New tyres for old…
… but adventure style rubber not available
IN THE EARLY 1990S my cares were none, my hair was long and I zinged about on a Yamaha TDR250. These days I fret more than I should and have an increasingly expansive sunroof up top, but there’s a TDR in the shed again. I bought it last year, to rediscover the joys of the light, perky, usable two-stroke twin and relive the times when I needed a hairdryer. My original 250 had cast TZR250 wheels and gloopy Avons with ‘not for highway use’ on the side. Part of the current bike’s appeal was TZR rims, however the vendor threw in the original spoke jobs, with tyres, and I decided they look far better. They’re heavier than the TZR parts and at 18 inches the front is taller, but there isn’t any effect on the nice, crisp steering. Surprising on such a light bike. The rear Bridgestone was starting to square, mind, and the mismatched Pirelli front had curious shoulder wear that wasn’t nice at decent lean. I decided to get semi-knobblies like the Metzeler Enduro 3 Sahara used when new, but nobody makes adventure-style rubber for a poxy 250 anymore. So I’ve gone for Avon’s Roadrider (avon-tyres.co.uk/motorcycle), instantly giving the 250 super-smooth turning and noticeably improved ride quality. I wasn’t expecting heavier steering, mind. I doublecheck the front size, which is as Yam recommend, and triple-check pressure, which is cockon. Turns out that old Pirelli front had a lower aspect ratio. No wonder the TDR still felt sharp when the TZR wheels came out…