Hi there,
We just got back from a similar trip on an Africa Twin and a Yamaha XT. We bought a set of tires in Windhoek, which is one of the last places you can buy high quality 17" rear tyres. 21" front tyres are available almost everywhere, but don't expect quality! We bought road-tyres and saved our nobblies for Sudan, but looking back: north Kenia can cost you your tires if you don't have strong tyres (4 or more pliers!): it cost me a fronttyre because one the stones just cut out a piece of side of my tyre!
If I were you I'd take a offroad rear tyre with me untill you want to hit the dirt. Especially the rear one is relevant. A front tyre will last you probably more than 15.000 kms, so you can start of with the same one you start with.
You could also leave SA on a set of almost worn roadtyres and then throw them away if you want to hit the dirt.
We used MEFO-sport tyres (explorer and stonemaster). But I don't think they sell them in SA.
If you want some sand in Tanzania, try the road from Mbeya (just across the Malawi border) to Tabora, going via Itiqi. It was one of the hardest we had on the whole 38.500 kms.
Cheers,
Corne ( www.motorbikes2africa.nl)
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