fat bike moped tire

[evolutiongts]

Since I have a fat bike that uses 26 X 4 inch wide tires, what's a good motorcycle/ moped tire and wheel that I can use that's similar size? Thanks.

 

[spinningmagnets]

This might have some links and ideas:

"moped tires"
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=40123

"19" Motorcycle Wheels vs 26" Bicycle Wheels (rim and tires)"
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=55458

 

[Chalo]

Since I have a fat bike that uses 26 X 4 inch wide tires, what's a good motorcycle/ moped tire and wheel that I can use that's similar size? Thanks.

Fatbike wheels and tires are quite a bit bigger than what's on any moped.

What are you getting at? Do you just want to spend a ton of money to make your bike much, much heavier and make it ride like crap? Or do you have some other goal in mind?

A 90/90-21 or 100/80-21 motorcycle tire, like what might be used on the front of a Harley, would be fairly close to the size of a fatbike tire. There are also 120/70-21 tires that might or might not fit the frame, depending on how much frame clearance and chainline clearance it offers.

 

[MadRhino]

A typical fat bike tire weights around 3 Lbs, while the average weight of a motorcycle tire of the same size is 13 Lbs. 10 Lbs of tire is a much greater acceleration handicap than the same 10 Lbs on the bike. On the ebike it makes more sense to carry this 10 extra pounds in batteries, for it will ride better, faster and further.

 

[gogo]

10 Lbs of tire is a much greater acceleration handicap than the same 10 Lbs on the bike.

"Much greater" (≈1.5X)
The additional acceleration tax may be negligible depending how often it happens, but the faster the top speed, the more the air resistance profile of 'fat' costs energy while at speed.

Rotating Weight
http://pardo.net/bike/pic/fail-027/index.html

 

[Drunkskunk]

Having a Fat bike I've looked into this already. 19" motorcycle tires are far to small to make a good replacement.
A 26" bicycle rim is ISO 559mm. A 22" motorcycle tire is 558mm at the top of the bead. Just enough too small not to fit on the bicycle rim, but very closely sized.
Sadly, 22" are as rare as hen's teeth, and you'll be better off going with a 21"
But as others have said, the added rotational weight probably isn't worth it, unless you're destroying tires on your current ride.

 

[gogo]

But as others have said, the added rotational weight probably isn't worth it, unless you're destroying tires on your current ride.

I was making the opposite point, that weight is over-emphasized. Even when including the additional .5X tax on wheel weight when accelerating, when taken as a % of total weight, it means little on an ebike. Some people like the stability added rotational weight confers.

 

[mattrb]

I've got 26x3 (OD 29") in the front and 19" moto (OD 26") in the rear. It works fine but the rear is smaller and the bike still runs fine.

 

[MadRhino]

But as others have said, the added rotational weight probably isn't worth it, unless you're destroying tires on your current ride.

I was making the opposite point, that weight is over-emphasized. Even when including the additional .5X tax on wheel weight when accelerating, when taken as a % of total weight, it means little on an ebike. Some people like the stability added rotational weight confers.

True that some don't care much about the weigh, and some even like riding a heavier bike.
Yet only 10% loss in acceleration performance means a lot to most, and the extra tire weight is taxing the brakes as well as the performance and range of your bike.

 

[pkirkll]

What about the possibility that using a motorcycle tire in the desert would keep my ,"rotational force' going......period---- vs flat tires and zero rotational force???

I am concerned with the fields of goatheads and other spiny things i meet up with in the high desert---

The last time i cut across an open lot ---i found it was full of goatheads--my tires went down in 10 feet... albeit this was on a trike

i know they werent the tubeless fat tire versions--just my regular Schwalbe Marathons---

but now i am on to semi cargo fat bikes and i dont want to be out there pushing

 

[DingusMcGee]

With a 19" moped rim and a 3.5" x19" knobby rear I am showing a radius of 13.5". This is about the same height as the Kenda 26 x 2.70 front I use on a wider bike rim with a 24" rear rim Crystalyte Crown TC-65. The Cromotor is heavy but the tire, rated at 93mph [DOE rated] is very heavy and not very supple. In no way does it get as good of traction on snow as the Specialized 26 x 4.6 tire and rim I could have built and the 2 I have on another bike. Maybe if you were really putting the power to Cromotor you would want a moped rim & motor cycle tire instead of a good bike rim and tire. I will not go the moped rim route again.

 

[pkirkll]

The main reason for moto wheels and tires is to make it as flat proof as possible.
I don't know any bicycle tires that can stand running thru a field (literally) of goat heads....

I would love to have the cushion of the fat tires, but like I said, I don't want to be pushing my Lunacycle thru the high desert.

I don't know exactly what combo is going to work yet....

 

[John in CR]

Hubmotor or mid-drive?

 

[pkirkll]

Luna cycle. Big block, torque sensor, no throttle, CA3,

Still haven't got it figured out.....

 

[pkirkll]

UPDATE: So far we have a Luna Cycle frame, Bombolini tires, Rohloff rear hub, 18FET controller, CA3, Rolling Darrlys, 52V-25ah total batteries from Eric at Lunacycle, AND the Big Block Middy..

 

[macribs]

If you do most of your riding in the dessert me personally would just get the widest motox sand tire that fit the fork/swing arm.
A swift ghetto tubeless fix and a pocket friendly tubeless repair kit, and some compressed co2 cartridges. Short of getting tires pinched between rocks that rips the sidewall such a setup will be trouble free for you. And if you do find large thorns or whatever stuck in your tires just remove, use the tubeless repair kit and air up. You will be riding again in less then a minute.

 

[pkirkll]

I am over in NorCal now,,,,
My desert riding is in the high desert with not so much sand... as rocks and stuff....

So i will try out these Bombolini tubeless tires----

I used CO2 on my trike and it was great, but i dont know how big a cannister i would have to carry around for the Bombolinis....the volume would be very high compared to the Schwalbe 26 inch Marathons I used to run...Maybe i can get a carbon fiber paintball CO2 can

 

[macribs]

Don't really know much about fat bike tires so I have no idea how they handle e-bike riding. But I can't help thinking fat bike tires might be out of their league put on an e-bike. Especially if you tend to ride fast. But check with users that are riding fat bike tires, I might be all wrong about this.

Anyway, the pro of motox tires is that they are made tough as nails. Great grip if you lower air pressure even on rocks and steep climbs on rocks. They have durable sidewalls as well. Running them tubeless will ensure easy fix unless damage is to the sidewall. I am sure you will get a lot more mileage from a motox tire, and the big knobbies will easily cross those ghoatheads. Take a look at the Maxxis Maxxcross Desert IT or similar tires. They are made for your sort of riding. I even think Maxxis said it was made for rocky dessert use

The tougher carcass, knobbies and sidewall of motx tires will easily outperform the fatbike tires on hard terrain like rocks. Gothheads will not even be a match for those tires, whereas the much softer and thinner fatbike tire most likely will be defeated by goathheads every single time.

 

[pkirkll]

Hopefully im sane enough now to slow down...

I dont heal as quickly as I used to.

I hear you talking Mcribs... I bemoaned my plight a long time on here before i went with the Bombolini's--- One thing about it-- we will know soon enough how they hold up...