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TECHNICAL MOTOBRICK WRENCHING In Remembrance of Inge K. => The Motobrick Workshop => Topic started by: al800 on November 01, 2015, 05:40:27 PM

Title: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: al800 on November 01, 2015, 05:40:27 PM
I am about to get a K75C 1990 model and convert it into a scrambler bike. As far as I know it has 18" rims for tubeless tyres but I am unable to find any knobby tubeless tyres for the 18" rims. On the internet I've found several pics of K75 scrambler with knobby tyres but most of them seem to be tube type tyres & I don't know if they really fit the bmw rims. If you have any suggestion it'll be appreciated. Thank you.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: Conrad325i on March 23, 2016, 12:46:42 PM
Kenda makes some that fit for both front and rear. Thats what Im running.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: Laitch on March 23, 2016, 12:53:40 PM
Kenda makes some that fit for both front and rear. Thats what Im running.
Please tell us the Kenda model number, front/rear sizes, Conrad, the type of wheels you're using and whether you're using tubes.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: Conrad325i on March 23, 2016, 01:06:40 PM
Heavens tah betsy.....
They can figure it out like I did, I just pointed them in the right direction...

Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: TimTyler on March 23, 2016, 02:06:17 PM
I stopped by Bob Bridge's garage in Tacoma last week and he had a K75 there with Shinko knobbies that he said he liked. He suggested keeping the psi high and that the only downside was highway riding.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: Conrad325i on March 23, 2016, 03:34:27 PM
The shinkos (706 or 713 dont remember) were my first choice but they didnt have any in stock sizes that I could find.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: TimTyler on March 23, 2016, 03:35:39 PM
I recall Bob is using 140's? I'll check...
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: TimTyler on March 23, 2016, 08:47:38 PM
Robert is using 120/80-18 (http://amzn.to/1q32qPO) and 140/80-17 (http://amzn.to/1T6SjVw)  Shinko 705's on snowflake rims.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: TrueAce on March 23, 2016, 08:54:28 PM
I have the Shinko 705's 120/80 and 140/80 on my scrambler  RS in dual sport tread, and they're great.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: Conrad325i on March 23, 2016, 11:20:41 PM
Yeah. Considering im new to the Ks and motorcycles for that matter i went with stock tire sizes.
Im sure you can run all different sizes but I went with what I knew.
Ive ran a 215/45r18 on a 18x9" wide wheel before lol
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: TrueAce on March 23, 2016, 11:22:01 PM
Whoa, that's a tire for sure......on what?
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: The Mighty Gryphon on March 24, 2016, 10:05:27 AM
I would look for the cheapest tire I could find that didn't squirm a lot on pavement.  Off road tires are soft and wear out really fast, losing traction, especially for mud.  It hurts a lot less if you are replacing a cheap tire.  Back in my misspent younger days when I did a lot of off road stuff I bought Cheng Shin rear knobbies for my enduro bike three at a time.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: Conrad325i on March 24, 2016, 10:38:57 AM
TrueAce,
E90 BMW

Gryph,
Haha
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: TrueAce on March 24, 2016, 12:17:29 PM
+1 on Ching Shin.......me too.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: bocutter Ed on March 24, 2016, 07:46:38 PM
I have Cheng Shin on the scoot. They may be unobtainium nowadays.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: The Mighty Gryphon on March 24, 2016, 10:50:08 PM
See if J.C. Whitney still has them.  That's where I got mine.  But that was 40 years ago.  3.50 x 18 I think they were $19.99 each.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: didymus on July 02, 2016, 10:40:32 AM
I'm looking for some dual sport tires for my '91 K75 and have spent hours on this but I'm not having any luck.  Part of the problem is that I don't know how much you can mess with tire sizes/types.  I've been looking for 110/90-18 and 130/90-17 tubeless dual sport tires, but they just don't seem to be out there.  Going to 120/80-18 and 140/80-17 would give me more options (Shinko 705's), but I'm only finding tires that size made for tubes.  So do I just get a set of those and add tubes?  Are there just really no tubeless options?

Any help appreciated.  I just moved to the country and the old, bald street tires are not cutting it.  Baby needs a new pair of shoes. 
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: Laitch on July 02, 2016, 11:16:50 AM
I'm looking for some dual sport tires for my '91 K75 and have spent hours on this but I'm not having any luck.  So do I just get a set of those and add tubes?  Are there just really no tubeless options? 
You're having having luck, didymus, just not good luck. You just get a set of those—if there is no fork or swing arm interference using them—and add tubes.

The classic K is not a dual sport; it's a road bike and an old model at that. The knobby market ignores their owners' perceived needs. You'll need to make compromises. You've already discovered you'll need to accept a different size/profile. Some knobbies for true dual sport wheel sizes are tubeless. True knobbies in sizes that fit your rims will need inner tubes

The Shinkos you're indicating for installation on the front and rear of your bike are both rear tires. A rear tire on the front will change handling characteristic on a paved road at speed. They'll also wear faster. If you're skilled, you can deal with it as many before you have.

The Kenda K761—as posted in this thread—is a tubeless quasi-knobby with mixed reviews that will fit your bike but it's unlikely to perform as well as a true knobby in the back country. It has discouraging reviews about performance on wet paved roads, too.

Threads about knobbies have been posted here almost to ad nauseum levels. You should have much less trouble finding them than finding knobbies.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: didymus on July 02, 2016, 01:05:02 PM
This is really helpful.  Order placed. 

Yeah, It's definitely not that there isn't enough information out there.  It's that I either can't use it or can't understand it.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: didymus on January 10, 2017, 12:44:05 PM
Update for anyone interested.  The Shinko 705's worked out great.  120/80-18 TT and 140/80-17 TT.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: Laitch on January 10, 2017, 01:02:20 PM
Update for anyone interested.  The Shinko 705's worked out great.  120/80-18 TT and 140/80-17 TT.
Thanks for the update!
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: woodgeek on February 01, 2018, 07:11:05 PM
I'm going to use the 705 Shinko's on my scrambler build.  :2thumbup:
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: Enfield on February 02, 2018, 12:22:27 AM
I have good experience with Heidenau K60 140/80-17 and 4-18.
Regards
Chr
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: The Mighty Gryphon on February 02, 2018, 09:28:56 AM
Just a side note on the use of tubes.  Since off-road tires are often run at low pressures on wire spoked wheels the use of a tube is important to prevent air loss at the bead and spokes.  Also, since most off-road tires are designed for riders who change their own tires without the aid of machines I suspect that the fit of the bead on the rim is not quite as tight as the fit of a road tire, hence the use of rimlocks.
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: JonnyB on February 02, 2018, 11:29:16 AM
I saw this scrambler style K1100 conversion with some awesome looking knobbly tyres:
(http://i.pinimg.com/564x/6a/4d/e9/6a4de9a3f69cd27b489784e6c8306e4e.jpg)

Anyone know what these are? I think this is a Russian build, found on Pinterest. No idea how good they are but they look the business!!
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: Laitch on February 02, 2018, 01:10:27 PM
Anyone know what these are?
The rear looks like a Mitas E12. (http://www.mitas-moto.com/international/products/motorcycle-road-tyres/rally-tyres/e-12/)
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: woodgeek on February 02, 2018, 01:15:04 PM
The rear looks like a Mitas E12. (http://www.mitas-moto.com/international/products/motorcycle-road-tyres/rally-tyres/e-12/)
Geez Laitch, I think you spend more time on the internet at work than I do.  :hehehe
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: Laitch on February 02, 2018, 01:23:10 PM
Geez Laitch, I think you spend more time on the internet at work than I do.  :hehehe
I've been shoveling snow for the last five hours. What have you been doing?
Title: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: woodgeek on February 02, 2018, 01:29:24 PM
Sorry, I was tongue-in-cheek ribbing you. I’m sarcastic by nature. ;-)

I’m at my desk, wishing the weekend were here.

Sorry about the snow. I miss that. It’s been a weird, warm winter in Vegas.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Which knobby tyres for K75C?
Post by: Laitch on February 02, 2018, 01:45:38 PM
Sorry about the snow. I miss that. It’s been a weird, warm winter in Vegas.
It's been warmer and icier than usual here. Having new snow is kind of nice—brightens up the landscape. It does require moving it off some neighbors' walkways and roofs before it consolidates and turns into slabs. That's done and now it's back to skiing and loitering. :giggles