GSA off road

Giles

Giles

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Hurrah :aidan. I've fitted a pair of TKC's to my GSA and given it it's first proper outing! I've bimbled out with 'adventure' tyres on it before, but today was the first time I've tried a bit harder!


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Most of my off roading is on a WR450, and I probably get out on one maybe once a week, my true heart is still road riding though (that's what I'm best at..) but I do alright on the WR and am reasonably capable on it. And it's through that I guess that I'm slowly getting more and more hooked on dirt.

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Feck me, the 1200 is a bloody oil tanker off road! I was working up a right sweat! (and as you can see it wasn't exactly technical..). Compared to what I'm used to it's so cumbersome and slow to turn. I can't flik flak it like I want to, skip from one rut to another, and I haven't got the balls yet to light up the rear mid corner in case it all goes wrong and I send 220kg into the hedge :D


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I need to practise! Impressed with the TKC's though, much better than I thought they would be. :thumb2
 
Looks great and bet you had fun. :thumb2

The lanes look serene, tranquil and picture postcard but very tame though. :augie
 
giles lamb said:
Hurrah :aidan. I've fitted a pair of TKC's to my GSA and given it it's first proper outing! I've bimbled out with 'adventure' tyres on it before, but today was the first time I've tried a bit harder!
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Just one question: Why??
 
:D

I was on my way home from Watling tyres!!

I'll try and find something more challenging and report back .... :thumb
 
Goughie said:
Just one question: Why??
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Why not?

paintman said:
I agree, in the right hands they are capable, I have also witnessed the damage a quarter of a ton of metal can do to your legs when they decide to fall over.:eek:
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Agreed. Some gentle practice to familiarise yourself with how said quarter ton behaves can only help though. :thumb
Mark
 
Good to see a GSA getting muddy :thumb2
 
Why not?
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If your a reasonably capable and strong rider absolutely no reason why not, however this is not always the case, I have ridden my 1200 in the Sahara and in various quarries and green lanes, and this is what I have learned.

Once they start falling over its very difficult to stop the process, whereas a quick dab on my trail bike usually sorts the problem.

These bikes are hard to pick up on your own on a good surface, near imposable on a slimy track, when you have just had the wind knocked out of you.

There is a good chance something will bend or break (indicators, spots etc) when you drop it, and we all know how these are not cheap to replace !

Agreed. Some gentle practice to familiarize yourself with how said quarter ton behaves can only help though.
Mark
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True and the OP was sensibly having his first ride on a dry ridable lane, but straight away Lord Vader is proposing a wet slippy track where to be honest I can only see one outcome for the inexperienced.
 
RichieS said:
What are the TCKs like on the road?
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Timolgra said:
Briliant in the dry, ok in the wet:thumb
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First time on TKC's for me. My 24hrs experience of them (after years and years of dedicated road tyres..) is that you need to set your corners up nice and smoothly and then they're fine. What you (what I!!) can't do, is boot into a bend and then drop the bike on its ear. Set it up, smoothly tip it in and all seems fine. You certainly feel them squirming about in the corners, but that's all they do. Get used to a different feeling in yer toes and yer pants!

That having been said, they aint no road tyre - they are a compromise. :thumb2
 
earthmover said:
Some gentle practice to familiarise yourself with how said quarter ton behaves can only help though. :thumb
Mark
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That's the crux of it - 230kg + on the move. I don't want to 'just get by'. I don't want to just get from a to B by any means how, I want to be able to ride with a bit of style finesse and skill!!! :rolleyes: It does take a bit of practise on one of these oli tankers!
 
giles lamb said:
First time on TKC's for me. My 24hrs experience of them (after years and years of dedicated road tyres..) is that you need to set your corners up nice and smoothly and then they're fine. What you (what I!!) can't do, is boot into a bend and then drop the bike on its ear. Set it up, smoothly tip it in and all seems fine. You certainly feel them squirming about in the corners, but that's all they do. Get used to a different feeling in yer toes and yer pants!

That having been said, they aint no road tyre - they are a compromise. :thumb2
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That's about right. I've had my first TKCs on for a week now, after Heidenau Scouts, and had to check that I'd fitted the front the right way around. The Scouts are better on the road and I'll let you know tomorrow evening how I find the TCKs on a lane and field.
 
DitchWater said:
That's about right. I've had my first TKCs on for a week now, after Heidenau Scouts, and had to check that I'd fitted the front the right way around. The Scouts are better on the road and I'll let you know tomorrow evening how I find the TCKs on a lane and field.
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Mereworth woods, Sun 1st April ...... :thumb
 
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