Flat tracker type tyres

[Normski xs]

Evening xs people. Here is my 79 xs and I’m trying to source some flat tracker style tyres. I understand that “proper” flat trackers are usually 19in front AND rear wheels. So my bike isn’t what you’d call a full on tracker, I built it to look similar to one as I liked the styling. So anyway to my problem/issue. I can’t seem to find a nice pair of tracker “style” tyres in the size wheels I have, which is 19in front and 18in rear. The tyres I have on now have been great, but the rear is wearing down a bit now (from all that power ) and I’d like to put a wider rear option in, just for aesthetics really. Any advice or help appreciated, I don’t want to change my wheels as they are both spotless, cheers guys

 

[halfmile]

Dunlop K180 series are the only tires I`ve found in both 18 & 19" sizes. I like your tracker. What swing arm and front fender are you using.

 

[Its been a long time]

There isn't a lot of room and the rim is quite narrow. What's the widest rear tyre that will fit?

 

[halfmile]

Your tracker should have been in the 2025 calendar nominations.

 

[atom4488]

Evening xs people. Here is my 79 xs and I’m trying to source some flat tracker style tyres. I understand that “proper” flat trackers are usually 19in front AND rear wheels. So my bike isn’t what you’d call a full on tracker, I built it to look similar to one as I liked the styling. So anyway to my problem/issue. I can’t seem to find a nice pair of tracker “style” tyres in the size wheels I have, which is 19in front and 18in rear. The tyres I have on now have been great, but the rear is wearing down a bit now (from all that power ) and I’d like to put a wider rear option in, just for aesthetics really. Any advice or help appreciated, I don’t want to change my wheels as they are both spotless, cheers guys
View attachment 339492

Nice machine! Also curious about the swingarm, front fender and rear shocks. Why don't you post a little backstory for us?

 

[Normski xs]

Dunlop K180 series are the only tires I`ve found in both 18 & 19" sizes. I like your tracker. What swing arm and front fender are you using.

Hi, so the swing arm is off a kwak KLE or something along those lines. I got the front guard off eBay and it’s advertised as a cg125 cafe racer front mudguard. I had to modify it a bit to make it fit, was about £15

 

[AndersJ]

Your tracker should have been in the 2025 calendar nominations.

Would have got my vote for sure

 

[Normski xs]

Nice machine! Also curious about the swingarm, front fender and rear shocks. Why don't you post a little backstory for us?

Hi. So I bought the bike a couple of years ago. Wasn’t the prettiest of things but I went for it anyway. I was new to this stuff after riding modern bikes for 30+ years therefore I went about things in the wrong order. Started to make the bike look nice, seat unit, seat, paint job, new bars , speedo, headlamp etc etc. Everything was going and looking well, until I started using it. That’s when it started to become unreliable, had Amal carbs on that I couldn’t get right, yam rd type charging system that fried itself, base gaskets and others leaking among other stuff like forks were actually quite bent which I only found out while adjusting bike height because the chain was ridiculously riding the swing arm pivot point far too hard. At this point I decided to just stop right there and go right back to the start and get the bike right. Stripped it down, rebuilt top end, re-honed, new rings, stem seals, all new gaskets, cam chain and front and rear slippers, relapped the valve seats, gpz500 carbs, lots of powder coating, casings polished, new tyres, PMA charging system (bike already had a Boyer ignition system and here I am now in a better position and I’ve learnt a lot from it. It’s a much better bike now

 

[Normski xs]

Would have got my vote for sure

Thanks

 

[Normski xs]

Dunlop K180 series are the only tires I`ve found in both 18 & 19" sizes. I like your tracker. What swing arm and front fender are you using.

I think the swing arm is off a kwak kle, the mudguard is off eBay advertised as a cg125 cafe racer mudguard

 

[Normski xs]

Your tracker should have been in the 2025 calendar nominations.

Is there still time

 

[Normski xs]

Nice machine! Also curious about the swingarm, front fender and rear shocks. Why don't you post a little backstory for us?

 

[Normski xs]

When I first got it

 

[Ratranger]

Might try the shinko 705 tires, they are 80/20 tires. They have good road manners and give the dirt tire look without giving bad handling or short life.

 

[Normski xs]

Nice machine! Also curious about the swingarm, front fender and rear shocks. Why don't you post a little backstory for us?

Rear shocks are OHLINS

 

[Normski xs]

There isn't a lot of room and the rim is quite narrow. What's the widest rear tyre that will fit?

I’ve actually got quite a bit of room as the swing arm isn’t standard. I was kind of hoping to get a 130 wide tyre on the rim but I’m not actually sure if the rim will accommodate that size at this moment in time

 

[Its been a long time]

I’ve actually got quite a bit of room as the swing arm isn’t standard. I was kind of hoping to get a 130 wide tyre on the rim but I’m not actually sure if the rim will accommodate that size at this moment in time

Yes, I now see the swing arm, looks great. You might be able to physically get the tyre on the rim but it would be pinched in quite a bit at the beads as the rim isn't really wide enough. I had a 4.00 - 18 Mitas rear tyre fitted a few months ago and I'm not sure you can really go much wider without squashing the tyre too far out of shape. Need to check tyre to chain clearance too with a wider tyre.

Off topic for this thread but I have a set of the Kawasaki carburettors to go on my 77 650D. I'm very interested in your experience in the UK setting them up. There's a long thread here about fitting those carbs to an XS650 but it would be great if you could share your experience here in the UK. Thanks.

 

[Normski xs]

Yes, I now see the swing arm, looks great. You might be able to physically get the tyre on the rim but it would be pinched in quite a bit at the beads as the rim isn't really wide enough. I had a 4.00 - 18 Mitas rear tyre fitted a few months ago and I'm not sure you can really go much wider without squashing the tyre too far out of shape. Need to check tyre to chain clearance too with a wider tyre.

Off topic for this thread but I have a set of the Kawasaki carburettors to go on my 77 650D. I'm very interested in your experience in the UK setting them up. There's a long thread here about fitting those carbs to an XS650 but it would be great if you could share your experience here in the UK. Thanks.

I have 140 mains, 38 pilots, you should also use 46jjj needles but they weren’t available when I needed them so I put a 0.5 shim under the gpz needles. Ramair foam filters, 2/1 Delkavic headers with slash cut tail pipe. There maybe slightly different jetting depending on your exhaust set up and other stuff, but this set up works for me, starts first/second kick, nice smooth power delivery, a really good cheap alternative to original carbs. I was going to get some vm34s recently but to be honest my bikes running good as it is so I don’t see the point. I only plod around on it and I’m not looking for more bhp, hope this helps

 

[Its been a long time]

I have 140 mains, 38 pilots, you should also use 46jjj needles but they weren’t available when I needed them so I put a 0.5 shim under the gpz needles. Ramair foam filters, 2/1 Delkavic headers with slash cut tail pipe. There maybe slightly different jetting depending on your exhaust set up and other stuff, but this set up works for me, starts first/second kick, nice smooth power delivery, a really good cheap alternative to original carbs. I was going to get some vm34s recently but to be honest my bikes running good as it is so I don’t see the point. I only plod around on it and I’m not looking for more bhp, hope this helps

Thanks so much for that. That's really helpful. And apologies for hijacking your thread.

Good luck with the tyres.

 

[Normski xs]

I have 140 mains, 38 pilots, you should also use 46jjj needles but they weren’t available when I needed them so I put a 0.5 shim under the gpz needles. Ramair foam filters, 2/1 Delkavic headers with slash cut tail pipe. There maybe slightly different jetting depending on your exhaust set up and other stuff, but this set up works for me, starts first/second kick, nice smooth power delivery, a really good cheap alternative to original carbs. I was going to get some vm34s recently but to be honest my bikes running good as it is so I don’t see the point. I only plod around on it and I’m not looking for more bhp, hope this helps

I’m also in Uk , all jets available from Allen’s performance midlands, I’m sure I have the part numbers for the jets I used somewhere in my garage