I guess now's a good time to update you all on my K60 experience...
I've worn out 2 rears and a front now, got 9000 miles from the first rear with at least a couple of thousand left. I removed it a little prematurely to fit new tires for a cross-country trip (little dirt so fitted stock Bridgestones). When I got to Sacramento I fitted a pair of K60s, and they have served me well for the last 11,000 miles from there to Guatemala. They are pretty well worn out now, and I have a new set to fit next week.
Plenty has been written about the K60's before - they are a good all-round tire, not a great street tire but adequate. They look like they might be scary in the wet with the solid center and hard compound, but I had a LOT of wet riding on my first rear and never had a hairy moment. They are better than most off-road - maybe TKC-80s or Karoo's are better but they will only get you about 1/3 of the mileage.
Mileage is one of the big selling points - the rear I have on at the moment has seen some very rough roads, with 200lb of luggage on board, and still got to 11,000 miles. It's getting smooth in the center now, but the wierd thing is, it's still got plenty of tread off-center. One thing people complain about is that they square-off a lot as they wear, but I'm beginning to wonder if this is by design. Why? Look at the pics below.
Both these roads were ridden on a "bald" rear tire, but I could hardly tell - seems as long as the surface is soft enough for the tire to sink in a little, the remaining tread on the sides of the tires can still get plenty of traction. The wear pattern on the rear is such that the center tread can be all but gone, but you'll never run out of knobs either side. In fact, they form "scoops" and you can get nearly as much traction from them in soft going as if the tire was brand new.
One more thing - I don't know if it's just coincidental, but between these two rears I've done 20,000 miles, without a single puncture. That's some kind of a record for me. These tires are tough, but I can't say for sure whether that's contributed to the lack of punctures, or just put it down to luck?
The front tire is less impressive - still not bad mind you, and it's been hammered over a multitude of twisty roads in its 11,000 miles, but disappointingly it's almost worn out. I'd read of people getting 20,000 miles out of them, but not me. I'd been thinking 20,000 miles would be perfect (2 rears to one front), but it's not going to work out that way. I could get another couple of thou out of it, but not worth it so I'm changing them together. It may have something to do with the fact that it loses a little air, about 1psi a day (I've heard others complain about this too), and sometimes I haven't kept on top of it and so maybe pressure's been a bit low. Normally I'm running 39 rear (which holds air very well) and 36 front. Often it's been at 30 when I've topped it off though.
Overall I would say the K60 rear is the best thing out there for a Super Tenere that sees a good amount of dirt. For the front, I think there are others that would work just as well, some for less money. Shinko 705 for example. Better road feel than the K60 front, nearly as good off road, and a lot cheaper. Also got 11,000 miles on it. I had one combined with my first K60 rear. Others to try would be the TKC or Karoo if you're more dirt-focused but want a longer lasting tire on the rear.
Trevor
