Morini 3 1/2 tires

[Blue Morini USA]

Hello to all,
I'm restoring my 75 Strada and I'm now ready to purchase tires. I have had good experience with Avon roadriders on other classic bikes and plan to go with them. My question is size. What are the opinions on 90/90 vs 100/90 for the front ? On the rear l plan to use 110/90.
The bike is all stock with drum brakes. It will be ridden mostly on back roads. I'm about 210 pounds with riding gear,if that matters. Rims are 1.85 front and 2.15 rear.
Any advise or opinions would be most welcome.
Thanks !
Rick

[mgelder]

I use 100/90 F and 110/90 R on my 82 350K Sport.

Using a 90/90 on the front will make the steering feel a little lighter, and it depends whether this is something you want or not. It won't make the steering any *quicker*, it's just a *feel* thing, in my opinion. The rest of my bikes are heavier than the Morini so I think its steering is already light enough, thank you very much, with a 100/90 on the front.

If you like Avons, go with Avons...

[AntietamClassicCycle]

On my '85 K2, I'm running a 100/90 front and 110/90 rear.

[Steve Brown]

I prefer the 90/90 front size-quicker or lighter it preserves the Morini nimbleness, I think. I have tried the 100/90 on 350 and 500 and came to the same conclusion on both. When my 350 was new it came with a 3.25" Pirelli ribbed on the front and 4.10 rear. I like 'em that way but it is really only personal preference in the end. I even prefer a single front disc with a smaller piston master cylinder!

[EVguru]

I replaced the (possibly original) 100/90 Pirelli on the front of a K1 with a 90/90 Avon.

The 90/90 Avon was WIDER than the 100/90 it replaced. That's been a trend in tyre construction over the decades.

If you look at the recommended rim fittings for the Avons (others makes may vary), the front rim is narrower than the minimum recommended for a 100/90. That's a potential insurance issue in the event of a crash.

[danomar]

90/90 front for me. As Steve noted, it maintains the Morini's sweet handling as it should be. We tend to think that bigger tires equal better handling, but in regular road use, most modern tires rarely get up to full operating temperature to exploit any advantage to extra size. The wheels are too narrow to use a wider tire's full contact patch and the rest of the Morini's geometry was designed with narrow tires in mind.

Older bikes may look silly with their narrow tires when compared to modern bikes with tires that often are wide only for fashion sake. It looks silly until we pass them in the twisties.

[smotorboy]

Avon AM26 in 90/90 and 100/90 are on the Baron and it is super sable and accelerates better than when it had the larger sizes installed...

Gained 2 mph in top speed at the finish line,,,, i couldn't be happier...

Robert

[MarkB]

My drum Strada has handled sweetly on Roadriders: 90/90 front and 100/90 rear: very quick-steering, agile and sure-footed. When the rear was getting squared off last year I replaced it with a 110/90 (which I had in the garage) and assumed that the bigger diameter tyre would add a bit to the top speed. But no, it won't accelerate as promptly (no surprise) but it's also lost about 5mph from the top speed. It seems that the power/torque of the engine matches the 100/90 tyre perfectly.

[Blue Morini USA]

Thank you to everyone for your opinions and info. I ordered the Roadriders today and went with the 90/90 up front.
I'm sure either size would be fine but the lighter feel and look sounds best for me. I've had my hubs vapor blasted and laced up with stainless spokes to new Borrani rims. Buchanan spoke & rim gave me great service and did a wonderful job.

[tobydmv]

Isnt the Avon AM26 Roadrider a tubeless tire and the morini a tubed bike? I guess you guys are proof that it works but wouldnt tubed tires be lighter?

[EVguru]

Many manufacturers have dropped TT (tube type) tyres from their ranges. You just have to run a tube in a TL (tube-less) tyre and accept the speed de-rating due to the increased heat build-up.