Guys, I am building a custom bike and am looking for off road tyres which are still road legal. Obvious concerns are clearance with the swingarm. Any suggestions please?

Hi there! It kind of depends on how chunky you are after.

I have run dual sport tyres on my K75 standard wheels for around 50,000kms and am very happy with them. The photo below is an Avon Trailrider 140/80 x 17 which is a size up from the standard 130/90 x 17 tyre size.


The most chunky looking tyre you could use would probably be a Continental TKC 80 and I think one of the European members used them on a custom K100. They are more dirt oriented than mine and may suffer in higher wear and lower roadholding on sealed roads however if your custom is not expected to go touring or high speed/wet cornering then they may suit your purpose. I have read on adventure forums that the TKC80 performs very well on sealed roads despite its tread pattern.
They are available in rear 140/80 x 17 but on the front you would likely have to fit a rear 110/80 x 18 and mount it in reverse to the direction arrow.

Here is a link to the Continental site.

Cheers

I was looking at the TKC80 but ruled it out because they dont do a dedicated front but the idea of turning a rear backwsrds is great! The other is the Anakee Wild. 

Thanks 

Paul

Just for my own knowledge really, if you turn the front tyre around I assume you get better braking but less traction on pull away, as it's the rear wheel that drives it would this lead to front end lift or is it just to minimal to notice? I also brake heavily on my rear rather than my front so would this have an effect?

As said, I just trying to build up my own knowledge, there was a great piece on this forum somewhere all about tyres (choices, sizes etc) well worth a read, my son is just entering the bike world on a 125cc and I printed it out for him to read.

Dave

Im not overly sure to be honest, the one I I an currently building is more of a custom (maybe 500 miles per year) so I guess It is alittle less important but good to know about.

I had heard anecdotal stories for many years that people had fitted a rear tyre to a front or front tyre to the rear by fitting the tyre in reverse direction to the arrow. Also I had seen some Shinko tyres that were stated as front or rear fitment with arrows on the sidewall indicating opposite direction fitment for front and rear wheels.

When I decided on dual sport tyres for my slightly customised K75 I did some more research and found what I was looking for on the Avon Tyres  website FAQs, read the first comment in the link below. The first sentence is obviously an indemnity statement, but the explanation following was what I had been looking for.

I have since been running a rear 110/80 x 18 Avon Trailrider on the front for 28,000 km (the one tyre) without the slightest handling issue in wet or dry conditions. Naturally when running in town under about 50km/hr you can feel the slight vibration of the chunky tyres and I assume it would be the same for any chunky tyre. This tyre will be removed at about 32,000 km along with the 2nd rear of this same type.

Avon FAQs

Cheers

Paul, I have also remembered another option for you in chunky tyres, the Heidenau K60. They are available in 140/80 x 17 rear and 110/80 x 18 as a front or rear fitment.

Look here.

Cheers

Gaz wrote:Paul, I have also remembered another option for you in chunky tyres, the Heidenau K60 . . .and 110/80 x 18 as a front or rear fitment.

The 110-18 will need a tube. K60s get reasonable reviews for wet pavement handling–not all chunky tires do. Heidenau corporate asserted the 110-18 would work on the K's front rim when I inquired about it a couple of years ago. At 500 miles a year, they should be good for your bike, Paul—for five years anyway.