On the Road Again!

Maybe getting a little ahead of myself but with the engine almost ready to go back in the frame and the carbs done a few weeks ago, we need to be thinking about tyres. The wheels have been cleaned, chromed and fitted with new stainless spokes.  So now we need tyres, inner tubes and rim tape. I had looked at either Bridgestone BT45 or the Metzeler equivalent.   In the past I had Continental tyres fitted and they didn't inspire any confidence when the road was a little wet.  They are supposed to be great all rounders but I found them a little prone to follow cracks in the road and any over banding proved slippery when wet. Phil suggested BT46 as the BT45 has been replaced for the 2020 riding season.  I had a look to see if anyone had them in stock still, as it might have saved me a few bob. In the end  I couldn't get both front and rear.  Oddly, the BT45 rear was more expensive than the newer variant. So we have opted for th...

The current tyres are made by Cheng-Shin. They are definitely budget tyres. They went on as I needed a new set before a trip and the shop only had these in the right sizes. The Kettle's wheels are in inches and a lot of modern tyres are metric sizes. The Cheng-Shins are sized in inches. After a decade or more they showed little or no wear. At the moment, to the touch,  they are still very "hard".  Whether this is due to the materials and construction I have no idea. But it is very spooky that they haven't gone flat.  Maybe inside the inner tubes have perished and the nylon outer is simply holding the bike up! I am sure that once it comes back that it will be time to replace them. There are a few choices and I have been looking online for advice and information. The fitment is in inches. Front of 3.25-19 and rear, 4.00-18. Let's see what prices we can get on different makes. Some links: https://www.tyres-pneus-online.co.uk/motorcycle-tyre-find-by-motorcycle/suzuki/...