Avon Tyres

Avon Tyres – Rubber with history and style

“Manufactured using the new electro-hydraulic process” – that's how Avon advertised its motorcycle tires over 110 years ago. Back then, the company was still in its infancy, but its roots went back to 1885: an old weaving mill in Melksham, south of Bath, began working with rubberized fabrics early on – so the leap to motorcycle tires was only logical.

Over the decades, Avon became an integral part of British industrial history. During the war, the factory even produced gas masks and gaskets, but its heyday came after 1945: mass motorization took off, and Avon was able to show what it was capable of on race tracks such as the Isle of Man TT. The name was particularly well established on British bikes – Triumph, BSA, Norton, Royal Enfield... all of them often rode on Avon rubber back then.

And then suddenly: Avon on Harley-Davidson

What many people don't know is that Harley-Davidson riders also came into contact with Avon more and more often in the 1950s and 1960s – not via Milwaukee, but via the British wave. With the import of Triumph, Enfield & Co., British motorcycles and their tires found their way onto the American market. And it was in workshops and garages that Harleys and Avon tires really came together for the first time.

Then as now, Avon offers an interesting alternative to classic US brands – especially when it comes to vintage looks and true-to-original handling. If you're not into newfangled sidewall lettering or super sport compounds, but are looking for something solid for your bobber, chopper, or old-school cruiser, you've come to the right place.

The bottom line? If you're looking for a stylish, proven tire alternative for classic Harley-Davidson models, you don't always have to stay in the US. With Avon Tires, you're not just riding on real history, but also on rubber that simply fits – both visually and technically. And sometimes a little detour via England is exactly what you need to find that missing piece in your garage.

Classics with character

The Avon Safety Mileage MKII with its distinctive zigzag tread pattern at the rear and the Speedmaster MKII as a circularly grooved front tire: this combination is not only stylistically suited to old bikes, but it works well on classic Harley-Davidson models, whether Flathead, Panhead or Shovel. The tires are reliable and visually harmonious. So we're all lucky that Safety Mileage and Speedmaster are available in the classic Harley-Davidson sizes, 5.00-16, 4.00-18, 3.50-19 and 3.00-21.