I replaced the rims on my bracebridge st Norton. one  rim came from Central and could not be laced to the orriginal pattern as the drilling was different. The chrome was good. The second rim was old stock supplied by a local wheelbuilder who was retiring ,he laughed at my questions and said that central still had much to learn !. His old stock rim could be laced as the orriginal but the chrome was inferior. My impression is that Norton and AMC just did things differently  so earlier Norton and later AMC wheels will have a different spoking patterns  and I think that Central just do the later pattern and say its correct for all Nortons.I can't critisize Central too much as the chrome was better. I now have an orriginal spoking  pattern on my rear rim and a later pattern on the front.  But its just my gueswork.!.

Look at every modern Inc MK3 Commando motorcycle rear with spokes and you'll see they are different to the rear above, even off road and motocross tyres where they get punished. There are three reasons why they are laced like they are, the drive, braking and in the event of a broken spoke the wheel is more likely to survive with trailing outer spokes. 

Much like the MK3 front wheel whom some think it can be reversed to use the disc on the right hand. The hub uses the circlip so no problem there but your have now swapped the braking forces into the incorrect spoke set. Sadly there are 3 different original lacing patterns and varying spoke gauges for the MK3 front, one is correct, one is wrong, the other the very latest thankfully I've not seen would be dangerous though it makes lacing very easy, Norton was in receivership when that drawing was created.