Anyone ever have a flat with a K60?

[Dirt_Dad]

After running more than 20K miles with three different K60s I never had a single flat tire. Today with only 1,100 miles on my Karoo 3 I found it flat. Coincidence...? highly likely, but I did notice when installing the Karoo 3 how much less substantial it felt than the K60. I did wonder if that would make a difference.

I also recall dcstrom once mentioning that he noticed he had not experienced a flat with a K60, and that was unusual enough to get him to make a comment. I don't know if his luck has changed, but it got me wondering.

Has anyone experienced a flat with a K60? I'm not suggesting they can't be flattened, but I'm wondering if they are more resistant to flats than other tires. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[macca]

My rear K60 had a flat which I plugged with a stop n go (from memory) repair plug. My front K60 lost air every week though it wasn't punctured, the replacement Anakee 3 hasn't lost air so I suspect it had a flaw in the K60s carcase somewhere around the rim?

 

[Karson]

wfopete had a flat a couple weeks ago, i think it was right by the centerstrip. what i haven't seen is any flats caused by a cut...

they're the perfect compromise tire for me, but roofing nails will still win every time.

 

[MrTwisty]

I picked up a nail in a rear K60. I noticed it while walking into work. Removed the nail, plugged it, pumped it back up and ran it for quite a while before replacing it. I guess you wouldn't exactly call it a flat, but it was close.

 

[terryth]

Yep, they are rather thin between the knobs and puncture easily if a nail hits them right

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Alright, I guess they are subject to the laws of sharp objects just like every other tire. I just had 20K+ miles of good fortune.

 

[dcstrom]

Dirt_Dad, yep I went through 2 K60 rears with no flat, a total of 24,000 miles. That's the equivalent of 4 tires of other brands, and I can't remember ever having had 4 consecutive tires without a puncture. My luck ran out on the 3rd one though. Got a big nail through it... and I was on a slippery, bumpy road at the time and it took me a while to figure out the weird handling was actually due to not having much air in the tire. Fixed with a plug, but a few hundred miles later noticed this split in the tread. It's deep, goes all the way to the carcass. I don't know if this was caused by running flat-ish for a while when I had the puncture, or something else. Either way, had to dump the tire with probably 6000 miles left in it. Made me cry!

 

[~TABASCO~]

I've plugged every K60 that's been on my bike. No biggie, fixed it and keep riding.

 

[maddog5150]

ValpoFZ had a flat on his K60 rear on our way back from Alaska this summer. HE mentioned that the bike was handling a little different. It actually took him a while to figure out that it was flat. I guess these tires are pretty stiff! He plugged it and was able to ride for a few days until he found a replacement.

 

[snakebitten]

Had a front K60 that would leak down on me. I didn't stay on top of it once and it just went flat under braking in traffic. All at once. Poooooosh.

I felt and heard it.

Road the bike over to a gas station adjacent to where it happened. Aired it back up with my mini pump. (Which was gratifying since I feared the bead might need faster airing up) i wore that front out finally. Never went flat again. I paid closer attention, of course.

By the way, I'm right at 4000 on my Karoo 3's. So it did it! The first Dirt tire to last a full service interval. (Not withstanding the venerable K60)
Still very nice on tarmac. But the center lugs are worn enough that it's compromised as a dirt claw.

 

[EricV]

Out of 4 K60 rears, I've had tree flats on two tires. One a big honking nail that went in, then threw it out and rapidly deflated, the other a staple that I found, pulled and plugged w/o much drama and another nail that I picked up, realized the back end was a little loose in the corners and fixed quickly by the side of the road. The big nail tire was romping down a loose, freshly graveled road in about 8" of loose, deep gravel and doing great, then I hit pavement and it was fine, then suddenly got really, really loud and I pulled over, realizing it was flat. Off the bead. But HOT. By the time I got it up on the center stand, (with help), it had re-seated and I was able to air it up a bit and plug the tire with a sticky string, air up the rest of the way and was on my way in 10 minutes from start to finish. The staple tire got a nail later on and that was a quick and easy fix too. Ran them both to end of life, or close to it.

The current K60 rear has a plug, and the take off from the IBR has a plug too, (gravel road plug), and I have no issues running them out. All of my front K60s have lost a pound or so a day when sitting in the garage, but seem to lose less on the road. Oddly, the Metzler A3 I put on did not leak air, so it does not appear to be a rim issue. Ditto for the EXPs that I re-installed after having some rim damage that was repaired. No air leakage with them. I've just come to expect it with the front K60s.

 

[Checkswrecks]

My K60 had 2 or three sticky string plugs when it was done at something like 18,000 miles. Parking in DC with the rear wheel in the gutter is a tire hazard.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Dirt_Dad, yep I went through 2 K60 rears with no flat, a total of 24,000 miles.

I went through three for only around 20K miles. :'( Still, 20K for me seemed like a long time without plugging a tire. I don't know if the heavier construction of the K60 provided any of that good luck I experienced, or if it was just old fashioned good luck. Either way, this thread just goes to show, there is no tire immune to a determined sharp object. Maybe Polaris will start making airless motorcycle tires.

 

[BaldKnob]

My rear K60 made it to 7,000 miles with no punctures. They do seem more substantial compared to the 90/10 tires as far as flat resistance goes. My front K60 leaked from the bead and Fix a flat slowed it considerably. I wish Heidenau would make the K60 a radial to improve the ride and wet road perfomance.

 

[CDMartin884]

I am bummed, I need a new K60, and it has a measly 12K on it. . . Darn it

 

[Boondocker]

Same here. I mean, I could squeeze another 2,000 miles out of it (rear), it's not on the wear bars yet, but it's squared off and wants to flop in and out of lean angle. No flats yet and the front doesn't leak.

I'm wondering about the Heidendau K76 for better on-road manners. No one here seems to run them. The K60 has done everything I've asked of it, so it won't hurt my feelings to get another.

I am bummed, I need a new K60, and it has a measly 12K on it. . . Darn it

 

[CDMartin884]

I am in the same boat with my rear, I do have a friend running the K76's on his GS. He like them a lot, and from my conversation with him, he is getting good mileage with them. He has about 8K on them right now, and they look good. I thought about getting them as my next set, but I so much life in my front K60 it just seemed like a waste.

 

[Ramseybella]

I am in the same boat with my rear, I do have a friend running the K76's on his GS. He like them a lot, and from my conversation with him, he is getting good mileage with them. He has about 8K on them right now, and they look good. I thought about getting them as my next set, but I so much life in my front K60 it just seemed like a waste.

My K60 lasted less than 5000 miles..

 

[snakebitten]

My K60 lasted less than 5000 miles..

Was yours a 140? Seems like it was.

No solid center lug. So less life, but probably a bit better off-road.

I think the 140 has been redesigned and now has the solid center.

 

[Boondocker]

This leads to my next question...as I hijack the thread. Is there any reason not to run a K60 front with a K76 rear? I haven't checked to see if the K76 is bias ply - don't want to mix radial and bias. Even the Heidenau site doesn't say. However the sizes available in 17" wheel are 130mm or 150mm width. Maybe that's why no one runs them.

I am in the same boat with my rear, I do have a friend running the K76's on his GS. He like them a lot, and from my conversation with him, he is getting good mileage with them. He has about 8K on them right now, and they look good. I thought about getting them as my next set, but I so much life in my front K60 it just seemed like a waste.