Off Road Tyres
- Thread starter AlanL
- Start date
Mutley
Registered user
Hello Alan and welcome to the site 
What were the tyres specified?
If they were TKC80's then they are great tyres, although they may suffer if you run in excess of 100mph for any length of time on them on the road
What were the tyres specified?
If they were TKC80's then they are great tyres, although they may suffer if you run in excess of 100mph for any length of time on them on the road
Fanum
Toubab
It takes a bit of time to get used to the slight 'squirmy' feel of the rear on coming out of a roundabout hard......they can be slippy on metal gratings and especially wet banding, but again, you very soon get used to that and even look for the right things in the road to play with.....
They'll outgrip most people's riding skill in normal or dry conditions.....the edges of performance on TKC's are probably outside what you'd legally or sensibly be riding to anyway
Will feel 'knobbly' when branc new at low speeds....like riding on ripples, but very soon bed in.
Will wear faster than 'road' tyres, but are cheaper......so cost per mile overall probably very similar.
Crap on heavy claggy mud, not at all good in deep sand but for real world use, gravel, rocky tracks, green laning and pretty much everything else, superb
All year round tyres for me, and quite a lot of us here
They'll outgrip most people's riding skill in normal or dry conditions.....the edges of performance on TKC's are probably outside what you'd legally or sensibly be riding to anyway
Will feel 'knobbly' when branc new at low speeds....like riding on ripples, but very soon bed in.
Will wear faster than 'road' tyres, but are cheaper......so cost per mile overall probably very similar.
Crap on heavy claggy mud, not at all good in deep sand but for real world use, gravel, rocky tracks, green laning and pretty much everything else, superb
All year round tyres for me, and quite a lot of us here
It takes a bit of time to get used to the slight 'squirmy' feel of the rear on coming out of a roundabout hard......they can be slippy on metal gratings and especially wet banding, but again, you very soon get used to that and even look for the right things in the road to play with.....
They'll outgrip most people's riding skill in normal or dry conditions.....the edges of performance on TKC's are probably outside what you'd legally or sensibly be riding to anyway
Will feel 'knobbly' when branc new at low speeds....like riding on ripples, but very soon bed in.
Will wear faster than 'road' tyres, but are cheaper......so cost per mile overall probably very similar.
Crap on heavy claggy mud, not at all good in deep sand but for real world use, gravel, rocky tracks, green laning and pretty much everything else, superb
All year round tyres for me, and quite a lot of us here
Bill,
I am just about to get some new tyres for my 1100GS and did think of TKC's.
I admit, me and my bike rarely go off road but that is mainly because when the ocassion arises I have Tourance or Anakees fitted.
I wonder if they are the right choice though because I do do lots of motorway mileage.
Fanum
Toubab
For a good compromise, try Heidenau's.....
Quite a flat, square profile, but more rufty tufty looking than Tourences......better offroad than them too.....
Madmountainman says he gets the same miles out of Heidenau's as Tourences, and if you've ever ridden behind him, you'd know they don't slow him down, oh no sirreee!!!!
PS We allow Heidenau clad bikes to do the Dual Sport 50% on 50% off-road Moto-Morocco trips.....they're good enough for that
For a good compromise, try Heidenau's.....
Quite a flat, square profile, but more rufty tufty looking than Tourences......better offroad than them too.....
Madmountainman says he gets the same miles out of Heidenau's as Tourences, and if you've ever ridden behind him, you'd know they don't slow him down, oh no sirreee!!!!
Are they available from regular tyre dealers?
Fanum
Toubab
Not as far as I'm aware....they're mail order from Germany only I think........IIRC, two rears and a front werecoming in at £130 delivered, then you'd have to add on a tenner (ish) for fitment locally.
LiquidLAN
Registered user
It takes a bit of time to get used to the slight 'squirmy' feel of the rear on coming out of a roundabout hard......they can be slippy on metal gratings and especially wet banding, but again, you very soon get used to that and even look for the right things in the road to play with.....
They'll outgrip most people's riding skill in normal or dry conditions.....the edges of performance on TKC's are probably outside what you'd legally or sensibly be riding to anyway
Will feel 'knobbly' when branc new at low speeds....like riding on ripples, but very soon bed in.
Will wear faster than 'road' tyres, but are cheaper......so cost per mile overall probably very similar.
Crap on heavy claggy mud, not at all good in deep sand but for real world use, gravel, rocky tracks, green laning and pretty much everything else, superb
All year round tyres for me, and quite a lot of us here
Totally agree, (thought not tried deep sand or clay yet
)Mine came with the TKC80's fitted as standard, I think that's what you will get too, they are fantastic in the dry and (yeah I know isnt not important) look great on the GSA. I've done the best part of 5,000 miles on the front and I've already had to swap the rear out.
That all said I opt'ed to swap both tyres out in November for a set of Tourance and I haven't regreted the decision at all. I'll probably stick the part worn TKCs back on in the summer, but for now I'm happier with extra the grip that you get from the Tourance on wet roads. (and to be honest the bike doesnt look too bad on them either.)
Trippy
Guest
I have TK's cos I off road a fair bit. When I first put them on it was like riding on a knife edge but once they have bedded in their fine. You can get a bit of a light front end wobble at speed on the motorway and if I was 95% road riding I would stick to Tourances.
Sticking with the Tourances on the new one for the next two months whilst the roads are horrible and I get used to it.
Sticking with the Tourances on the new one for the next two months whilst the roads are horrible and I get used to it.
steve.c
Guest
Off road tyres.
Hmmmm... I had a 1150 GSA and a spare set of wheels fitted with TKC's for off-roading. I've since sold the bike and wheels as I found the bike just to heavy for real off-road (slippery mud etc). OK for gravel tracks. That said, I'm relatively new to biking so lack the big boys experience.
I'm now riding a Buell Ulysses and have given up on my off-roading ambitions for now until I've done the BMW Off Road Wales course in May, (they've allocated me a 650 for the w/e), after which I'm planning to buy a lighter trail bike as a second bike for green laning and playing in the mud etc..
I'm sure the big BMW's are just fine for crossing continents on 'dubious' roads but did you notice the army of Russians helping out when the 'boys' reached the Road of Bones section of the trip? And, did you also notice a distinct lack of film footage covering the erstwhile Swiss cameraman's epic journey following along behind on the 'inferior' Russian motorbike they bought from the Mongolian market...???
The TKC's do look good on the bikes though...
Hmmmm... I had a 1150 GSA and a spare set of wheels fitted with TKC's for off-roading. I've since sold the bike and wheels as I found the bike just to heavy for real off-road (slippery mud etc). OK for gravel tracks. That said, I'm relatively new to biking so lack the big boys experience.
I'm now riding a Buell Ulysses and have given up on my off-roading ambitions for now until I've done the BMW Off Road Wales course in May, (they've allocated me a 650 for the w/e), after which I'm planning to buy a lighter trail bike as a second bike for green laning and playing in the mud etc..
I'm sure the big BMW's are just fine for crossing continents on 'dubious' roads but did you notice the army of Russians helping out when the 'boys' reached the Road of Bones section of the trip? And, did you also notice a distinct lack of film footage covering the erstwhile Swiss cameraman's epic journey following along behind on the 'inferior' Russian motorbike they bought from the Mongolian market...???
The TKC's do look good on the bikes though...
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