he wait is over. That 300-series Avon, the one we’ve read about for months, been teased about with pictures, the tire shipped to only a select group of Master Builders, has just been released for general distribution. It’s the biggest, baddest rear tire in the custom-bike world, and it’s in the Drag Specialties warehouses. And that’s not all. Before too long there will be two versions of that gigantic 300 in there, two different sizes to pick from. Along with the promised 300/35R18 Venom, Avon’s slipped in an option—a 17 inch version busting the tape at 300/40R17. It’ll be available in the spring.
     Now that they’re available (the 300/35R18 shipped to the warehouses in February) these tires are going to start making news. They’re going to make plenty of magazine covers, too—tires almost a foot wide will do that. Obviously these two require some pretty special frames and wheels and drive systems to accommodate them, and that’s why the Master Builders got them first. The industry has already tooled up with what’s needed to put this pair of big boys under a bike. They’ve designed and built everything these two Avons require, the wide frames and swing arms, the offset drives and the wide wheels, measuring 10- and 11-inches across.

Announcing the biggest, baddest rear tire in the custom-bike world—the gigantic 300 Venom.

Steed Musclebike® Motorcycles presents the first 300 performance motorcycle. Check it out at www.musclebikes.com.

     Getting down to the specifics on both of these tires, they’re both H-rated making them good to go for speeds of up to 130 mph. And of course they’re radials, with Aramid belts for added stability. And being Venoms at heart, their casings were specially developed for ultra-low rolling resistance, even in a tire this big. That 300/35R18 has one of the lowest sidewall profiles yet seen on a motorcycle tire, too. Viewed from the rear it’s as big as it gets, yet from the side it’s showing off plenty of wheel. The two 300s both feature Avon’s special “rim protectors” as well, a tire feature that helps prevent damage to wheels from pot-holes and the like. That’s something sure to be welcomed by riders rolling on some expensive custom wheels.
     The radial construction of these two tires also means they can be paired with a pretty broad selection of fronts; radials, bias-belted, or even crossply designs. Avon’s got plenty of those fronts to choose from, too, every one a tire that’ll beautifully complement that big 300. In the Venom-R line alone there’s a wide range of fronts to match the new, ultra-fat look out back. There’s a 120/70R19, a 120/70-21, a 130/70R18 and a 150/80R17. Depending on the style of bike, whether it’s chopper, pro-street, or something altogether different, any one of those could be the perfect front-tire pick.

The Venom 300s are H-rated, making them good to go for speeds up to 130 mph.

     When Avon unveiled its 230/60H15 back in 1998, there were some who said motorcycle tires couldn’t get any wider. Three years later the 250/40HR18 proved just how wrong that thinking was, and that Venom’s still a tire-of-choice for custom builders everywhere. 250 Avons are the centerpiece for thousands of beautifully crafted bikes, worldwide. And now there’s that pair of 300s. Once again, Avon’s raised the bar. And if you think this is the end, that this is as big and as wide as a motorcycle tire will ever get, think back to ’98 and that Avon 230.There’s plenty more to Avon than just those ultra-wide tires, though. Along with all the eye-popping custom-bike tires, the Venom lineup includes every size and style tire an everyday rider needs and uses. These are the Venoms designed for the real world, cruising and touring. The Venoms are offered in both blackwall and whitewall styles, too, and with Avon’s multi-arc and sequential tread patterns the Venoms are premium tires that ride quietly and handle with a light, nimble touch. High-tech compounding lets these tires run cool and last; the mileage delivered is unbelievable. And important to heavy tourers and cruisers, Venoms have the deepest tread and highest load ratings in the business.

Everything that is needed to put these bad boys under a bike is now available, from wide frames and swing arms to off-set drives and wide wheels.

     Avon’s got it all covered for the sport-riding side of the V-twin world, too. The Azaro AV45ST front/AV46ST rear combinations blend outstanding performance with long-life mileage, and there are even ultra-high-performance Azaros, the SP ProSeries tires, for the guys who take it to the extreme. You know who they are, and these are the tires for them. Every Azaro features Avon’s Advanced Variable Belt Density (A-VBD) construction for straight-up stability and a stable footprint at high lean angles, and the Azaro rears are built with Spiral Belted Carcass (SBC) technology, an Avon exclusive. It handles the stress generated by high levels of grip, and these tires grip. There’s an Enhanced Aqua Flow (EAF) tread pattern for a sure footprint in the wet, and both front and rear Azaros use TA (Tri-Arc) tread profiles for a perfect balance of handling and stability at all lean angles.
     But cruising, touring or sport riding aside, right now it’s that pair of 300s causing all the buzz, and rightfully so. The 300/35R18 Venom and 300/40R17 are the biggest, baddest motorcycle tires around. They’re the tires everyone’s been talking about, the tires everyone’s been waiting to see. And the wait is over. The Avon 300s are here and the custom world will never be the same. Ask your rep, he’ll tell you. He’ll help you get them, too. Give him a call.