Have a look at Mitas or Mefo tyres.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...er-tyres-40775

These are a good compromise on tarmac/gravel and are very hard wearing unlike TKC 80s which wear down quite fast and aren't really needed unless you're on dirt/grass. Tourances will work fine on gravel and will last a lot longer.

Also don't waste your time looking for BMW shops abroad either. If you find one, great, but once you're out of the so-called 'developed' world, you'll just have to buy whatever tyres you can find and there won't be much choice for the Beemer.

Carrying one tyre quickly becomes a total pain let alone two and adds even more weight to an already VERY heavy machine so I'd go for something long lasting and put them on before you leave the UK. Or even better, keep your existing tyres on until before you leave Europe and change then. If you've already done 6k on them, that should about cover it for the rear at least. I figure I could have made it most of the way home from SE Asia to UK on the Mitas tyres I put on when I left Australia, at least well into Europe at any rate.

Make sure you know how to change/repair your own tyres before you leave too.

Carrying tyres is a piece of cake
 

not sure what (who?) ! :rofl: Ted's 'night-mate' is
but if the word is 'nightmare' I've only one comment: nonsense!
buying en route may well be necessary at some point but unless you're made of money... get them when they are cheap-er.

I'd agree about buying them where its cheap (got a set of Tourances off Ebay pretty cheap recently), but have you ever tried to buy tyres for a GS in any of these places?? Unless of course you ride a Honda Hero or C90 in which case it will be no bother at all.

Heading East, the last place I was able to get Tourances was BMW Istanbul-
I had to order and have sent (by bus!) TKC's from Antalya where the only importer (afaik) is- and have them sent to Istanbul.

IMHO the TKC is too soft for long haul and does not last long enough on a 1200 GS loaded with camping gear/water/food etc
I now carry a set- it really isn;t a big deal- a little more weight and more noticeable on my F650 true but hardly noticeable on the 1200.
My 2pence- to each his/her own!

I agree. I went through two rear TKC80s on my trip to Maroc and Iran. One (already part worn) disintegrated in Italy and another in HUngary on the way home. Fortunately both in places where I had breakdown cover ;-) The bad thing was that they went without warning - still with a reasonable amount of tread on them. The knobbles essentially broke through the wall of the tyre. OK, my bike was overloaded, but still, this is a failure that you wouldn't expect.
Personally, I'd go with something more road orientated, like Michelin Siracs. I've just bought a rear Avon Distanzia which looks good, but only time will tell how well it wears.

Matt :)

I agree with you Matt
I use Michelin Siracs on my F650 - Top tyre IMHO
also now looking at Mitas E07 and awaiting prices

The Mitas E07 is hard wearing but can be a wee bit vague on tarmac bends sometimes, keeps you on your toes (not literally) though!

I have no idea how to change tyres ?? I have seen a video but dont think I could do it. I have got a Rim Tip top Bmw Tubless tyre repiar kit but Have never repaired tyres before but how difficult could that be:(.

I think after reading all the posts the tkc80 would probably not suit me at all,

on the way I am going there will be mainly tarmac ,gravel and other bad road surface but dont think there will be Mongolia type of biking.

So it leaves me with either the Metzler tourance for now need to read in to it some more .

I also don't see the need for everyone using TCK's all the time..

They are horrible on tarmac (scary when wet) and dont last long at all...

Unless you are riding unfinished roads and trails alot, there is just no point.. Its probably an image thing with many peope... :innocent:

I really like Metzeler Sahara 3 tyres. Much more stable on road and last well... They are more than capable in shallow gravel and hard dirt....

I think its cos they look sexy! A tyre that looks like a proper off-roader but handles OK (but only OK) on the road. I'd go as far as to say they are a good tyre to ride at home if you ride sometimes on and sometimes off. I wouldn't use them on a big trip though, especially one that was mostly tarmac.

Definately know how to change your tyres before you go. It is difficult but not impossible and it gets much easier after you've done it a few times. I've only changed tubed tyres personally so perhaps someone with tubeless experience can confirm if this is the case with tubeless also?

Matt :)

Remember, if you really put the effort in, your TKC80s can also double as racing slicks...

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l2...a/IMG_1105.jpg

Helge Peterson (sp?) has a dvd for the GS1150 which has a decent wee section on changing tyres, how to use the side stand to break the bead etc. Its worth watching something like that and then having a bash at taking off your own tyre and putting it on again. Its pretty easy on the Beemer as they're so well balanced when you take a wheel off.


Oh, and sometimes you don't really have a choice about fixing a tyre yourself...see a BMW garage anywhere around here??

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...a/IMG_0321.jpg

It's interesting that both you and Ted don't like the TKC on the road? - perhaps it's when specifically fitted to a big BMW?* - as I've found them excellent as a knobblie on the road - very predictable, even when worn... (I've just ridden Deal's Gap with a squared-off rear, and even then it wasn't terrible...)

I've used them on both my XR650R and my XT660Z Tenere, and both bikes have covered a lot of miles on and off road with them - wet roads and dry, sand, rock, even mud (although admittedly not the best in deep mud). Some people say they need 100 miles or so to scrub them in, but personally I believe they are the best compromise tyre out there?

However, I would certainly agree with you that if you are covering a lot of road miles, then perhaps go for something less aggressive - if only for longevity...

xxx

*so maybe it's the heffer of a bike... ahem.

A good point... except that me and Ted both ride XT's! (Although I think Ted just sold his). On the other hand, my bike was so chronically overloaded on my big trip you could have mistaken it for the Panzer tank of motorcycles if approaching from behind! :)

I didn't mean to be too critical of the tyres performance, and you're right its about the best compromise if you do a fair amount of both. It handles significantly better than my Pirelli MT21s on road (but is nowhere near as good off) and much better off-road than road-biased duallies like the Bridgestones that came on the bike. But for a long distance, mostly tarmac tour there are much better tyres. And lets face it, even with a heavily overloaded heffer, there's nothing like thrashing it round corners when the tarmacs good!

Matt :)

Yep, my XT is now in the loving hands of Stretcher_monkey off the hubb..

I have TKC's on my XR650R too. I used it for a city commute in the winter and I lost rear traction quite a few times in the damp and the front was VERY sketchy on sweeping bends too. Not too bad in the dry I must admit. They wern't AS bad on the XT, probably as its not as powerful and its less highly sprung.

Don't get me wrong, I would use TKC's for a trail based trip.

I also tried Metzeler Karoos on my XT. They are nice in sandy gravel surfaces and not to bad on road too. I only got 3000 out of the rear though :eek3: