Do you ever get that feeling the person on the other end of the phone just isn’t listening, well thats just how i felt the other day after phoning Bike tyres leeds, having already spent a week or so searching through all the popular tyre manufacturers web sites looking for a nice set of matched tyres for the bold’or.
After much diliberation i decided to go for the Avon Storm 3D-XM’s, in the 110x80zr18 front and 150x70zr17 rear,
so thats what i asked for on the phone, only to be told they couldnt get the 18 inch front in 110, it had to be 100 width, they had the rear in stock but not the 18 inch front, they had a 19 inch front, now at times i am a little thick but even i dont think that one will hold air 
anyway, another voice from inside the office shouts down the phone, “what bikes it for”, so i tells them vf1000f2… “oh you want Avon RoadRiders, thats the correct tyres for your bike”… well, im thinking to myself… no i dont want roadriders, i want storm 3D-XM’s, Road riders may be good tyres but, for the vf sizes you end up with what is listed as a “universal tyre” now call me picky, but i want a back or front tyre thats designed to be either a back or a front tyre and not something thats designed to be both…
At this point the conversation was drying up, there was little interest in getting the Storms in for me, but they were happy to fit me some road riders, so i decided to leave it and try somewhere else… It was disapointing as i have been well pleased with the service i have recieved from them in the past, they have fitted a few of my vf’s with tyres before.
So… plan “B”, i googled motorcycle tyre fitters in yorkshire and “A18 motorcycle tyres” came up, situated near sandtoft, doncaster… i emailed them the tyres and sizes i required and received a prompt reply saying no problem we can have those in for tomorrow, so i ordered them…
Now, ive got to say i have never delt with or even heard of this firm before, but i thought ill give them a go, I was a little shocked when i arrived at the satnav location, a private house in the country side with a modest workshop in the garden… thoughts of “what on earth have i let myself in for” soon disapeared when i entered the workshop, he was all kitted out with a tyre machine, balancing was done on stands and rollers, and to be honest the guy took more care removing and fitting the tyres than anyone ive seen.
After talking to the guy, it turns out he bought the tyre machine for his own use some years ago after having some wheels damaged, then started fitting his mates tyres, then mates mates tyres, he now rebuilds spoke wheels, and even does a comstar/spoke conversion along with bike servicing etc…
Its a refreshing change to see someone who is a motorcycle enthusiast who has just sort of drifted into running his own “cottage industry” rarther than the bigger businesses that have just jumped on the motorcycle bandwagon to make money… theres one thing for sure, my next set of tyres will be fitted at A18 motorcycle tyres.
Avon Storm 3D-XM’s… 110x80zr18 and 150x70zr17
