For my F650GS I need a new front tire
I have Bridgestone road tires now but I want to switch to all-road tires.
For 95% I drive on sealed roads but the other 5% I like a little more grip.

My questions:
What tires do you use?
How long do they last? (normal riding around speedlimits, no wheelies etc.)
I have a Bridgestone road tire on the rear wheel to that is not worn out yet. Would that be a problem ?

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Jan Krijtenburg

My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a Harley-Davidson FXD Dyna Super Glide

My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl

Continental TKC 80

I believe you should fit the tires where they will most reduce the risk of loosing control when cornering or braking.
If you do high speeds on the highway then fit good road tires and take it real slow if you end up on dirt.
If you travel on bad dirt road conditions, even for small portions of your journey, but there is a real risk of loosing grip then fit off road tyres and take it real slow on the highway.
There is no single tyre that will ever be great at doing both, but since you asked I believe the TKC80's come the closest. Not great at being a road or off road tire but the best at trying to be both.

I always go for the off road tyres because dirt is why I do love biking so much, highways for me is only the means of getting to the dirt and sometimes I will even take a dirt road to get to the dirt if one is available.
Fitting off road tires mean that I normally have to keep speeds moderate when on the hard surface.
My number one choice is Michelin Desert but then these won't fit standard BMW's so I fit a specially modified rear wheel.
Take note that these tires are real dangerous on tar at any speeds over 130km/h and I don't just mean the reduced tire contact to the road on account of the large gaps between the blocks but the Desert front will make you loose control of your bike even when riding in a straight line.
Second to the Desert I can also recommend the Michelin T63 which have the same treat patten as the Desert rear but the front is not so aggressive so it is a lot safer at higher speeds on the asphalt, not as durable and great in really loose stuff though.

Never let tyre life determine the choice of tire because this mean that you regard your life and health less than that of your wallet and coincidentally if you do come off on account of not using the right tires, your repair bill and hospital bill can be much more than a set of tires, that is if you do come out alive on the other end.

Something I have also realised is that the most dramatic modification you can do to improve a bikes off road capability is to fit the right type of tires. It is also the cheapest and most easily done.

I have copied this from another thread on this forum, not sure if you have read this?

I have been looking in the BMW tech area but found nothing about tires but maybe I didn't look good enough.
Where can I find it ?

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Jan Krijtenburg

My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a Harley-Davidson FXD Dyna Super Glide

My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl

Hmm,
A topic of some interest to my wife who has a GS650 with the OEM tyres still fitted - Bridgestone Trailwing; the back is about shot now with approx 5000 miles run - a bit disappointing really, I would hope for a bit more. Do other Trailwings do about this mileage?

I think the front is not too bad (I will have to look more closely).

In contrast to the other posts, this bike never goes off-road in any shape or form (probably like a lot of other 650 GSs?!) so I am more interested in what recommendations there are for a new back tyre - any thoughts?

Cheers,

Dave

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Dave

It's common for F650 riders to get 10,000 miles + from a Tourance rear tire. The fronts last much longer than that, of course.

there is a lot of info about tires in the The Chain Gang site. here
F650 Tire Opinions FAQ

i just replaced my Pirelly Scorpion from my F650GS. the rear lasted more than 12,000 miles and i think the front one more than 15,000. i put front tire scorpion in Lima Peru. From there i went to Bolivia, replaced rear tire in Mendoza-Arg, Ushuai, Buenos aires, Santiago Chile, Buenos Aires-Arg again, then Uruguay and did the whole coast of Brasil. Even at the end of there life life i was able to take my fully loaded mototrcycle on a bad dirt/sand road by taking enough air out of the tires. I just put levolin bc where given to me for free other wise i would have put the pirelli's again.

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Nicaragua Motorcycle Rental and Tours

As you said up front, you do 95% on pavement. So Tourances are by far a better option than TKC 80s. TKC 80's are the standard for off-pavement riding, but the rear generally is history after about 9-10k kilometers (doing mostly pavement). I've gotten as little as 10k kilometers on a rear Tourance, but that was when I was riding really fast and aggresively with a heavy load. Slowing it down some (with a heavy load) with the aim of making the tires last, and you should get about 16k on the rear.

I'm riding Pirelli Scorpions now, as a substitute for Tourances in SA. They are working well for me (I'm doing maybe 25 - 40% off pavement depending on the week). First set, so I don't know the mileage yet.

I wanted a tire that would get me 16k kilometers between tire changes. Don't know yet if that's the Pirelli tire or not yet, but Tourances from Germany, definitely. Tourances from Brazil, well, that's why I'm trying Pirelli.

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Well, depends on "little more grip" you said. If you realy like good offroad
grip, then you need more offroad pattern, as TKC 80 or T63. I use T63
for everything - from everyday comuting to offroad escape! T63 is very
good on asphalt, especialy in slipery conditions, it is safe in cornering and
you can do almost everything. T63 are noisy tyre and wears quickly, but
they are worth a money. For example, comparing T63 with very popular
Tourance, I can say that Tourance are just slightly better on paved roads
on dry, no big difference on wet, but in offroad Tourance is very bad tyre,
far away from T63 capabilities. Next time I will fit TKC 80 to compare it with
T63.

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AnteK

I have been fitting Mitas tyres to both my F650 Funduro and F650GS and I am amazed how well they grip and last and are much cheaper than Trailwings even. I get about twice the mileage. I have a friend with a XLV600 and i can ride around the outside of him in the dry AND the wet and he is on pukka road tyres! I get at least 15000km out of a rear and I have yet to wear out a front and I really push them, getting them to slide predictably in the dry and I'm wearing the toe-sliders out on my boots. Without a doubt the best tyres I have ever used.

Regards

Nigel in NZ

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The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with . -- 2200 BC Egyptian inscription

Mitas tyres are very common in part of Europe where I am living. They are
very cheap, quite satisfying in most of road conditions, but be very, very
carefull on wet and cold asphalt, ice is a word that can explain everthing!
Among Mitas enduro range, I rate the E09 best, then E08 while E07 is a
tricky tyre with sudden loosing of grip. But also I can say that for a pair
of Michelin T63 I can get a two pairs of Mitas E09, and in summer, on rocks
or other usual conditions, no big difference.

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AnteK