Avon Cobra - your thoughts?

[gtr1000]

Following on from the testing I was doing for Avon and their dual compound Azaro rear, we're now at 8k miles and 3mm depth at the centre. I know it sounds strange but in the last 4-5k miles, the wear has been negligible. More importantly, there's verey little sign of any sqauring off.

Despite all the good aspects of the DC Azaro, it looks like Avon will never put this tire into production (?). As sooner or later I'll need a new rear, I got to looking at their 150/80-16 Cobra rear. I couldn't work out if it was a radial tire or not until I read this http://motorcycle-tire-reviews.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/our-review-of-avon-cobra-radial-cruiser.html . Other web reports say that the Venom 150/80-16 was dropped and replaced by the Cobra.

So, is the Cobra really a radial and has anyone tried one yet?

(Did a search on here but nothing came back  )

[George R. Young]

Let's see if I understand this. Your testing of the dual compound radial rear showed good handling, mileage and wear pattern, and Avon is NOT putting it into production? Wassamatta, it doesn't wear out soon enough to be profitable?

[Summit670]

Yes, the test tire sounds great.  Maybe the've had traction concerns.  Maybe too much value for the consumer $.

I too will be needing a set of tires in the next month or so.  Keeping an eye on this thread. 

[MetrickMetal]

I ran Avon Cobras on my 03 VTX1800C, and I put close to 70k on Cobras and liked them a lot, and they wore and handled well, and I may try them out on the 02 C10 I'm picking up this week. 

[Mettler1]

  My Avon Azaro only gets about 8,000 miles but I wouldn't trade traction for mileage any day!!

[pat8228]

I had the Cobras in the gold wing sizes on my 04. Liked them a lot. Very good traction. I had 18000 miles on them when I changed them, about 6000 more than I should have put on them. They still had good tread but lost the roundness of the the tire, they were flat like a car tire. I replaced them with the Azaro. Like them alot also, but I think I'll put the Cobras back on net time.
If I remember right you can't use the Radials in Gold wing sizes because they won't fit. There is a thread somewhere on this site that explains that and why they won't fit.

[nevadazx12]

The Avon Cobras sound great, I checked Dennis Kirk and they had them in sizes for the 86 model, 16 rears and 18 front,  YAHOO!!!

[gtr1000]

Now here's a coincidence............

Had an e-mail today from Avon stating that the DC Azaro has been in production in the UK since May 2012  .

I've started another thread to spread the word.

[gtr1000]

If I remember right you can't use the Radials in Gold wing sizes because they won't fit. There is a thread somewhere on this site that explains that and why they won't fit.

But Avon now do the Cobra in 150/80-16  .