I have Distanzias on my XT600E and I love them. Very grippy wet or dry, but the downside is the soft compound doesn't wear well. It's a compromise I am happy to make, although my use is probably 99/1 rather then 80/20. I doubt if they would be much good in mud, although they cope with gravel well. I've had them on for about 4k miles, and both front and rear are shot to bits.

I have Avon Gripsters (not my choice, came with the bike) on my XT660R - same sizes I believe and a broadly similar chassis layout - and they are good on tarmac too. I haven't had them long enough to comment on wear rates. From the pattern, which is more open than the Distanzias, I would imagine they would cope with mud and sand better, but still nowhere near a proper off-road tyre.

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2006 XT660R daily ride, 1994 XT600E about to be reborn, Blog: http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/

Thank alot guys for all this info. This tends to confirm my suspcioins about Diztenzias, great road orientated tyre but wear out quickly. Marcm, not familiar with the make Maxxis but I will clearly avoid them. Interested in your comments about the MT21 Pirelli, are these the Pirelli Scorpions? I had a pair of MT Pirellis on an XT500 years ago and again, they were a great road orientated tyre with fantastic grip but wore out very quickly.
I have also just come across Mitas E-08 and E-09 which seems a much cheaper option, but there seems to be very little info about these tyres? Any views on Mitas anybody?
Many thanks again for your help and interest in helping me get the right choice. Worked last time for me on the forum when I bought the T63s which were fantastic both on and off road. Cheers.

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Brad XT

Yes, avoid Maxxis! had one on the front tire of my DT125R (90-90/21 which are the same size as the XT's front tire) and it went in one month..
My brother got one Maxxis rear wheel tire for his KX250F and didn't last a week..

I've got Continental TrailAttacks on my XT600E for both front and rear tires for road use ( I only ride on road ).
The front has about 7k-8k km left of thread and the rear tire has got about 2k km left of thread and grips just as good as it did when it was new. both have done so far 6319km.. Do mind that I ride very aggressively about 90% of the time

The Pirelli MT21 is a pretty good off-tarmac tyre (good for green lanes / byways) and road legal but, because of that off-tarmac orientation, you won't get a great deal of on-tarmac mileage out of them - again, especially if you're moving quite fast along motorways and A-roads.

I'm not familiar with the Mitas E-08 but it looks OK, whilst the E-09 is probably too 'off road' for your stated requirement. Mitas tyres do have a reputation for being made of a comparatively hard compound and lasting quite well, although probably a little less grippy than the likes of, say, the Distanzia with the latter's softer compound. I have heard of cracking, in the case of (I think) the E-09. Worth searching for that, on-line. It may've been on the HUBB that I saw that.

I have (or maybe I should say - had) Bridgestone Trail Wings on my XT600.
They were worn to around 75% once I bought the bike, and now they are at around 60% thread left, and on my experience:
sh*t on gravel (packed - quite good, loose - sh*t)
sh*t on sand
sh*t on grass
and quite shi**y on asphalt (dry/wet) too: on various occasions I had felt the back wheel drifting in a junction when I was turning quite slowly.

Lithuanian riders say - there's no "all season" boots when your feet aren't cold in winter and not too hot in summer. The same goes to "all road" tires, which suck on all terrains.

Mitas, as far as I know, have different hardness rubber for different tires. Some are harder (let's say, for stony roads), and some are softer (sand, etc.).

Here's a couple of links to tables of "rubber hardness" and some pictures of the tires themselves. I know it's in Lithuanian, but tables are in English and pictures with model of tires sound the same in any language.
I bet you can find the same info if you Google a bit.

Tables:
Techninė informacija | mitas-moto.lt
Pictures:
Padangos enduro kelionėms | mitas-moto.lt
All other tires:
Motociklų padangos | mitas-moto.lt

My solution: SM wheels for road use (GOOD grippy SM tires), and MX wheels for off-road (front tire Mitas C-19, rear Pirelli Scorpion MX Extra). I had bought Mitas C-02 for rear tire, but changed my mind and got it studded for winter use: C-02 is quite soft, wears quick, but anyway awesome in the off-road. One disadvantage - those smaller side knobs, which bend in the corner and rear wheel can get unstable. That's why I went with Pirelli, as it has big knobs all round. And wears less on road.

I swear by MICHELIN SIRAC's on both my XT6E's.

I would say they are 70% tarmac 30% light trail.

They appear to last well and their grip in the wet is reasonable too. Personally I'd rate them over and above the Tourance tyre which I rate 85% tarmac 15% light trail.

If like me you want an agricultural looking adventure tyre, then the Michelin SIRAC ticks the box compared to most other adventure tyres including the Tourance which looks much more like a road tyre.

I also like the look of the Trellborg Army Special (XT644). I have heard good things about these tyres. Apparently the Norway & British Army use them a lot too. The MoD carries out extensive tests before procurment. The Army Special has the look of a true 50% tarmac 50% trail tyre?

It looks quite similar to the tread pattern on the expensive TKC80.

Trellesport - Enduro Competiton MotorcycleTyres, Army Special Tyre

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Triumph Bonneville 800 (2004), Yamaha XT600E (1999), Honda XBR500 (1986).

I really like my Heidenau K60 rear for a bit of everything.

I have another set of wheels with knobbies for the really fun stuff.

Sorry Kentfallen but I have to point out that if the OP finds T63s too off-road biased I don't think he will like the Army Special T644.

I have 2 XTs. One has an unworn T63 on the front and the other has new Army Specials front and back. The tread pattern on the T644 is very similar to the T63 but it is at least twice as deep. They are much knobblier on the bike than they look in pictures on the web.

It looks even more off road than the T63 (the British Army's previous tyre BTW).

The T644 also made the steering very heavy - unlike the T63.

The testing the Army did that you mention made me decide to fit them to my bike. They were about £110 for the pair posted IIRC.

Hey Jens
Lyder som du har en ved en del om xt600
Måske du kan hjælpe mig
Har en xt600 fra 02 som tidligere ejere har monteret alufælge på
Har tænkt mig at montere heidenau k60-scout dæk på
På baghjulet er der monteret 140/80 r17 slangeløs metzeler tourance, og på fælgen står der 17+2,75
Så er spørgsmålet, tror du at jeg kan montere heidenau 130/80 r17 med slange på det fælg?
Det ser ud til at der er mere bid i det dæk end den heidenau der hedder 140/80 r17 slangeløs
Jens nørgård