What are the best tires money can buy for the stock rims on a 79 KZ650? No I am not upgrading to 17' wheels. Tire sizes are Front 19 x 1.85 and Rear 18 x 2.15
The Avon Super Venom cantilever bead model that has "VB" in the size nomenclature for the rear. I think it is 130VB18. It is a slightly wider width tire designed to work on race bikes with skinny vintage rims. I think it is an AM21, 22, or 23, I cant remember. Then pick a corresponding front tire. Take note that Avon has a totally separate website for their motorcycle race bike tires. If you are on their website and you see their street bike tire range, it is the wrong website. You should be able to Google search it without much difficulty.
What about these tires? https://www.sportbiketrackgear.com/continental-conti-classic-attack-rear-tires/
If you are looking for street tires to run on the track, the Pirelli Sport Demon give the fastest lap times, but wears the fastest. On these, you are forced to go up one size from recommend if I recall, basing this on the fact that you likely have 2.15-18 & 1.85-19 rims. 90/90-19 or 100/90-19 would be preferred on front, 110/90-18 or 4.00-18 on rear. Our whole circle of friends with vintage 1970s Japanese street bikes generally all run Shinko 230 tires on our street bikes, 100/90-19 or 18 front, 110/90-18 or 120/90-18 rear (120 fits well on 2.15). They wear very fast, but the rubber quality is phenomenal for the price, grips 90% as good as the Pirelli, better than the Avon Street tires, even better than the Bridgestone Battlax BT45V with the SACT dual compound rear. Those Bridgestone's are the other of the more expensive popular street tires. Also, probably the #1 performance street tire that you would want to check out for your purposes would be the Continental Classic Attack, it is made in the exact sizes for your rims, AND NO OTHER SIZES! They reportedly only lasts about 3,000 miles, so they may be the next best choice to race tires for you. I have no personal experience with these, dig around on the internet and check to see if they are suitable. Best of luck, Chuck in Columbus Ohio
Ahhhh.... Someone beat me to it posting in the Continental classic attack while I was typing it! Yeah, I think that or the Avon race tires would be your best bet. I wouldn't discount the Shinko bias-ply tires though, they are really really really great for the price oh, but the classic attack radial will be better I would imagine
I ordered the Conti Attacks from Sportbiketrackgear.com The guys were super helpful as always and even though I shopped around I could not find a better price. If the tires aren't good enough after testing at a couple trackdays we will try something different.
Please update this thread once you have ridden on them, let me know how they do, I am really curious about these.
No, No, No...if you are going to run your kz650 at Grattan, you need to use Shinko's with 48 psi. and route your crank case overflow line to the rear tire. That's the ideal set up. Ahh...who am I kidding, you'll still beat me.
Oh crap! I didn't see that someone ACTUALLY recommended Shinko's earlier in the thread. I was just saying to use them as a joke because they've always been a crap tire...lol Maybe they work for your requested application?
We've met in passing at Grattan thru mutual aquaintances...you wouldn't know me by name. A few months back you asked a certain "Tire Guy" what to run and he actually called me because he knew I was riding a kz650. I told him to tell you to look at Continentals if you kept the OEM size wheels. I'm not sure if he passed it along or not. Regards, Chad
