I have only used Michelin XZL's and XZY's in the last 9 years. Mainly because in the UK it is possible to get them like new from the Military via companies like Vass for about 75 pounds each.

XZL's are an aggressive tread that are great off road (rock/dirt roads etc) but not great on tarmac ( a little noisy) or wet tarmac ( you need to keep your speed down a little and watch cornering carefully).

So they are a great tyre for a trip across Africa.

But after 50,000/60,000km they will need to be replaced. They wear quickly on tarmac, hence only about 55,000km.

I've since replaced them with XZY's which are more like a truck tyre (14 ply though, like the XZY's) and so much smoother on tarmac. Although they are not as good in mud etc - they have the fantastic virtue of lasting at least 100,000km and even then being regroovable.

I've just put on a brand new set and Matt Savage has the old set that he is going to use - he was amazed that I was taking them off as after 40,000km they still look like new.

So both good, but if they are the same price I'd go for the XZY's because they last twice as long, even if you get stuck once or twice more (though the XZL's clog up with mud pretty quickly) - both tyres are as tough as you get, hence changing them in the wild is a challenge.

I've had a few punctures in 100,000km (valves going when I ran tubes, huge metal spike in the side wall) and a few car tyre places have given up trying to get the tyre off the rim (too much effort when you are used to puny car tyres ;-)

If they work out at hundreds of dollars each, then go for the XZY or something cheaper I would recommend.....

Good luck! As long as they go round they are at least ok ;-)

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Kiwi, 7 years around Africa. Overlanding channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/roamingyak