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Metzler Lasertec 4.00 - 18 M/C 64V TL out of stock everywhere?
- Thread starter ebeeby
- Start date
lkchris
Active member
Since there is so little industrial capacity left in the USA, pretty much all motorcycle tires sold here are imported.
It is therefore a heavy financial consideration for an importer to stock these tires, and they do so depending on perceived demand ... which for 4.00X18 and 3.25X19 is pretty small.
Those intending to maintain BMW Airheads should resign themselves to the fact they are in the "vintage" market now and should maybe expect to have to import tires themselves.
Last I checked--which has been a while--UK sources like Motobins sold Airhead size tires, some even tube type, which are preferable as far as ease of mounting is concerned.
I once imported Conti TKC80 in 3.00x21 and 4.00x18 for my R80G/S, sizes never available from USA importers.
I'd offer that Airhead ownership is now a labor of love and is not a cheap/easy motorcycling solution. Effort required. A little more expensive, too. (There are K-bike and Oilhead sizes that are now hard to find in USA, too.)
It's not that difficult to search UK or German websites to learn which tires are still in production. .de to replace .com will get many German sites. .co.uk will get UK sites. Note that in Germany at least, it's illegal to fit anything but manufacturer spec parts, so 3.25x19 and 4.00X18 will still be available. There are no metric equivalents.
It is therefore a heavy financial consideration for an importer to stock these tires, and they do so depending on perceived demand ... which for 4.00X18 and 3.25X19 is pretty small.
Those intending to maintain BMW Airheads should resign themselves to the fact they are in the "vintage" market now and should maybe expect to have to import tires themselves.
Last I checked--which has been a while--UK sources like Motobins sold Airhead size tires, some even tube type, which are preferable as far as ease of mounting is concerned.
I once imported Conti TKC80 in 3.00x21 and 4.00x18 for my R80G/S, sizes never available from USA importers.
I'd offer that Airhead ownership is now a labor of love and is not a cheap/easy motorcycling solution. Effort required. A little more expensive, too. (There are K-bike and Oilhead sizes that are now hard to find in USA, too.)
It's not that difficult to search UK or German websites to learn which tires are still in production. .de to replace .com will get many German sites. .co.uk will get UK sites. Note that in Germany at least, it's illegal to fit anything but manufacturer spec parts, so 3.25x19 and 4.00X18 will still be available. There are no metric equivalents.
Michelin Pilot Avtiv's
I've ran Michelin Pilot Activ tires on my 1979 R80/7 for the last few years, and am just about to change them after close to 10K miles. The rear is shot and should have been changed a little sooner, but the front tread is still good. I now live off of 5 miles of dirt road (and see more dirt in general), and so am replacing them this round with a set of Continental TKC70's. But for road use, the Pilot Avtiv's performed very well for me, and they seem to generally be in stock, in stock airhead sizes (as opposed to the close metric equivalents):
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/michelin-pilot-activ-tire?rrec=true&sku_id=514848
Good luck,
ECJ
I've ran Michelin Pilot Activ tires on my 1979 R80/7 for the last few years, and am just about to change them after close to 10K miles. The rear is shot and should have been changed a little sooner, but the front tread is still good. I now live off of 5 miles of dirt road (and see more dirt in general), and so am replacing them this round with a set of Continental TKC70's. But for road use, the Pilot Avtiv's performed very well for me, and they seem to generally be in stock, in stock airhead sizes (as opposed to the close metric equivalents):
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/michelin-pilot-activ-tire?rrec=true&sku_id=514848
Good luck,
ECJ
As an aside, when I went to buy 4 new tires from a local multi-location tire store, it was the same thing. I told them that I was the original owner and while I didn't consider the "stock", "OEM" tires anything great.......they were satisfactory and I wanted to put the same tire(s) back on.
I received a big "hold your horses there sonny". "We can't put anything on that wasn't spec for the truck when it was new". Apparently they had to file for a time slot on the secretly located Cray computer to "run the possibles".
I got the tires which required a couple of return trips
I'm going to pass on that experience on the next set.OM
ebeeby
Member
Thanks for the link. I guess I get to try the Michelin....
ebeeby
Member
Well, Matt P has weighed in on tires:
" My favourites are the Bridgestone Spitfires (SS11). Decent holding, good mileage and reasonably easy to mount and dismount (even on the roadside since I get my share of flats - last one outside of Sparta when we were in Greece). I also like the original Continentals, the RB2 & K112. They were originally came on many airheads.
Matt"
Any other comments on the Spitfires?
" My favourites are the Bridgestone Spitfires (SS11). Decent holding, good mileage and reasonably easy to mount and dismount (even on the roadside since I get my share of flats - last one outside of Sparta when we were in Greece). I also like the original Continentals, the RB2 & K112. They were originally came on many airheads.
Matt"
Any other comments on the Spitfires?
jad01
New member
I have one one the back on the K75; it's worn at about the same rate as any other tires (Metzeler, Avon, Conti) that I've run on my bikes. Seems to handle fine (I have it paired to a slightly older Metzeler on the front... long story). I wouldn't hesitate to buy another, although I've become fairly partial to the Avon Roadriders myself, which is what I have been running on both airheads.
ebeeby
Member
Do you know if the Metzeler 120/90 is the same as a 4.00/18? Motobins stocks the 120/90 and lists it under the R75....
A 120/90 tire is not the same as a 4.00x18 tire. The width is theoretically 120mm or 4.7 inches. More than likely that's too wide to fit easily between the sides of the swingarm. There is a spacer that can be added to the bearing stack to move the tire over a bit to help clear. Seems like a long way to go IMO. Even a 110/90 is going to be 4.33 inches wide. These widths are just for reference. There's the possibility that the actual tire is not that wide...or worse, it's wider.
