MT21 or T63?

[dan66]

Anyone got any thoughts as to whether MT21's or T63's would be more preferable on an XT600e?

[spooky]

Originally Posted by dan66

Anyone got any thoughts as to whether MT21's or T63's ...?

well straight and short ?
the T63 is dangerous !
it doesn't give you any warning if this tyre starting to slip... it will just go and drag you to the ground, not much grip on soft wet or lose surface.
any good ? well it last quite a bit until it's worn down, so OK on summer tar.. without rain....

the MT21 on the other hand is worn down faster on tar, gives you excellent responding warning if it starts to slip, and is way noisier than the T63, very good on lose ground.

any alternative ?
well try the "KAROO MCE" !
it's a more modern tyre, not as noisy, quirt on tar, wares down evenly, gives better traction than the T63 but not as good as the MT21 in off-road condition, but is a good all purpose tyre for all conditions, even in the wet, not for extremes but a good choice for travelling.

by the way I did ride all of this tyres for years now.... and will never go back to use a T63 !

[dan66]

Thanks for that, i've used MT21's in the past but looking at all the options. Thinking maybe TKC80. They seem to be well thought of?

[buebo]

As usual it all depends on what you're planning to do, maybe a little more information would help narrow the choice down.

Personally I like the Heidenau K60 as an all-purpose tire. It's fine on the street even in wet or cold conditions and handles dry dirt and gravel roads quite well.

The profile doesn't seem adequate for muddy conditions, but I haven't tried that yet, so I can't really comment on that.

Also it's probably one of the longest lasting dual sport tire you'll ever find.

[JMo (& piglet)]

If you are planing on riding any distance on tarmac (ie going on a trip, rather than just green laning locally), then I'd definitely go for the TKC80s - they will last at least twice as long as the MT21 or T63...

Of course this is primarily because the TKC is not as aggressive as the other two, but for dry weather DS riding, the TKC is an excellent choice - particularly if you are riding for long stretches on the road/dirt roads too.

I've used all the tyres mentioned above - MT21s and TKCs on my Tenere, and all three on my XR650R, and I'd say the T63 is the least suitable of them all - they really are designed for smaller lighter-weight bikes than the XT, and will not last long on a travel bike... good in the dirt mind you!

J x

[kentbiker]

Having worn down my OE Bridgestone Trail Wing, I've just bought a Trelleborg E08 in a 140/80 size for the back. Different profile to the original but will still fit OK and was about £20 cheaper than a new Bridgestone. It is very much a road biased tyre, which is all I need at present. I also ordered a front while I was at it, even though I don't need it yet. Incidentally, the rear is almost illegal at just shy of 5,000 miles. Good or bad? I don't know these bikes well enough to judge.
Now, here's the best bit of this tale. Having ordered two tyres from the shop, about 15 minutes later I got a phone call to tell me that he didn't have a new front tyre in stock after all. But he did have a new one that had been in his warehouse for about two years although hed never been used. He siad he didn't feel he could charge me for it but would send it to me for FREE and I could use it if I wanted to. Now, I know that tyres don't deteriorate if they're kept in cool, dark storage so when the time comes I'll give it a try. To me this was old fashioned customer service of the best kind so if you're able to, then please use this guy. I think he deserves our support.
Trellesport - Enduro Competiton MotorcycleTyres, Army Special Tyre
In the meantime I'll fit the rear one and let you all know how it works out. I know that some people in this forum have tried them and praised them, so I'm confident it will be OK.


Geoff

[spooky]

Originally Posted by kentbiker

To me this was old fashioned customer service of the best kind so if you're able to, then please use this guy. I think he deserves our support.
Trellesport - Enduro Competiton MotorcycleTyres, Army Special Tyre
Geoff

grate guy, I agree... very much recommended..
used to live near by in Whitney, just a bit north of Abington.
Did gave the guy from Trelleborgtyres.co.uk a visit a few times to fetch this "Army specials" for my KTM 350cc two stroke from 1989,which I was riding at the time. very pleasant service with a personal touch.

just to mention it, the "Army special tyres" are a sort of traily type tyre and last a log time and wearing down evenly, good on tarmac and in the wet.

other Trelleborg tyres seemed to be heavily used in the UK for MX and competition type condition, and are not very known in the rest of Europe.
In Sweden I have seen them on the shelf with long spikes for Scandinavian winter in a tyre shop a few years back.