CB750FOUR
TIRES
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Subject:
New Dunlop GT501 Tires
By
rider and roadracer Mark Newby
Recently,
I wore out the last of several sets of Dunlop K591 tires that I ran on
my 1978 CB750K8 model, and when I called my favorite tire dealer, Sport
Tire Services (800-776-8473), I found out that the model was no longer
being manufactured. I was perturbed at this, as that was the best
tire I had ever found for this motorcycle, both in terms of handling and
tire wear. It turns out that Dunlop did not let us down, and manufactures
a new series called the GT501 in virtually every size needed to fit any
vintage motorcycle ever made.
My motorcycle is completely
restored and completely stock except for the custom steel braided brake
line on the front (a definite improvement over stock). The front
rim dimensions are 1.85x19 and takes a 100/90VB-19 GT501 (Dunlop Part Number
3004-25) and the rear rim is a 2.50x17 and takes a 140/80VB17 (Dunlop Part
Number 3006-87).
An
interesting note: The K591 tires required me to adjust the front
end such that the front fork tubes were set 10mm down in the triple clamps
in an effort to maintain ride height and good stable cornering performance.
I am pretty handy at the calculations involved in this adjustment from
racing experience. The new GT501s made the bike turn in so quickly
that I ran the calculations again and determined that the stock fork height
position was necessary. This means that the fork tubes are set back
to exactly even with the top of the triple clamp to maintain ride height.
I recommend that this be used as the fork tube position when you change
to these tires. You can drop it if it seems too slow for your riding
style.
I cannot break these tires
loose in cornering - I touch metal on both sides before getting to that
point and it feels stable as a rock in any type of maneuver. Dunlop
did a great job on this design, and I rode them 1500 miles from Denver
to Sturgis and the Black Hills this year to develop that opinion.
We hit rain for the last 150 miles on the return trip, and they are even
better than K591s in wet conditions - I had to run 70mph in the wet to
keep up with my buddies on their big cruisers and had no planing problems
whatsoever. Note also that I run a National Cycle Plexistar 2 windshield
on the bike for long rides.
This information might help
someone who needs new rubber.
Ride Safe!
Mark Newby |
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Thank
you Mark for the contribution.
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