dream.gonnerman.org

I don’t think I’ve made any notes about the tires I run on my CB650, and I need to so I do not forget.

The front tire of the CB650 is a 100/90-19 tube-type, while the best choice I’ve found for the rear is a 130/80-17.  About the only cost-effective tire available in tube-type for both of these sizes is the Bridgestone Battlax BT45, which I discovered back in 2016 when I was refurbing this bike.  However, there is one problem I’ve found… many sites which sell this tire can’t be relied upon to properly identify the tube-type vs. the tubeless model.  So here’s the info.

The tube-type BT45’s I run on the CB650 are these:

Front: Battlax BT45 100/90H-19, part no. 001029
Rear: Battlax BT45 “J-Spec” 130/80H-17, part no. 001046

It’s often difficult to figure out whether the 130/80-17 is tube-type or tubeless, but the part number doesn’t seem to lie.  The tubeless version is part no. 066184.  I messed up an order, so now I have one of those on the CB650 with a tube in it, and it’s fine but it was a bear to get it on.  The bead just would not seat, and I had to take it to a local mechanic who had a more potent air compressor to get it seated.  Next time around, it’s back to the tube-type.

There are very few good choices for the rear tire on the CB650, and in my opinion the Battlax BT45 is the best of them (and about the least expensive as well).