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

[warewolf]

i just go really slow to avoid loss of traction

I go really slow because I lose traction. Stop even

[10bikekid]

are you sticking with the Kenda's on the BIG?

I thought about this long and hard Dino and I dont think I can give up all that offroad traction that the Kenda's offer at the moment, turns the Big into, well dare I say, a Big dirt bike

Am picking the old girl up tomorrow and will do some reliability runs for confidence sake then we can get together for an old friends reunion (I'll bring hankies for you)

[.chris]

It is almost new tire time (got almost 6k out of that Kenda big block).

I was thinking of giving the popular T63 a try, but this means going from the usual 140/80-18 to a 130/80-18.

What should I expect to feel different running the smaller tire?
Also, what sort of km's have people got out of them?

[Night Falcon]

It is almost new tire time (got almost 6k out of that Kenda big block).

I was thinking of giving the popular T63 a try, but this means going from the usual 140/80-18 to a 130/80-18.

What should I expect to feel different running the smaller tire?
Also, what sort of km's have people got out of them?

I ran a T63 rear for about 2000ks. It was probaly half worn when I took it off. Great tire I thought. Didn't notice any problems with the narrower width; actually i think it helps it in wet contitions cos it digs down to the hard stuff better. Roosts gravel pretty good as recall

[.chris]

I ran a T63 rear for about 2000ks. It was probaly half worn when I took it off. Great tire I thought. Didn't notice any problems with the narrower width; actually i think it helps it in wet contitions cos it digs down to the hard stuff better. Roosts gravel pretty good as recall

Why did you take it off?

[Night Falcon]

Why did you take it off?

I did a tour down the South Island with lots of pavement so didn't want to waste it on that, replaced it with a K60 for the trip...I think. Any who, I planned to use it on the capital cost ride that never happened . Will get round to using it at some stage I spose .

[warewolf]

I was thinking of giving the popular T63 a try, but this means going from the usual 140/80-18 to a 130/80-18.

What should I expect to feel different running the smaller tire?
Also, what sort of km's have people got out of them?

The bike will turn quicker and have a lower seat height. The size change is not a big deal, the 640E uses it std.

4000km from mine.

[bart]

It is almost new tire time (got almost 6k out of that Kenda big block).

I was thinking of giving the popular T63 a try, but this means going from the usual 140/80-18 to a 130/80-18.

What should I expect to feel different running the smaller tire?
Also, what sort of km's have people got out of them?

I like skinny tyres. Turn quicker and digs through gravel for more traction. Less squirming on top like fat tyres. I'm running a 110 on the back at the moment. Bloody awesome. Looks silly though, and won't last long.

Lucky I pick them up real cheap

Fat tyres for show, skinny tyres for go....on gravel anyway.

[.chris]

Thanks for the info guys, seems the 130 should be a pretty good option.

[Matz]

I'm looking for a new rear tyre for my Suzuki Dr 350. I'm riding about 70% street and 30% gravel roads, I was at biketreads today and they recommended me the Pirelli MT 90, in the Internet I found a lot of bad things about this tyre. Has anyone this tyre?

Wich can you recommend? The should last very long (I'm riding about 15000 km a year), the tyre size should be between 120 and 140 /80/ 18

Thanks for help

[NordieBoy]

I'm looking for a new rear tyre for my Suzuki Dr 350. I'm riding about 70% street and 30% gravel roads, I was at biketreads today and they recommended me the Pirelli MT 90, in the Internet I found a lot of bad things about this tyre. Has anyone this tyre?

Wich can you recommend? The should last very long (I'm riding about 15000 km a year), the tyre size should be between 120 and 140 /80/ 18

Thanks for help

Shinko 705's would fit the bill.
Stick a 120 on the rear.

Shinko 244's would be suitable but not get near the mileage.

[clint640]

I'm looking for a new rear tyre for my Suzuki Dr 350. I'm riding about 70% street and 30% gravel roads, I was at biketreads today and they recommended me the Pirelli MT 90, in the Internet I found a lot of bad things about this tyre. Has anyone this tyre?

Wich can you recommend? The should last very long (I'm riding about 15000 km a year), the tyre size should be between 120 and 140 /80/ 18

Thanks for help

I ran an MT90 on the back of the 640 a while back. Ok tyre for the money, lasted about 9K km IIRC, (I am hard on tyres, you should get more on a 350) good on the tar, not much shot on gravel once about 1/3 worn.

Cheers
Clint

[Waipukbiker]

Interesting discussion on the merits of skinnier tyres, I spent 15 years belonging to varios 4wd clubs around the country and was also involved in competitions, there were a lot of off road scenarios where the narrow/aggressive tyres worked better in the mud for exactly the same reason that was mentioned, they dug through the soft crap on top and found traction underneath where the fatter tyres tended to float on top more, if the soft, top layer was deeper then the fatter tyres had an advantge because they kept the diffs out of the mud better so it can vary on the situation.

I also worked with John Deere tractors for few years an got into things like ballasting for maximum traction efficiency. Most modern tractors now have wheel slip indicators, which compares the speed over the ground using a ground speed radar against what the tractor should be doing in any respective gear . If the ground speed dropped below what it should be doing then obviously the wheels were starting to slip. Tractors fitted with 2 skinny duals at the back (and sometimes in the front) generally achieved less sliipage than ones fitted with big fat singles for the same reasons, they tended to get the lugs further into the ground and in some situations, its been proven that the same setup could out perform tractors fitted with rubber tracks.

Like the old saying goes, horsepower is only as effective as to how well you can convert it to traction.

[JATZ]

I'm looking for a new rear tyre for my Suzuki Dr 350. I'm riding about 70% street and 30% gravel roads, I was at biketreads today and they recommended me the Pirelli MT 90, in the Internet I found a lot of bad things about this tyre. Has anyone this tyre?

Wich can you recommend? The should last very long (I'm riding about 15000 km a year), the tyre size should be between 120 and 140 /80/ 18

Thanks for help

Like Nordie said..try a Shinko 705. I had them on my 350 and they wore well. Good for everything except mud and grass.
The missus had a Kenda 761 on her 350 which seemed to be alright too.
If you want more control of the front end, try a Dunlop D606 or similar.

[Waipukbiker]

Mine came with a D605 on the front which is about half worn and Ive had no probs with it at all so far on tar or shingle. (22 psi)