Tire choice , want advice

[nickel512]

I will be in Mexico, Central, South America Nov-June. I want to navigate around most large cities preferring rural to urban routes. Yet I want to be safe on wet tarmac at speed. My question is whether to go with a 50/50 dualsport or 80/20, and I will be on a 08' KLR 685

[TravellingStrom]

If you are planning any type of desert crossing, then maybe a more aggressive type of tread, if you are sytaying with paved roads, then maybe a 60-40 or 70-30 would last a lot longer.

Regardless of road, you will be travelling along dirt on some sections, no other way, so whatever feels comfortable for you and your pocket.

I used TKC80's, the tyre of choice on the front, then whatever I could get on the rear, Tourance, Anakee II

Cheers
TS

[Bjorn]

If you want longevity, go for European-made Tourances. With the right tyre pressure they go forever (can't remember exactly but my first rear lasted for about 30000km). Brazilian-made Tourances run down A LOT quicker.

If money isn't an issue: you'll find quality tyres in most countries, so you might as well go knobbly.

On the past 70,000 km, I've never been in a situation where I really NEEDED a knobbly/dual sport. (Though I DID use them – just in case it got muddy, for example on the Pamir Highway).

For long sandy stretches, you'd probably want something more than the TKC80 anyway.
My travel buddy in Paraguay had a Michelin Desert on the rear (on wet tarmac, 300km). When it started to rain, he 'tested' grip for a few minutes to then reduce speed accordingly. We arrived safely that day.

[TorPedro]

I'm 205lbs, and with 75lbs of gear rode a KLR with TKC 80's from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and north to San Salvador (18,000km) before the rear was done. The front went another 6000kms.

The TKC's were brilliant in dirt, mud and loose gravel. passable in sand and OK on pavement below 110kmh.

The rear was switched to a Michelin Anakee in San Salvador. The Anakee was great on the pavement, but paled in comparison to the balding TKC's on softer terrain.

[Lisa Thomas]

throughout our 7 years on the road we have always used TKC80's. front and back. they have got us through every type of terrain you can think of.
unless you have a truck following you and loads of $$$ for continually changing your tyres in my opinion these are the best tyres to use.

we are not sponsored by continental (although we would dearly love to be!) and we still say they are the best 50/50.

we also think they last too. initially the seem to wear down fast - however they then 'level-out' and harden and we usually get 12000 miles out of them.
but if you are the type of rider who accelerates hard all of the time of course this is not going to be true!

[T.REX63]

Originally Posted by Lisa Thomas

...
we also think they last too. initially the seem to wear down fast - however they then 'level-out' and harden and we usually get 12000 miles out of them.
but if you are the type of rider who accelerates hard all of the time of course this is not going to be true!

Wow, 12,000 miles on a set of TKC80... . Of course hard acceleration and stopping will "eat" tires. I found that tarmac and speed kills TKCs too.

Question @ Lisa:
1. What average speeds were y'all doing on wide open tarmac?
2. Anything special about tire pressure that would permit this kind of high mileage?
3. How far down have y'all taken the tire tread when you've reached 12,000 miles?
4. Did you also get 12k miles on the 1100GS with "teeks"?

[Lisa Thomas]

hi T.REX63
in reply......

Q1. What average speeds were y'all doing on wide open tarmac?
A..around 60 - 80 mph on tarmac - no more.

Q2. Anything special about tire pressure that would permit this kind of high mileage?
A..running them high for tarmac - between 38 -42 psi.

Q3. How far down have y'all taken the tire tread when you've reached 12,000 miles?
A..
to just below legal. ie the knobbles are still visible but the centre is flat! this makes for interesting cornering!

Q4. Did you also get 12k miles on the 1100GS with "teeks"?
A...yep

And....You may be interested to know that I have been able to get just over 20,000 miles on one rear TKC80. Admittidly this was 80% off-road.

[markharf]

Lisa I'm impressed. I've never heard of such high mileage on a TKC, and the only things I see you're doing differently from me are: riding a heavier bike faster than I do, and airing up significantly. If I were getting that kind of mileage, I'd never buy anything else for either of my bikes. Hmmmm.

[TorPedro]

Our 18000km is the same as Lisa's 12000mi...so there's two examples of good mileage on the TKC 80's!

[Rockin Rollin]

If not serious offroad I would absolutely recommend Avon Gripsters

[TurboCharger]

I haven't ridden in South America but I have ridden a lot in dirt, gravel, mud in Australia, SEAsia, India, Nepal, Pakistan and now in Europe (yes there are dirt roads even in Switzerland!).

I learnt very quickly that Sand was not an option 2up with luggage so I try to steer clear of soft sand but we did get stuck in bulldust and sand on several occasions and perhaps knobbies like TKC80's would have helped...

On the whole we are very happy with the quality, longevity and reliability of the Metzler Tourances (not EXP!!) standard.

We have for our trips used them and the best milage (or kilometrage) was just over 17,000kms for both front and rear. On Average we get 12,000 kms from the rear and 15 - 17,000kms on front.

Without going into details about our riding style or the terrain, I can say that we were riding approx 70% tarmac and 30% other (mud, gravel, dirt) and the tyres were always reliable with the exception of thick mud. But if you learn to ride and adapt to riding in mud with these tyres or any other tyre for that matter then it's manageable.

I personally can't comment on other tyres but for my riding style I'm very happy and quite confident on the Tourances. So for now, unless I ride in softer surfaces (ie. mud, sand) I will stick with the Tourances.

Although I do really like the look of a GS with TKC80's

[edteamslr]

Tyre threads are a bit like oil threads. No one is actually wrong because everyone is measuring things differently (and interspersing their comments with words like risk of punctures, crashing, danger, feel, grip etc. that they struggle to qualify in a meaningful way).

If a tyre manufacturer puts a wear indicator on their tyres then that is, for highway-legal tyres at least, the point at which a tyre could generally be considered 'finished' in an objective way (we know grip/water displacement can go-off long before then). Lisa has stated 12,000miles, which I imagine to be to the wear markers, and I believe that. A friend and I both had in excess of 10,000miles on our TKC rears (Africa Twins) and although it was not right to the wear indicator, I can't tell you how many more miles it would have done until it reached it. So I won't try.

Most people aren't too keen on the feel of flat-centred tyres but I don't think that is the important bit for overlanders. I want to know -> from a given sample of other overlanders, how far did that make of tyre get them on a bike that I can reasonably extrapolate to my bike/conditions.

I'm not saying that all tyres have these markers or that mileages on tyres should be a competition but I feel we owe to our fellow travellers to try to give information that we can qualify or make it clear otherwise.

[T.REX63]

Originally Posted by Lisa Thomas

hi T.REX63
in reply......
...

Q3. How far down have y'all taken the tire tread when you've reached 12,000 miles?
A..
to just below legal. ie the knobbles are still visible but the centre is flat! this makes for interesting cornering!

...

Impressive indeed . I can see how the general contact area of the tire increases with the center wearing down, thus lasting longer (possibly exponentially...).

Quite frankly, I'm too chicken to ride down to a "flat" center. Plus, the increased risk of getting punctures.

The most I've gotten comfortably out of a TKC is 4,500 miles (1200GS) at a ratio tarmac/dirt = 80/20. I made it a point not going over 75 mph. Fast acceleration/hard stopping is a non-issue with my riding style. I personally do not go below 1mm tread in the center.

[Toyark]

Ditto T-Rex
Best I ever got on my 1200 was a smidge under 6000 riding loaded. IMHO, I just dont think they are a worthwhile investment unless you can afford to keep changing them especially at today's prices- I do not 'ride them down to canvass' as some do in the interest of my own safety.

I now stick (pardon the pun!) to Heidenau's K60 which, IMHO, are a fabulous all rounder travel tyre which suit my needs of 70% tar/bad roads and 30% trail and am looking forward to the new model the K60 Scout next year after the South Africans have tested them! I am told they always get first batch as have the best testing ground.
On the list, it shows that the 90x90x21 will be available - let's hope they also make the 130x80x17 so that I can shoe my old F650GS Dakar!

[oothef]

Bertrand, just been looking at mynetmoto.com and they seem to have 19"&21" fronts and 140/80x17 rear but they're all M&S. I've found mynet good to deal with and offer good prices.
The review on the news section says they offer "god handling characteristics".....I'm tempted.