Lost confidence in Tourances

[Timolgra]

It's funny how for years Tourances were reckoned to be the allround tyre for the GS. (even Kenny could ride down my drive on them )....my how fashion changes.


Ok there may be grippier tyres out there, but a GS is 'supposed' to be an allround bike....perhaps that too has changed

 

[Mutley]

There were Deathwings (Trailwings ) on my GSA when I bought it. I thought they were the most scary tyres I'd ever ridden on in 20+ years of biking

I fitted Tourances when the Deathwings wore out. They were fine but 'snapped back' a couple of times in the wet as described above. I lost confidence in them and then changed them when I went to Morocco.

I am now on my second set of TKC's and they are the dog's gonads, suit me down to the ground.

Having said that I have since met people who reckon that Deathwings or Tourances are the best thing ever. It depends on your riding style, the use you put them to, where you ride and in what conditions

 

[ac92413]

It's funny how for years Tourances were reckoned to be the allround tyre for the GS. (even Kenny could ride down my drive on them )....my how fashion changes.


Ok there may be grippier tyres out there, but a GS is 'supposed' to be an allround bike....perhaps that too has changed

I wanted a bike that I could use for my 600+ (mostly) weekly commute and my trip around Patagonia in 2009. In an ideal world I'd have an RT and a GS but as I can't afford two bikes I choose the GSA and put a Touractech screen extender on it.

If I'm using the bike for commuting at the moent then it makes sense (to me) to put road tires on. However, when I come to do my adventure stuff then I'll put dual purpose tyres.

I'm into MTB's and swap tires around according to the conditions I'll be out in ... road, dry off road, mud ...etc. Not so easy on the GS but I still intend to swap the tires to ones appropriate for the majority of my mileage at that time; i.e for the M4 at the moment.

Andy

 

[Timolgra]

I wanted a bike that I could use for my 600+ (mostly) weekly commute and my trip around Patagonia in 2009. In an ideal world I'd have an RT and a GS but as I can't afford two bikes I choose the GSA and put a Touractech screen extender on it.

If I'm using the bike for commuting at the moent then it makes sense (to me) to put road tires on. However, when I come to do my adventure stuff then I'll put dual purpose tyres.

I'm into MTB's and swap tires around according to the conditions I'll be out in ... road, dry off road, mud ...etc. Not so easy on the GS but I still intend to swap the tires to ones appropriate for the majority of my mileage at that time; i.e for the M4 at the moment.

Andy

What I was trying to say was that the Tourance used to be rated as a very good road tyre in wet or dry and giving very good mileage, it also gave a reasonabale ride in dry conditions offroad, in other words it was the 'dogs bollox'.
Now however, opinions that are voiced seem to be changing

Perhaps the term dual purpose is dependant on what type of riding you do, but I guess if you're circumstances mean a long commute on the motorway for now then a pure long lasting road tyre is best....whatever that is

 

[PIGGLET]

Glad someone stopped to help you
Read what you like into whats below but it's not meant to be condescending, just my views and experience
If you're doing 600 miles a week on tarmac then you need a road tyre as you've said. A GS isn't a sports bike and will only go so far over before something (rocker cover, peg, centre stand etc) digs in and off you go. How grippy a tyre do you need? I can't see the advantage of 020's on a trail bike I had rennsports on a zx7rr and they were the cats t!ts on a hot day after 15 minutes balls out riding but a nightmare any other time.
Realistically what do you need? On the Escapes and tourances I had on my 1150 I could scrape the pegs and hoon around on them in reasonable confidence however the tourances did sometimes "snap" the escapes didn't.The escapes felt the better tyre

I know it's not the most practical advice but if you want to learn how to really throw a big trailie around, buy a little one and play in the dirt
You'll soon learn how to power slide, correct understeer and all the daft little things that can have you off on the road and it'll improve your confidence tremendousley

 

[Max]

There was an article in one of the bike mags last month testing the full range of Tyres for the GS , I have to confess that I bought the mag on the strength of the review. I will dig it out and post up the findings, I thought it was all fairly comprehensive. I get through a set of Tyres every 5-7k, so will never get the info together for that kind of review and have boringly stuck to the oe tyres.

 

[ac92413]

There was an article in one of the bike mags last month testing the full range of Tyres for the GS , I have to confess that I bought the mag on the strength of the review. I will dig it out and post up the findings, I thought it was all fairly comprehensive. I get through a set of Tyres every 5-7k, so will never get the info together for that kind of review and have boringly stuck to the oe tyres.

I'd be interested in the posting ... thanks

 

[ac92413]

Glad someone stopped to help you
Read what you like into whats below but it's not meant to be condescending, just my views and experience
If you're doing 600 miles a week on tarmac then you need a road tyre as you've said. A GS isn't a sports bike and will only go so far over before something (rocker cover, peg, centre stand etc) digs in and off you go. How grippy a tyre do you need? I can't see the advantage of 020's on a trail bike I had rennsports on a zx7rr and they were the cats t!ts on a hot day after 15 minutes balls out riding but a nightmare any other time.
Realistically what do you need? On the Escapes and tourances I had on my 1150 I could scrape the pegs and hoon around on them in reasonable confidence however the tourances did sometimes "snap" the escapes didn't.The escapes felt the better tyre

I know it's not the most practical advice but if you want to learn how to really throw a big trailie around, buy a little one and play in the dirt
You'll soon learn how to power slide, correct understeer and all the daft little things that can have you off on the road and it'll improve your confidence tremendousley

Thanks for the advice. I know I need to improve my skills hence I was out in the rain ... shame I had to fall off though ... wish my lessons could be cheaper! I'll give the BMW offroad course a go in September.

I know the GS isn't a sports bike ... although I've never ridden one to know what they ride like!

Still, I don't actually know what I did wrong. I went round the roundabout like every other but without any warning the bike went from under me. Other than riding vertical at 10 mph I can't see what else I could have done.

I couldn't spot any fuel on the road so all I can think of is the tires weren't up to the job on less the perfect road surface in the rain.

Bahnstormer checked the bike other today and said that the tire pressure was a bit low ... would that make them lose grip? I can't see how.

My only other thought is that the brakes came on without me touching them ... which has happened once before when the right hand guard moved slightly and enaged the brake somehow. It must be a known problem because BMW warranty knew straight away what the likely cause of my sudden brake seizure was. Thankfully I was just on a local country road at the time.

Andy

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Thanks for the advice. I know I need to improve my skills hence I was out in the rain ... shame I had to fall off though ... wish my lessons could be cheaper! I'll give the BMW offroad course a go in September.

I know the GS isn't a sports bike ... although I've never ridden one to know what they ride like!

Still, I don't actually know what I did wrong. I went round the roundabout like every other but without any warning the bike went from under me. Other than riding vertical at 10 mph I can't see what else I could have done.

I couldn't spot any fuel on the road so all I can think of is the tires weren't up to the job on less the perfect road surface in the rain.

Bahnstormer checked the bike other today and said that the tire pressure was a bit low ... would that make them lose grip? I can't see how.

My only other thought is that the brakes came on without me touching them ... which has happened once before when the right hand guard moved slightly and enaged the brake somehow. It must be a known problem because BMW warranty knew straight away what the likely cause of my sudden brake seizure was. Thankfully I was just on a local country road at the time.

Andy

If you don't fall off..............you're not trying hard enough or enjoying yourself to the max



































Or is that offroad

 

[Flipfly]

I am now on my second set of TKC's and they are the dog's gonads, suit me down to the ground.

You ride harder than I would on TKCs mutters old chap. On last weekends off roady day I has TKCs on. They are great off road but slither like a bastardo in the wet Mind you the roads were particularly bad.

Tourances are great tyres but I wouldn't have the confidence to throw them around like a sportsbike.

Off road they work on hard packed dry stuff, not good on the slippy goo.

My latest set of tourances (taken off for the off road day) feel like the bike tips in muck quicker but they don't feel as confidence inspiring. I put this down to them only having done a few miles. They take a good few hundred miles to settle in properly IMHO.

Would never put road tyres on a GS

 

[gretchensghost]

Funny you should bring this up actually - I've recently been wondering about QC on Tourances. The current set I've had on for 8000+ miles and there is still a fair few thou left to go: this pair have lasted way longer than any previous pair of Tourances I've had - which sounds like a good thing. Problem is - I'm sure I've got less grip and worse handling with this particular pair - I just don't like them like I used to like Tourances - like you say, a confidence thing. Had a few big 'moments' both wet and dry with these which I'm sure I wouldn't have had before. It's weird - I wonder if they changed the compound or something.

Actually I can't wait for this pair to bite the dust so I can try some BT's.

Pluck

You get 8000 from a set of Tourances? What do you do? Carry the fecking bike on your shoulder? I'm lucky if I get 5.5 out of a rear. Thats spirited rideing and no chicken strips.

 

[Timolgra]

You get 8000 from a set of Tourances? What do you do? Carry the fecking bike on your shoulder? I'm lucky if I get 5.5 out of a rear. Thats spirited rideing and no chicken strips.

Perhaps you change them whilst they still have tread left

 

[ciderman gs]

the only time tourances give me any grief is when they are cold the rear slid several times luckily my puckered ar****le has kept me stuck the the saddle like a limpet

andy

 

[gretchensghost]

Perhaps you change them whilst they still have tread left

What-ho.
'fraid not as I am pathalogically tight. I was coming up from Kells on sunday in the pissing rain. I though I had a flat as the back end didn't seem to know wether to shit or go blind.The whole faking thing had cracked right round. Thats what you get when you try to milk those last few miles from it.

 

[Sergeant Pluck]

You get 8000 from a set of Tourances? What do you do? Carry the fecking bike on your shoulder? I'm lucky if I get 5.5 out of a rear. Thats spirited rideing and no chicken strips.

Honestly I really can't be bothered any more.

Try actually reading the fecking posts.

The current set I've had on for 8000+ miles and there is still a fair few thou left to go: this pair have lasted way longer than any previous pair of Tourances I've had

and

I never got that kind of mileage out of them before - which makes me wonder if the compound changed for something harder...

etc etc

Pluck

 

[GS TRV]

Mine were fine round The Ring

Generally rubber and diesel don't go down so well together anyway

 

[gretchensghost]

Honestly I really can't be bothered any more.

Try actually reading the fecking posts.



and



etc etc

Pluck

OOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh!

 

[Steptoe]

Onmy 1100Gs i had a BT020 on the rear, nd a trailwing on the front, it as also sed as my oan bike. No one ever commented on the mixture.

It handled lovely.

On my 1150 i now have an avon azurro 180/30 on the rear, and a tourance on thefront.

it's all in the mind

 

[alimey4u2]

Good thread or should I say tread........