Hyde Harrier and Other Specials Fit Avon Motorbike Tyres

Avon has announced that the new Hyde Harrier and a selection of the world’s finest limited-edition and one-off motorcycles have chosen to fit Avon products as standard. Last month saw Norman Hyde’s latest creation – the Hyde Harrier Jubilee – released to the public and it runs exclusively on Avon Tyres.

The first Hyde Harrier was unveiled at the International Motorcycle and Scooter show in 1987 for the ‘88 model year and the latest model – the Hyde Harrier Jubilee – celebrates both the 21st anniversary of the Harrier and the 50th birthday of the donor bike, the Triumph Bonneville. The Hyde Harrier is available in a range of equipment levels and states of tune-up to a final cost of around £17,000.

The UK’s biggest-selling motorcycle publication Motor Cycle News tested the Hyde Harrier Jubilee. Chief road tester Trevor Franklin said, “The latest Hyde Harrier is the sportiest, most enticing road-going Bonneville ever made. Overall, this is one great bike!”

The machine’s creator Norman Hyde said: “We have a long association with Avon Tyres – stretching back to 1972 when I set a sidecar World speed record on them! As a company we’re proud of our British ancestry and always try and source parts or expertise from quality British suppliers and companies like Avon and Harris Performance fit this criterion.”

Avon has been chosen for other specialist bikes too. Allen Millyard’s Viper V10 was one of the stars of the recent Carole Nash International Motorcycle and Scooter Show. This 500bhp, eight-litre beast cracked 200mph in the hands of Motor Cycle News testers and runs on Avon Venom tyres. Also making its European debut at the show was the stripped-down Victory CORE concept bike. The Victory Motorcycles Industrial Team, from the USA, designed the machine to show the future of performance cruisers, giving the CORE a minimalist, yet aggressive, overall look. It was shod with Avon Venom tyres. In 2009, the world’s best custom-built motorcycle also ran on Avon Tyres: bike builder Dave Crook took this year’s ‘World Championship of Bike Building’ title with his ‘Rambler’ motorcycle, which runs on Avon Cobra tyres.