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

**JATZ** · 9th March 2010, 21:13

Originally Posted by NordieBoy

But did you have a go with a front?

No

. .

**warewolf** · 9th March 2010, 22:52

I've run plenty of aggressive front tyres like the K760 Trakmaster II... maybe even more so. Seem to go plenty good enough on the tar at quasi-legal speeds and "conservative" (not hanging around, not going nuts) cornering speeds. Yep, sure they have a different feel to a more road-oriented tyre, but a) the 640A needs an aggressive front tyre for the dirt so that's what I run, and b) with a similar rear fitted, the rear upsets the handling much more.

These: IRC Battle Rally BR-99

these: Bridgestone Gritty ED661 which I really rate as a proper dual-purpose tyre ie one with some decent dirt grip (most enduro hard terrain tyres fall into this category)

and these: Pirelli Scorpion MX eXTra, similar but not quite as linear tread pattern to the MX Hard 486 which Ryan found a little yuk! tracking longitudinal features on the road, these ones don't seem to

and recently these, including our little jaunt over Takaka Hill and out to the Cobb, Trilobite Hut etc and return since I couldn't be bothered changing tyres both ends, did mighty fine (really an MX tyre but still road legal): Pirelli Scorpion MX MidSoft 32

Run all of them on the dirt bike till the rounded knobs reduce grip, then run 'em on the road legal bike for 5, 6000km+ and still biff them before they get down to "legal" minimum depth ie utterly fcuked for a knobbly. So I can't imagine the K760 being too short-lived on a street bike.

**Kokopelli** · 13th March 2010, 11:27

Well, I just had the tyres fitted to my "street bike" (still not sure if calling the mighty GS a street bike is an insult). I was pleasantly surprised with the K760 on the front. It looks to be frog safe, but is no louder than the T63 front I had on. It also feels quite stable around corners, not that I've been pushing it on the way home. If there is still some tread left by the time I've reached Wellington I'll keep using that as a front tyre.

**Box'a'bits** · 13th March 2010, 11:45

Motorad parts tells me that they have been advised by the distribuiter there is a shipment of MT21 tyres due in the last couple of days - so hopefully these will be available prior to the CCA.

**warewolf** · 13th March 2010, 12:19

Originally Posted by Kokopelli

Well, I just had the tyres fitted to my "street bike" (still not sure if calling the mighty GS a street bike is an insult).

Street bike as in 'used on the street' as opposed to a purely off-roader.

**Eddieb** · 13th March 2010, 12:22

Bloody hell Alex, you could eat dinner off that. It definately is a street bike

Makes me feel bad about the state of the PD, especially after yesterdays efforts where I discovered TKC'80's and neither wet clay or long wet grass mix very well. And because of that I've just sourced a knobblier front tyre for the CCA.

**Kokopelli** · 13th March 2010, 12:28

Originally Posted by Eddieb

Bloody hell Alex, you could eat dinner off that. It definately is a street bike

.

I cleaned it before the last service, it's much nicer to work on a clean bike. But you're right, it hasn't seen much dirt lately. Hopefully this will change soon.

**dino3310** · 5th April 2010, 12:44

still a good price, the kendas are cheap as chips
http://www.cycletreads.co.nz/product...helin_t63.aspx
http://www.cycletreads.co.nz/product...elin_ac10.aspx
http://www.cycletreads.co.nz/product...ackmaster.aspx
http://www.cycletreads.co.nz/product...enda_k270.aspx

**dino3310** · 5th April 2010, 12:51

Originally Posted by Eddieb

Bloody hell Alex, you could eat dinner off that. .

Gotta agree.
i drool when ever i see that beemer Alex, shes a fine example

**bart** · 5th April 2010, 14:04

Just been scrubbing in a Mitas E-09 rear. Did about 750km on the weekend. Awesome on the seal, but.....I found it shit on the gravel. Can't quite understand why. Perhaps it has too much grip, as I've been running a bald Trailwing lookalike over the summer, and have got used to massive fishtails. I found it was pushing the front a lot, and I was regularly loosing the front

. I was running high pressures for the road.

Weird. I hope it improves once it wears.

**Woodman** · 5th April 2010, 14:58

Originally Posted by bart

Just been scrubbing in a Mitas E-09 rear. Did about 750km on the weekend. Awesome on the seal, but.....I found it shit on the gravel. Can't quite understand why. Perhaps it has too much grip, as I've been running a bald Trailwing lookalike over the summer, and have got used to massive fishtails. I found it was pushing the front a lot, and I was regularly loosing the front

. I was running high pressures for the road.

Weird. I hope it improves once it wears.

Mine and others experience with e09s Bartman is that they are real prone to sliding when you get them cranked over, and not always predictably. You are probly used to a lot of wheelspin and bugger all forward drive.

**bart** · 5th April 2010, 15:21

Originally Posted by Woodman

Mine and others experience with e09s Bartman is that they are real prone to sliding when you get them cranked over, and not always predictably. You are probly used to a lot of wheelspin and bugger all forward drive.

Yeah, it was kinda strange. Unpredictable is the word.

One thing I found is I had to change my riding style. Standing and getting your weight over the front didn't work. It kind of suited the sitting down and sticking your foot out method.

**Woodman** · 5th April 2010, 15:27

Originally Posted by bart

Yeah, it was kinda strange. Unpredictable is the word.

One thing I found is I had to change my riding style. Standing and getting your weight over the front didn't work. It kind of suited the sitting down and sticking your foot out method.

Yep thats them allright, also real good for long sideways slides, although don't get too good at them cos you won't get much life from it.

I use t63's now. very predictable, better grip, better wear . Oh and cheaper.

**dino3310** · 5th April 2010, 16:19

different strokes for different folks(and bikes). i found the total oppisite to what you say woodman about the T63 - e-09

. i found them very simular except i found better wear out of the 09 and the 63 was cracking at base of knobs .

i did find on the BIG simular to barts finding, after the trailwing i found the rear getting more traction with the 09 and pushing the shitty TW on the front around, i had to shift my weight around a bit to compensate.
i'd use either with no real complaints, depends whats cheaper at the time

gotta set of AC-10s to chuck on next they seem to be rating them well in the states. once there gone its what evers cheapest.... $$$$ r tight since the rebuild

even those kendas are looking good

**JATZ** · 5th April 2010, 18:57

I'll be buying T63's again, just did another 1200+ k's on the rear I put on before the DB. A bit of cracking round the base of the knobs but not too bad and it still hangs on in the wet, and trust me, it was wet down the coast this w/end

I reakon I'll get to 6000k on it easy (mt21 only lasted 3000)
Feels really wierd on the road when it's only got 9psi in it though