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

**Underground** · 31st March 2009, 21:17

Staying upright definately has alot to do with rider ability ,but if you want to improve your percieved ability put the best tyre you can afford on the front because if you can keep the front upright you're sweet.
Ive worn out plenty of TW42's on the rear but I sure as hell wouldnt wear one on the front ,I use a TKC80

**Paladin** · 31st March 2009, 21:19

Originally Posted by junkmanjoe

i did get caught out in the pram track, on damp clay, E-07 just let go, going up a steepish section,
so i picked up a new set of E-09's last night.
i too are a bit worried about the weather for the KCR.

Yeah think you'll find those E-09's were for me - you stole them from under my nose - TM -grrrrrrrrrr!

**XF650** · 31st March 2009, 21:52

On the XF I'v found the EO9 front to be a great tyre & hasn't washed out on me (yet), especially as I need all the help I can get for the 19" front.
The only times the EO9 rear has slid out (unintentionally) was on hard base with light fine gravel, where I think the EO7 would have held. For penetration in thick stuff though, the EO9 is the better tyre of the two. However the EO7 lasts a lot longer.

**junkmanjoe** · 31st March 2009, 21:59

Originally Posted by Paladin

Yeah think you'll find those E-09's were for me - you stole them from under my nose - TM -grrrrrrrrrr!

well sorry matey

its open season on there so ya better be quicker on the BUYNOW button.

as you now know, if theres a bargin on there, its going to end up in my shed.

**warewolf** · 31st March 2009, 23:01

Originally Posted by Paladin

There's probably some good truth in that - positive mental attitude etc etc.

Motorcycles have to be ridden with confidence. The "if in doubt, power out" homily is true, insofar as gentle acceleration (which includes just enough to hold your speed) usually helps. An accelerating bike is becoming more stable, a decelerating bike is becoming less stable - due to weight shift and gyroscopic effects. Bikes are set up ex-factory for this, for best results you must ride accordingly. A turning/free-wheeling wheel will grip (steer or simply hold a line) in places a braking wheel won't... confident vs not.

Ride the bike into the ground, never give up. I've had the enduro bike low-sided at 90 degrees to the direction of travel, peg on the ground, and kept riding it (fighting/correcting) like it was merely "a little out of line", and it's popped up and continued on as normal, didn't even put a foot down. (An extreme but real example.) The bike will usually out-perform the rider, the trick is to not make bad inputs. Mind you, I've also had the adventure bike on the ground in a similar position, but stopped with me still trying to "save" it... at least it was probably better to stop like that than bail off at some point.

**Oscar** · 31st March 2009, 23:21

Originally Posted by warewolf

Motorcycles have to be ridden with confidence.

Ha!
Fear is the only thing keeping me alive.
The equation is:

(100hp + knobblies + wet road) x (Vege in a hurry) = Terror.

Me

**Woodman** · 1st April 2009, 19:29

Think I have posted before about e09s, but here is a report so far.

Good grip front and rear, but the laidback trail ride proved they are nowhere near a full nondot knobbly for wet grip.

The rear does not have good side grip, which is a bit of a worry on off camber slippery surfaces, but a blast on gravel corners as the back comes out real well and predictably.
I do not find them too noisy on the road and the front does not make the steering heavy. Done a big day ride on a wet day and did a fair bit of windy tar roads and they were excellent, in fact brilliant.
i run about 26 psi front and rear.
After 2200 kms the front knobs are surfing a bit and the rear won't make 3000kms.

Warewolf is right with the confidence thing. Need to learn to use the other brake, that being the windy one on the right.

**NordieBoy** · 1st April 2009, 19:42

Originally Posted by Woodman

Need to learn to use the other brake, that being the windy one on the right.

Yeah. The throttle dosn't just go one way. You can twist it forward too

**Padmei** · 3rd April 2009, 20:58

I'm finding the same thing with the newish E09 on the back. On rocky shaley shitty stuff like at the top of the Maungatapu it doesn't spin & is very grippy whereas the MT21 was spinning it's guts out. As was pointed out by Topo it would be because of the width of the point of contact of the row of Knobs. On gravel it slides out easily but predictably with the throttle whereas the Mt21 was better cornering. The MT21 rear was great on mud/ clay whereas the E09 is not very good unless keeping a steady hand on the throttle.

I've got a new Dunop 606 on the front & to be honest I can't tell the difference yet between the new 606 & the old very very bald canvassing front MT21. That said I haven't ridden it on wet roads (it doesn't rain much now in Nelson) nor any local laidbacks

**NordieBoy** · 3rd April 2009, 22:11

Originally Posted by Padmei

That said I haven't ridden it on wet roads (it doesn't rain much now in Nelson) nor any local laidbacks

Take it for a quick blat on the lawn in the morning

**Oscar** · 3rd April 2009, 22:14

Originally Posted by NordieBoy

Yeah. The throttle dosn't just go one way. You can twist it forward too

I tried that.
A nice man waved me over to the side of the road and gave me a bit of paper with my speed on it.

**Paladin** · 3rd April 2009, 22:20

Originally Posted by NordieBoy

Take it for a quick blat on the lawn in the morning

bloody hilarious!!!

**warewolf** · 4th April 2009, 21:20

Originally Posted by Padmei

I'm finding the same thing with the newish E09 on the back. On rocky shaley shitty stuff like at the top of the Maungatapu it doesn't spin & is very grippy whereas the MT21 was spinning it's guts out.

Yet I would rate my experience as either the opposite, or a tie (but mine's a Michelin T63 not an E-09). When new, the MT21 is a pretty rip snortin' tyre, but is known to lose a lot of off-road grip within the first portion of its life, say the first third.