Continental TKC 80 Africa Twin Air Pressure

[fernet]

Hello from Austria !

I have recently installed Conti TKC 80 Tires on my Africa Twin for my Morocco trip.

Im only used to Michelin Anakees so I don't know if I#m just spoiled from the Anakee handling but with the TKC 80 the handling onroad deteriorated quite a lot.:confused1:

Maybe I have to use another air pressure to improve the onroad handling.

Do you have experiences with the Conti TKC and onroad use.

regards

Christopher

PS: I hope it the handling of the tire offroad is much better

[Gecko]

I don't know about and Africa Twin but I often have TKC 80's on my BMW 1100GS . I run the tyre pressures the same as with Anakees or Tourances so I guess there is no reason to be different in your bike. The TKC's feel a bit wierd at first after running Anakees but I find they grip well . In the dry they are hooligan tyres and I can corner equally well on them as any road tyre. In the wet I give them more respect than a road tyre but they are not bad even then. If you are spending a lot of time on the motorway then TKC's are a waste of money and they will 'square off'' quickly but on twisty roads the wear is nice and rounded and the handling is fine . Off road they are great - without them I wouldn't attempt half the dirt that I get on . In sticky wet mud they clog up but so do most off road tyres but i love them on gravel - something I would generally avoid on Anakees.

[BackroadExplorer]

I have been running TKC80 on my F650 Dakar for the past 2 years or so (60,000 km).

I find they work well on pavement (tarmac) however do be carefull with a new tire on wet pavement. They do need a little wearing in.(100 km or so)

I find they wear quickly for the first 1,000 km then the rate of wear slows down.

I started running them at 30 psi front and 32 psi rear, two up. I was getting about 6,000 km on the rear and about 10,000 km on the front.

A rider I met in Alaska last spring suggested upping the pressure to 36 psi front and 38 psi rear.

My milage went way up. 10,000 km on the rear and 13,000 on the front. I also felt the pavement handling was better at the higher pressures.

I still drop the pressure for soft, off pavement conditions. Hope this helps.

[Xander]

I run Tkc 80s on my Africa Twin and have done so for 18 months or so. I love em, it is true that you have to let them wear in a bit (I would have gone 100 miles not kilometers, but no big differnce). I find that they stick realy well in the wet as well as dry on the bitchumen, and are really fun in the soft stuff, I have been running my at 30 rear 28 front. But am really curious to see what upping the pressure does.. maybe not has high as 36/38. Iam ready for a new rear so I'll keep you informed
The AT has 90/90 21 and 140/80-17 what does the f650?

[BackroadExplorer]

The F650GS Dakar uses 90/90 21 and 130/80 17.

[fernet]

it turned out that its not that bad to handle considering that it is an offroad tire.

After riding 200kilometers on turmac the tire got better.

I ll report on what it was like riding the tire offroad when I'm back from morrocco.

greetings from vienna Austria

Christopher