help needed with tires

What radial tire will fit a 19" - 2.15" rim? I'd like to convert my 78 to radial tires instead of bias ply and keep the stock rim sizes. I can't find one...

EDIT: I think I found some - the Azaro ST looks to be compatible. I don't think they offered those a couple of years back. Or maybe I just couldn't find anyone that carried them.

Can only find a 110 width though, 120 requires min of 2.75" wide.

This is an Avon AM-20 90-90-19. You can go with an Avon AM-26 100-90-19 if you want something a bit more substantial.

AM20 isn't a radial, is it?

Actually it is of radial construction.

they're pretty good...i did some wet on em the other day and they were like really really good......no complaints....and they also dont seem to be prone to checking or cupping...look the same as day one on both edges of the rain grooves....that is where i normaly pull an edge up from cornering hard....

Avon has a different stile of "belting" than the classic radial construction tires. So in the "technical" sense they are not radials but in the "true" sense they are even better. Radial designates how the weave of the cords is arranged inside the tire. Avon has a composite mesh cord that eliminates the classic cord construction.

I think you'll find those are actually bias ply.

The Tire Construction, when included in the size numbering, is listed after the speed rating. The two options for tire construction are Belted ( B ) or Radial (R). A belted tire has fiberglass, Kevlar, or aramid fiber belts for added strength and load capacity, however not all belted tires will have the B designation. If a tire does not have the Radial (R) designation, it is a bias-ply tire.

That's a quick and easy way to tell.

Here's a very informational link on tires:

www.denniskirk.com/jsp/tpl/tire/tiresizeexplain.jsp

Edit: Just saw your post - now we're on the same page.

By the way, the main reason I'm so concerned with the details is that I've been told that mixing radials and bias ply tires can be deadly. I've personally seen the effects on a car and don't care to on a motorcycle.

One thing I've found on the radials - they have much stronger side walls so they can be made with a much lower profile. The catch is that a lower profile requires a much wider rim to properly support the tire. We're pretty much stuck with the high profile tires on our stock rims.

Just went to look My AM-20 has a big "R" after the speed rating.

How are your eyes? Maybe it's a "B"? Just kidding!! :laugh: They don't show the R on the web page I was looking at - that's why I asked.

Have you heard that it's bad to mix bias and radial?

79MKII wrote:

By the way, the main reason I'm so concerned with the details is that I've been told that mixing radials and bias ply tires can be deadly. I've personally seen the effects on a car and don't care to on a motorcycle.

One thing I've found on the radials - they have much stronger side walls so they can be made with a much lower profile. The catch is that a lower profile requires a much wider rim to properly support the tire. We're pretty much stuck with the high profile tires on our stock rims.

You are right about the mixing. In motorcycles you have two more "Mixing" concerns and that is Compound and Tread. They must also match. The AM-20,21,26,41,42 can all be mixed and matched.

I've never seen a small width radial. All the tires we use, like the Battlax, Dunlop 501, continental in sizes for KZs, the roadriders we've mentioned, the metzler lazers are all still bias ply tires. Original inch size tires on KZs were all 100% aspect. 4.00-18, 3.25-19 ect are always 100% aspect. I've yet to see a radial in 120/90, 120/80 type sizes. AM20 and 21 are not listed as radial, roadriders for definate sure are not, Dunlop D404, D401 ect are definately not radial, may not even be belted. Basically a big bicycle tire in some of these. There may be some 80 aspect radials, but for the most part modern motorcycles use wide tires in 60 to 70 aspect or less in many cases.