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

[Oscar]

Can anyone suggest 17 inch tires (650cc vtwin normally takes 160/60/17 and 120/60/17) that will mostly be on-road touring, but will regularly be required to handle (well!) steep-ish gravel vehicle tracks (that you would put your shiny 4wd over - not serious off-road country) and the occasional damp grassy steep paddock (no mud.) I'd prefer they lasted a while as well, but I won't be cornering this bike hard on the road.

I'd just use road tires, but descending steep bits on grass with the dew around will be very amusing for everyone but me lol. Looking at a comet conversion hehe.

There are a few choices - Continetal make a TKC80 in those sizes and Pirelli make an MT60 front and an MT21 rear that would suit.

[NordieBoy]

Other than the "wet grass" bit, Shinko 705's would be the go.

[warewolf]

Anything other than a full knobbie will leave you in the same situation. I have a Pirelli Scorpion A/T on the front & wet clay or wet grass is still 100% pucker factor. On gravel the adventure tires give me a greater safety margin than sport touring tires but do not enable me to do more, if you get my drift.

This. If you aren't prepared to run something that chunky on the road all the time, then you're just going to have to be really circumspect about the wet grass, steep or not!

On-road tyres are fine on gravel roads. They work nearly as well as the mild adventure tyres like the Scorpion A/Ts. Much of your control on loose gravel comes from the snowplough effect; on firm dirt roads from friction of the rubber/compound just like on-road. I did lots of gravel work on Metzeler ME33 Lazer / ME55A Metronic tyres, and they worked very very well... that was despite having the choice of swapping on the other wheels with chunkier tyres.

Which is why Nordie is having so much success with the Shinko 705s.

[NordieBoy]

Which is why Nordie is having so much success with the Shinko 705s.

Damn. I thought it was skill

[warewolf]

Damn. I thought it was skill

'twas... Mr Shinko's skills.

[NordieBoy]

'twas... Mr Shinko's skills.

Harsh but fair.

[CookMySock]

Ah bugger. I did wonder about the grass situation. I'd be happy to compromise and accept "grass with minimal dew" instead of "wet grass", but maybe it will be no different.

Am I right thinking an 80hp 650cc bike will destroy a full knobbie in a single six-hour (road) ride, and on wet tarseal be slippery as a tit?

There was also a suggestion some time back (from a KB member), of wrapping a thin rope around the wheel and tire to give traction - snow-chains stylez. Maybe I should just stick with road tires and try this, as my off-road excursion is unlikely to be more than a ten minute ride while the road ride could be four hours.

This is all about carrying my paraglider up some mountain - the sites are almost always 4WD mandatory. Ride and Fly all day hehe.

[george formby]

Ah bugger. I did wonder about the grass situation. I'd be happy to compromise and accept "grass with minimal dew" instead of "wet grass", but maybe it will be no different.

Am I right thinking an 80hp 650cc bike will destroy a full knobbie in a single six-hour (road) ride, and on wet tarseal be slippery as a tit?

There was also a suggestion some time back (from a KB member), of wrapping a thin rope around the wheel and tire to give traction - snow-chains stylez. Maybe I should just stick with road tires and try this, as my off-road excursion is unlikely to be more than a ten minute ride while the road ride could be four hours.

This is all about carrying my paraglider up some mountain - the sites are almost always 4WD mandatory. Ride and Fly all day hehe.

I've more than half eaten a knobbie in less than 10 hours riding on a learner legal 2 t, probably half gravel, half tarmac.

I would be tempted to "use the force" in your endeavours rather than shell out for compromised tires. Over the years I have found fear to greatly increase my abilities when required.

[warewolf]

This is all about carrying my paraglider up some mountain - the sites are almost always 4WD mandatory. Ride and Fly all day hehe.

Chances are you'll have to walk up to collect the bike, so you may as well park at the landing zone and walk up to start.

I ride around on full DOT knobblies quite a bit, in fact MX fronts are tyre of choice. They are surprisingly grippy on-road but do have to be treated with respect in the wet especially when cold - just like road tyres really, and knobblies can warm up faster. But it's also fun sliding about on the tarseal around town However if you wick it up all the time the tread will evaporate.

You can actually buy snow chain like things for bikes, and they may be a good option for you if you are regularly doing long road trips followed by short grassy bits up big hills.

You have stumbled on the great adventure conundrum. No tyre is perfect for all conditions. You have to choose your compromises.

[george formby]

Chances are you'll have to walk up to collect the bike, so you may as well park at the landing zone and walk up to start.

I ride around on full DOT knobblies quite a bit, in fact MX fronts are tyre of choice. They are surprisingly grippy on-road but do have to be treated with respect in the wet especially when cold - just like road tyres really, and knobblies can warm up faster. But it's also fun sliding about on the tarseal around town However if you wick it up all the time the tread will evaporate.

You can actually buy snow chain like things for bikes, and they may be a good option for you if you are regularly doing long road trips followed by short grassy bits up big hills.

You have stumbled on the great adventure conundrum. No tyre is perfect for all conditions. You have to choose your compromises.

I am too on the wee bike & am very suprised at how well they hang on, on tarmac. Not been tempted to test them in the rain, well, we have had no rain so.... The rear is evaporating very quickly, though. I adjusted the suspension on the bike & stupidly while I was bouncing the suspension while riding I put the front brake on causing a lock up when the forks unloaded. Very cool chequer board effect on the road....

[Buddha#81:Me]

hey Chch Guys, these guys http://www.dirtzone.co.nz/ have been going for a month or so and stock MotoZ tyres http://www.motoz.co.nz/tyre-range.html . I dont know if they have been covered in here but I got a set of desert hard compond enduro tyres, Dot Rated. They are probally a bit more agressive than i'd like but for $180 for the set its worth the punt! Good crew in there too!

[atalagk]

An initial attempt to find them in NZ was not successful Any idea how?
Botany Honda phoned Bridgestone and they said they won't import only one for me...
Maybe online stores? From Oz?
Anyway my first post on the forum and hope to get good response.

Thanks in advance and may the force be with ya

-koray

[Transalper]

An initial attempt to find them in NZ was not successful Any idea how?
Botany Honda phoned Bridgestone and they said they won't import only one for me...
Maybe online stores? From Oz?
Anyway my first post on the forum and hope to get good response.

Thanks in advance and may the force be with ya

-koray

Welcome to the Forum.
Can I ask is there any reason it has to be those tyres and not a different or even better set?
Maybe they are what Honda used when they made the bike? but that's not a good reason to keep using the same.

Honda AX100 cool little bike and if I am correct...
Front Tyre 90/100- 19
Rear Tyre 120/90- 16

Funny sizes but I'd hope there will be alternatives available.

[TangoCharlie]

I have a Motoz Enduro I/T on my RM250 which is great and showing very little wear after 10 hours hard riding. Had a Motoz S/T which was too soft and last only a couple of rides (need to control the wheel spin on gravel....). I didn't know you can get Dot approved Motoz Tyres, would be worth a try on my DR650, as the current Kenda K760 is stuffed after less than 1500km....

[vegeman]

Just got the heidi installed - first thing I noticed was how strong and/or tough the construction of the tyre was. I had one go at installing it myself...but FFS, that had to be the hardest tyre ever to get on...I pinched the tube, spilt my beer and ruffed up my girly computer hands!

So next day off to TSS red baron who were open, and put the tyre with with new tube and balanced the wheel...yay.

Today as most us should know, its pissing down...so went out for its second ride. First thing I noticed was its fantastic wet weather performance, as the water on the motorway was horrendous, it tracked straight and true so it can certainly pump the water out. I did several full throttle accelerations from the lights, and passing cars etc...and again it never lost traction...awesome. My E07 (probably worn) use to slip under those conditions...so me happy.

Tomorrow should be muddy somewhere, so hopefully I can give that a test to...but its likely family stuff will get in the way :-)