Radial Front / Bias Rear

Laverda SF

Laverda SF

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I didn?t ride last year but I will be back on the bike this summer. This is a 72 pretty well stock save for over size valves basic porting ? etc and a Samsonite Suit Case ? LOL.

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Any way I need a new Rear Tire. I?ve been running a Perilli Phantom 130/80VR18 Radial on the rear and a Pirelli-Diablo Strada 110/80VR18 Radial on the Front. The Strada is in great shape and I love the way it handles the front but the Phantom is hard as a rock and needs replacing. The problem is: I can?t find any 120 or 130/18 Radials on the market.

I?m looking at the Bridgestone Battlax BT-45 130/80V18 Sport Touring Bias Rear Tire to replace the Phantom ? What do you think?

PS: I?m 63 years old 5?11? @ 140 lbs and have been riding this SF since new. I don?t ride nearly as hard as I did many moons ago; however, I do like to cruise, hence the Samsonite :o
 
beat me if you want, but the lines of your bike remind me of a song... :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:


"I believe I can fly.... I believe I can touch the sky..."

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Saddle-bags look so much nicer on this bike and improve handling by lowering the center of gravity, too... Just a thought... ;)

on a more serious note: BT45 is the way to go for top handling and grip, wet or dry. The only bad thing I ever heard and saw myself of them was a wear pattern on the edges of the front tyre. BT's need a lot of air-pressure (33 - 35 PSI I think - between 2,4 and 2,5 bar on the front and between 2,5 and 2,7 on the rear), which also needs checking prior to every ride. They are sensible to to low pressure (below 2.3 on the front and 2,5 on the rear you recognize it already...), so check your settings there frequently.

Avons last a bit longer maybe but after friend of mine had 3 slides resulting in drops of the bike with the Avons in wet over the past 10 years (and still believes in them...), I won't recommend them if you are also riding in wet situations sometimes.

have heard good from Dunlop and Conti, too, but never as good as the BT, especially not in wet.

Depending on how much you travel, the BT makes sense also in regards to "not getting old". I typically only ever ride 2.000Km per bike per year (if ever), which means fresh tyres every 2 years...  ;) Clearly, longevity is not my major goal, but handling and grip. That's why I prefer the BT over any other above mentioned brand.
 
Been there as well,I have a Bridgestone Radial BT023 front and was running a BT92 Radial rear,fantastic grip but problematic with the rear being a 60 aspect and a real drama gearing wise.I have a 3.00 rear rim and the rear radial was a 140.The smallest available.I now have a 140 Pirreli Sports Demon bias ply and it works well with the radial front,they are made in 120 and 130 as well.It works for my 3C so take from that what suits your setup.
 
Living in Rainbow Country here on the Lake Head, Ontario Canada, I usually do end up covering many miles in the rain and some of it at night - That's one reason I'm looking at the BT-45. The Phantom was never much of a rain tire but that Strada Radial is great in the rain.

My concern is I've never mixed Radials with Bias and I know it's not recommended; however if that Bridgestone grabs anything like the Strada, I believe they should match up well.

I believe a 130/80 is about as big I dare go. The 140 may fit but don't believe the tire will retain its natural profile considering the width on my rims.
 
I think BT45 has one of the widest ranges of sizes, including inch sizes:

http://www.bridgestone.com/products/motorcycle_tires/products/battlax/bt45.html

And to be honest, the 45 costs "next to nothing" in the small sizes, which makes it almost a no brainer to exchange both front and rear while you are at it. The extra costs are roughly 100 USD including a new tube and mounting over here. Not that I would be rich but compared to what we spend on our bikes year over year, that is really the least thing to save money at for me  ;)
 
The extra costs are roughly 100 USD including a new tube and mounting over here.
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I wish, I'm your Northern Canadian State afflicted with this Free Trade Deal. Our dollar value may be somewhat equal but our price for goods greatly exceeds yours. I'm looking at approx $200 for the BT-45 130/80V18 with tube and I do my own shoeing.

I was looking at that 130/80H18 Bias Perilli to put on the rear but from the great reviews of the BT I believe I will try that route first and if I run into a Radial Front / Bias Rear problem I will opt to change out the front for a Bias as well.

"I believe I can fly.... I believe I can touch the sky..."
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You might get a kick outta this PIC taken in the very early 70's of me with my Breganze - Remember back then, there where no Triples, except for the Trident (rare as h*ll) or 4's, except for early Honda's which handled like sh*t. The SF along with the Ducati 750S were the Super Bikes of the time. Norton's didn't stand a chance. I painted her Pearl White with a Yellow Flip Flop to camouflage me from the Man but I found out most cars didn't see me either - So she's Flaming Red. I've had a lot of rides in my time but I'm still riding that Breganze :o

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Yah Yah - Johnny Depp looks like me - LOL
 
Thanks for sharing, great pic indeed. Lots of respect for keeping the bike that long. Really became a part of you as it seems, which I can absolutely understand.
 
Ive got BT45's on my GSX600, 160/60 & 120/70 x 17 & they are great, its the only bike ive owned with these new-fangled tubeless tyres but they are lasting well & grip well in the wet!

I bought the tyres in Traverse City Michigan when i was living there in 98'.

SF - do you know any of my cousins in Ont. or Nick Makinson the British Gunsmith in Komoka?

Ross Haygarth.
 
After riding for some 50 years, mostly hear in Northern Ontario, I've never seen another Breganze Twin save for a basket case SF1 belonging to a friend, Commando Rider, in London. I donated him my original exhaust and twin seat for his restoration - Kicking myself now. I have seen about 5 Jota's over that time. There is a nice flock of Breganze's out west, Alberta and British Columbia, and mostly Triples. Of course Wolfgang Hearter is responsible for most part of that and I must say my Berganze would be dead in the water without his support.  

The SF I have was 1 of 200 shipped dissembled in wooden crates to prospective Dealers across Canada. Dealers had to assemble them - Only the Engine was bolted in the frame. I believe it had something to do with the difference in cost of Duty between a complete Product Vs Parts at the time. I was there for the unpacking of this bike at Slims Motorcycle Sales in Sudbury Ontario. Comments varied. Many didn't like it. I don't believed they understood the engineering because I was drooling. Slim was asking $3,300 for the bike in the fall of 71 when Bonneys were selling for $1,600, Commandos for $1,800 and 750R Beemers for $2,100. He had them all in his shop. I got it for $1,600 next spring with 500 km on her from his mechanic and still registered to Slim - So you might say I'm the original owner. Slim like every other European Motorcycle Dealer went bankrupt with the flood of $1,150 Honda 4's. As a matter of fact I still have Slims original sticker on the Rear Fender just under the seat.
 
Hi LaverdaSF

a little bit of negotiating may get you a decent deal on a pair of front/rear BT 45's....

personally I typically replace motorcycle tires in pairs, and for the older bikes the BT 45's are a really decent choice if you watch the air pressures.

had me laughing when I got reading this thread that I have fuly converted to BT 45's, I have BT 45's on my 79 1200, my 84 RGS Executive, my 78 Kawasaki 650, and my girlfriend's Kawasaki ZZR 250........ :D

Paul LeClair
 
Thanks Paul

Yes after 50 years riding, with breaks of parenting responsibilities and a few spills I?m still enthusiastic. I missed one years riding as a teen from a spill in early April when a Belvedere 440 hit me from behind. I remember my frustration watching other motorcyclists while I hobbled around on crutches all summer. I?ve never considered myself a Master of the Art but that incident made me realize just how dangerous our passion is and taught me that I had to prepare myself to thread a few needles if I wanted to be Motorcyclists. I guess after 50 years of riding and still around, one might say I?m either a Lucky Motorcyclist, a Skilled Motorcyclist or perhaps just an Old Motorcyclists.

I gotta say it again: "50 Years of Riding" with no intention of giving it up.

Ron
 
Cheers Ron, that is a nice looking SF you have there nicely set up for your personal satisfaction, nice ride, definitely a keeper as are all Laverdas. I can also say the same as too Laverda sightings pretty rare around these parts too. The North America Laverda rally was back in 04 and I have not seen another Laverda since then and I do get out and ride (Southern California) went to a few races Moto GP's and a AHRM event but not one other Laverda to be seen.  I know there are a few out there within 100 miles of me but our paths just do not cross it would be a real thrill to see another Laverda while out riding, Cheers Dave.
 
Frank:

I phoned ADM and said: "Excusez-moi mais mon fran?ais est terrible. Parlez-vous Anglais?" She Said:"Je vais vous transf?rer ? un autre agent". 20 minutes later I was speaking english and the best deal I could get was $207 with tube shipped via Fedex.

Next I phoned Canadasmotorcycle and got a quote of $178 shipped via Canada Post but no tube available - Think I'll go for this deal and buy a tube from the local Yamaha Dealer.

The tire in question is the BT-45 130/80V-18.

$200 by the time I get the parts and I will do the shoeing - What I tell you - Prices in Canada are exorbitant.

Yamaha dealer wants $85 just to shoe the tire and I gotta bring the rim in - I wouldn't trust them handling my Borrani's anyway.
 
Those prices sound about right. I put a set of BT45's on my Jota last year. It was $305 (Aus) for the pair without tubes. I don't remember the price difference between front and rear tyres but I guess around $170 rear, $135 front.

Aussie dollars are about on a par with Canadian at present. But I bought those tyres a year ago and I think the Aus dollar was stronger then. So your quote would be somewhere in the ballpark at today's rates.

Anyway, it's only money. You can't take it with you when you turn your toes up so you may as well enjoy it now.  :D

Cheers,
Cam
 
That is a lot for shipping  :o
I live 20 minutes from them so never had to deal with that part + there are real enthusiasts in the shop, you should have seen the precautions taken when they installed tires on my Bimota wheels.

If it's not too late you also try these guys :  http://shopping.motointer.com  their prices are usually similar maybe shipping will be better.
 
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