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Michelin Desert Tyres Michelin Desert Tyres
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Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 31 Jan 2006
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Michelin Desert Tyres
Take note that I have a client that is recovering from a bad crash in South Africa.
He was traveling on a beatifull straight piece of tarmac road when the bike went into a sudden speedwobble that lead to his crash.
The Tyres fitted was Michelin Deserts, loaded for Africa, two panniers, soft bag extra set of tyres etc. Suspention setting was qiute firm to compensate for the load.
I am recieving from variouse sources information that these tyres are not to stable when used on tarmac.
The rider suffered a partialy colapsed lung caused by broken ribs. This could have been fatal.
Watch the tyres you fit and note that offroad tyres are very dangerous when used on tarmac where they offer very little grip.
It is a problem as most manufacturers do not make this clear enough.
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  #2  
Old 31 Jan 2006
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On the Michelin web site this tyre is clearly marked as not road legal.
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Europe to NZ 2006-10
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  #3  
Old 9 Feb 2006
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I used Michelin T63's on my BM through west Africa recently and found them excellent my friend however had deserts on his 640 KTM and found them no problem at all on tar roads we were however travelling at around 100kmh, he said in rain on tar the handling was interesting but hey you don't get sorts cornering with knoblies. His tyres excelled on the dirt and and in sand where as mine were OK.
Usual bullshit about having no conection with Michelin etc
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Old 19 Apr 2006
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lack of experience vs steering damper
Ride any aggressive knobbly on tarr at speed and you will note that there is a slight tendency to osscilate. this is exaccerbated by accelerating and by anything other than subtle correction. very fine steering correction ,tapping off the power ever so slightly or use of a dialled up steering damper correct the problem.
don't knock the desert tyre, they rule. hard tyre that does the job longer and harder than any i' ve seen. if worried about road handling choose a more sedate front tyre pattern like the metzeler karoo. this i've found an excellenty combo.
best luck.
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Old 19 Apr 2006
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Yeah, I guess it's always a question of where you're travelling. I just finished my first rear TKC80 in southern Africa doing over 10k kms about 70/30% tarmac/gravel and consider it a great tyre for that purpose. Some of the roads being really tough. But travelling the Sahara it's surely not knobbly enough.

GSworkshop, I lost your cell no., could you pls email it to me? Thx, Hans
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