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**SVSooke** · 06-23-2011, 09:17 AM

Avons where in the running for my Skunk project.Not any more,Lets see if I can get some Shinkos.

**themess** · 06-23-2011, 10:41 AM

Originally posted by pete View Post

Bugger Simon! I was hoping this was a US thing, but I guess not...

I doubt that Avon's are made in the US. Could people with affect RRs post their DOT codes? That enables looking up the factory in which the tires were made. I'm guessing that, unless a manufacturer knows that its tires will never be sent to the USA, most tires around the world have DOT codes. With the code, finding the factory is a simple internet search away.

A few minutes of interent searching turned up information suggesting that Avon is probably now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cooper Tire, and American company based in Findlay, OH. Cooper also owns significant portions of Kumho and Kenda, and several other Asian tire companies. Cooper has a good reputation for high quality car and light truck tires in the US.

It is thus possible that Avon RRs are not made in their factory in the UK, but in some other country. RRs are not Avon's premier motorcycle tire. If Cooper-Avon were to move production to Asia, RRs might go. That opens up many possibilities for quality problems. When I worked in Firestone tire factories in Mexico, I dealt with those possibilities all day long. Among the poteential problems are:

* Local management not caring about quality
* Local management not understanding how to manage a factory to produce high quality parts
* Differences in tire building equipment and other kinds of equipment between the factory where the tires are made, and the factory for which the production process was designed
* Differences in raw materials, from country-to-country, can be large.

Originally posted by simon kuether View Post

Only just started reading this thread . Sorry .
Just checked the Avons on my '77 GS750E and sure enough , the rear is "cracked" (more like SPLIT) . The tread has long splits going around the tyre (down in the grooves) . Scary stuff . I'm fairly careful with checking pressures so that's not an issue . $hit tyres that I'll never buy again . Pity , because they felt very planted , wet or dry .Bring back the Spitfire II's please .

Cheers , Simon .

Previous reports and photos have showed cracking near the bead. In the bead region, bias tires flex a lot, and very hard bead compounds join to very soft sidewall compounds. Mismatch between those pairs of compounds has seemed to me to be the most likely cause of the cracking reported until now.

Reports of cracks in the tread area are something else entirely. This suggests many possible problems, including carcass design, raw material problems, and contamination of non-tread compounds in the tread rubber. Would it be possible to post a photo of these cracks?

**mforbes** · 06-23-2011, 01:21 PM

After reading these threads, I took my roadriders back to the dealer. Switched them out for the Dunlop touring elite II. The problem for me is that my back is a 17 inch and Dunlop doesn't produce that tire anymore in the Elite's. Love these tires as I have 300k clocked on them over the years on 2 GS1100's. Usually get about 10K in the back and 12K for the front.

**Dogma** · 06-23-2011, 02:41 PM

Originally posted by themess View Post

...
Reports of cracks in the tread area are something else entirely. This suggests many possible problems, including carcass design, raw material problems, and contamination of non-tread compounds in the tread rubber. Would it be possible to post a photo of these cracks?

I don't know if he'll have a chance to snap a pic before it's crated for the trip to Australia. Last night he described it to me as running the length of the tread's center groove, and pretty deep. I asked if the cords were visible, and he said no.

He missed this thread for quite a while, so you might ask via PM.

**fishfarm** · 06-23-2011, 10:12 PM

Originally posted by themess View Post

Would it be possible to post a photo of these cracks?

Bonanzadave posted some pictures in post #79.

Avon Roadrider cracking Again - The GSResources Forums

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showpost.php?p=1410310&postcount=79

This forum contains old posts which may have information which may be useful. It is a closed forum in that you can not post here any longer. Please post your questions in the other technical forums.

**bonanzadave** · 06-23-2011, 11:34 PM

Originally posted by mforbes View Post

After reading these threads, I took my roadriders back to the dealer. Switched them out for the Dunlop touring elite II. The problem for me is that my back is a 17 inch and Dunlop doesn't produce that tire anymore in the Elite's. Love these tires as I have 300k clocked on them over the years on 2 GS1100's. Usually get about 10K in the back and 12K for the front.

1100 E or L ?

Did you have the RRs mounted yet ? I swapped Dunlop 491 Tour Elites for the RRs and there was a night and day difference. Long story short the Dunlops sucked. The Road Riders gave me so much more confidence in the corners and wet roads they put the Dunlops to shame. People tell me the Tour Elites are HD tires. Ive got a nearly brand new 491 Dunlop RWL front you can have.

**tkent02** · 06-23-2011, 11:43 PM

Originally posted by bonanzadave View Post

1100 E or L ?

Did you have the RRs mounted yet ? I swapped Dunlop 491 Tour Elites for the RRs and there was a night and day difference. Long story short the Dunlops sucked. The Road Riders gave me so much more confidence in the corners and wet roads they put the Dunlops to shame. People tell me the Tour Elites are HD tires. Ive got a nearly brand new 491 Dunlop RWL front you can have.

Too bad they are such exceptional tires. If they were another ho hum run of the mill tire it would be no loss, but they are head and shoulders above the rest.

**mforbes** · 06-24-2011, 12:50 AM

RR Tires

Originally posted by bonanzadave View Post

1100 E or L ?

Did you have the RRs mounted yet ? I swapped Dunlop 491 Tour Elites for the RRs and there was a night and day difference. Long story short the Dunlops sucked. The Road Riders gave me so much more confidence in the corners and wet roads they put the Dunlops to shame. People tell me the Tour Elites are HD tires. Ive got a nearly brand new 491 Dunlop RWL front you can have.

No, I didn't. I have the g model 1100. The 491's have never let me down over the years. Never a flat even with nails in them. Ran on snow and ice in London and back east. So my confidence in them is great.

**themess** · 06-24-2011, 10:16 AM

Originally posted by fishfarm View Post

Bonanzadave posted some pictures in post #79.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...0&postcount=79

Those are bead/sidewall cracks. I'd like to look at the tread cracks.

**simon kuether** · 06-24-2011, 10:44 AM

Originally posted by themess View Post

Those are bead/sidewall cracks. I'd like to look at the tread cracks.

I'm working on it .

I've been to busy having a $hit load of fun (can you have to much ???) . Sorry .

Cheers , Simon .

**pete** · 06-24-2011, 05:41 PM

Originally posted by simon kuether View Post

I'm working on it .

I've been to busy having a $hit load of fun (can you have to much ???) . Sorry .

Cheers , Simon .

Stop it or you'll go blind

**simon kuether** · 07-15-2011, 07:17 AM

Finally got my act together .

Mine "cracked" like this ................................

Scary stuff .

Cheers , Simon .

**jwhelan65** · 07-15-2011, 07:32 AM

I have been looking at these as well and did some research. This is a common problem with there tires apparently.

Comments from someone who purchased at Motorcycle Superstore.

Great Tire but Sidewall Cracking Made it Unsafe

I had Avons on my bike when I got it - really impressed with the handling and feel so I went with a new back tire. At 4K I pulled the tire due to severe cracking on the sidewall. The tires were manufactured just a few months before I purchased them but after six months they looked like they had be stored in a barn for ten years. I would say the tread was about half used up, plenty of life left in them. Pressing on the sidewall from inside the tire, the wall felt very thin, almost like you could push your finger through at the cracks. I spoke highly of the tires when I bought them but now I can�t recommend the brand.

another....

They develop sidewall cracks

Sidewall cracked near the rim on one side all the way around in under 1000 miles in less than three months. Avon has QC problems

**pete** · 07-15-2011, 07:44 AM

Going by their perceived lack of care factor when these problems are reported (just take it back to the dealer for a swap etc.), that would lead me to believe that the last statement about QC problems would probably be the most accurate.

By that, I mean they expect to get these cracking issues, and therefore it's no skin off their nose when someone reports it because they have a process to just send you back to the dealer...

On the one hand, I don't think they'd do that unless they were confident there's no structural concerns that make it dangerous (that would be gross negligence if there was a risk there), on the other hand it would be good if they could own up to the issues, recall the affected tyres, and fix it for future batches...

**jwhelan65** · 07-15-2011, 07:54 AM

I am going with Dunlop GT 501's, not taking any chances