It's time to start a winter Project. The Red Bike

[gggGary]

It's not that the tire's too wide, it's that the rim is too narrow.
Fit a wider rim and that 110/90/19 front will be the cat's PJs.
Resto had a 100/90/19 on a 2.15/19 rim and was fun in the corners.
Madness runs a 110/80/18 on a WM3 rim on the front, the best handling Xs650 I've been on..........
PS Yamaha spec'd a 100/90/19 on the later specials still with 1.85 rims. And yeah it was all; wait for it, fall in, then track fine, on corners.

 

[Myuncles650]

Found a nice 81 Special 2. PO did some nice things with a very original 17k miles bike. I will have to resolve an oil puddle, jetting, frontbrake after doing a few basic tasks. Valves, time chain and timing once the carb (brand new VMs) are jetted well enough to run with out the enricher.View attachment 221555

Those raised letter Bridgestone’s are cool!!!

 

[Kevin Werner]

Those raised letter Bridgestone’s are cool!!!

If I Recall Correctly (IIRC) I used a Sawzall to get them off. My uncle Patented the Sawzall for Milwaukee electric tool (https://patents.google.com/?q=(Jerome)&inventor=Schnettler&oq=Jerome+Schnettler) which caused my cousins to drive really nice cars for the rest of their lives.

 

[Kevin Werner]

Those raised letter Bridgestone’s are cool!!!

They are still available if you want to spend on "cool", $487 for Cooker repros,.

 

[Myuncles650]

They are still available if you want to spend on "cool", $487 for Cooker repros,. View attachment 345693

$$$…..Gulp!

 

[Kevin Werner]

$$$…..Gulp!

We put these tires on in 1992. Date codes suggest these need to be replaced despite only 10-11k miles since new. My sweetheart wanted white walls on the new tires. The quote from Cooker was near $1300 for tires before local mounting and balancing. My sweetheart thinks the new blackwalls look more "sporty". Pic from 7 or 8 years ago.