SOHC.co.uk Forums > CB500/550

Tyre sizes

<< < (2/2)

flatfour:
Although I am sure that you are right, I can only say that over three 500/4's and probably around 60,000 miles or so between them, I didn't suffer any problems.

With the first two, bought in the very early 70's, the tyres were changed by the dealers before collection of the bike. At my request they fitted TT100's in the sizes that they thought best suited. Interestingly enough, the two (Honda) dealers involved were almost 100 miles apart and, to the best of my knowledge had no links with each other. The change of dealer for the second bike was only due to extreme shortage of the supply of 500's in those days, so when I saw one in the window whilst out for a Sunday run, I went back and ordered it on the Monday!

The lead mechanic for the dealer that I first bought from had used to attend meetings at our local Club and he also ran a 500/4 fitted with the same tyre size and type. His employer raced Honda's in the I.O.M TT at that time.

Oddjob:
It was common in those early days to run 4.10 tyres, although 3.60 and 4.10 were the most common combination, the problems only really became apparent when people started to race them and found the limitations of the rim size, the 750 didn’t suffer with it as much as it got wider rims so the 500 was the test bed so to speak.

As I said I ran 4.10 tyres on 1.85 rims and found them ok for normal riding, it was only when pushing the envelope that they started to show just how unsuited to the rim size they really were. The Lesters with the wider rims and more rigid structure made the bike handle like a dream, not that the 500 wasn’t good before, it just became even better.

McCabe-Thiele (Ted):
My 500 had 1.85 x 19" rims fitted with 3.25 x 19 tyre.
Rear rim had been upgraded to 2.15 x 18" rims fitted with 4.0 x 18" tyre.

Rear wheel looked beefy.




.engine out by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page