Continental TCK 70

[Bendy toy]

I agree with the GSA being too heavy and expensive to take off road. My tyre choice included the need to handle gravel and mud strewn lanes. Normal road tyres just can't hack that stuff but full on mud tyres were too extreme.
So for my needs the -70 works fine.
If I ever move away from Devon I'll look again at road tyres but (for nowI need that 25% off road bias.

 

[boatman]

Fitted a set of these for our trip Scotland to the Nordkapp this summer .
I was very pleased with the new TKC 70.
IMHO it is a better tyre than the old style metzler tourance,seemed very stable to me
( R1200 GSA TWIN CAM 2013)

 

[Madsplash]

Right, there are a lot of different opinions here. From what I've read and in my opinion is that it seems that majority accept that there is indeed a "wobble" a "shaking" or whatever one wants to call it but it never got mentioned once by the test "experts" that were present during the presentation in Wales!!!

Funnily enough, your findings have been mirrored in other parts of the world with some American riders also contacting Continental and being conveniently ignored.
Personally I might give them a try and see it for myself what the fuss is about but it is with no apprehension as I can't fault the Tourances I have been using. There might be better road tyres for the GS but I still want to keep a certain "gravel" capability.

 

[sagalout]

I have about 3000 miles on my 70's and haven't had any wobbles. I had tourances before these which I was happy with but these seem better in the wet. No complaints, and will probably buy again. Slight squaring off after 3k but at least another 2k left in these I think.

I generally stick at 2 figure speeds, but did have a run at 120mph with pillion and panniers on the autobahn in summer. Rock solid

 

[Bendy toy]

Mine have been solid this weekend. Very stable on A roads a slip on gravel into a side lane no drama as ever but I suspect would have been nasty on 100% road treads.
Motorway much great though I can tell there is a little moving about. It never became a wobble or even threatened to.
Maybe last time was luggage.

 

[Max_W]

It would be useful if people said which bike they did or did not have issues with the tyres on. Tyre size and date of manufacture as well as bike weight, power etc may be linked to the cause of the problem that so many have experienced.

 

[sagalout]

Mine are V rated on a 2012 TC. No problems at any speed or loading

 

[Bendy toy]

The -70 is available in two speed ratings.

 

[Wreford Miles]

I very nearly went for TKC 70's but I decided to go British and fitted the New Avon Trail Riders.

I'm very pleased with them, OK the PR4's that came off had 6000 miles on them so any new tyre will feel good but I'm genuinely very pleased I went for these

90% road 10% off-road that's about right for me

lots of confidence on damp roads

 

[tuftywhite]

I had my TKC 70s fitted this evening, by Mr M Boy.

I can say without doubt that the 10 minute ride home was a lovely experience on the new tyres. I can't wait to try them out properly.

 

[Madsplash]

Any further comments on your experience with the TKC 70's?

I had my TKC 70s fitted this evening, by Mr M Boy.

I can say without doubt that the 10 minute ride home was a lovely experience on the new tyres. I can't wait to try them out properly.

Hi,

I'm still undecided on whether to fit them or not. They don't seem to be widely available as any other competitors.
Are you still happy with them?
Does anybody have any further comments on these?

Thanks

 

[tuftywhite]

I went on an 80 mile round trip one damp evening and didn't even think about the tyres, if that's any use.

The roads haven't really been dry enough when I've been able to go out to push them a bit further.

Unless anything untoward happens, I think they'll be my tyre of choice and I may even get a set for my g/s when the time comes.

 

[Bendy toy]

My TKC-70s now have over 2000 miles with at least 1500 on motorways. They are fine keeping up with traffic at 85, but you can tell they are not road treads. Nothing nasty the tread blocks will move about. They are also less stable than road treads you can't relax as much at speed as you could on (say) PR4s. The TKC-70 feels a lot lighter handling than the standard Tourance Ive previously used and hugely better than the Bridgestone Battle Wings the bike came with.

The back is beginning to lose its profile and less good on over-banding etc, but there are no signs of squaring off and its still a lot better than any other trail tyre I've fitted.

This is no criticism they are a 25% off road design so will keep you shiny side up when PR4s would have you in a ditch. They will leave you more tired after 200 miles of M4/5/6 but motorways are not good places to be riding a GS if you don't have to.

If you live in areas where the roads are gravelly and muddy the -70 is fab. If you never leave the clean tarmac go for road treads. PR4s usually get the gig because 19" is not a common touring tyre size.

 

[Madsplash]

Cheers, Thanks for the reply.

 

[fireblade reject]

I love them. Tried after Tourances and they're better on the dirt, mud (by yhis i mean better than tourances, not great) and fine on road and in the wet. Would definitely recommend them

 

[Bendy toy]

Not good on smooth cold salted tarmac with cold tyres. last week I spun top the back wheel while turning right. I wasn't blasting away just a normal side road exit. The back tyre just spun up and down I went. Was the TKC-70 worse than other tyres? Who could say. I suspect a 100% road might have coped but they are rubbish on the C road lanes around here.

 

[Max_W]

I hated the TKC-70 when I had them fitted; they were less stable than any other tyre I've ever ridden on. However, I'm willing to accept that it may have been just the early batches that had quality control issues. It also seemed to affect the watercooled GS and GSAs far more than other makes and models.

I'd love to know if anyone who experienced the weaving and instability on a watercooled GS or GSA has had newer tyres fitted and not encountered the problem. Any first-hand experiences?

 

[Ted]

I hated the TKC-70 when I had them fitted; they were less stable than any other tyre I've ever ridden on. However, I'm willing to accept that it may have been just the early batches that had quality control issues. It also seemed to affect the watercooled GS and GSAs far more than other makes and models.

I'd love to know if anyone who experienced the weaving and instability on a watercooled GS or GSA has had newer tyres fitted and not encountered the problem. Any first-hand experiences?

Had 2 sets fitted to our hexhead GSs for trip to Norway last summer. Did approx 10000 miles (5 on each bike) By far the worst tyre in terms of shakes, wobbles,vibration and general instability on any tyre I've ever had on any bike in last 30 years. Took them off as soon as I got home. Im sure they contributed to a couple of low speed tumbles Sue had as bars would move as if it was flipping from one side of tyre to other at walking pace. Tread blocks were badly cupped and worn and when I took the wheels off to change tyres tried to roll them and they just would not run more than a couple of feet before falling over due to tread distortion.

 

[fireblade reject]

I'll add that my set shows no sign of any wobbles or weaving. Very stable, and I generally don't hang about.
However they seem to have slightly sharper profile than tourances and tip in quicker. That could explain slow speed offs

 

[younger06]

I am very tempted to try them and see for myself...............I find it hard to believe that a company like Conti could get a tyre so dangerously wrong!!!!

They tick all the boxes for me, just need the price to come down a bit!!