Damn I love a good tire thread. And believe me, this is a doozy.
Chris, you're absolutely right. There is nothing better off road than a full on knobby. No argument here. And if the S10 were an off road bike that is all I would use. Trouble is, I have to get to the "off road". I'm blessed where I live that the off road starts about a mile from my house. Or 10 miles. Or 100 miles. You get the idea. So, while you are factually correct, the real world demands a compromise. I'm still riding on the stock Battle Wings and they scare the hell out of me off road. But I respect their limitations and ride within them. When it comes time to change(soon) I'll probably go with something akin to the E07 simply because they are a great compromise and really an ADV bike is nothing but a compromise. A very capable fun compromise.