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

**Woodman** · 7th August 2009, 20:54

Originally Posted by junkmanjoe

hi all
my mitas E-09 front, not wearing to well, its directional tyre, is it, or would it be ok to turn it back to front, to try and wear it evenly.

Hw many ks Joe, and what pressures.

**dino3310** · 7th August 2009, 23:16

Originally Posted by junkmanjoe

yips its got a arrow on the side .

you have to point the arrow downwards when changing the tyre

**junkmanjoe** · 8th August 2009, 09:29

i have to buy a new pressure thingy i broke mine.
but direction arrow on tyre.

**cooneyr** · 8th August 2009, 10:03

The e-09's will have a directional carcass (given the presence of a arrow), they obviously do not have directional tread. Basically the tyre is manufactured to take the braking loads one way only. Obviously there is no other shear (circumferential) loading on a front tyre.

Cheers R

**Jantar** · 8th August 2009, 11:41

I fitted a set of Conti Trail Attacks to my Vstrom back in march prior to the SCRR. These were the most road oriented tyres I could get at the time. As I normally only get 6500 - 7500 km out of a set of tyres I figured that I'd have something a bit different on for winter. They have now done 7000 km and are only half worn. They are excellent on the seal, and good, but not great, on the gravel.

Yesterday I took a ride up to Lake Onslow. The road up there starts as seal, then becomes good gravel, then hard dirt, then dry clay, then wet clay, then mud when the road stops and the track begins. I stopped before the mud became bog.

OK, the Trail Attacks performance got worse the futher I went. They are useless on wet clay, and would make a bloody good plow in the mud. I'll have another go in October when the track dries out a bit and the road is officially open. That's when the guys checking out the DB1K ride will be going through.

**junkmanjoe** · 8th August 2009, 19:56

Originally Posted by cooneyr

The e-09's will have a directional carcass (given the presence of a arrow), they obviously do not have directional tread. Basically the tyre is manufactured to take the braking loads one way only. Obviously there is no other shear (circumferential) loading on a front tyre.

Cheers R

so would it be ok to turn it.

**Taz** · 8th August 2009, 20:56

Yeah it'll be fine Joe.

**junkmanjoe** · 8th August 2009, 21:47

..is this a set up so i crash....

.

**Taz** · 8th August 2009, 21:55

I have run tyres against the arrows before with no problems. I doubt the DR has the brakes to rip the carcass apart and have never seen this myself. I wouldn't recommend it on a GSXR1000 race bike tho.

**junkmanjoe** · 8th August 2009, 21:58

cheers mate just pulling ya leg....some times i forget its a dr and ride it like my old CBR600..

**Taz** · 8th August 2009, 22:33

Yeah I've seen you

**junkmanjoe** · 8th August 2009, 22:37

maybe thats why my tyre is pooed. i turn it tomorrow

**junkmanjoe** · 11th August 2009, 14:27

all done, i learnt a couple things changing this tire.
there a bitch when there cold.
my new tire levers are the buzzness...work a treat.

and last make sure all your tools are in front of you when you have finished....

.........

**gav24** · 12th August 2009, 18:32

Yep, its a bitch when you realise that you've managed to leave a lever inside the tyre

Or is it just me and careless heart surgeons who do that sort of thing

Did you balance the wheel after you'd finished? or is it not too worth it with all those knobblies...

Wonder how many weights you'd need to balance a wheel with a tyre lever inside the tyre somewhere...