15 inch wheel for rear of XS11 special?

[Lunatic]

I am needing to switch to automotive style tires on my XS11 special sidecar rig. I was hoping you all might know of a 15 inch wheel that will bolt in place. I can make spacers, or other minor mods to make it work, mainly wondering about splines, cushdrive, etc. Vmax maybe? Any suggestions?

[rockjok]

I've wanted to try car tires on my hack for a long time but haven't been able to find the correct 16 inch size.

Through various discussions on the Yahoo group SCT (side car talk) I'm under the impression that it is a very bad idea to try a car tire on 15 inch motorcycle rims. I think it has something to do with the bead shape being incompatible.

If you do find a car tire for 16 or 17 inch rims please post the source. I'd love to find a tire with a flat profile and more agressive tread than the dunlops I've been running.

I've tried the avon hack tire but it's too soft and wears quickly and the "twin tire" from Dauntless was ok but is in limited supply.

Rob

[Lunatic]

I also would be concerned about puting a 15 inch car tire on the back of a motorycle,but this being a sidecar, the rules have changed. I have also been told of a bead non-compatabiltity, but then, I've also seen a bunch of people ignore that advice, put car tires on the backs of their LC1500 Suzuki's with no ill effects other than SCARY bad handling due to the car tire profile. SO, if I can find a 15 inch rim, I'm going to put that sucker on there. I have a line on a parts bike XS1100, that will help me find the right wheel dimensions to determinc compatability without having to tear my sidecar rig apart while searching.

[fredintoon]

Effin' 15" tires

Hi Lunatic,
On this very list Dragonrider has a link about the 16" car tire on his Valkyrie.
The problem with fitting car tires on a bike is finding a car tire that's narrow enough to fit inside the bike's swingarm without rubbing on stuff. The other problem is the 15" rim size.
15" tires (and only 15" tires) are deliberately made with the car tire being 1/8" smaller in actual bead diameter than the bike tire.
This means a 15" car tire has to be stretched 1/8" bigger to fit a 15" bike rim.
SCT posts have described 15"car tires exploding during installation attempts on 15" bike rims. Skunktails posts have claimed successful installations and subsequent usage. My take? It's bloody dodgy, I wouldn't take the risk.
OK, for mebbe $500 you can get a hybrid wheel built using an XS11 rear wheel hub, a steel car rim and an adapter plate. Now all that's needed is a car tire narrow enough to not rub on the swingarm. Good luck finding one of those.

[AlanB]

Hi Guys,

15" wheels are available for the XS; I have one, and so do at least a couple of others in our club.

My wheel came to me on a parts bike which was imported from the USA, but it does not have a manufacturers name on it, or any useful identification.

Some of the XS sidecars I have seen from Germany also have 15s.... so I guess they are made over there too.

Sorry I can't be more help.

AlanB

[TopCatGr58]

Only found 2 that have sidecar style tires!

Hey RockJok,

Is this the tire you used?

Avon MkII Sidecar Vintage
Below is SafetyMileage MKII Rear Tire


size load/spd rec rim(in) alt rim(in)min/max width(mm) width(in)
500-16 TT 69S 3.00D 3.00 - 3.50 131 5.20

Below is what they call their triple duty, but only in 19" size!

Only in 19"



Speed rated to 112mph/180kmh, the Speedmaster MKII has the curved tread profile and ribbed pattern so typical of classic bikes. It gives ‘classic’ handling characteristics but with the benefit of modern rubber compounds. When you fit this front tyre it’s best used in conjunction with the Safety Mileage MKII.

When you’ve got a Speedmaster up front the Safety Mileage MKII is what you need on the back. In its broadest fitting – 5.00 S16 size – it has a different tread pattern to other sizes, but all share performance characteristics in tune with older bikes, while enjoying the advances made in rubber technology.

Sidecar Triple Duty Universal. Its full name is a bit of a mouthful and although especially suited to the front wheel it can be used in any position on a sidecar outfit. It looks the business and does the business, simple as that.
************************************************** *********************
Michelin tires:

M45


The 100% city tyre

Ideally suited to urban use
Designed to hold the road under a wide range of conditions

If you use your bike mainly for getting around the city, this is your tyre. The Michelin M45 is ready to take on the hazards of the urban jungle: paint stripes, manhole covers, wet cobblestones and the like. Sized for roadsters and customs ranging from 50 to 250cc, the Michelin M45 is your friend in the city.

sizes:
3.25-16 55S
3.50-16 58S

T.C.

[Lunatic]

I cansure tell you whaqt tire NOT to use. I put on a Duro brand 130 90-16 thta had DEEEEEEP knobies on it. Sort of a flattrack looking tire. I wanted it for gravel roads on the Minnesota 1000, but the damned lugs are so tall thta the sideloads of the sidecar on pavement started to rip the lugs right off of the tire! Scary looking result. We scrubbed the tread down about a half inch and the side stresses were lower and the carcass held together. Potental disaster. Probably a sidecar only issue though.

[Geezer]

Didn't the Venture 1200 and 1300 V4s run a 15" rear wheel?

Odds it would bolt up or be close, but I doubt it would clear the swingarm.

Geezer