Original Tires

Elvis13 · May 14, 2009

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am new to the websight and the BMW OA, I have a 1975 R90/6 and was wondering what brand of tires came on these bikes from the factory? No big deal I was just curious as I restore my bike, I would like it to have the same brand of tires it came with from Germany. Many thanks in advance.

Elvis

20774 · May 14, 2009

Most likely Continentals, RB2 and K112.

pglaves · May 14, 2009

Still available if you want 1970 tire technology.

gregfeeler · May 14, 2009

PGlaves said:
Still available if you want 1970 tire technology.

IMHO, the Conti's of that day were sub-standard even in the 70's. I hated them. :brow

bikerfish1100 · May 14, 2009

if you gave me a set of those Contis, even brand new, you could expect to see them used as planters around the yard.

Elvis13 · May 14, 2009

I don't want 70's techno, :nono

, I had just thought I would put on a proper tire but if conti's are that bad i will forgo using them and just be a little off on the resto. THank you all for your info and insight.

BTW, What do you all suggest?

shire2000 · May 14, 2009

You might want to check further. A lot of BMWs of that era came with Metzlers. I know that almost all /7s from 1978 on came with them.

gregfeeler · May 14, 2009

Elvis13 said:
I don't want 70's techno, , I had just thought I would put on a proper tire but if conti's are that bad i will forgo using them and just be a little off on the resto. THank you all for your info and insight.

BTW, What do you all suggest?

If you are going to ride the bike, then maybe you should look at Avon Roadriders. Modern tire design getting some pretty good reports - and available in the original "inch" sizes so you don't have to make the conversion to metric sizes like with Michelin and Metzeler (which are also good tires).

http://www.avon-tyres.co.uk/motorcycle/?page=tyres&method=showtyre&id=6

20774 · May 15, 2009

shire2000 said:
You might want to check further. A lot of BMWs of that era came with Metzlers. I know that almost all /7s from 1978 on came with them.

My /7 came with Contis on it, although I was second owner and it had 13K miles on it.

Check this sales brochure out from 1975...I can see at least two different tires in the pictures. The main picture up front looks very much like Continentals.

http://www.beemergarage.com/documents/bmw1975.pdf

The tires in this 1977 brochure also appear to be Continentals.

http://www.beemergarage.com/documents/bmw1977.pdf

I did find a service bulletin dated October 1980 which indicates that Metzler was an approved tire. I starts out by saying "In addition to the previously approved tires of the Michelin Tire Co. (see S.I. No. 36 007 78 (079R)...". This S.I. spoke specifically about winter tires, though, for use in winter months and off-road situations. The October bulletin goes on to say due to the width of these new approved tires, the /6 and /7 bikes should have the wider fork braces installed.

This doesn't necessarily prove anything, just that this was most likely the most common tire, based upon the photos. The original post was about a '75 model as to what came with it originally. I get the impression that the Metzler tire was added as an approved tire somewhat after the fact.

bikerfish1100 · May 15, 2009

shire2000 said:
I know that almost all /7s from 1978 on came with them.

i know that 100% (that would be "both of them") of the '78s that i owned back then came with Contis from the dealer. Still does not make them a good option.

rbleau · May 15, 2009

Contis

Clever me - I bought new Contis for the authentic look....hard rubber, poor grip, expensive, scary on polished concrete in a slow right hand turn...for example. Next time, Bridgestone Spitfires.

R80RTJohnny · May 16, 2009

20774 said:
My /7 came with Contis on it, although I was second owner and it had 13K miles on it.

Check this sales brochure out from 1975...I can see at least two different tires in the pictures. The main picture up front looks very much like Continentals.

http://www.beemergarage.com/documents/bmw1975.pdf

The tires in this 1977 brochure also appear to be Continentals.

http://www.beemergarage.com/documents/bmw1977.pdf

I did find a service bulletin dated October 1980 which indicates that Metzler was an approved tire. I starts out by saying "In addition to the previously approved tires of the Michelin Tire Co. (see S.I. No. 36 007 78 (079R)...". This S.I. spoke specifically about winter tires, though, for use in winter months and off-road situations. The October bulletin goes on to say due to the width of these new approved tires, the /6 and /7 bikes should have the wider fork braces installed.

This doesn't necessarily prove anything, just that this was most likely the most common tire, based upon the photos. The original post was about a '75 model as to what came with it originally. I get the impression that the Metzler tire was added as an approved tire somewhat after the fact.

Great post. Very nice of you to include those superb links.

orbitangel · May 16, 2009

Conti "Twins"

Elvis13 said:
Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am new to the websight and the BMW OA, I have a 1975 R90/6 and was wondering what brand of tires came on these bikes from the factory? No big deal I was just curious as I restore my bike, I would like it to have the same brand of tires it came with from Germany. Many thanks in advance.

Elvis

Elvis - I will have to second the predominant emotion you have already heard several times. The Conti "Twins" (K112/RB2) were crap thirty years ago and they are crap today. There are many good "modern" tire options nowadays.

You wrote: "I would like it to have the same brand of tires it came with from Germany."

I just bought a set for a customer who wanted "original." The new ones I ordered have the reassuring words "Made in Korea" molded into the sidewalls. They run about three hundred bucks for the pair.

If all you care about is an "original look" go ahead and get the Contis.

If you care about traction and handling, look elsewhere.

I have ridden over 100K miles on Conti "Twins." (Mostly, 30 years ago.)

If somebody handed me a brand-new pair of these tires I'd make them into two nice rope swings.

There are a LOT of tire posts in this forum. Do your homework.

Good luck!

Brettendress · May 16, 2009

I agree with looking at the Avon's. I got a set from southwest moto tires .com for my 1970 /5 WOW, old looking tires with new tire technology and they make this bike so much more fun to ride. The only thing is that you need to tell them you want current tires. My ties had to have been in storage for a while and the front spider webbed on the sides the first year. I never complained and I still ride on it but should replace it again and I will definatly use these tires again. Not a bust on SWMoto I have received 30-40 tires from them all without problems and I'm sure if I brought this to there attention they would have made it right.

Brett Endress
Altoona Pa

amiles · May 16, 2009

My /6 came from the factory with Metzlers. Today, the variety of tires in 3.25 x 19 and 4.00 x18 are getting pretty slim. Metric "equivalent" sizes are more prolific, but are not quite the same profile, in fact tires from different manufacturers often have different profiles within the same indicated size.

Conti and Michillin both sell the "proper" size as above. Other brands are avaliable in the metric equivalent. I must be a terrible rider because I have tried several and have really just noted mileage as the most notable difference.

Reportedly in Europe a wider variety of our size tires are available. I have no personal knowledge of the truth of this.

47512 · May 16, 2009

Michelin McAdams come in the correct sizes for the old bikes, and unless you are a road racer they work just fine, reasonable price, reasonable milage. And much better than the new/old Continentals. A 100/90 is the metric size for the front, a110/90 for the rear. A 400, is alittle taller as it is a 100 aspect ratio tire, same height as width, a110/90 is alittle wider but not as tall, 90% as high as it is wide.

I have seen 120's on BMW's but I think they are alittle too wide for the rim and sometimes will rub on the driveshaft tube.

Ken G.

169347 · May 16, 2009

The Cycle World test bikes of 1974 had Metzeler Rille 3.25x19 on the front and C-Block 4.00x18 on the rear, the same as my '71 R75 and '72 R60 came shod with. Although I'm not positive, they seemed to have switched to Continentals by 1976.

Woodgrain

swall · May 17, 2009

Same tires that my '75 R90S came with.

PHMARVIN · May 17, 2009

Hi,
My '76 R90/6 came with Metzeler Rille front and Metzeler C-Block on the rear. When I wore them out, the only tires I could find were Conti Twins. Both the Metzelers and Contis were OEM tires. Whichever BMW had in stock the day your bike was built was what you got.

Original Tires

Elvis13

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shire2000

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