ow’s that for a testimonial? Those big Avons not only look the part on a modern custom, they back it up with real on-the-road performance. Raymond Atwood’s experience, putting more than 21,000 miles on a chopper in a single year, is proof of that. And with this kind of performance–and durability–coming from a big 250 chopper tire just imagine the performance and tire life riders on all those other Avons will report back with. There’s a long-mileage/high-performance Avon for every V-twin rider out there, too.
     Avon Venoms are some of the most popular Harley tires on the market. Along with the 250s like the one on Raymond Atwood’s Big Dog Avon has the ultra-huge AM42 330/30R17 Venom-R in the lineup, too. That 330 Venom has one of the lowest sidewall profiles ever seen on a motorcycle tire. It’s become an extremely popular choice with custom builders everywhere. And now that Harley is mounting bigger tires on the Deuce, and more to follow in the future, the full lineup of Avon custom-replacement Venoms make perfect sense, too, tires like the AM42 Venom R 200/55VR18, the 180/55VR18 and the 150/80HB and VB16s. All of these tires are a definite improvement, coming with a more rounded profile than many OE tires and with all the Avon handling advantages that are felt immediately. Every one of those Venoms are great in the wet, they’re cool running, they have a softer compound for better grip and as Raymond Atwood can attest, that high-traction compound lasts. Properly inflated and maintained an Avon Venom can, in some cases, deliver up to twice the mileage of OE rubber. There are lots of direct-replacement sized Venoms, too, with some sizes offered in wide and narrow whitewalls or in the standard blackwall configuration.


     And have you seen the new Storm STs? For years the Avon Azaro AV45/46STs was the tire of choice for improved handling on sport-touring Harleys and of course for the Buells. The Storm ST ups the ante. This newest Avon offers a significantly improved wet weather grip and here again there’s a new and more rounded profile that really enhances the handling and better resists wear. The Storm STs have an all-new and even more improved high-mileage tread design, and Avon has given the tires a “Reactive Footprint.” With “RF” the tire’s contact patch actually changes size and shape depending on lean angle with the contact patch growing in size the further the bike is leaned into a turn. The Storm ST also has Avon’s Inverted Front Grooves (IFG) to further resist wear and cupping and ensure smooth handling, serving up a great ride and really improving the wet-weather braking. Avon’s Enhanced Aqua Flow (EAF) tread pattern is here, too, optimizing all that wet-weather running. There’s more. With Avon’s Advanced Variable Belt Density (A-VBD) construction (closely wound Aramid fibers in the center tread for straightline stability with spaced fibers at the shoulders for an improved contact patch at high lean angles) everything works together on the Storm ST to evenly distribute stresses throughout the tire and eliminate localized flexing. There’s even a Super Rich Silica (SRS) compound for great traction after a very short warm up period. As icing on the cake the Storm ST carries Avon’s Road Hazard Warranty protection. During the first millimeter of tread wear Avon will replace the tire if it’s accidentally punctured. This is one heck of a tire with wide application.
     High-mileage chopper tires, upgrade tires for virtually every V-twin on the road, replacement-size Venoms and now a sport-touring tire that’s tough to beat–Avon has it all. And as Raymond Atwood discovered on his Big Dog every one of those Avons is built for the long haul. They’re all available through Drag Specialties, so call your rep today to stock up.