Please try harder,
we want you view of on-road handling as much as off-road. Wet and dry weather road grip, noise and overall feel please.
Ok then, you asked for it.
My Tyre Review for
Metzeler Karoo 3 on Honda Africa Twin
First thing to note is the Karoo 3 tyre is a Tubeless Design. Which immediately causes a compromise, as the standard Africa Twin wheels are a Tubed Tyre design.
What I've learned is that Tubeless Tyres have a ribbed interior which can cause heat buildup on inner tubes and the potential for premature failure. So I covered my tubes and inside of the tyres with talcum-powder before fitment. This helps reduce friction, and makes the workshop smell better
So just bear in mind you don't want high sustained speeds on these as it could cause issues with tube wear.
Having said that, I've rode these tyres enthusiastically on dry roads, and it keeps up with all the other adventure bikes (without going mental keeping max speeds around 90). All my mates were impressed with the dry road handling of the Africa Twin on these tyres, they are perfectly acceptable. I never got left behind, and at times my mates were trying to catch up with me! So overall feel and predictability are good, just remember the tyre side wall tread limitations and don't try to get your knee down.
However, when hot they just get eaten on the road. No squirrelling around as the knobs are big, but I lost a quarter of my tread depth on one spirited day out riding. So these tyres can't be dual compound, just soft all over. Which is good for getting decent grip, but wear rates are poor. 2,500 miles on a rear maybe? I don't know, maybe that's good? What would you rather have grip or no grip?
I've also been impressed on road in the wet, but just be sensible and again not going mental. I did have the traction control kill my power on a couple of spirited standing starts at traffic lights, but that was the bike defaulting to traction control level 3 on startup. It was spinning up the rear tyre in the wet.
Road noise is difficult one as I always wear earplugs, so I don't have an issue with Anakee 3 tyres either.
Off road I have limited experience as I've only been off-road once on my bike and once off-road on the BMW R1200GS with these tyres. They do slip about a lot in heavy mud, but what tyre doesn't? I'll keep trying on these until I get a reference point, then try something else I think.
Am I happy with these tyres on my bike. Yes.
Good Things - They fit the Africa Twin, Grip, Handling, Multi-use Tyre
Bad Things - Tubeless Design, Tread Wear Rate
Notes - Get a Rim Lock fitted at tyre change time