Rob's WD16H and Big4 Forum

One of first 500 of contract C14498 with leg shields

Rob's WD16H and Big4 Forum
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tires

The bike is up and running. Its time for the proper tires.
Can anyone tell me a good supplier in the U.S.?

Cheers, Steven in Ottawa

Re: tires

http://www.amazon.com/Shinko-SR241-Series-Tire-Application/dp/B0032W1ZNO
If you want period tires you're going to have to trawl Ebay. There is stuff there
Does anyone know what make was used for Army contracts, Dunlop, John Bull?

Re: tires

I should have realised there would be extensive info on this. But does anyone know if John Bull made army tyres? I once had a '46 Matchless G80 with the original JB tyres. Smooth up to 50 and then was a road drill. And I do know what's that's like as I often worked on construction gangs whilst a student. It was a nice bike that I never should have sold but I did get through trousers at an alarming rate. Turned out someone had left a battery on the seat, for several years.......

Re: tires

The preferred pre-war WD motorcycle tyre was Dunlop, generally the Universal but sometimes with a reference to a 'Competition' tyre at the rear. This was pretty much a 'knobbly'.

With the outbreak of war, it would seem that Dunlop were unable to supply the quantities needed and the factory ledgers show that production used Dunlop and Good-Year 'Extra-Grip' randomly.

The off-road performance of the Good-Year was frequently slated but presumably they were OK on the tarmac which would have made up most of the use of a WD motorcycle in the UK at least.

Firestone also advertised that they supplied the War Office.

During the post-war period, with factories once more free to choose what they produced, other manufacturers undoubtedly tendered for Government contracts.