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

[NordieBoy]

Pressure could play a part too.
I run 20f/18r on the seal and down to 18f/16r off road on the TT350 (rim lock on the rear).
22f/24r seal and 20f/18r gravel on the DR650.

[bart]

I run 30 something psi everywhere. Way too much but I never get a flat.

Another thing to take into account is tyre width. No one here mentions width. I’ve found the same tyres in different widths handle totally different. As mentioned earlier, the Kenda k270 can be lethal on seal in the wet because the knobs on the sides flex when leaning it over. I’ve had more then my fair share of butt clenching moments with these tyres...but...this has always been with the 510 width. The 460 actualy behaves itself quite nicely. With the wider tyre, once you start wearing the centre strip it buggers the profile and as you lean, you’re riding on a very narrow band of flexy knobs...or something like that.

I regularly run 110 or 120 width tyres on the DR650. Looks silly, but they work.

[pete376403]

1've got a 110 Pirelli on the back of the KLR - works fine on the road and in gravel. Doubt if it would be much fun in loose dirt or mud

[NordieBoy]

The stock rear on the DR is 120 width.
I run 120 on the DR and TT. Cuts through the crap better than a wider tyre.

[flashg]

On the WR 450 i run MX extra X Pirelli on front 20psi dot approved and ran a motoz tractionator rear on dusty butt less than half worn after 2000 km's also @20psi no flats. On XT 660 tenere i run Dunlop 606 front and back always @25psi no flats yet. I used mt21's on XT fantastic tyre but didn't last very long. 606 last much longer on that bike. Happy with what I'm running now.

[10bikekid]

On the WR 450 i run MX extra X Pirelli on front 20psi dot approved and ran a motoz tractionator rear on dusty butt less than half worn after 2000 km's also @20psi no flats. On XT 660 tenere i run Dunlop 606 front and back always @25psi no flats yet. I used mt21's on XT fantastic tyre but didn't last very long. 606 last much longer on that bike. Happy with what I'm running now.

I would also vouch for the 606's, Just did a evening ride on the DR with the sports bike and these tires held there own in the dry, mighty impressed I was, sure they walked a bit at higher corning loads but there was still a little left in them if needed and they seem to be wearing ok as well.

[george formby]

Tires, huh? The technical equivalent of herding cats.

Good point with pressures Nordie, I run 33 front 36 rear on the TDM & 28, 32 on the DT. The DT has 1 rim lock front & 2 rear. Potentially it could get all Dougie Lampkin. Moto x front & 4 psi trials rear on the off road wheels..

[oneblackflag]

With all this pressure talk:

What should I be running front/rear on the wrr, ~70% seal; just a good compromise I dont change the preasures as I ride between surfaces. TKC80 front Shinko 700 rear.

Currently they are near 30psi both... Should I drop to say 25ish?

Also how low till rim locks are needed usually? I ask cause I plan on doing some trail rides soon ( with different knobblier tyres) suggested psi for this situation?

[flashg]

On my WR i run
20psi everywhere. I'm always worried about pinch flats. But when just trail riding i run 12psi front 14psi rear (with rim locks) can't run those pressures on road ( get to hot) not good. I also run heavy duty tubes. Personally i wouldn't go much below 20psi without rim locks. If running rim locks get wheels balanced for when on the road. Get plastic type rim locks they balance up easier
Gordon

[NordieBoy]

Good point with pressures Nordie, I run 33 front 36 rear on the TDM & 28, 32 on the DT. The DT has 1 rim lock front & 2 rear. Potentially it could get all Dougie Lampkin. Moto x front & 4 psi trials rear on the off road wheels..

Even on the DR, once the front got up to 24psi it started feeling too hard.

The TT has 1 rim lock on the front and 2 opposed rim locks on the rear of the dirty wheels (Pirelli MT43's at the moment) and the road wheels have 2 rim locks in the rear (not going to bugger about balancing a rim lock on the front).

[Woodman]

I have never run rimlocks or balanced my wheels. No issues whatsoever.

[NordieBoy]

With all this pressure talk:

What should I be running front/rear on the wrr, ~70% seal; just a good compromise I dont change the preasures as I ride between surfaces. TKC80 front Shinko 700 rear.

Currently they are near 30psi both... Should I drop to say 25ish?

Also how low till rim locks are needed usually? I ask cause I plan on doing some trail rides soon ( with different knobblier tyres) suggested psi for this situation?

22f/24r would be a good (high) start point.

If you're going to spend a day in the gravel, I'd drop them to 20f/18r and pump them back up when you get home.

(I run the DR in gravel/off road at 20f/18r seal at 22f/24r and get about 12-15,000km from a rear 705 and 22,000+ from the front).

Off road, 18f/16r, with rim locks in the rear.

Once I go below 18psi, then I run rim locks, except for the rear when I would always run them on smaller bikes.

I run a little higher pressure in the front than the rear for protection against rim strikes as the front is much lower volume.

On the MT43 trials tyres, I run 16f/12r.


If you've got rim locks in the rear and get stuck somewhere, don't hesitate to drop the rear pressure to 12psi to get you out.

[NordieBoy]

I have never run rimlocks or balanced my wheels. No issues whatsoever.

You also run quite high pressures and have a weird propensity toward power sliding the back end...

[flashg]

My XT has no rim locks and i never balance them, seems nice and smooth on road even @ 180km when playing catch up. Never did balance WR wheel's but did for dusty butt and what a huge difference. Still no Cush drive but much smoother now, stopped all the vibes especially in front end on road at normal speeds.

[oneblackflag]

22f/24r would be a good (high) start point.

If you're going to spend a day in the gravel, I'd drop them to 20f/18r and pump them back up when you get home.
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Thanks I'll give it a try