carry if you must
 

I carried a spare rear from UK to Oz and fitted it in Malaysia not because it was needed but because I was fed up with carrying it. If you do want to take one start with a part worn and fit the new one after a month or so, it will save a lot of hastle. Most sizes are now available in SE Asia.

"Most sizes are now available in SE Asia" - yes, they may be. But most sizes for big bikes are in fact only available thru specialised companies, and there aren´t too many of those to be found between eastern Turkey and Australia. Just like you dont get many big bikes in between. Thailand and Malaysia may be exceptions.

To carry, or not to carry....rubber this time
 

Good evening all, sitting here in Oslo with a head-cold, with time to read.
For Europe, and presumably Northern America, whatever tire you need should not be a problem, especially as modern tires seldom disintegrate or get ripped. Other parts of the world....maybe not so easy. Anything that keeps the rims off the road will do when the plot fall apart, and gives you some time to make arrangements. Personally, I carried front and rear from Oslo to South India, and sent them unused back on a boat with the bike. They were extra weight and used space on an already overloaded R 80 GS, but I felt very good having them, especially as a significant number of the posts on the HUBB are from people trying to source tires. I tried to make use of them for carrying small purchases, there is no better way to transport bananas , apples, oranges, biscuits and such that travels well in a sturdy Tourance rather than a pannier.
I have been told that importing from Europe can be both expensive, with funny taxes and duties, and a real time waster, because even normal things like sending a parcel home takes a few hours, so I dread to think how many days it would take to import your own rubber.
Lastly, don’t overlook the ”image” side of it, all along my road people were fascinated by the tires, they wanted to touch them, it was like having a big sign saying ”serious overland traveller here”, and I think it smoothed my way in many places. You are not going to go unnoticed wherever you go, so you might as well make yourself even more conspicious. In fact, a dirty bike also helped, new and shiny means you are rich.
If I was to make the same trip, would I carry the extra kilos? I havn’t decided yet, probably would because I’m that sort of guy. I use Metzler Tourance, they have gone over 20k km, great on asphalt, wet and dry, adequate on gravel if you take it easy, and, of course, useless in sand and mud.
Safe travels
Peter, in Oslo