The International CBX Owners Association

I just bought a 1980 CBX and will be picking it up Friday! It needs new tires among other things. I'm looking at the Dunlop GT501. The front is 100/90-19 57V and the rear 130/80-18 66V. Are these the right sizes and are they any good? Thanks Ross.

Welcome Ross:
I'm not familiar with the Dunlops you refer to. Those sizes will work, but the original rear for the '80 was 120/90/18. A really good tire in that size is the Bridgestone S-11. I've been running the S-11s and the BT-45s for a long time and like them both. The S-11s wear very well. Any tire you buy currently is much better than anything available 30 years ago. Make sure you post some pics of your new bike!

Dave

ajs350 wrote:I just bought a 1980 CBX and will be picking it up Friday! It needs new tires among other things. I'm looking at the Dunlop GT501. The front is 100/90-19 57V and the rear 130/80-18 66V. Are these the right sizes and are they any good? Thanks Ross.

That's exactly what I have just had mounted up on my 1980 CBX rims. She's still under construction, so I can't tell you how they work on a CBX, but I run the same tire on my '77 CB750K and like the way they grip and have had no problems. I think it's a great tire.

Congratulations on your new purchase!

+1

I put the same size on my 80 and they been great so far. ( all 13 miles )

Bob

Welcome to the site ajs, and congrats on getting a CBX. They are addictive.
If you want grip get the Bridgestone BT45, just slightly less grip and much longer tread life get the Bridgestone S11.
A friend is using Avon AM26 Roadriders with excellent results.

I'll second the vote for the S-11 Bridgestones. I've also had the Avons, like the "feel", hated the fact that they were more expensive and din't last very long.

I believe the BT-45 replaced the BT-17, which was the only CBX tire that I wore out the edges before the middles. Gotta love that dual-compound.

The BT-45's are very grippy and confidence inspiring . . . . always a good thing, but they don't last very long if you ride spiritedly - Probably 4 to 5 thousand miles for the rears and twice that for the front. Depsite the relatively low mileage, they're my favorite tire . . . . my previous experience was all on Dunlops

Don

Don wrote: - Probably 4 to 5 thousand miles for the rears and twice that for the front. Don

They'll probably dry-rotted on my CBX before that

I'm on my second front and third rear since the summer of 2008

Don

In the end I bought the BT45's but found they wore out pretty quickly so I'm now on the S11's that seem to be doing much better ware wise.
Ross

I had the GT501's on my 86 CB700SC (Nighthawk). They stuck very well to the road, looked cool (like big buck radials), and gave decent mileage. I have not used them on my 82 CBX. So far on the CBX, i have used the Bridgestone Spitfire S11, the Kenda K657 (I think that was the number), and am using the Bridgestone again.

The GT501's I think stick like the S11's, but the S11's are less money and last longer.

The Kenda stuck well, but wore out quick.

Unless your middle name is Rossi (or Spencer or Baldwin .....) you won't go wrong with the S11's.

Steve

Got3now wrote:Do you like the GT501's?

I have not bought a Dunlop tire for any of my bikes (17 currently) since 1995. Based on a bad experience with a Dunlop that came factory installed on a bike and a subsequently (jackass-) attitude of a Dunlop rep when discussing the problem.

Unlike ems, I had a very positive experience with Dunlop customer service when a Dunlop tire failed on a Venture way back in 1991. Since then I have used a number of Dunlops on a few different type bikes. I have been pleased with the results so when Dunlop came out with the GT501's to fit an 81 CBX, I put a set on! They worked well. I guess they had good grip since they never slid out on me! This bike was ridden in rain as well as dry weather and for a time was used to commute to and from work.

I had no problems with the GT501's. I did replace them with a set of Metzlers because I got a fantastic deal on the set. However once I wear these out, I will probably get some more GT501's. I tend to stick to that which works for me!

harvey wrote:Unlike ems, I had a very positive experience with Dunlop customer service !

That's great, harvey! That's why we get together and discuss things. One man's experience, good or bad, should not be taken as the ultimate and present the norm for any following activity regarding the matter. I like this. And I would hope for Dunlop that my experience was an exception.