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Tyre Survey - please contribute
Let us know what tyres you all use on your travels (not regular riding).
I'll start the ball rolling - Last trip Sahara - XR650L Front: Mich Desert, Rear Mich T63. Verdict - great on sand, rock and dry tarmac (but not wintertime Europe...) Sold @ 6000km before worn out. Next trip: (mostly highway, some dirt roads) will try TKC80s If this manages to keep on topic it may become a useful database for adv tyres. Chris S |
IRC 110. good on road yet get decant traction off road. I have about 1500 miles on mine with plenty of tread left. DR-Z400S I have used them in sand a little mud, gravel roads, pavement.
------------------ John |
Started with Michelin Siracs put on in Oz.
Around 18,000kms I changed both in Kyrgystan. Rear Very Bald and puncture prone at this stage, front about 2/3 rds gone. Front replaced with a Heidenau trail tyre bought in Estonia. It was almost bald by Iran and changed in Italy. Rear replaced with Metzeler Enduro2 given to me by Iris and Trui in Belgium. This tyre is still on the bike after 18,000 kms but there is no tread whatsoever down the centre. The Metzeler Enduro 1 front put on the bike in Italy for the remainder of the trip ( given to me by the Padova G/S ers ..hi guys) has done whatever it is between Italy and southern Spain in a round about way plus 4000kms and is still looking pretty good! I found that the Siracs were quite good on the road and gravel but awful in Russian mud. The front Heidenau was excellent on the twisting dirt roads in Kygystan especially as I was two up but wore out quickly because it was very soft. The Enduro 2 rear has lasted well and was good alround but the tyre cracked around the tread blocks on the snow in Turkey. That said its still on the bike doing the commute to work..&^% Ran very high tyre pressures..45 plus and rode slowly. One puncture with the rear sirac when very worn and two up, 2 or 3 punctures on the rear Enduro 2 while two up. No puncture solo. I ran heavy duty tubes but not the Desert style ones, as I was told they heat up and increase tyre wear when riding for extended periods, I have no idea wether it makes any difference. I have freinds that have only got 6000kms from Siracs on KLR 650's. alec http://users.netlink.com.au/~asimpson [This message has been edited by simmo (edited 06 July 2004).] |
hi all
well after million mile couier work here is my findings on the k100 used for work conti tkv11 on the front and tk17 on the rear run at 36 psi and 46 psi last 20,000 miles On my r100gs enduro 4 's great on road evil on mud last about 8,000 miles tkc80's great rock,mud ,roads last about 8,000 miles off to india in july and taking bridgestone trailwings and we will see how they go cheers nobby |
Nobby,
My bike came with trail wings stock. People call them death wings due to poor performance on anything but paved road. On road they perform very well. ------------------ John |
Worth noting there are over 30 different types of Bridgestone Trail Wings listed.
I reckon TW52 and TW42 look OK or better still TW302 and 301 which I think we used in Yukon on KLRs and were an OK trail tyre (ie, road biased). Keep them coming... Chris |
My 2 cents,
Last trip --> Bishkek Front+rear ... Metzeler Sahara Quite sufficient in all kinds of hard surface. Not so good on gravel. Lasted for almost 12,000 km.. |
Aaah Chris,
Thought you would never ask. Based on your advice in the Handbook we had Pirelli MT21's front and rear for Europe - Cape Town. Indeed, they are good on tarmac, even wet, and in the dry dirt. But, the compound is very soft making them wear too fast for any serious travelling. Now I use Mich T63 that are very good on wet tarmac and dry dirt. And they last! For sharp stones, there's only two choices: Deserts or Deserts. The rest wont work. Auke |
I used trail wing 41 and 42. All that used them were unhappy with anything but on road performance. Can't say anything about the other trail wings. For more info go to thumpertalk.com in the DR-Z 400 section and search trail wing or death wing. Lots of info there.
------------------ John |
Avon Distanzia's - excellent on-road in wet or dry, lots of grip and very long wearing (20,000kms). Pants off-road (as you would expect given the tread). Ted Simon used these on his last trip and rated them well.
------------------ Barry 3AJ Tenere |
I use avon "sidecar triple duty" tires on my /7 hack and got 20,000 mi. out of my last front, although it was completly shot.
Pirelli MT21's on my KTM adventure, like the rugged tread and handling was great on pavement or dirt but only got about 1800 -2200 mi. out of them doing dempster and dalton hwy. currently using mezteler karoo dot knobbies on my KLR but am looking for a less agressive and more mileage set of tires. will probably try some tkc 80's before I leave for south america. olee |
My favorite long distance tire is the Metzeler Tourance, my last set has 11,000 miles and looks good for another 2 or 3. Good grip on asphalt, wet or dry. I have used Michelin Siracs, which, IMO, vibrate more on the road, but do offer marginally more grip off road without giving up good street performance. Siracs got nearly the milage of the Tourance. Both these are almost pure street tires though.
What mileage do people get with the Karoo's?. Would they last 3,000 miles on the highway, at least? They are cheap enough. The original Bridgestone on my KLR was shot at 3500. ------------------ Andy Tiegs www.tiegs.com |
I've used the MT21's on my KLR: When newer they are amazingly good on pavement and fantastic off. Problem is they don't last, especially on the pavement: 5,000 miles. Kinda rules them out for long distance traveling for me....
Another thread mentioned the Conti TKC80's and some amazing miliage, like 12K miles. Anyone second that? |
I am hard on tires and I tend to toss about 1000 miles early.
TKC 80 - BMW GS Adv. 5500miles good all around SAHARA ENDURO(3 sets) Elefant 3800 pave ok dirt fair KAROOS- KTM 950S 2500miles good both(mostly Pave) TKC 80- KTM 950S 3200 mi. great pave and dirt no experience in wet or mud. MICH DESERTS(3 Rears) Elefants 3600 bad pave great dirt (hate fronts I use 606's) TOURANCE - BMW GS 8000 miles Road only(they will flip you on sand roads in China and break your wife's foot!!) DUNLOP TRAILMAX(5 sets) Elefants 3000-4000 Not really made anymore, my favorite adventure tire. (mileage poor but good on pave and fair in dirt, not too great in mud but okay) T-63 Mich - KTM Rallye 3500 miles Good all around tire, not too avail. in USA. Just like Desert but softer compound. I normally ride 2-up, full luggage and on all kinds of terrain. Karoos above were swapped early because I couldn't wait to try TKC 80's on the KTM. Keep in mind most will get much more mileage than I, only because everyone seems to always do so!! Allen. |
I tend to switch tires before they are truely dead, so my mileage estimates are probably a bit light from the people who like to ride them till they are totally bald. Also I use the heavy duty inner tubes, and really love them. Worth their weight in gold on a long trip.
On a KLR650: IRC GP 110 (My favorite all round tire, other than I wish it got more mileage on the rear): Front - 11,000 miles, still had wear, but was cupping Rear - 4,000 miles, probably had a bit longer Off road: Good On road: Good Wet road: Good Wet dirt: Good Remarks: They howl a bit in the corners, but they stick fine. Avon Gripsters No good mileage estimates as I took them off long before they were dead. Off road: Poor (especially in sand) On Road: Very Good Wet Road: Good Wet dirt: No experience Kenda K761 No mileage estimates yet: On Road: Causes the motorcycle to weave at 85mph plus speeds, am looking at a fork brace to counteract. Off road: No experience Wet: No experience Remarks: Very cheap, $110 for front and rear, and they are speed rated. Kenda K270 On Road: Very poor. Causes the rear wheel to quirm and feel unstable. Got rid of the tire after two days, after killing it due to high speeds (100mph +), topes, and my license plate taking chunks out of it. [This message has been edited by TerryMoto (edited 12 July 2004).] [This message has been edited by TerryMoto (edited 12 July 2004).] |
Just to help the info..
Last trip to Djanet & Tam - XT600 3AJ MT21 both ends, rear sidewall construction weak, loads of punctures, and damaged sidewalls. Swapped to desert rear, with some cutting to make fit, no more probs (but too late by then anyhow) Front MT 21 fine. Neil |
Am now approaching 8,000kms on a pair of Deserts with a little wear but nothing to worry about.
Have been running 10/14 psi off road and 32/36 on-road with no probs at all. Even less in sand. I have 4mm Bridgestone inner tubes and slime, but I haven't had any problems (except for an errant bolt cutting the rear tread a few times on full compression). Before that, Avon Distanzia. Good grip in town but a little too soft. Deserts are ace. TKC80 Twinduros were unbeatable all-round on my 3AJ - I will get a pair in Istanbul for the Pig. Bought a Pirelli Riga Gomme Enduro Pro rear in Douz, Tn for under 20 quid, totally new. It says "5 ply Rallye" on the sidewall and has a similar tread to Karoo / Desert... anyone any idea?? Cheers. LM (Cairo) |
R80GS
Metzeler Sahara 9.000 km fair compromise tarmac & gravel TW47/48 9.000km cheaper, but less grip on wet tarmac and gravel Heidenau 7.000 similar to Sahara but much cheaper. Good bet if no deep sand. Quite soft. My favourite. Tourance 12.000 perfect on tarmac. Quite expensive TKC80 still busy, no mileage experience stiff sides allow low pressure on sand, good grip. Hans |
TKC80, 7000 miles rear, still running the front. Good on tarmac, soft sand, and surprisingly in the wet.
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Just changed tyres Mitas E07 on 650GS and Dakar after 13000km on roads in Oz. There was plenty left on them. We rode 95% on sealed roads but I think they will handle gravel roads OK. They were recommended by the tyre dealer in preference to Tourance which I had asked for. He had both makes in the shop so it made no difference to him.
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TKC80 on BMW F650 Dakar.
Did 4700km mostly on tarmac in Morroco. Looks like they have another 1000-1300 km left. They felt a bit stiff to handle. I read that you have to get used to the curve-handling as the sides are a bit stiff. I never got fully used to it. Felt a bit uncomfortably. Tested them in sand (in Merzouga). Dont have much to compare with, but I wished I had more traction when I was there. My conclusion: Probably great for dirt and gravel, but since I did mainly tarmac I dont think it was not the rigth tire for me. I also think it wears a bit to fast..... Next trip (North & West Africa)I,ll try Michelin Sirac as I do mostly tarmac. Hope they dont wear as fast. This is also a good link for tyre-opinions: http://faq.f650.com/FAQs/TireOpinionsFAQ.htm [This message has been edited by Dizzie (edited 03 August 2004).] |
round, black (although white wall looks fetching) and rubbery. correct size helps.
hth ChrisB |
That was the best advice !
and I mean it ! My tyres, I enjoy them when in good shape, but when old, I tend to avoid the mud. Matt |
Last trip Trans-Africa 1988 XT600 Tenere
Front: Pirelli MT21 18000km Rear Pirelli MT21 (12000km), alternating with Brdgestone Trailwing (6000km +) for on-road Verdict - Although I rode cautiously, I can't think of a time when I felt let down by the Pirelli's. |
hey guys
my opinion trans africa - XR650L - 21 front - 18 rear Ran original dunlops to Morocco - Mauritania border - literally squeeded 10000kms out of them. Front still had a little life, rear was done 2500kms before. Nothing great to report, had some TKC80's on my XR600R in london, awesome tyre for grip on the road, was a little fast wearing but that may be due to screaming around tar roads. Fitted Michelin Desert 140/80 rear and Michelin T63 front 90/90. Excellent combination, both great in desert and sand. Both but in particular the T63 had impressive grip on dry tarmac for dirt tyre. Lasted about 13000kms till cameroon. Fitted Michelin Desert rear 140/80 and front 90/90 due to mud. Fantastic grip on slippery muddy tracks, front tyre really impressed me. However absolutely useless on wet tarmac, be careful. Not much tarmac down west coast to namibia so were the right choice for me and loved them. okay on dry tarmac, but only okay. Done 8000kms since fitting, both still have life but front seems to be wearing quicker than the T63, although it was much, much better than T63 in mud and slippery tracks. Deserts have fantastic offroad grip. When back on all the tarmac will probably look into some TKC80's Hope it helps, safe travels. |
Trail wings on a Tenere - not bad 2 up on roads and tracks in Morocco and good on the long wet slippery journey home too.
They are a little overwhelmed by the chalk and mud on Salisbury plain though. Charlie |
Pirelli MT 60: nothing special to recommend, good in all weather conditions on paved roads, scary on gravel in dry conditions, awful durability
Michelin Sirac: very good durability, resist on wearing, altogether good choice for travellers, dangerous on loose gravel and cornering Dunlop Trailmax: similar as Siracs, but better on gravel and worse in durability, also to recommend as regular everyday tyre Michelin T63: fantastic tyre in all conditions, not so good in mud but quite ok, probably one of the best allaround tyres for serious use on different terrains; very noisy and fast wearing. Altogether my favorite tyre, very good expiriences in Romania offroad this year. AnteK |
For the poor, broke, and laid-off, Duro "medians" are absolute peg draggers on the asphalt and less $100 per set. Do great on gravel, and decent in light mud. Good for about 6000 hard miles. Maxxis c6006 also less than $100 per set, do awesome in mud, and hold the road good, very predictable. Not sure of milage yet. Sorry, I never ride sand.... Tres |
Dunlop Trailmax on a Honda Transalp.
20,000 km from Shanghai to Helsinki. Were just fine on the bitumen, fine on dirt roads, but a bit hard to handle in soft sand. Overall a good compromise. I understand they dont make them anymore?? Is that right? |
i am using dunlop 606s front and rear.never been on sand.gravel, fireroads do ok i guess. knobbly pattern. but on tarmac phenomenol. in wet tarmac fantasic. was so suprised that i quit taking out my cbr1000f in the rain(i ride 200kms everyday)if it rains its the 3aj with the dunlop knobbies.any1 have any experience on em?done bout 5k ikms / still has bout 2k tread left is my guess.
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Honda Dominator.
I used a set of Tourance raidials which lasted well about 7K rear 12k front has about a 70/30 road bias OK on dirt, great on tarmac not good in sand or mud. Michelin T66 - 5K rear 9K front 90/10 road bias. Average on tarmac, not good at anything else. KTM 640 Adventurer Endro 3 - Good all round tyre not long lasting 4K rear 7K front. Pirelli MT90 AT. This is a tough tyre, good puncture resistance and very long lasting. 12K rear, I have never worn out a front as I changed them as a pair, expect 18K on a front. 80/20 road bias, good on road and dirt, poor in the sand and mud. In bad / loose conditions I ran 10 psi front and 14 psi rear. I had a rear puncture on the road and it took a couple of miles to relise the problem. I then rode another 4 miles with a flat to find a garage that had a compressor before changing the tube. I recommend the MT90 A/T if you want mileage but be prepared to compromise a little on grip. The MT90 S/T is more road bias and I have not tried those (all distances in miles) My least favourite tyres are Michelins, don't like them at all. Every now and then they bring out a new one and I get tempted to try but always disappointed. Steve |
I ride a Honda ST1100 and use Metzeler tires. The Metzeler's don't last quite as long as the OEM Brigstones, but I find that the traction is much better with the Metzeler tires (especially in the rain), so I am willing to kiss off a little bit of extra wear in favour of a little bit of extra stick-um.
I change both at the same time, about every 10,000 to 12,000 km's. I could probably push the rear tire as far as 13,000 km's, and the front tire as far as 20,000 km's, but I like to have them changed in the same place (my 'home' dealer in Zurich), so I do them both at the same time. I ride about 30,000 km's a year, so this is roughly 3 sets a year. I',m usually fairly heavily loaded (about 300 pounds payload, meaning, myself and my luggage), and I run at high speeds when I can, which probably doesn't help tire life. [This message has been edited by PanEuropean (edited 15 February 2005).] |
R100GS fully loaded aprox. 850 Lb (rider included)
-Tourances: Great tire on pavement, wet or dry and even cold temp. Okay on hard gravel, abysmal in any kind of mud! 18k miles -TKC80's. Awesome all-around. Quiet on hway with minimal tracking, wet or dry. I never lost confidence. Awesome in dirt, gravel or mud. Excellent self-cleaning capabilities in mud. Mileage is minimal at 4k miles for rear, but only $80 USD. for a rear, excellent value for both off-road and highway capabilities. My favorite all-around! Takes some time to get used to on the Hway, bike drops into corners very fast! |
Last trip: Trans Africa - KTM Adventure + KTM LC4 400
Used: Michelin Desert (excellent, rear lasts well) Metzler Karoo (excellent) Pirelli MT21 (wore quickly) Metzler Sahara (just to Morocco) Best combination: Mich Desert rear + Metzler Karoo front. Mich Desert front better than Karoo in sand but wears quickly on tarmac. Next trip: Mich Desert rear + Metzler Karoo frnt Verdict: Great on dirt. Take it easy on wet tarmac. Desert noisy on tarmac. Desert front is noticably better in sand, Karoo is OK but lasts much longer. Only 2 punctures whole trip (26,000km) on both bikes was ripped valve on front because didn't have rim locks. [This message has been edited by tifua (edited 03 March 2005).] |
I've been tarmac testing the T63's, 3500Kms and now the rear approaches the end of it's life, front is brilliantly okay.
I think totalising 5000-6000Kms before replacing rear. The unpleasant thing I noticed with T63's is that they slightly wobble the bike at speeds on highway. Otherwise I think they make an excellent compromise road/offroad with peak of performance in sand, though not as good in mudd. Next might be TKC's, but I won't expect them to grip very well offroad. Matt |
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Maybe I'm wrong, I have a premade opinion the tkc is a fancy looking road tyre..
I'll go for a try when t63's are worn out. T63's are the cheap version of deserts, with traction on almost every condition, I even tested in snow! with some rpm they climb up among snowmobiles and skiers, he he! But 3500 kms is decieving and I think tkc might perform better there. Ciao Matt |
Hey Matt, check out http://www.swmototires.com/ They pobably have pictures of all the tires you might want to try. If your in the states, i highly recomend these guy's, their prices are excellent and free shipping to your door within 2 days.
Good luck! |
Hi Chris,
Don't know if your survey is still going, but I have continuously used Metzeler Enduro 3's front and rear on my XT600Z over many ,000s of miles to and in India, Pakistan, etc and last through Morrocco, Mauretania to West Africa, all 2-up. Excellent on paved roads, wet or dry, good enough on dirt, sand, etc - always got to where I was heading! Obviously, more specialised tyres like Michelin Deserts would cope with soft sand better - I just struggled! |
>Don't know if your survey is still going,
Yep, keep them coming for as long as people have something to say and others are interested. Chris S ------------------ Author of Sahara Overland II and Adventure Motorcycling Handbook 5 - out now http://www.sahara-overland.com and http://www.adventure-motorcycling.com |
Hello chris,
MITAS enduro E07 : i bought my r80g/s with them, i only drive in paris and just a bit of offroad : i feel confident with them, they stick well to the road, seem strong and long lasting, quite happy with them. maybe not so good on wet. i was talking with some friends about michelin t66, t63 : they don t seem to stick to the road so well, no one feels really confident with them especially on wet ... and they may not last so long. metzeller enduro 3 & 4 : used on my trip, excellent grip on road, wet, a bit less on offroad (they are less knobby) and last long : 15 - 20 000 kms on my trip (europe, central asia) metzeller karoo : great offroad and also on road but last short : 7 - 8000 kms on my trip (pakistan india) vee rubber, forgot the model (bought in iran) : strong but no so good grip on road, wet, offroad but last long. happy trails nb : you made an interesting survey about which bikes people use to travel, could you pls send it to me again, thanx in advance, cheers |
Front: Pirelli MT21
Rear: Pirelli MT21 Bike: Honda Transalp Rode 2 honda transalps from London to Cape Town (2004 - 2005) down west coast of Africa. One puncture (a nail) in total. Found the tyres easy enough to remove when I did change them. Front tyre lasted approx. 14 000 miles Rear tyre lasted approx. 7 000 miles Would definitely use them again. ------------------ My website Africa Trip web journal |
Using T63s on both Teneres at the momnet wthey were great on roads and the rocky tracks in the atlas and are equally goo on the chalk and mud as well. I would recommend them.
Charlie |
Hola,
When in Rome .... Just back from S. America and tires were readily available in any good sized city despite what you hear. Often in the big cities there will be whole motorcycle neighborhoods where all the stores sell motorcycle stuff including tires(could be several blocks long). Tires are cheap. Pirelli tires are made in Brazil and go for around $35usd a copy. I used MT60 front and rear. Good for 5K at the rear, more on the front. 60/40 on-off road design but they hold well on the asphalt. No need for speeds above 70mph anywhere on South American roads. Nice to have some traction in mud and gravel when the road turns bad for any reason which it always does. It was also possible to order tires if they were not in stock with a couple of days wait. No worries about tires if you arent picky. Bill. |
Salisbury to Cape Town 600 tenere. Pirelli MT21 front & rear. Front did 21000 miles, rear 18000. Nil punctures front but 4 rear. Good tyres for trip taking into account the many different surfaces you encounter throughout Africa.
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Michelin Anakee 90/90-21 & 130/80-17 on Suzi DR650SE, road use only, mixed use, some with luggage, some commuting.
Rear about 15500 km. bald on 1/3 of circumference, about 2mm left on the remainder, not sure why, didn't lock up the wheel that much. One puncture. Front 17000km, 1-2mm left. One puncture (small wood splinter). Both replaced with Mitas E07, 110 Euro for both. |
bmw r100gs. london to capetown: 30,000miles. tkc80,s. 2 front, 3 rear. bloody marvelous.
trail riding: metzler mce karoo. great, but dont like white lines (even in the dry). dont know milage yet. light weight trailie, mt21s, good dual perpose jobbies. no idea in milage, depends how, where you ride. if it aint got knobles its for girls........ |
G'day
2x 3aj tenere's from Dave Lambeth who came with TW301 / 302. Dublin to Oz; unfortunately ending in UB/ Mongolia. These are our first bikes and first sets of tyres but absolutely loved them. One front is still going after 22000 k's having suffered 5000 k's of Kazakhstan's finest (we came from Azerbaijan for the people who did that route) and Mongolian Altai's best rocky tracks as well as the Mongolian dirt tracks on the southern route to UB. Got about 18000 out of the rears. Not sure if I should try something else or stick to TW's. Pretty torn actually. |
T63 around France and UK...much street
10 000 Kms rear and 15 000 front. Id like to try TKC but they don't exist in 18 for my rear, anyone know a good alternative? Matt |
Hi Chris
In the States Canda and Alaska we ran kings dual sport tyres,they were about $60.00 a pair fitted, they were fitted to my 86 Tenere and my girlfreinds 98 DR650. We averedged 17000 miles on the front and about 9000 on the back, this was on both dirt and tarmac, both bikes are fully loaded,they seem to suit a heavy loaded bike, they gave good grip in dry and wet conditions. I just wish i get them in south america Skip |
London - Cape Town (In Dar es Salaam now)
'99 Dominator Front & Rear: 2 sets of Mich Deserts from Morocco to Nairobi then Front Metz Sahara Verdict - Metz Sahara and Rear Desert great on tarmac. F&R Deserts weird on tarmac but you get used to it... best thing about them is no punctures! (Also Bridgestone HD tubes and Ultraseal) Simon |
Continental TKC80 Twinduro (not so good!)
Hi Folks,
Just come back from my trip using Twinduros. They handled well on Tarmac and OK off road as other people have said. However, while the front tyre lasted extremely well I had two rear tyres that failed on me. Long before either tyre seemed worn out, (with what seemed like at least a couple of thousand miles left on them) the square treads would start to crack and eventually one would break through the weave of the tyre and puncture the inner tube. The collapse was so bad it meant that there was no point of repairing the tube and setting off again as the split tyre wall would have shredded the tube again in no time. Luckily both disintegrations happened in Europe where my breakdown cover meant the bike could be picked up and taken to a tyre supplier. The first time I put it down to maybe running the tyre at too low a pressure and not keeping an eye on it. But the next time I regularly made sure the tyre was properly inflated and yet it happened again. This rather catestrophic failure of the tyre means I would never use them again for a long trip, indeed I won't be buying any more. Maybe someone can suggest a reason for this occurance as I am puzzled to say the least as the Twinduros had a good reputation I thought. Matt |
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Rear has been replaced after 22000km, front is still fitted after 20000km, will probably last another 2-5000. Tried fitting them to my R100GS, but couldn't get a tubeless version, despite Mitas web site listing one. Go figure... |
Bike - CCM 600, Tyres - Pirelli MT21
Quick 2000 mile trip to Alps and back including riding 10 or so of the mountain passes in the Grenoble area. Tyres just about new when I left. Front still ok (about half worn) but rear totally shot. Upside - great wet grip for a knobbly - I did just about 600 wet miles in one day with no "moments". Interestingly the front knobbles have worn evenly whereas all my Michelin Desert front knobbles have worn into a kind of wedge shape. Some of the other MT21 reports quote much higher milages but I'm not hard on tyres and I'm not sure how I could extend what I got by much. |
Trailmax
The Dunlop Trailmax tyres on my KLE500 lasted 1,500 miles! Felt appalling when they got hot something akin to getting a flat (which I did). I spent about half an hour off-road on them and they seemed OK, but couldn't really test them as they obviously didn't last long enough. Would not recommend them, except for weekend off-road enthusiasts. 1/10 :(
Currently trying Avon Distanzias which certainly look up to the job. Haven't taken them on a long run yet, so nothing to report yet. Update: Just put 2,500 miles on my Avon Distanzias and they look fine. Felt pretty good too and handled alpine mountain passes and German hail storms with great ease. They are a little vibby though, but that can be ignored. 7/10 |
I've used MT21/22 on my XR4 for the last year (~4000kms and still plenty on them even after a baja and trailriding to work 2 days a week for 8 months. The rear is cracking a bit now around some blocks but the front looks fine. Didn't like the front on soft sand and loose rocks out in Qatar so would go back to a......
Mich AC10 for the front, very hard wearing but crap grip on wet tarmac or polished roads. On the rear I'd go back to a desert (I was to tight with my cash last time!) for any serious dirt/off road distance in the sun. Ultimately it comes down to what you want to do with it?? and trying to balance all the compromises, grip, wear, cost, strength... |
Pirelli MT 90 A/T 90/90 21 front, 24000 km so far Newfoundland to Panama via Alaska. Rear 140/80 18, 13000 km so far, both still have plenty of life, have stood up to Canada, Mexico and Costa Ricas worst! Bikes are 2x yamaha tt600re´s pretty loaded.
Tyres are the best all round I´ve tried, excellent in the wet, not bad off road and seem pretty strong. |
Kings is king
Wonder which Kings skip refers to.
I used Kings Claw Action KT 966 for the last few years on all my 650 KLR and DR as well as a trial & evaluation on a F650 Dakar. They are cheap (in South Africa) and give reasonable mileage. Dry tamac is very good for a knobbly, wet tarmac as shitty as we all know it (although never dangerous like Kendas). They work like a charm on hard gravel and are still fine in soft gravel and sandy stuff unless it gets bottomless (but then you need another bike, not another tire) Mileage on average 7000 - 8000 km rear, 12000 - 15000 km front. (Bike hire) Although not directional by order they have an assymetrical pattern and you better fit them the right way round: Front arrow pattern pointing against rotation , rear the other way around. If you don't stick to this rule the front feels like a worn steering head bearing when worn (esp. on the brakes) and the rear gets problems with blocks tearing out of the carcass. |
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One thing I will note: They tend to make the KLR have a head wag or weave at high speeds (above 65mph GPS-indicated, 70mph speedometer-indicated). This is not unusual for a knobby on the KLR, I met someone who installed a TKC-80 and it did the same thing. But it is something to keep in mind. What helps in this case is a) turning up the rear preload (and getting a stiffer spring if the stock spring has sagged too much for even max preload to properly hoist the rear), b) reduce the pressure in the front to around 24psi so that it will not so easily follow imperfections in the road but above 21psi because it becomes somewhat wobbly-handling at 21psi, c) pump the rear to maximum tire pressure (otherwise it becomes *very* hot), d) use "normal" tubes rather than heavy duty tubes (no, I do not know why that is so). That said, it will never be as stable on the street as a Michelin Anakee or even my Kenda 761. Quote:
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Merritt and I are adamant that:
- Michelin Desert is the best tire for really tough off-road, - TKC80 is the best all-around tire for RTW travelers who don't stick to asphalt all the time. We praise both equally for their purpose. When the going gets tough and the stuff gets loose (like sand or loose rocks), nothing beats the Michelin Desert. The front tire cuts its way through while the rear tire plows like a caterpillar: really impressive. Besides, it's almost indestructible. In some places like the Atlas, the Sahara and Ethiopia, everyday we were so grateful to have these things mounted. However the Michelin Desert is tricky for long-distance or RTW travelers because.... 1) Sooner or later, you are going to hit some rain and the thing is *extremely* dangerous on wet asphalt, especially in third-world countries where you have very slick asphalt and slippery stuff like oil, residues, mud, cow pies, horse dung... 2) You should not drive it at more than 90 km/h over long distances, first because it's dangerous (beyond 100, it vibrates like crazy and the front wheel looses grip; and above that, it doesn't take much to loose control), second because you kill the tire *much quicker* at higher speeds. The TKC80 doesn't have these problems and it behaves almost as well as the Desert on normal off-road conditions. When it comes to longevity, both tires are excellent as long as you keep the speed in check. Result: - Michelin Desert for Africa (except during the rain season) - TKC80 for the rest of the world (unless you stick to asphalt all the time, in which case, the Michelin Sirac or Metzeler Tourance are just fine). Pierre (& Merritt too) http://www.photobiker.com |
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Best regards, AnteK, XTZ 660 Tenere |
tires
I've gotten allmost 10,000 miles from a Avon Distanzia rear including the Cambell Hwy. in the rain.Works like street tire on pavement,cause that's what it is. In gravel it's O.K. too for me because I don't mind a little dancing. In mud it sucks to the point of being dangerous, cause it's a street tire.
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In china what tire rear for ktm990 please??
:thumbup1: I am curently in china and wore out my pirreli scorpion now on metzler karro but its not that great on tarmac(wearing fast) do you know of a chinese tyre that i could swa for my karro so i can save it for laos 150/70/18 many thanks jake..
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fantastic tyre onroad including wet conditions, no vibrates and very good control. Best Regards |
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Unfortunately, due to a stuff-up by the Turkish dealer I now have a Metzeler Tourance. Looks more like a road tyre to me and the bike oversteers a little, which I don't like. My friend Mesut assures me that this tyre should last even longer. Time will tell... |
Im using Metzeler Sahara 3's on my XT600E.
Good grip on dry roads but they do feel rather "buzzy". They feel slippy and dont give me any confidence in the wet though. Were very good on muddy fields, firetrack and gravel. For road only there is no point, for dirt biast though, the TCK80's are better. |
Anakee ft/rr, good road tires
Tourance ft/rr, good road tires, long lasting Scorpion ST ft/rr, good road tires MT60 rr, a road tire, mileage sux Levorin Dunas rr, a road tire, mileage sux TKC80 ft/rr, great all-round tires, ft is long lasting Mefo Explorer99 rr, reasonably long lasting, good all-round tire Kenda 270 rr, mileage sux, don't like the feel MT21 ft, good on and off road, low mileage D606 rr, good on and off road, low mileage Trail Wing (big bike design) ft/rr, good road tires Trail Wing (midsize bike design) ft/rr, good road tires, resonably long lasting IRC GP110 ft/rr, reasonably long lasting, inexpensive, my favorites all-round tires |
I have Trailwings TW301 and TW302 fitted to one of our bikes and I don't see what warrants all the negative publicity. Why "Deathwings". They last longer then MT21's I've been told, they are comfortable on paved roads, they do their job on gravel. Their pattern is not too different to the factory fitted IRC TR8 tyres specificed for our XR250's with a fairly good "knobbliness". Yes they aren't Deserts but hey, we are on small ligth bikes and only going at low speeds.
I just feel for their price they are definelty value for money...feel free to sling insults and correct me in my ways!!! I have Mitas EO7's fitted to the other bike. Very good on road dry and wet but will be useless in mud as tread to close together although not tested that yet. |
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tt600r tyres
bridgestone bt 45 =tarmac wet/dry great,wet mud/grass crap,hardpack/gravel ok.
bridgestone gritty=tarmac crap,mud/wet grass good,gravel/hardpack ok. |
On my R80gs I used Avon Distanzia's for my 06 trip to follow the Dakar, front was well worn and the back had done 9500miles and less than half worn when I noticed cracking around the blocks (believe there was a bad batch). Not over keen on wet roads but still using distanzia's, on the trip I was carrying a fair bit of gear and I am well overweight! pavement/gravel roads only has I am not prepared to wrestle the bar-steward offroad. The names Ede, not Peter-hansel.
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2000 Africa twin
TKC 80s front and back.. great on road wet or dry, good on dry dirt, fine on soft deep dirt/sand, passable in deep mud (but then the AT is only passable in deep mud, so is it the tyres?) Avon distenzia.. worst tyre on the market.. should be :censored: or at least :ban: xtz600 Pirelli MT21's good on road wet or dry, fine on dry dirt, fine on soft deep dirt, not come across deep mud with them on... drought and all that Michelin baja ... not good on road (not grippy and will vibrate your teeth out), dangerous on wet roads, great on dry dirt, bloody excellent on soft deep dirt/sand, good in deep mud.. they claim to be dual sport.. they are more accurately a dirt tyre that you can ride on the road to the dirt tracks.... |
ive used heidenau k60 enduros so far, they stick like glue to dry roads (had my pillions foot scraping around a round about lol) its a job to loose them in the wet and off road there a fairly competent trail tyre! shame the rears only last about 3-4000km!
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Can't comment on RTW stuff, but the best combination of tyres i've used for a couple of weeks in Morocco on road, off road, everything from rocks to playing in the big dunes on an XR650R is a Dunlop D908RR rear, with a Pirelli MT21 front.
Works well on and off road and lasts. Good all round compromise for me. Michelin Deserts dodgy on road, especially if wet, though great off road. The Dunlop D908RR front is horrible on the road, makes the bike very unstable at speed. Pirelli MT21 rear wears faster off road than the Dunlop D908RR. (Michelin T63 on mates bike work pretty good but front not as good as the MT21). Because the riding is more of 'a mad thrash for a couple of weeks' rather than RTW, off road performance has been higher than ultimate longevity. Also used TKC80's on a KTM 950 on and off road in Europe and very pleased with them. |
I use the Heidenau "Catspaw' trail
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in the wet, on my XT600 and me weighing 140Kg and not an inexperienced loony, I find them a little, well, 'uneasy', they aren't what I call dangerous, but I wouldn't want to push em too far.....:thumbup1: Off Road, Rocks, gravel, Dry Tracks Excellent 10/10 Off Road, Mud, grass, slippy stuff 7/10 Off Road,Dry, Plowed field, sandy about a foot deep ( Don't ask) 4/10 On Road, Dry 11/10 On Road, Wet, 6/10 Martyn |
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1993 BMW K75s.... Front Metzeler ME 880 23,000miles Rear Metzeler ME 88 12,000miles(due to split from overinflation) Rear Michelin Anakess 12,000miles The ME88 was a solid tire and due to its reinforced sidewalls that are 5 ply...it held a load of 375kg at low pressures without issues. I accidentally overinfalted it in the beginning in Morocco and ended up replacing it when I got to Turkey... It took the sharp Sahara rocks without an issue and behaved very confortably in all types of sand, when pressure was lowered. The Michelin Anakee, although it couldn't hold as heavy of a load at low pressures as the ME 88, it performed extremely well BUT wore out very quickly when it reached the last 25% of its tread. Both tires were extremely resistant to punctures of sharp rocks, etc. 60% on road 40% off road(sand, gravel ,mud) No punctures whatsoever in 35,000 miles...I replaced tires again in North America...ME880 front and ME88 rear. HTH |
Heidenau K60's
Chris,
I'm on my 4th set of Heidenau K60's now. 2-up on a '95 BM R1100GS throughout the Australian outback and South America. For me they're the best comprimise for off-road / on-road and durability. A great travel tyre. For the BM size at least, the front (100/90-19) is actually a rear, therefore you have to turn it around. I get around 17,000kms to a rear and well over 20,000kms from a front. Well recommended. Hamish |
Pirelli Scorpians
I'm on my third set of Pirelli Scorpians on a KTM 950 Adventure. This is a great choice for this bike if you like to ride canyons with sport-bikes and go explore forest roads and two tracks. Good choice KTM. That's what this bike was designed for. I get about 5000 miles out of a set. Not a tire I'd use for long Xcountry pavement though.
I'm going to the Sierra Madre, Mexico and will start with fresh Dunlop D908RR rear and D606 front. We're trying to stay on dirt/sand/mud/rock all the way down and then slab it back when the tires are toast. I'll update in May. :mchappy: GrayWolf |
TKC80 tyres in winter with metal studs
R100GS. I've put some car type metal winter studs in the inner rows of knobs (every other knobbly so not too many studs), not the outer rows. Improves performance in packed snow, ice & frost. Studs are short enough not to affect performance on bare tarmac, still good in wet & dry conditions. The tyre rubber is soft enough to let the metal studs project enough when needed. Cheers, ekr43
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pirelli scorpion
18 000 km, great mileage imho from pirelli scorpion two-up on r1100gs, starting in italy it got us to spain then ushuaia and back up to salta. lots of dirt riding. this is the rear. front still about half way to go.
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08 DR650 IRC GP110 70% road 30% off. Excellent tire for most anything except heavy mud. A little noisy, but not rude. Works well on the tarmac. Traveling across America in September, going to switch to IRC GP-1 due to more road miles than off road miles.
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I have just fitted Michelin SIRAC's (front and rear) to my XT600E. I liked the look of em compared to ANAKEE's. I was wondering if anyone else has ever used them? They seem a good all round tyre. I use them 70% tarmac and 30% rough dirt/stone tracks. On tarmac they are superb.
I fitted standard sizes - 90/90 21 / 120/90 17 (Rated to about 100 MPH). Got them from Sidcup Tyres Kent. Cost £115 ($230) for both. |
I've used TKC80s for the last 90,000 miles on 1200GS then 1200GSA. Tyre wear is supposed to be about 5500 rear, 7000+ front but at slower speeds it's much better than that and on a recent trip to Sénégal I did 9100 miles on one set and the rear was just at the legal limit on my return.
I can't really compare them to other tyres as it's such a long time since I used anything else. Tim |
7500 miles around Argentina and Chile. Plenty of open road and some off-road (which could be pretty nasty on rocks etc). Two rear TKC 80s and one front. However this was a 1150GS, two up and burdenedwith the regular array of necessary and unecessary stuff!
Had the bike not been wrecked by West London traffic, I would have tried Heidenau K60s next. No evidence to suggest they would last longer but at half the price and comparable performace, they seemed like a good bet. I do hope to fit Heidenau K37 to the 19 inch wheels on my Ural outfit. This brand does seem very good value for money IMO. |
poor performance from bridgestone
scandalised at the very ordinary 7500km offered by a Bridgestone Trailwing 150/70 R17, used two-up on an R11GS.
the previous tyre, a pirelli scorpion, gave 18000 and was still going with precisely the same type of use. cheers, andy. |
riding a KLR
TKC 80 great tire, easy to change out on the side of the road. Good traction on dirt, wet and dry, wear a little fast but they feel safe. |
My bike Triumph thunderbird.
Best tires so far:- Avon Azaros, good wet grip and superb stability.6000 mls. rear tyre!.Called azaro storm for front,superb tyres ,can`t fault em.:clap: |
Conti TKC 80s on a new Tenere: √√√
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Conti TKC 80s on a new Tenere.
4200 miles after a trip to Morocco (15% mostly dry, rocky piste). Tried all the rest over the years: MT21, Mich T63, Deserts but never these. The OE Metz Tourances would of course would have been crap on the piste. On dry roads they feel so normal (compared to the above knobblies) you forget you have them on. On half a day of wet roads they where pretty steady too. You can see why the big GS brigade like them. On the dirt they are good enough within the limitations of my loaded bike's abilities and in loose stuff give the bite that a trail tyre would not have. I bought tubeless TKCs, Slimed them and converted the rims which is fine on the back but leaked on the 21" front and eventually lost pressure when things got very rough (put a tube back in). I also ran my TKCs at road pressures all the time to avoid puncture risks in rocky Morocco, but they still gripped fine, even in wet, muddy ruts (with feet dangling). After 4200 miles the back has about 5mm of block left (originally about 15 - see pic) which is better than I expected. Front is half worn. For mixed dirt and slow road I'd use them again - not sure there is anything comparable: the relatively dense and shallow blocks give road manners with some teeth to bite in the loose stuff. Chris S |
Hi Chris, sorry a little off topic question; but how did you convert your spoked wheels to tubless, you had a leak on your front I guess that is from the pistes, as my next ride down to Oz I expect 90% Tar would you recomend it?
Now for my input: TTR600 trans africa. MT21 Rear 15'000km MT21 Front 21'000km I really loved them the whole way, In deep sand never got stuck, lots of dirt, a little skatty-but thats gravel for you! On Tar I loved them I found that I could really push them and fly into the corners as hard as I wanted. Avon Distanzers: hated them Did't give enought life to justify their crap handling. I felt more confidedent in my MT21's! I think about 18'000km on the rear. George |
Hi George, pretty good going on those MTs, they have bigger knobs I do recall so I guess last longer.
My tubeless conv was a bit of an experiment. We discussed it here: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ess-rims-37278 And then I did this: Adventure Motorcycling - spoke motorcycle wheel tubeless conversion (XTZ 660) Only just got back so I havent had a chance to write the results yet but as expected the regular front rim was the weak point - it lost pressure out the sides on moderate hits but also was leaking slowly somewhere. Never got a chance to find out where before it was too late. I would have gone for a Tubliss liner but could not get one in the UK in time. I still plan to go TL on my next trip which is mostly a road ride too. Ch |
HP2 Conti Road Attack
Road tires on HP2
17inch front and rear Conti Road Attack total around 10.5k miles - all on sealed roads, 60% fast motorway riding 40% slow speed badly maintained roads in eastern europe & turkey no off road. Decent performance on all conditions (although the rear started to spin sideways rather than pulling the front up.. ) Front just scraped through the MOT rear OK for maybe 500 miles or so. |
Great bit of info Chris cant wait for the full trip report.:thumbup1:
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Tourance - good milleage but off-road nothing more than light gravel 1200GSA |
Tkc 80
Continental TKC 80 on a loaded XT600, mainly tarmac but some off-road/bad road:
Front - 12,000 miles Rear - 8,500 miles David |
Tkc
UK to CapeTown.
Africa Twin Rears did 10,000miles on two AfricaTwins. Could have gone further but we got bored of carrying the spares. TKCs don't wear uniformly. We lost half the knobble height in less than 3000miles and then they stabilise and wear more and more slowly all the way until flush with the tyre carcass down the middle. Still perfectly usable - in europe people would be unhappy with riding them down that low (oooh - look I'm almost out of grip!!!) but the reality is that you've got load left and the stability is not unduly compromised. Great tyre. |
a variety
I will start with TKC80s since people seem most familiar with them and I can compare other tyres against them.
TKC80s ... I got about 4000 - 5000 km out of them before the knobs were becoming of limited use. This was on a big 1200 tho and road sections were usually at about 130 km/h. Of all the 'knobbly' tyres I have used, they are probably the most confidence inspiring on wet asphalt, but found their off road performance no-where near as good as others. Overrated in my opinion. A road tyre disguised as an off-road tyre. Avon Distanzia ... better road wear than the TKC as you would expect, as it is a 95/5 tyre. Really not much chop off road at all, even on good "high speed" graded dirt roads. An asphalt tourers tyre, but good value at that if thats your game. Long lasting and better for the rare dirt section than the road tyres (Anakees and TrailWings) that come standard with a lot of the bigger bikes. MEFO Super Explorers / Heidenau K60s ... Similar purpose to the TKCs ... aimed at adventure touring, hardpack, gravel roads and asphalt. Quite limited fitment sizes ... they wont serve the 17 inchers (but Heidenau K60's do). I thought they gripped similarly to the TKC on asphalt and in the wet, and better than TKCs on gravel roads, More directionally stable than the TKCs off road. TKCs probably have a slight edge in mud, but not much. The Mefos / K60s have the edge on gravel roads, sandy tracks (like Mongolia) and for wear. After about 10,000 kms, they look only about 35-40% worn. Plenty of anecdotal evidence about of people getting well over 15 - 17,000 km out of them, and I can absolutely believe it. Wins my vote for the best all round "Adventure Motorcycling Tyre", since it scores so well on gravel roads and wear ... and thats the two most important boxes to tick for me. (try Heidenau K60s if you cant get your size in the Mefos ... a very very similar tyre made in the same factory) Michelin Desert A nice knobbly with knobs spaced much further apart than the crowded TKC pattern. Wore surprisingly well for a proper knobbly. Completely fine after 5000km. Needed a change at 7000km. Wore much better that friends riding on Karoos ... which were all but gone soon after 4000km ... despite the Desert been far more aggressive with wider spaced gripper knobs. No reason whatsoever to buy the Karoos over the Deserts ... less grip, less wear ... I guess they are cheaper. The Desert front feels less than ideal on the asphalt - 'squidgy' might be a word to use. But very good on gravel roads and very good on trails. (if you plan on doing mostly off road but still racking up 30% of your distance on asphalt then consider using a T63 front tyre in conjunction with the Desert rear - its much more comfortable on the asphalt sections). Very strong sidewalls - much fewer punctures than those colleagues running any other tyre. The benchmark for more challenging off road touring. Metzeler Sahara Dont know what to say. I wasnt happy with them at all. I didnt choose them - they came with the bike. Decent enough on the asphalt I guess. Not confidence inspiring on the gravel roads. My summary - I wouldnt bother with these babies. --- There is quite an active discussion on the K60 (which is an almost identical tyre to the Super Explorer) on ADV, very positive feedback in general. |
Bridgestone Trailwing
Bridgestone Trailwings on a Yamaha XT, virtually all on-road:
Front 17,500 miles Rear 10,000 miles |
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When I look at the profile of the Mefo Super Explorer, I don't think this is the right tire for me or am I wrong ? If not, what would be the best choice and can I make the trip on one set of tires ? |
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I think the only tyres that you could hope to make that trip on one set of tyres would be Heidenau K60s or Mefo Super Explorers. I will post pics below, but they are basically the same tyre, made by the same factory with just a few microscopic differences. I havent ridden Morocco to South Africa but many people who have noted when they look at their travel logs that around 90% of the miles were done on asphalt. If you specifically want to seek out a lot of non-asphalt, then best bet would be a tough long lasting knobbly tyre, and for that I think there are two particularly good choices ... Michelin Desert and Pirelli Scorpion Rally ... both Dakar winning tyres, and both capable of 6000 - 7000 km. The Scorpion Rallys may not yet for sale to the public as far as I know (or if they are they are always out of stock), but you can buy Michelin Deserts easily enough in Europe. I would reckon you would need two sets to cover the length of Africa. I would also take a peek at this thread ... http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-k60-tkc-49744 ... where one guy reported getting 22,000 km from his K60s in South America, with 40% of the miles off asphalt. As he points out, they are not the best for sand or mud, but for gravel and dirt roads they are very good. Mefo Super Explorer: http://www.bikebookings.co.za/articl..._m36563819.jpg Heidenau K60: http://www.motorrad-teile-shop.de/We...rear-101_k.jpg Michelin Desert: http://www.adventure-enduro.de/motor...lin-desert.gif Pirelli Scorpion 'Rally'; http://image3.examiner.com/images/bl...pion_rally.jpg |
2008 Yamaha WR250R - mixture of commuting (pavement), fun back road rides, fire roads, and semi-serious trail riding.
Stock Trailwings TW301/302. Front lasted about 8,000 miles. Great on pavement and in rain. AWFUL on gravel, dirt, mud, etc. Rear lasted about 4500 miles, is great on pavement, good in rain, acceptable off-road. Dunlop D606 (front and rear). Fantastic traction everywhere, enough grip on pavement to scrape pegs, very confidence inspiring in dirt + mud, and not awful in sand, lasted me about 6000 miles. Rear is heavy and makes for a lumpy ride. Kenda K761 (front and rear). Ok on dry pavement, scary awful in wet. mediocre on gravel when new. Front lasted about 3500 miles, rear maybe 2500. Pirelli MT43 rear (trials type). Sticks like velcro everywhere, simply fantastic traction in any and all conditions (haven't done much sand with it yet though). Extremely pressure sensitive... at 15psi the center knobs wore VERY quickly, 12psi wear is much more even. 40% gone after ~1000 miles (90% pavement), most from when it was at 15psi. I'm going to try another one with a rim lock this time and run 10-12psi all day with it and see if they last longer. Rides like a dream and very quiet. |
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