Knobby-style rear tire advice requested

hello all,
in the past, i've seen pics posted of modified bikes that have a knobby, old-school look rear tire. of course, now that i'd like to contact the owners of those bikes, i can't find 'em anywhere.
i've searched the traditional tire sites for options but haven't found 'em yet.
if you have located and/or purchased such a tire for your bike or know where i can learn more about that option, pls chime in.
on a separate note, i finally splurged and bought a heavy, armored leather jacket for my rides. boots are next along with chaps or pants.
i know it's fun to buy bike parts but i figured it was time to invest in some safety equipment as well.......
thanks!

 

they are great on dirt. street riding dangerous with a bike that heavy especially in the rain

 

Agreed.

You could go with an "Adventure Bike" type tire like the ContiEscape or Dunlop D607; I certainly wouldn't go with anything more aggressively "knobby" than that. The bike is way too heavy to get too crazy.

 

yeah, i definitely want to stay upright on the pavement! i like the conti escape profile, i'll have to see if any local shops have them or something like that i can look at in person.
i want the old school bobber look but will take safety and handling over looks any time......

 

Go to the CycleWorld Web Site:

http://www.cycleworld.com/

Read the article on tires and compounds. Learn how tires are made. what they are best suited for and how long they are expected to last.

I run a Metzler LaserTec on the rear.
I run the bike hard so I only get one season out of it; but I know I'm good when I throw it into a corner.

You only get about 8 Square Inches (or less) of rear Tire gripping the Road.

Knobby Tires for Street use isn't the way to go.
They'll break loose too easy.
Plus they get downright hard to control if you get up to highway speeds.

 

good stuff for consideration, thanks guys!

 

I ran a Bridgestone Trailwing in mine for a period with no problems.

 

Which one, specifically? Bridgestone apparently use the "Trailwing" name for their entire 'dual-sport' lineup; a couple of which might be OK on the back of an XJ; a lot of them certainly wouldn't. There are 18 different "Trailwings" to choose from.

 

Not sure which one exactly, but it was on/off road 18".