Dual sports CBR

[scracha]

Amazing where you can take a bike when you're not worried about scratching it.


Seriously though, what's the best tyres to put on a TDM for light off road use like this? Want something that's still OK for road use but not completely useless on wet clay.

[warewolf]

Want something that's still OK for road use but not completely useless on wet clay.

That tyre doesn't exist outside the set of MI:2.

Anything that can handle wet clay with any authority will be compromised on the road.

[Skinny_Birdman]

I remember an article in KR a few years back about a guy using a horrible old CBR750 jelly-mould for adventure riding. As I recall it got cooked during the exercise, and they ending up towing it. It fell over a lot, taking the tow bike with it each time.

I rode my 600 jelly mould (like the one in the pics) 2-up in deep snow once. I was certainly worried about scratching it!

[KiwiGs]

In the Dunedin winter I ride an early VT250 with a dual sport tyres on it to work.
While I am sure it would be shit on clay and the like. It is far better in the wet Not to mention the POXY GRAVEL (that the roading people like to throw all over the road) than it was with road tyres.
I have taken it down the river fishing, and I have to say it makes not a bad dual sport. It is light, narrow and the small VTwin means it does not wheel spin every where, unless you want it too......

[vifferman]

Amazing where you can take a bike when you're not worried about scratching it..

Or when you're too stupid young and ignorant to care.
I once attempted to take my CB175 up Mount Tarawera (back in the days when the local iwi hadn't restricted access). I almost made it - a bit more skill, or other road bikes not getting in the way, would've seen me get past the last steepish bit.

[scracha]

That tyre doesn't exist outside the set of MI:2.

What? You mean I won't be able to go on grass before pulling stoppies and shooting people?

Anything that can handle wet clay with any authority will be compromised on the road.

Ok, light gravel, a bit of grass and mud that isn't too deep. Just want a tyre that won't get ripped to fuck on the road at 120 kays and can go around corners at moderate angles of lean. Front of the tedium has an 18" rim which may further limit choice.

Is this possible?

[BMWST?]

What? You mean I won't be able to go on grass before pulling stoppies and shooting people?




Ok, light gravel, a bit of grass and mud that isn't too deep. Just want a tyre that won't get ripped to fuck on the road at 120 kays and can go around corners at moderate angles of lean. Front of the tedium has an 18" rim which may further limit choice.

Is this possible?

pirrelli scorpion,michelin sirac...i beleive the aussies run a rear sirac on the front of the tdm's

[warewolf]

What? You mean I won't be able to go on grass before pulling stoppies and shooting people?

Nope, and you won't get big sparks when bullets hit your plastic tank, either.

Ok, light gravel, a bit of grass and mud that isn't too deep. Just want a tyre that won't get ripped to fuck on the road at 120 kays and can go around corners at moderate angles of lean. Front of the tedium has an 18" rim which may further limit choice.

Is this possible?

That's a different story. Most of the road-oriented road/trail tyres will do the trick. There is no real shortage of grip, nor rapid wear, of most of those tyres at quasi-legal speeds. In fact most of the tyres in that class will out-last sports-touring radials (eg pilot roads) without any appreciable loss of grip - for street riding.

More critical will be what will fit that 18" front. Try a search on advrider.com, there's a much bigger pool of riders on there that should give you much better info.

[george formby]

pirrelli scorpion,michelin sirac...i beleive the aussies run a rear sirac on the front of the tdm's

Like he says. The 18" front really limits choice. Have a fossick on carpe-tdm.net, tyres is one of the main posts.

[Shadowjack]

I run my TDM850 on seal and shingle roads/tracks, so can't comment on clay characteristics of the tyres I have used, and bearing in mind I ride like my Nana, then FWIW - I'm currently running a Michelin Sirac (Rear) in 110/80x18 on the front, after previously having had a Pirelli MT90 AT(?) Scorpion (21k kms) in the same size. The Sirac is a bit more open in the tread blocks and, so far, has handled a run up to Lake Taylor with no issues, either on the seal, or on the gravel.

On the rear, I recently fitted a 140/80x17 Mitas E07 (after a 150/70x17 Pirelli Scorpion MT90ST (15k kms)) - no seal issues noted as yet, and it certainly has added traction-capabilities on shingle compared to the Scorpion. It doesn't wander on accelaration out of corners.