American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 231 October 2018 | Page 33

the oldest motorcycle product
manufacturers of any kind in the world,
tracing its origins back to 1885.
The company entered the motorcycle and
‘enhanced compounds
and new construction’
sidecar tire market in 1911. Always an avid
supporter of motorsport, Avon’s dominance
in motorcycle racing was historically so
great that in its 1957 to 1963 ‘Glory Years’
every solo world champion, including
legendary Britons John Surtees and Mike
Hailwood, rode to victory on Avon
motorcycle tires (Surtees remains the only
man to have won World Championships on
two and four wheels).
In the 1970s Avon’s reputation
as the custom motorcycle
“go-to” was cemented
through its
association with
industry legend
Arlen Ness - an early
adopter of Avons for his
custom builds, and still an
Avon enthusiast.
Avon Venoms quickly became
established as the preferred
option for custom bike builders
worldwide. Always noted as an
innovator, with technologies such as
Variable Belt Density, the inverted V-
pattern and Force Following Grooves
becoming widely adopted, fifteen years ago
the company did much
to facilitate what
became known as the
“Fat Rear End” boom,
the popularity of single
sided swingarms and
right-side drives, as it
made a series of wider tires available,
including the 300 in 2003 and still popular
330 in 2004.
Avon was acquired by Cooper Tire of the
USA in 1997, and Cooper’s fresh investment
capital did much to position the business for
the 21st century. In 2007 Avon capitalized on
the popularity of its Venom series tires with
the launch of the all-conquering Cobra line.
In the years since, Avon has added to the
strength in depth of Cobra options, and with
the Cobra Chrome is now offering its largest
yet range of fitment options, including the
class-defining 330.
Renowned for its distinctive tread patterns,
outstanding mileage and long life, the new
Cobra Chrome doesn’t disappoint.
Noted for its unique, super tough
construction, the kind necessary for heavy-
duty custom loads and long distances, the
Cobra Chrome combines the characteristics
needed for modern cruisers with leading
sports tire technology, for improved
handling and performance.
In recent years the example set by the likes
of Arlen Ness and legendary Briton John
Reed has been taken up by hundreds of
‘excellent wet braking
and stability’
leading customizers and bike builders
worldwide. Since its inception in 2004, more
AMD World Champions, Freestyle class top
twenty bikes, World Championship class
winners and World Championship
competitors of all kinds have favoured Avon
tires than any other single tire brand -
including the reigning World Champion
Suicide Customs from Japan, who returns to
defend his title in 2018.
Suicide Customs marked a second
consecutive World Championship in which
the winner built with Avons - in 2014 the
prestigious title was taken for a third time
by Krugger Motorcycles of Belgium with
“Nurb’s”, an Avon shod radical and futuristic
BMW.
“This was the jumping-off point that made a
collaboration between Avon and ‘The AMD’
compelling,” says Avon Marketing Director
Michiel Kramer. “As a company Avon is
proud of its heritage and as a custom bike
tire market leader we are especially proud
of our reputation as the tire of choice for so
many of the market’s greatest and most
innovative designers and craftsmen.
‘a 5% larger tyre
footprint’
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AMERICAN
MOTORCYCLE
DEALER
- OCTOBER
2018
AMERICAN
MOTORCYCLE
DEALER
- XXXX 2016