Tyre choice for adventure riding? (Mixing road and off-road)

[tri boy]

It's gravel mate, not mud shes wanting to do aye?!
The thing is unless you want to change the front back to a road tyre, a less aggresive knobbly might be the go so she can still be confident in the handling on the road aswell.

Yep, mainly gravel, and some wet dirt/gravel roads, plus seal between sections.
I'm really impressed with the TKC on the Scrambler. Handles everything well, and no worries on the seal.
A 3" (90/90) would be an awesome front for the Volty, and since its light, the wear rate would be minimal.

Never thought about Shinko. Cheers for that.
Havn't found a Trail Wing front in 90/90x18" yet.
Will be fun looking this week.

[deanohit]

Good luck in your search then mate.

[cooneyr]

........Never thought about Shinko. Cheers for that.
Havn't found a Trail Wing front in 90/90x18" yet.
Will be fun looking this week.

The Shinko R244 is available from Budget Motorcycle Spares in Chch. Not much use to you up there but they are in the country.

Cheers R

[NordieBoy]

Shinko SR244? Is made in 300 x18 size. Cheap too!
Don't know whether they are stocked in NZ though.

http://www.shinkotire.co.kr/english/...ode=AA00050045

I like mine.
Got it from CycleTreads.
Breaks loose fairly easily but has a very smooth and progressive feel.

[tri boy]

Managed to source one of the last B/stone Tw35's in NZ 18"-100/90 for the front of the Volty.
Will probably use a TW42 120/90-17 on the rear, as it has better block pattern than a TW36 which is usually mated with the TW35.

TW35 on the left.
TW42 on the right.

[oldrider]

Geez, tyres are just not lasting like they used to.

I'm starting to looking at replacements "again" damn it!

It's just never bloody ending and my dollars are not worth what they used to be either.

I spose that's thanks to Helen and her gang of thugs! (Skyryder !! ) John.

[Denniso]

I know that I'm going to get bagged for this but the best tyres I've found for my riding ( 60% gravel , 39% tar , 1% ditch ,oops ) have been lightly cut slicks and proddy race tyres ( Dunlop GPR alpha 10 ) , they work realy well on gravel roads , to the point of the occasional wheel stand (impressive on a DR 650 ) and have also bottomed the forks out under brakes . This has a couple of bonuses , 1 , they are tyres that I would have thrown out as the are no good at the track , so this makes them cheap . 2 , passing sports bikes on the tar is so godammed funny . So far I haven't had too many front end looses , but the front sticks well enough if the throttle is used correctly , the only gravity check so far was a rear end passing the front due to incorrect throttle use . How much bagging am I going to get for darring to suggest a tyre that don't got pointy lumps on it ?

[Motu]

I've always reckoned that compound is more important than tread pattern,on seal,gravel and hard pack anyway.Mud requires tread.

[cooneyr]

I've had a worn Dunlop D605 on the front for a while now and finally got around to getting a new front tyre. I stuck a Dunlop D606 on a couple of days ago before doing the Rainbow, Mangatapu and Molesworth then seal from Hanmer to Nelson. Very impressed with its handling both on road and off. If is a softer compound than the D605 or the MT21 so sticks to the seal really well. I'm not overly agressive on seal but found I have no chicken strips left and felt totaly comfortable at all times. The tread pattern seemed to work really well on all types of gravel (lower end of the Molesworth has been graded and is deep silty gravel northern end is corrugated and firm).

Not sure how long it will last but it is my tyre of choice at the moment. Just this afternoon I've put the D606 rear on which I've had a little experiance with so will be interesting to give the set a spin on the Dusty Butt.

Cheers R

[tri boy]

Put about 500km on the new E-07 while on the WWW ride. First impressions are:
A pretty good all round tyre. Sealed road holding quite impressive, (running at 34psi, and 30psi), although its let down by its tendancy to "break traction" easily on a down shift that the Metz Sahara would of easily handled.
Like wise, it can not "hook up" on gravel under accel any where near as well as the Sahara. gravel pressures were between 20-25psi, (the side wall flex was starting to show its hand at 20)
It does seem to be slightly noisier than the Metz, but this is irrelevant on a M/Cycle with closed circuit mufflers.
High speed on seal weaving can be felt, but this isn't anus puckering to any extent, just not as stable as the Sahara, or even the standard Trail Wings.

Wear rate should be better than both of the previous mentioned tyres, and this is where the decision needs to be made.Do I want/need a better all round tyre like the Metz, (and pay extra for it), or will the Mitas win me over with its pricing.......hmmmm, at this stage I think I will probably lean towards the Metz. That is after I wear the E-07 out, and then fit and try the E-09 thats waiting in the shed.

A quick update on the E-07.

On gravel, my opinion of this tyre has dramatically changed. I think its crap, and can't wait to peel the bloody thing off the rear of the Scrambler.
Reasons:
Its square profile that has a good amount of tread on the ground while the bike is being ridden upright, turns it into a nervous, "Razor Edge" strip of rubber with little contact on the earth as soon as it deviates off its centre line. No tyre pressure between 15-30psi stopped this behaviour, and the profile you see on the shelf at the bike shop, is pretty much the inflated profile on the rim. Square.
It may be less of an issue on lighter trail bikes, but 200kg has it seriously struggling to hold a decent angle without tipping off that desired angle.
Good for a rear, or side tyre on a Ural sidecar rig only IMHO.

Secondly. Any resonable throttle opening has it spinning up, and traction loss becomes a pain.
This in relation to its inability to maintain traction on moderate downshifts, (it has you fishtailing crazily), makes for a lively ride indeed. The only good thingto come of that, is you learn to trust your front brake for %90 of the time. Even trailing the rear in conjunction with the front has it doing the same.

Im picking the raised "wear strip' of rubber in the centre line has a fair bit to do with the traction fault, and reshaping the profile witha hot knife and grinding disc may help with the lean issues, but I can't be f**ked.

When i get a chance I'll fling it to the back of the Garage, and fit either the TKC, or the E-09 thats waiting.

These comments are solely related to the Scrambler.

[warewolf]

the profile you see on the shelf at the bike shop, is pretty much the inflated profile on the rim. Square.
It may be less of an issue on lighter trail bikes, but 200kg has it seriously struggling to hold a decent angle without tipping off that desired angle.
Good for a rear, or side tyre on a Ural sidecar rig only IMHO.

Interesting. Motoz, the new tyre manufacturer in Aussie producing dirt bike tyres (NHS only so far) with modified profiles as well as treads, for bigger heavier bikes uses a flatter profile on the rear "to get the power to the terrain". But that is relative, and probably not as extreme as the E-07 looks.

[NordieBoy]

What's your rim width?
What size are standard tyres for your bike?

[tri boy]

What's your rim width?
What size are standard tyres for your bike?

130/80-17.

[Motu]

Exactly the same problem I'm having with the IRC GP110.....I've don't a couple of posts about it.It has a rounded profile so is still pretty good on seal - but the central strip that I suppose gives good wear really makes it a crap tyre on gravel.No hook up,and totally out of control on brakes.

[NordieBoy]

130/80-17.

The 140 width E-07 dosn't have the central strip.
Could be your rim is wider than the DR type and flattening off the profile?

Or you've just got too much power.