Avon 45/46ST Tires No Longer Recommended?

[ST090]

A while back I recall reading somewhere--but I can not recall where or the validity of the claim-- that Avon is no longer recommending their 45/46ST tire for the ST1300 because they has reduced the rating of the tire. Does anyone have insite to the validity of Avon no longer recommending the 45/46ST for the ST1300?

It is strange, if true, because their web site still shows the 45/46ST as being the proper fit for the ST1300.

I posted this same inquiry to the MSN List and hopefully there will be a consensus answer.

[NormanPCN]

Any reports from people on the web is second hand information. Why not go to the source, or have your tire dealer make an inquiry. If you get an opposite response to what someone else gets then you have conflicting info, which basically means Avon has no idea what they are saying.

That said. My dealer did call and got an aokay. I emailed Avon and got an okay, but the response did not seem very knowledgable. A couple of posts I have read had one person who called Avon and got a not recomended response and the other had someone at a bike show get a not recomended response at some booth. This was all a long time ago.

If Avon was inconsistent ages ago when the controversey started then hopefully by now they speak with a unified voice.

[R.Markus]

Avons: Avon has announced that the AV45/46 is not recommended for the ST1300, and that the rating is being decreased from V to H.It seems the sidewalls are not as stiff as they had hoped, and excessive flex heats up the tire, causing poor mileage.Especially on heavy bikes. Some people have tried the AV45 / AV46 combo, with mixed results. Some liked them, some hated them. However, even the people who liked them went back to the BT020s or to the ME-Z6 / ME-880 combo as more cost effective tires.

This was taken from here (http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/ST1300.html#Tires) .

[Wal-N2brk]

not being one to take 2nd hand info as gospel, I contacted Avon.

Reader's Digest Version - the info is correct; no go on the Avons ;-(


Dear Mr. Shults



I had forwarded your e mail to Suk, Suk forwarded to Peter in UK.



Please read Mr. McNally’s reply to this subject matter.



Sorry this took so long to reply.



Sorry, Avon Tyres can not help you with your motorcycles fitment.



Thank you for your interest in Avon Tyres.



Thanks, Keith







-----Original Message-----
From: Sukoshi
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 1:35 PM
To: 'Keith'; 'John Leach'; 'Pat Dowd'
Subject: FW: AV45/46 fitted to 2005 Honda ST1300









Sukoshi Fahey (Ms.)

Sales Manager, North America

6911 216 St. SW

Lynnwood, WA 98036 USA

800 624-7470 toll free

425-771-2115 phone

206-713-1816 cell

425-771-4246 fax

-----Original Message-----
From: McNally, Pete J.
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 12:41 AM
To: Sukoshi
Subject: RE: AV45/46 fitted to 2005 Honda ST1300



We don't reccomend our AV45/46 tyres for this bike. It will be removed from the fitting guide/website.



Peter J McNally

M/C Technical Product Manager

01225 357753



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The information contained in this e-mail (along with any attachments) is intended only for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential, proprietary and / or trade secret information that is the property of Cooper Tire and Rubber Company and / or Cooper-Avon Tyres Limited. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you should not read any further, and any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this in error, please notify the sender immediately via e-mail or phone (+44(0)1225 703101) and immediately delete this transmission. Copyright © Unpublished





From: Sukoshi
Sent: 31 August 2005 00:20
To: McNally, Pete J.
Subject: FW: AV45/46 fitted to 2005 Honda ST1300

And the answer is?





Sukoshi Fahey (Ms.)

Sales Manager, North America

6911 216 St. SW

Lynnwood, WA 98036 USA

800 624-7470 toll free

425-771-2115 phone

206-713-1816 cell

425-771-4246 fax

-----Original Message-----
From: Keith [mailto:kost@avonmotorcycleusa.com]
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 5:01 PM
To: 'Sukoshi'
Subject: FW: AV45/46 fitted to 2005 Honda ST1300



Avon Tyres in UK needs to issue a Service Bulletin for this subject matter. Avon Tyres in UK needs to re do the fitment guide on the website. The site still shows Avon Tyres tires fitting this motorcycle. Can you help Mr. Shults with his question?

[NormanPCN]

To be more specific, the word I got from Avon, was with a old rear tire with a new front tire at high speeds and heavily loaded. That combination was deemed unaccatable. US highway speeds are not considered "high speed". Avon does not have separate reccomendations per country. Supposedly the rear tire was going to be redesigned.

[Rolling Thunder]

This is what I found at the Avon Tyre website (it does have a "fitment" for the ST 1300 with the 45/46 Azaro's:
http://www.avonmotorcycle.com/us/en/Fitments.asp

:biker:

[henryw]

I talked with the Avon rep a week ago at the Toronto Motorcycle Show. She has been at the show for a few years now and certainly seems to know what she is talking about.
I can't remember her exact words, so please don't consider this a quote.
What I took away was that the 45 / 46 tires are not recommended for the ST1300 / Pan European because of the speeds that are common in Europe. The tires just won't handle running all day at 160 - 180 km / hr on a bike as heavy as the ST. She suggested that at "normal" North American speeds, the tires should be fine, but Avon will not recommend them.
With regard to re-designing, my sense was this wasn't on the horizon.

Also worth noting, Metzeler now have a new Roadtec Z6 C-spec rear tire for the ST and a couple of other heavy bikes. Up until last year, they were recommending for the ST the B-spec tire which, by the way, is still around.

Cheers, Bill

[NormanPCN]

Also worth noting, Metzeler now have a new Roadtec Z6 C-spec rear tire for the ST and a couple of other heavy bikes. Up until last year, they were recommending for the ST the B-spec tire which, by the way, is still around.

Cheers, Bill

I do not see a B-spec tire in the rear 170 size, or front for that matter. I do see such a tire in the 180 size. Got part numbers for the B and C spec Z6 tires.