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Tires for Small Blocks

sign216

High Miler
Joined
Jun 14, 2009
Messages
855
Location
Eastern, Massachusetts
On another web group we were discussing that radials weren't available for Guzzi small blocks. Everyone was running bias ply tires. I post the issue here, as you racers would know the answer for sure.

Are bias ply tires are the only option for Brevas, V7Cs, etc?

Joe
 
It's not really a matter of "Guzzi Smallblocks", It's a matter of what kind of wheel it is. Breva 750 comes with a mag wheel, that radials will fit. (example, my V65 race bike has a Breva front end with the stock Breva wheel, and I run Bridgestone BT003 race tire) At the same time, that same wheel we commonly fit Avon AM26 tires which are bias-ply. Generally modern mags are designed for radial tires, where spoke wheels' tire edge is designed for bias-ply, that can also hold a tube. Where radials are tubeless. I won't get into the science of it all, in fact simple Google searches will answer "what tire fits what type of rim" questions. Another example, older mag wheels, like the stock V65, will only use a bias ply. So, Breva 750 with mags will take either, and the models with spoke wheels take bias-ply. BUT, remember that you're dealing with 400 plus pound bikes, that have 40 rear wheel horsepower. So, any modern bias-ply tire will easily handle it.
 
Fader, the question came up because although the manual calls for radials, the bikes (at least mine) come from the factory with bias ply. When I checked the major manufacturers they only offered bias ply for sizes the small blocks use. I never checked for racing tires. Looking at racing tires, I see they are radials, although size selection can be sparse.

Most authorities say to use the tire construction the bike was designed for. Oddly, my V7C manual calls for radials, but also lists bias ply Metzeler Lasertec tires as the standard equipment. A discrepancy that's hard to resolve.

Perhaps it's an Italian thing.
 
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