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

[NordieBoy]

Interesting comments. I'm needing a set of rubber for the DR soon and was thinking of E-07's.
Might have to go back to the drawing board (or have another rum or 2) and think about it

Ask Murray (Nerdneh) what he thought of them.
You've got quite a narrow rim on the back of the DR havn't you? - It'd keep a nice round profile on the E-07.

For offroad biased adventuring I'd go with the E-07 rear and a more knobblie front like an MT-21 (The Aussies seem to like that combo).

[cooneyr]

E09 on the rear at 2000ish Km's...does half worn sound bad?
I do have a heavy right hand off road mind you...

Thats better that I get out of the D606's. The one I used for the Dusty Butt 08 (the year we finished) was pretty well done in about 2000kms with about 3mm left and the one on at the moment is about 2500 with about 5mm left. New is 14mm. I've taken to running the D606's at 30psi the whole time - did the "monkeying about the brass" trip though snow, mud, gravel and seal all at this pressure. Doesn't seem to affect grip to adversely for most of the riding I do and they defiantly last longer - maybe it has something to do with the loaded bike.

Seriously contemplating a mitchy desert for the next tyre. About $180 for the rear but from what I've read and heard I figure it will last quite a bit longer. Just hoping that a 140 will fit.

Cheers R

[Peril]

It's times like those I wish I had a spare rear rim.One for street work and one to throw on for the adv/trail rides with a decent road legal knobbly on.
I've just read that around 2000kms is actually pretty good on the E09.So I'd guess I should see another 1000-1200kms before it's throw away time.Might also look at the Michelin as well.

[Transalper]

....
I thought it was better that way and didn't perform so well when it was correctly fitted.

IMHO Mitas EO7's are a bloody good all round tyre. Cheers John.

I have heard of a few people that prefer the front E07 installed backwards for shingle performance.
They also put an oversize rear on too.

[oldrider]

I have heard of a few people that prefer the front E07 installed backwards for shingle performance.
They also put an oversize rear on too.

I am disappointed that Mitas EO7's are not readily available for the Tiger.

The Tiger is a great all round venture tourer but I must confess to being "very, very," careful just where I take it or point it.

I would like to lower it a bit but don't want to compromise the excellent handling attributes that it delivers for the riding we do most of.

I only need it to be lower and have more confidence building tyres in order to take the bike into more challenging (albeit modest) off road type of situations.

Quite frankly I don't really have the legs or probably the balls for some of that riding any more (been there done that) and the Tiger is a big top heavy bike for an old guy (and lady) to manage when the shit hits the fan!

With the bike set up to go that little bit further, (as history has proven that even) frail old guys still try to bight off more than they can chew and try to go where they shouldn't!

I will just stick with my Pirelli Scorpion S/T's and leave the bike the way it is and limit our touring to tarmac, gravel and very predictable farm tracks. (Sigh)

I guess that clearly illustrates what the term, "Ridin like your Nana" really means! Cheers John.

[jezzaNZ]

Seriously contemplating a mitchy desert for the next tyre. About $180 for the rear but from what I've read and heard I figure it will last quite a bit longer. Just hoping that a 140 will fit.

Cheers R[/QUOTE]

Ryan like I said the rear Desert on the XTZ has 10k km on it and still has a little wear left. I totally recommend this tire for larger machines as I have had fantastic wear and has an awsome tread that gives huge grip off-road as will as OK handeling on road. Mind you a good chunk of the 10k was commuting but still pretty good for a knob!

Hey it is the tire of choice for Dakar riders...need I say any more.

Reasonably prices also!

[cooneyr]

Ryan like I said the rear Desert on the XTZ has 10k km on it and still has a little wear left. I totally recommend this tire for larger machines as I have had fantastic wear and has an awsome tread that gives huge grip off-road as will as OK handeling on road. Mind you a good chunk of the 10k was commuting but still pretty good for a knob!

Hey it is the tire of choice for Dakar riders...need I say any more.

Reasonably prices also!

You dont need to convince me, I'm sold on one, the only thing I need to check is that the 140 will fit. John mentioned that the one on the XTZ had 10k on it - that's crazy kms on a knobbie.

Cheers R

[jezzaNZ]

Ryan, the one on the 950 after doing 1800km at the Brass only looks to be about 20-30% worn. Still a lot of life left in it even on the bigger machine!

Have a look on the Michellin web site for fitment. I know the 450 will fit a 140 in a Perelli but although they say it is a 140 they are equivalent to a 120 in other brands.

[warewolf]

Have a look on the Michellin web site for fitment. I know the 450 will fit a 140 in a Perelli but although they say it is a 140 they are equivalent to a 120 in other brands.

You are mixing up two tyre sizing standards here.

• One measures the overall width including tread knobs (eg 140/80-18). This is the ETRTO (European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation) standard, aka ISO.
• The other measures only the carcass width (eg 120/100-18).

Note that changing the width number affects the reported aspect ratio, too, as the height doesn't change. The above two tyre sizes are physically the same, or near enough.

Typically, road tyres & Euro dirt tyres use the ETRTO system. The Japanese will use either for their dirtbike tyres. Americans tend to the latter.

The relationship between the two sizes is roughly:

80/100-21 = 90/90-21
100/100-18 = 120/90-18
110/100-18 = 130/80-18
120/100-18 = 140/80-18

[warewolf]

Seriously contemplating a mitchy desert for the next tyre. About $180 for the rear but from what I've read and heard I figure it will last quite a bit longer. Just hoping that a 140 will fit.

I've just been down that route and decided against it. The Michelin Desert rear is a tougher-carcassed, harder-treaded version of the Michelin T63. The Desert might be built for and excel at high speed, high load and high heat conditions, but the T63 is reported to be much better when it is wet, muddy or rocky. The T63 is lots cheaper (now) and readily available in the smaller sizes. It's even cheaper than the Mitas E-09 which I suspect is a copy due to the identical tread pattern.

I'd run the Desert maybe-and-only in summer, rest of the time T63. I'm very happy with it so far. Grips better than an MT21 on wet tar, maybe better on dry tar too - certainly no worse - but I haven't taken it for a good thrash. Dirt performance is fine/good; it's been so long since I ran a new MT21 I can't compare them - call it a tie! I like it even thought it is slightly too small for the 640A. Wear is said to be about 25% better than the MT21.

It is interesting that the characteristics of the T63 reported here (by myself and others) matches elsewhere eg advrider.com. More often opinions are varied.

[cooneyr]

I've just been down that route and decided against it. The Michelin Desert rear is a tougher-carcassed, harder-treaded version of the Michelin T63. The Desert might be built for and excel at high speed, high load and high heat conditions, but the T63 is reported to be much better when it is wet, muddy or rocky. The T63 is lots cheaper (now) and readily available in the smaller sizes. It's even cheaper than the Mitas E-09 which I suspect is a copy due to the identical tread pattern.

I'd run the Desert maybe-and-only in summer, rest of the time T63. I'm very happy with it so far. Grips better than an MT21 on wet tar, maybe better on dry tar too - certainly no worse - but I haven't taken it for a good thrash. Dirt performance is fine/good; it's been so long since I ran a new MT21 I can't compare them - call it a tie! I like it even thought it is slightly too small for the 640A. Wear is said to be about 25% better than the MT21.

It is interesting that the characteristics of the T63 reported here (by myself and others) matches elsewhere eg advrider.com. More often opinions are varied.

Yer but ... let me know what life you get out of the T63. Really, please do I'm curious.

I've read that the T63 is a softer compound and works better in mud etc. Thing is I don't ride that much mud and I'm getting a little sick of changing tyres at 2000 to 3000kms. I like having the extra grip of the D606 but I want the life of a E07 - guess I'm just a greedy bugger.

I figure then that while it might look like a full on knob it is actually a reasonable way to get a tyre with more grip than a E07 or similar but with a much longer life than a MT21, D606, or dare I say it at T63. I know that the road handling will not be as good but I'm a woose on the road anyway and prepared to make that compromise.

Besides there is only one way to find out!

Cheers R

[jezzaNZ]

WW, thanks for theat clarification of the tyre standards. I knew they were different types of measurements but didn't know exactly how they were measured.

I have been running a T63 on the fron of both the XTZ and 950 and found them wanting in the wet and mud. They may be suited to a lighter bike in the muck but for the heavier machine you need something more aggressive.

I agree with Ryan on this one, the Desert is far better wearing then the T63. I did origionally have a Desert on the fron of the XTZ but it wore reasonably quickly but shit it had some grip in the wet. In summary I personally like a more aggressive tire on the front and will experiment with perhaps an Enduro type tire on in the future.

[Motu]

I didn't get to use my T63 much before taking the bike off the road (it's running,and may ride it this week),but in just a few hundred kms the DT230 savaged it....I doubt it will last longer than anything else.It has plenty enough grip in all conditions for me.But it has a very stiff carcase,I used a tyre machine to fit it....and wouldn't want to fit one by hand.It has to have the stiffest sidewall of any tyre I've ever used.

[warewolf]

Yer but ... let me know what life you get out of the T63. Really, please do I'm curious.

I've read that the T63 is a softer compound and works better in mud etc. Thing is I don't ride that much mud and I'm getting a little sick of changing tyres at 2000 to 3000kms. I like having the extra grip of the D606 but I want the life of a E07 - guess I'm just a greedy bugger.

I figure then that while it might look like a full on knob it is actually a reasonable way to get a tyre with more grip than a E07 or similar but with a much longer life than a MT21, D606, or dare I say it at T63. I know that the road handling will not be as good but I'm a woose on the road anyway and prepared to make that compromise.

Besides there is only one way to find out!

I understand completely! I, too, am doing a 'suck it and see' with the T63. So far, so good, but too early to tell for wear. The Desert is 47% more expensive for me, can't remember if it was expected to outlast a T63 by that much.

Transalper, chime in here: haven't you run the T63 against the MT21? Someone here has, IIRC. I would line up your selection in terms of longer life as D606, MT21, T63, Desert.

I do a huge mix of riding, and I'd rather chew up a good mud/wet-tar tyre on rock, gravel & dry-roads, than have a gravel/dry-road tyre slide in the wet & mud. It's all a huge compromise; getting any better 'fit for purpose' requires multiple tyres in the shed and changes for bigger chunks of riding in one style.

Having said that, NZ roads tend to be sharp and tear at the tyres (as you probably know professionally) so a Desert would likely be fine here on wet tar.

[warewolf]

WW, thanks for theat clarification of the tyre standards. I knew they were different types of measurements but didn't know exactly how they were measured.

On the weekend I rode a WR450F with a 120/90-18 on the rear... it did feel under-tyred. Didn't think it would be so obvious, especially since that's the size I was running on my 200EXC. Suspect that someone missed the difference between a 120/100 and a 120/90.

I have been running a T63 on the fron of both the XTZ and 950 and found them wanting in the wet and mud. They may be suited to a lighter bike in the muck but for the heavier machine you need something more aggressive.

I agree with Ryan on this one, the Desert is far better wearing then the T63. I did origionally have a Desert on the fron of the XTZ but it wore reasonably quickly but shit it had some grip in the wet. In summary I personally like a more aggressive tire on the front and will experiment with perhaps an Enduro type tire on in the future.

Fronts are a different kettle of fish. T63 fronts have shallow knobs, lots of people complain about front-end grip in the mud.

I'm with you on the enduro front front (ha ha); currently running a Bridgestone ED661 intermediate front (worn out ex-race tyre) and like it a lot. Best all-round front I've used so far, despite being past its best before getting near the 640A. It is similar to the Dunlop K490(?) that is a favourite in Aussie.