Heidenau K60s on road

[AustinW]

Did the back tyre go square because of straight roads in USA or do these tyres all go square after a few thousand miles?

I used Conti Road Attacks on a previous bike. They were stunningly good for 3000 miles (about 60% worn) but they squared off and became some of the worst handling tyres I've used.

I've not had such a squaring off problem on the GSA but it handles so well I get to use more of the shoulders. It's also not had any Conti RAs.

I don't want tyres that force me to point and squirt like a newly born again rider who can't do bends.

In my experience all tyres wear squareish, probably because regardless how twisty the road most of it is straight. But, the K60 starts square and only gets worse. However you don't really notice it for ages - 3000 miles in my case, and you soon adapt your riding style. I rode the Tail of the Dragon in the smokey mountains and several other ultra-twisty roads in the USA in the wet and the dry with no problem down to boot skimming angles of lean. However as they wore I kept getting the odd moment when the tyres moved a bit and then I lost confidence. The squarer they got the more they would pick up any striations in the road or wear in the road. The front was noisy too - although it was kinda nice to play tunes as the noise made varied with speed and angles of lean. The "knobblies" also make the ride rough.

They are not tyres for hooning around on but, like I said if I was setting off on a 6,000+ mile tour I would fit them again. They are tough tyres that wear well and an acceptable level of grip.

BTW its not true that all roads in the states are straight. Far from it in the mountainous areas.

 

[Bendy toy]

Thanks. I might try them on the wires when I get the flaky paint hubs refinished. Alloys will probably get what I'm used to with some Tourances.

 

[Packer]

I've had a few sets of K60's, and rate them highly. They allow the bike to move around a lot as the blocks distort but you can ride them to the sidewall in the dry and if you are doing a lot of minor roads the squaring won't be as bad. I actually found them better than a squared off original Tourance as they always had the flexibility of the blocks to mitigate the squaring. On one of Chris's trips I had a challenging day, the sign said "bends for the next 110 miles" and Chris was riding for fun. My bike just didn't feel right, it was under control but vague, not the usual rock solid, planted, 1150GS. I checked the pressures at the end of the day and there was just 10lbs in the front tyre. I'd flattened the suspension on a dirt road and the tyre must have partly deflated. 100+ miles of bends at speeds regularly above 70mph on 10psi. Yes, good tyres.

I've just fitted a pair of Tourance Next to the S10, £185 fitted, same price as I paid for a pair of original Tourances two years ago and they feel great. The back tyre is dual compound as well so I hope that it wears better than the EXP's that were original fitment, I got over 6,000 miles from those and the front was good for a lot more but I change in sets.

 

[Bendy toy]

I wouldn't runs knobbly like the K60 with a more tarmac biassed tyre but I don't change tyres in sets and I mix manufacturers. Generally one back does two fronts Ive now found some K76s for £127 the pair, but will probably go for ordinary Tourances at about £160 the pair.

Ive looked at going to full road tyres but those which offer 19" are silly money.

Saying all that I am tempted again by the K60. In Devon, ice & snow are less of a problem (though not black ice!!!) but the back roads can be covered in all sorts of crap.

 

[GB.]

Wouldn't push them to hard on the road

 

[Bendy toy]

TBH I probably don't push any tyres that hard on the road. At least not around Devon's many blind bends.