'95 K1100LT Tire Replacment

Well, it has come time to put a new set of tires on my K11. I've read some good posts over on moto brick that suggest switching to radials, and am open to and interested in that. Currently the bike has Avon Roadrider bias-ply tires on it. 110/80-18 up front and 140/80-17 in back. I've heard that you can run a 150/70-17 for the rear tire as well, can anyone confirm this? This would allow me to get a matched set of radial tires (like BT023 or PR2 or 3's).

I have had good luck finding the front tire in both the BT023 and the Pilot Road 2 and 3, but NO luck finding those in the 150/70-17 for the rear. Nor could I find the Avon Azaro 46 in the 140/80-17 size for the rear. Does anyone know a better online dealer that might have a matched set or at least the Avon radial? Finding a good rear radial in stock somewhere would allow me to make the switch, otherwise I am going to just grab another set of Avon Roadriders which are readily available online, and stick to bias-ply.

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

- J

You should not have any trouble finding a 150/70-17 radial for the rear. That is the size for the R1200GS and I have run Pilot Roads on it since the OEM tires expired. Personally, I have never had good results running non-standard sizes. Bigger is not only not always better, in my experience it has been uniformly worse. The same with running radials where bias tires were first sped'ed. Radials, in general, seem to work best on wider rims. There are exceptions though like the Continental Classic Attacks that were designed to replace bias ply tires. The 150/70-17 radial is spec-ed for a 4 inch minimum wheel width. Your K11LT has a 3 inch wide rear wheel. Fitting and working well are not necessarily the same thing.

Were it mine, I would either spring for a set of K1100RS wheels or continue to run bias ply tires in the stock sizes.

One of the Moderators will move this to Flying Bricks for you later.
OM

Bridgestone T31

I recently purchased Bridgestone tires for my 1996 K1100LT. If I remember right, the front is 110/80-18; the rear is 150/70 -17. I wrestled with the rear tire for a good 1 1/2 hrs. before finally giving up. The OEM wheel width is so much narrower than the tire that I couldn't mount it using hand tools. I'll take it to the dealer for mounting. In hindsight, I think I'd have been better off with the 140/80-17 tire, even if it is a bias ply instead of a radial design that so many seem to favor.

walt3022 said:

I recently purchased Bridgestone tires for my 1996 K1100LT. If I remember right, the front is 110/80-18; the rear is 150/70 -17. I wrestled with the rear tire for a good 1 1/2 hrs. before finally giving up. The OEM wheel width is so much narrower than the tire that I couldn't mount it using hand tools. I'll take it to the dealer for mounting. In hindsight, I think I'd have been better off with the 140/80-17 tire, even if it is a bias ply instead of a radial design that so many seem to favor.

Click to expand...

OEM size was 140-80/17. The same wheel on a K75 takes a 130/90-17. Those are the two sizes that fit.