tyres ??

[spasm]

what tyres has everyone tried, has anyone tried just road tyres ? if so how do they do. i used to luv the dunlop roadsmarts on my xjr1300 grippy and dual compound so fairly good miles in them, and confidence inspiring, these stock battlewings are squaring of after only 2500 miles, not good

 

[Koinz]

I've had Metzler 880 tires on my Vstrom - they're good all around tire. Hard rubber, last's at least 8k. pretty good in the rain as well.

 

[Kidder]

I had Continental Trail Attacks on my V-Strom 650. That is what I will replace the Tourance EXPs with. They perform very well and wear well.

 

[motocephalic]

Conti TA's for me as well when they need to be replaced. I have had very good luck with these, both wear and grip.

 

[SpeedStar]

I had Anakees on my DL650 and only got 4400 miles out of them. At the rate I am going on the Tourance EXPs I will only get about 3300 miles on the XT.
Maybe Conti's next.

 

[protondecay123]

Heidenau K60 Scouts. We will see, ::002::

 

[~TABASCO~]

X2 Heidenau K60 Scouts On this bike, its probably the tires I install and stick with...

 

[dcstrom]

I had my dealer install Shinko 705's straight off the bat. I'd enjoyed them on the Stroms (although had some trouble with the bias versions, once they moved to radials most problems were solved).

The first day on the dirt on the S10 - Michaux State Forest, PA - I was hammering them pretty hard, amazed at the acceleration you can get on loose stuff with TCS2 in play. I'd ridden these roads not that long ago on the Vee. It was much harder work to go fast, pretty much a breeze on the S10. Swallowed up the lumps, could brake HARD on varied surfaces and it would just STOP, no drama. Accelerating off a turn, where the Vee would sit there spinning, the S10 would just put a big hand in the middle of your back and PUSH.

I suspect this is what the Shinkos didn't like - spinning is less stressful on the tire than getting traction, no? The Vee didn't tear the tire up like this, so to me the traction control is the biggest different. Of course there's weight/power difference too. But I could be completely wrong.

The dirt riding ended for me after a flat in the rear. I couldn't see any foreign bodies that might have punctured the tire, just a bunch of tears, cuts and cracks, and one of em was leaking. Thought it was a good time to get it fixed and head home, before any of the others started leaking - actually one was, just slightly.

Anyway, no more Shinkos for me for a while. I think they would be ok if used gently - as if that's going to happen! I have a K60 on the Vee, it's coming off and going on the S10, and the replacement Shinko (warranty) is going on the Vee.

http://youtu.be/ciaVo5eh5r4

 

[Bumface46]

When I got my bike it had the bridgeston battlewing on I got around 8500 km with them rideing 50/50 dirt and tar. I was very impressed I now have the Hindnau K60 and find it to be a real dog of a tire. If the conditions are a little wet the rear is all over the place. I have had it where the traction control kicks in. Sadly doue to them not being readily avaiable here in South Africa I brought 2 off them and am regretting the decision. I will go back to the bridgestone I think.
regards Bumface

 

[colorider]

When I got my bike it had the bridgeston battlewing on I got around 8500 km with them rideing 50/50 dirt and tar. I was very impressed I now have the Hindnau K60 and find it to be a real dog of a tire. If the conditions are a little wet the rear is all over the place. I have had it where the traction control kicks in. Sadly doue to them not being readily avaiable here in South Africa I brought 2 off them and am regretting the decision. I will go back to the bridgestone I think.
regards Bumface

Welcome to the Forum!!! Interesting comments on the K60 as most all of the early reports have been quite positive. Let us know what you try next, if not the Battlewing.

 

[SisuTen]

When I got my bike it had the bridgeston battlewing on I got around 8500 km with them rideing 50/50 dirt and tar. I was very impressed I now have the Hindnau K60 and find it to be a real dog of a tire. If the conditions are a little wet the rear is all over the place. I have had it where the traction control kicks in. Sadly doue to them not being readily avaiable here in South Africa I brought 2 off them and am regretting the decision. I will go back to the bridgestone I think.
regards Bumface

Sounds as if the problem with the Heidenau is limited to street use. Is that the case? How are they in the dirt? I'm considering purchase and would like your observations. The Heidenau rear was redesigned to have a solid center rib. Perhaps that contributed to the looseness on wet pavement. That would be a concern to me as well because I ride many mountain roads. I had an unexpected test of my Tourances in heavy rain last week and they were quite satisfactory.
Paul

 

[dcstrom]

Sounds as if the problem with the Heidenau is limited to street use. Is that the case? How are they in the dirt? I'm considering purchase and would like your observations. The Heidenau rear was redesigned to have a solid center rib. Perhaps that contributed to the looseness on wet pavement. That would be a concern to me as well because I ride many mountain roads. I had an unexpected test of my Tourances in heavy rain last week and they were quite satisfactory.
Paul

I've wondered about performance on road in the wet too - I have about 1500 miles on one on the Vee but no chance to test in the wet yet.

http://supertenere1200.com/2011/07/12/heidenau-k60-scout-the-first-600-miles/

I guess I'll get to try it when I move it to the S10...

In ride reports in ADVrider, a couple of ladies on Tiger XC's went to Alaska kitted out with K60's, they loved them and had a lot of rain - so I'm hopeful...

 

[~TABASCO~]

I was reading that same thread with Cheryl & Leslie, the link will be at the bottom. This was a great report. They said they loved the tires many times and showed wear though out there trip. Last I read they showed a picture with 13 K's on them and the tire still had half the tread. We have our next shipment of K60's heading our way to the shop, Ill throw a pair on. Ive always kept in the back of my mind that a 'knob' type tire with less contact patch verses a 'street' type tire will never act the same. The knob type tire will probably never be as good in the rain as a street type just as a street type tire is not that great in the dirt.. My Metzlers are great street tires for this bike and really like them so far. Off road its like riding on BB's and just peels out everywhere. Front end washes out easy too. Everything around here down south is very dry, dusty, loose dirt.
With this bike I got it to explore some off road and (for me) give up some performance on the road to gain some confidence off road. Looking forward to throwing on the K60's and giving them a good beating ! Reports, and pictures to fallow......

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=696871 K60 picture page (49) of the report... LOTS of tarmac, LOTS of dirt, LOTS of mud.... ::008::

13K kilometers (8077 miles) There quote: "The tires have a lot of life left in them...have a look at the rear over 13000 KM on them and hard KM's that is!"

 

[spasm]

just fitted these babies 8) jesus this bike will keep up with any sport bike now, especially on fast twisty A roads
road pilot 3 trail tyres, they are brand new out the mould, reckon im the first lol, its supermototastic

 

[SpeedStar]

Spasm, I have those tires on my list as well. I have heard good things about them. I had PR2 on my KTM950SM and they were good too.

 

[colorider]

just fitted these babies 8) jesus this bike will keep up with any sport bike now, especially on fast twisty A roads
road pilot 3 trail tyres, they are brand new out the mould, reckon im the first lol, its supermototastic

I was just looking at those today - great looking tire! Let us know how they work out on pavement and limited dirt/gravel.

 

[macca]

Oem tourance EXPs on mine. They've not let me done on tar through rain or even hard frost conditions though struggled with uphill on wet grass. Down side is the rear will be on the wear markers by 3500miles if not sooner as I'm at 2900 with only a couple of mm of centre tread left. Got a set of K60 scouts ready to go but the wet road issues reported above aren't filling me with confidence.
I hear great things on Pr3 for wet road use but I'd never get it back into my garage in the wet on those ( uphill wet grass that has the exp spinning - pre tread tweak)

 

[colorider]

Oem tourance EXPs on mine. They've not let me done on tar through rain or even hard frost conditions though struggled with uphill on wet grass. Down side is the rear will be on the wear markers by 3500miles if not sooner as I'm at 2900 with only a couple of mm of centre tread left. Got a set of K60 scouts ready to go but the wet road issues reported above aren't filling me with confidence.
I hear great things on Pr3 for wet road use but I'd never get it back into my garage in the wet on those ( uphill wet grass that has the exp spinning - pre tread tweak)

I'm hoping for more than 3500 out of my OEM EXP's! Have about 2K now and leaving for a 2K+ trip to Texas next week. Figure I will get serious about shopping for my next tires when I get back.

 

[justbob]

I dont have any personal experience with the Tourance EXP tires but reports indicate that they do wear out faster than the original Tourance tires. My Tenere came with the Battlewings, I replaced the rear at 6500 miles, probably had another 1000 or so left in it but I was leaving for a trip and wanted a fresh rear. The front has 8000 miles and still looks good, great wear pattern on the tread, no cupping.

 

[stevepsd]

I have the Tourance EXP's on mine. They seem to be wearing very well and are a decent street tire.

Off road they are ok on hard-pack (and rocks to, as I found out the hard way!).

Aired down they are marginal in wet, gooey, mushy, slimy jeep trails.

They are CRAP in loose gravel.

They are WORSE THAN CRAP in anything even remotely close to being sandy. The front just plows and even with TC turned off, the rear will not bite at all (it throws up a good rooster tail though). Since you can't get power down, you cannot get the front tire up 'on-the-plane' so to speak. Absolute garbage in soft sand.