CB450 Firestone Deluxe Champion help!

P

Paradox

New Member
Hello, Im building a 71 cb450 and am having trouble choosing tire sizes. I just purchased Firestone Deluxe Champions, but Im not sure if the size is appropriate now that Im looking at them.

For the Front, I got

325-19 Front
Overall tire diameter: 27"

For the Rear, I got

(350-18) REAR
Dimensions: 26-1/2" OD x 4" Cross Section

However, Now that Im holding them, The 325-19 Front tire is wider than the 350-18 rear by about a 1/4" It didnt state the width on the site that I purchased it from.

Is this a problem that the front tire is wider than the rear? Should I get a fatter rear tire instead?

Anyone use the Firestones on a cb450 that can give me a recommendation!

Thank you for any help in advance.
 
You do know that they are not all that great replicas of out dated and not great tires?

Yes it is a bad idea for the front to be wider then the rear, but if you are running these tires, maybe handling is not a top priority
 
Those "clown shoes" as they have been called should be banned. They are not designed to be used on a road going motorcycle. They are really a replica on a very old Coker tire - the sort of thing that a model T would use and they are fine for that application. LOL.

I'd just hate to hustle round a corner on them or hit a damp patch which often happens in the fall.

IMHO it's a shame that people aren't warned about them.

3.25 should be thinner than a 3.50. Traditional tires typically used a 100% aspect ratio so a 3.25 should be 3.25 inches tall and 3.25" wide. So it should be 25.5" OD when mounted and the 3.50 should be close to 25.0" diameter. That particular tire doesn't quite follow the normal rules though. I guess that they are "nominal" sizes.
 
I've got a friend who bought a old T100 Triumph with those tyres on it. He thought they looked cool and "period" until he had a low-side at a roundabout (minor damage only, fortunately).

He then got some BT45's and now he loves his "new bike" ;)
 
Ok, Im gonna return them. I didnt think they were gonna be high performance, but I dont want them to be straight out dangerous.

Any other options for vintage looking but safe?
 
AVON Speedmaster front/Safety Mileage rear (I'm running these on my yet-to-be-built rigid XS650)

Dunlop K70... lots of less-than-modern tread designs out there made by the same factories that make the most high-end reliable handling tires on the planet.

Now, I personally haven't ridden on Firestones, but my buddy Paul rode on a set from Toronto to LA and back on a DOHC CB750 and lived to tell the tale. He swore he'd never do it again.

If you can return them, do it. When installed/inflated the tires do change shape/width so the front might end up being narrower than the rear, but you can buy a lot better tires for the same money and frankly Firestone Classics have jumped the shark a number of times.

188404_197560816944061_100000704330287_533309_2341187_n.jpg
 
I have em on my cb360. I dont recommend em to anyone. But, if its what you really want...why not? They do have limitations.
3.25 on stock 19" front rim
4.50 on stock 18" rear rim
not really sure why your front tire is wider than the back.
I have been running these Coker Firestones for more than a year now.

Here is a link to the write up I did on them...enough people were asking at the time.

http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=27417.msg400580#msg400580

coker specs
325 - 19
cross sec 3.89"
recommended rim width 2.15"

3.5 - 18
cross sec 4.05"
recommended rim width 1.85 - 2.00"
I dont know why they recommend a narrower rim for the wider of the two tires?

Before next spring I am changing em out for Avons.
 
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