Thanks Alec. Was that a Michelin Desert that wouldn't wear out?

Hi Chris,

No, it was a Kenda K270 - 4.50x18 - 6 Ply that I put on in Colorado, and then purchased same as replacement in Belize.
It is a 50/50 tyre but well suited to hard packed trails with a fully loaded bike, not so good on wet tarmac.

Alec.

I burned up a 17" in 2,500 miles of highway use.
:dunno

carrying tires
 

I carry some spare when not sure to find any ( like in some part of africa), I found that shipping tires to some reputable dealer is a much better way to travel , for me me lighter is better and even if tire are not that heavy they are not easy to carry safely on the bike.I sometime built a wood plateform that I put on the luggage rack and use it for the tires after that I just get rid of it.

Usually the front tire lasts at least twice the milage of the rear, so I'd suggest to forget about the front tire and just carry a rear tire - if any at all. Mind you, nowadays you do find tires in most big towns of Africa. Personally I believe that too much luggage causes much more of a risk to damage your tires, so rather try to avoid weight.

In Africa you'll be doing much more dirt roads than in Europe, and on these roads the tires don't wear off as quickly. Travelling at lower speeds than on tarmac the rear tire should last roughly 10,000 k's on a heavy machine, the front tire should last 20,000 k's if it is a good tire like the TKC80. What I learnt in Oz: After about 10,000 k's the people turn the front TKC to turn in the opposite direction. Thus the saw-tooth effect is avoided, meaning that the tire can be used far longer than if running only in one direction.

Hans

Continental TCK80 and others
 

I used Continental TCK80 in Siberia. This tyre is suitable for the heavy job, especially mud, but weares out fairly rapidly. For traveling in Europe and North Africa you don't need these tyres at all; most roads are tarmac. Metzler Tourance tyres will do on these roads, will last long and are also suitable for occasional bad roads as long as there is tarmac. In Brazil I used Pirelli MT60 for the bad roads and the occasional soft surface roads. The MT60 lasts much longer than the TCK80 but less than the Metzler. For Africa south of Morocco I would recommend the MT60, unless you really want to travel were no one has been before (I mean deep into the bush). MT60's are available in Casablanca.

OK..long time since someone write here...
I'm planing very big trip on Bandit 1200, my greatest concern is where to put luggage, a girl and a spare tire. I was think about buying bigger bike like Super Tenere, GS or something but we will really like to make this trip on Bandit
First i was think to take both spare tires but now i think only rear one will be enough i hope.
We plan to go from Croatia trough Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, (E. Timor), Australia
I think but i,m not sure that i can find tires in India, and after Myanmar almost everywhere, right?
Which tires you guys can recommend to me? Currently i use Pirelli Angel GT and i'm not satisfied 100%.
We plan to have side cases from Givi, big bag instead of top case (with two bags and small tent), tank bag and i plan somehow to put oil on sides of tank, i will made some bags for that.
any advice is welcome
thanks

I had an unpluggable gash in my rear Karoo-4 tyre on 2023 R1250 GSA. In Phonm Penh no BMW dealer and no tyre merchant willing to help,. After days of fruitless searching found one workshop specializing in Big Bikes who got me some Shinko E705. Which feel also from the get go for new tyres. Don’t feel like they need to b wears in a bit at all.

The guy told me that the BMW R 1250 GSA is the only bike that uses types of the size I needed and since so few in Cambodia - or passing through- that no-one interested in stocking something to fit them.