Sportsman 200

GoldenMotor.com

chainmaker

Well-Known Member
Jan 19, 2010
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What was the final consensus on the best tires for this model.. love the look and size of these
has anyone mounted these to the steel rims? I read the others are a fight to get on aluminum.
Best tires for the Aluminum rims?
 
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chainmaker

Well-Known Member
Jan 19, 2010
2,634
69
48
Ma USA
What was the final consensus on the best tires for this model.. love the look and size of these
has anyone mounted these to the steel rims? I read the others are a fight to get on aluminum.
Best tires for the Aluminum rims?
And will the 3" fit the worksman production forks(dual springer) and standard dropout without chain/clearence issues
 

sportscarpat

Bonneville Bomber the Salt Flat record breaker
Jun 25, 2009
1,844
485
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california
Hi Troy,
Bumping up an old thread here. Guess I have been building bike for quite awhile, now. I have used the Coker tiresbefore but not the one shown in your link. The one I did use was difficult to mount and didn't handle well at all. I have been using the pedalcab tires from Vee Rubber. About as tough as it gets.
As far as 3" tires, real 3" tires as some only claim 3" and are still 2.125, are a tight fit on the forks. Really too tight. I can measure a set later today.

Pat
 

indian22

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2014
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Oklahoma
Hi Troy,
Bumping up an old thread here. Guess I have been building bike for quite awhile, now. I have used the Coker tiresbefore but not the one shown in your link. The one I did use was difficult to mount and didn't handle well at all. I have been using the pedalcab tires from Vee Rubber. About as tough as it gets.
As far as 3" tires, real 3" tires as some only claim 3" and are still 2.125, are a tight fit on the forks. Really too tight. I can measure a set later today.

Pat
I also use the 3" & 2.4" Vee Rubber pedal cab tires 65 lbs. pressure and unreal wear and performance. Load carrying is double any other tire I've found they are tough. Street tire it's my favorite. New Orleans pedi-cabs use them to haul huge loads of tourists over some of the worst city streets in America.

Coker on Worksman rims are 3 times the price of the Vee Rubber, hard to mount and just generally suck going down the road at 30 mph plus. P.M. me & I'li tell you what I really think of them mounted on clincher rims (x-rated mature subject matter).

Mixed use I also like the Maxxi Holy roller, another hi-pressure tire but 2.5" is the widest I've been able to source. Rides nice in deep gravel, surprising for a BMX type street tire.

Rick C.
 

indian22

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2014
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Come on Rick, we are grown ups here. (x-rated mature subject matter). :D
Tom
Tom I get me hackles up at the mention of Coker lol. Though he seems to have found a niche market for many years in the classic tire reproductions arena and kinda' has the market sewed up & tied with a bow for show bikes that don't get rolled except to load onto a trailer.



Rick C.
 

indian22

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2014
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Oklahoma
Do you have a direct link to the vee pedal cab tires? I cant seem to find that "pedal cab" type.
Pat's post included an Ebay link (rc) that's a great price shipped on the 2.35" which is what I use on the front of my bikes. The 3" i just do a 3" Vee tire Flame tread search. Don't use pedi-cab in search. Vee rubber is a Thai company and the cab thing is big over there as well, NOLA tire in New Orleans started private labeling tires for the pedi-cab market in New Orleans and several years ago they gave me the specs on the load ratings etc. If the Vee Rubber tire is labeled a 65 lb. max pressure and is Flame tread pattern that's the correct tire description. Junky rusty bike on E-bay usually has the best shipped 3" price on these tires. If I can find those tire specs I'll post them here. They are not DOT rated tires but are directional mount.

Rick C.
 
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Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
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Rubicon, Wisconsin
You don't have to run at top pressure. Tire squirm does cause friction = blowout. but our loads and speeds are likely not to cause failure. I am running at 55psi to save my spine and prevent a sore rear.
If I had to ride off pavement knobbies are the way to go. Traction on dry pavement or lack of is why my left rotator cuff is not the way I was at birth. Right side got whacked a month earlier in wiping out on an expressway exit with my 1979 R80/7 BMW.
Tom
 
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indian22

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2014
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Yep 65 lbs. is brutal on my home streets with the hard tails I run 50psi in the Vee tires & my Maxis at 55psi on my full air suspension mountain bike on the street and 45psi on gravel.

Other than a softer ride I can't tell much difference in the tires mentioned. Air pressure max and minimums were given as an indicator of which Vee Rubber tires are considered "pedicab" tires and not a recommendation to run at max pressure in typical all around use.

Bottom line is that the tires mentioned are quite awesome and the 3" Vee flame tread is the only performance tire 3" i would trust, though I've not tried them all...most are good beach cruiser tires at best.

Rick C.
 

sportscarpat

Bonneville Bomber the Salt Flat record breaker
Jun 25, 2009
1,844
485
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california
Since this old thread keeps popping up here are a couple fairly recent Sportsman 200s. The model has evolved a bit over the years. This one has the longer and beefier rear triangle based on my Bonneville model with rear lugged dropouts. Also has my lighter version internal springer fork without friction shock and disc brakes. These wheels have the above mentioned tires.

Sportsman 200 by Pat Dolan, on Flickr

This next one is a 200R model. Kind of like a baby Bonneville model. Bigger rear triangle, motorcycle tires and rims, and the lighter duty internal springer fork. 200R models get the motorcycle tires. This one had some teething issues. It would vibrate between 3-4000 rpm. Finally sent the crank, rod, and piston out to get balanced and it really smoothed things out. Typically this isn't necessary but the stock crank was seriously out of balance.

Sportsman 200R by Pat Dolan, on Flickr

Sportsman 200R by Pat Dolan, on Flickr