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

[Eddieb]

Plane the head.

I had been wondering what benefit higher compression would give at different stages on the rev range. There's an off the shelf high comp piston available for the DR that takes the DR 650 from 9.5 to 10.5 CR.

[NordieBoy]

I had been wondering what benefit higher compression would give at different stages on the rev range. There's an off the shelf high comp piston available for the DR that takes the DR 650 from 9.5 to 10.5 CR.

Basically, more torque.
Add the basic WebCam 223? grind and the torque curve is ballooned out again like the FCR does over the stocker.

[10bikekid]

I had been wondering what benefit higher compression would give at different stages on the rev range. There's an off the shelf high comp piston available for the DR that takes the DR 650 from 9.5 to 10.5 CR.

Went from 8.5 to 10.5 on an NX650 and bike wheelied easier due to noticable increase in torque, but not much more Hp, did this as bike was burning a bit of oil but if was doing it for performance would defenantly add cam (and go as high on comp as possible with that to make up for cam overlap loss as mentioned elsewhere here)

[Padmei]

Gravel riding with road biased adv tyres on a heavy bike.
Better to have less pressure & have more contact patch with the tyre deforming & roll sideways as you corner or normal pressure & have the tyre kinda cut in to the gravel with minimal roling?

[Woodman]

Gravel riding with road biased adv tyres on a heavy bike.
Better to have less pressure & have more contact patch with the tyre deforming & roll sideways as you corner or normal pressure & have the tyre kinda cut in to the gravel with minimal roling?

Depends how often you wanna stop and change your pressures. If you have road based tyres you are probarbly doing a fair amount on tar as well so low pressures will mess with that.

Does anyone ever stop and change their pressures when changing from road to gravel and vice versa?

[Padmei]

So are you saying it's better to lower th pressure for road tyres for gravel?

[pete-blen]

So are you saying it's better to lower th pressure for road tyres for gravel?

half the diffrents...
the XT runs 29psi on seal "yamaha recamendation"
& works ok at around 20psi gravel/hard dirt
so I run 24/25psi if I'm doing both....

You could run CO2 its very temp sensitive..
hotter the tyre gets "seal' the psi will rise &
vise a versa on gravel/dirt

[Woodman]

So are you saying it's better to lower th pressure for road tyres for gravel?

What Pete says. Compromise.

TBH, I know sweet FA about tyre pressures, but usually about 25-ish when I have access to a gauge, otherwise use the squeeze test. Lately with the front I will ride along and apply the front brake heavily whilst watching the tyre on the road to see how much it distorts.

[Transalper]

So are you saying it's better to lower th pressure for road tyres for gravel?

For road tyres on a heavy bike I'd still go with yes, a little bit of air out.
If in doubt go for a ride with 'your' heavy bike and 'your' sealed road bias tyres, full road pressures, go on some gravel bends etc, then circle round, drop 5 or 10psi and go again. Drop more and play more if needed, then pump them back up and see if it turns to crap when you go again.
Testing your own setup should give you the best answer for you.
I'm about to do the same, Transalp getting REG/WOF going back on the road from Tuesday with a new to me & very road bias front tyre so I will be to experimenting too, but I do expect to drop the pressure slightly for gravel, but then may well just end up leaving it at that level unless the next ride is to be all seal.

[george formby]

Depends how often you wanna stop and change your pressures. If you have road based tyres you are probarbly doing a fair amount on tar as well so low pressures will mess with that.

Does anyone ever stop and change their pressures when changing from road to gravel and vice versa?

Me don't. The TDM is tickety boo on gravel at road pressures, it surprises me how enthusiastic I need to get with the throttle to get it sliding around. MT90 front / 705 rear.

I started riding gravel on BT 021 sports touring tires & the only real issue was on the brakes, the front did not feel nice braking downhill in any depth of gravel. The current tires are much betterer, particularly the Pirelli, surprising levels of grip on the brakes.

Bare in mind I'm not fast in the tight stuff but happily sit between 80 and 100 kmh on open gravel roads.

[banditrider]

Bare in mind I'm not fast in the tight stuff but happily sit between 80 and 100 kmh on open gravel roads.

Sounds a bit like me on the mighty Vee. I have dropped my pressures recently from the Suzuki recommended 36 to about 28 psi. Those tight down hill bits are the most tricky with the bike floating around.

The other day on ungraded stuff I was having heaps of trouble with the rear end breaking loose on the slightest bit of throttle I think that big raised centre park of the K60's doesn't do me much favours in the gravel. The tyres are great otherwise.

[george formby]

Sounds a bit like me on the mighty Vee. I have dropped my pressures recently from the Suzuki recommended 36 to about 28 psi. Those tight down hill bits are the most tricky with the bike floating around.

The other day on ungraded stuff I was having heaps of trouble with the rear end breaking loose on the slightest bit of throttle I think that big raised centre park of the K60's doesn't do me much favours in the gravel. The tyres are great otherwise.

It's taken awhile but I have built up the confidence to carry a bit of speed in a higher than necessary gear when the gravel gets deep. The bike floats around a bit but is lessy twitchy than at slower speeds. At a certain speed the bike settles down & kind of meanders over the gravel, I've learned to just go with the flow & look where I want to go, the bike always, eventually, follows.
Softening the spendies has helped too. Now wet clay is another story.

[banditrider]

It's taken awhile but I have built up the confidence to carry a bit of speed in a higher than necessary gear when the gravel gets deep. The bike floats around a bit but is lessy twitchy than at slower speeds. At a certain speed the bike settles down & kind of meanders over the gravel, I've learned to just go with the flow & look where I want to go, the bike always, eventually, follows.
Softening the spendies has helped too. Now wet clay is another story.

Yep, I was short-shifting as much as possible. Speed is good to settle things down alright but those 2nd gear corners...

[george formby]

Yep, I was short-shifting as much as possible. Speed is good to settle things down alright but those 2nd gear corners...

Quite a few of the roads I ride up here have steep first gear hairpins, 2nd gear on my 2t trailie. The TDM really makes it's presence felt when you can only see 10ft ahead & the road is almost single lane. I fear a local practicing his drifting more than anything. When it gets that tight I just stuff the bike into the inside camber regardless of the surface & take a whipping from the over hanging foliage.

[banditrider]

I try to avoid 1st gear like the plague - I short-shift to 2nd as soon as possible.

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