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Photo by Sean Howman, The Pamir highway in an unseasonably cold late October, Tajikistan

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Sean Howman,
The Pamir highway in an unseasonably
cold late October, Tajikistan



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  #16  
Old 26 Dec 2013
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Does it look like this?



This was a new tyre fitted in France. Halfway across Kazakhstan it looked like this. On my mates bike, same model r100GS, the tyre was evenly worn.

What was different? He had no front brake. The caliper blew in Germany and he had to ride to China before we could replace it.
So it seems the blocks squirm and move under braking on sealed roads that cause the wear.

Now you know how to stop it happening
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  #17  
Old 27 Dec 2013
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That's exactly what it's like, but a bit more extreme. And the handling is terrible.

As i said, i've been using TKC80 for a long time, on and off road, in all conditions, for short and long rides. I've never had trouble before. I did a ride through the mountains in Wales in torrential rain, all OK. Then suddenly, very suddenly, it started to slide on corners in the dry.

I had a quiet year, with only a couple of short road trips. The tyre might have actually done less than 1000.
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  #18  
Old 27 Dec 2013
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As a former brake engineer who has the sense to only pick fights with the tyre people after extensive investigation, that wear pattern looks to me like the contact patch was not presented evenly to the road. First thought then is to put more air in. Maybe this is why Heidenau use such stiff walls on the K60?

Andy
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  #19  
Old 27 Dec 2013
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Continental?
I remember seeing a Continental Tire rep at HUBB UK this year. Perhaps this could be responded to by the makers of the tire as I know I've seen the same weird wear patterns on the TKCs I've had on the KLR. Only the front though. Must be some clear explanation available somewhere...
Stephen
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  #20  
Old 27 Dec 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Redboots View Post
Does it look like this?



This was a new tyre fitted in France. Halfway across Kazakhstan it looked like this. On my mates bike, same model r100GS, the tyre was evenly worn.

What was different? He had no front brake. The caliper blew in Germany and he had to ride to China before we could replace it.
So it seems the blocks squirm and move under braking on sealed roads that cause the wear.

Now you know how to stop it happening
Yes, braking kills them. Drive smooth and they last for a long time.
I've had MT21 last for 18kkm, but it's easy to kill it in a day
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  #21  
Old 3 Jan 2014
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Just finishing a loop from/to Bulgaria via Greece and Turkey on an old Transalp. Running tkc80 front and rear (from a stash when they were cheaper and I thought I needed the look).

The back has done 2000 km and is on half life. The front has done 5000 km and has the same weird wear pattern as shown in the picture above = shagged. Easy pavement riding, a bit of gravel, solo and 2 up, cold weather (about 15 degrees c) and a useless front brake.

As suggested above, imho, for the now premium price, this product is shite. Another 800 clicks back to Bulgaria and I'll swap it for a k60. Half the price and lasts 4x as long and as good on and off pavement as the Conti.

An aside: the mitas eo9 has a similar tread pattern to the tkc80 and is much better value. Can't have a worse reputation, can it?
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  #22  
Old 3 Jan 2014
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As I said, I've used TKC80s for many miles, on tarmac, gravel, mud and some sand, and not had a problem. That includes a fast ride through to Romania and back through the Alps. Always at 2.5 bar front, 2.8 back. Always ridden very smoothly. Always giving good even grip over 3000 miles. It's just this one tyre that has gone bad.

I've now got Avon Gripsters. OE fitment on the '93 R100GSPD. As suggested by one of the best BMW mechanics in the UK (or perhaps the best).
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  #23  
Old 3 Jan 2014
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TKC's are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 2005. Tote's last gen...


K60's are what the cool kids all have now.

I mean, TKC's are an approved option on BMW's. That's just how UNCOOL they are
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  #24  
Old 4 Jan 2014
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So, I was cool in 2005 and still have it.

Probably makes up for 1995 when putting Heidenaus on MZ's to replace OEM Pneumats was anything but!



Andy
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  #25  
Old 5 Jan 2014
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The Avon Gripsters are fine. I went out in the ice last night, and they are nice and grippy, running predictably on corners. Just right. So, sorry, i'm just not "cooooool", whatever that's all about.
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  #26  
Old 22 Feb 2014
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Agree on the weird wear pattern of the TKC80. I could get 9000 miles out of the front tire if I kept the speed down below 65mph. It was gone in 3000 miles if I went much faster on my 990ADV. Once it wears like that mine would start hopping below 55 mph and no balancing would correct it. I still love the TKC80 as a great all terrain tire.
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