Tkc 80's

[Mike Ralph]

I am considering replacing my Metzlers shortly. Tkc's are a popular alternative,. What sort of mileage should I get from a pair bearing in mind most of my riding is on Welsh border roads and the odd day on easy 'dirt'. And how do they perform generally?


Mike R

 

[Paul Young]

Mike,

I've had TKC80's for the last three sets on my 1150 and think that they are awesome. They provide the sort of confidence inspiring grip that lets you get away with allsorts of silliness...

A friend followed me along the A59 from Clitheroe to Bolton Abbey and couldn't believe the lean angle I was getting and not a slip or slide to be seen. He was on Trailwings as the original fitment on his Adv and hates them.

Mileage is not an issue to me as the bike is my toy now. I used to do around 16k miles/yr but now only do about 4k on the GS. I get about 3500-4000 from a set but I am fairly aggressive with them. They are a fairly soft compound, which is where the grip comes from. I think the best you will get will be about 5k miles but they will square off and get twitchy on roundabouts. I always know when to change them because they start to break loose and do powerslides away from roundabouts in the wet. Scary when it first happens but great when you start doing it deliberately.

Best bits are the grip/confidence they give, the rugged look they give to the bike and the fact that you can find them for around £100-120 a set. Drawbacks are the limited lifespan and they rumble slightly because of the open tread pattern. Some people notice it more than others and hate it. I don't notice it myself.

For what they cost, try a set and then either continue with them or try another tyre.

 

[(RIP) Dennis]

Paul,

Tell me more, I dont' think I've come across Tkc 80's before, what make are they ? Ive run the usual Tourance and am at present on Anakee's. Just about to replace the rear. Was going for another Tourance, but.....

Dennis

 

[Simon Eassom]

Dennis:

Paul's right in all he says about the Twinduros . . . but don't think they are a better road tyre than the Metzeler Tourances. Continental TKC80s are fantastic dual-purpose tyres and out-perform any road tyre as soon as you get onto gravel, mud, and hardpack, but they're not as good as Tourances on tarmac. As Paul said, his bike's his toy. If you ride big miles on your GS, go touring on tarmac, and generally want decent mileage out of your rear, then forget the Continentals. If you want to venture off-road but want a tyre that'll still perform well when you get back on tarmac, and if you don't mind the "rumble" and extra vibes from riding knobblies on the road, then give the TKs a go.

If you're just replacing the rear . . . don't mix tyres, yet alone a knobbly with a road tyre.

Simon E.

Here they are:

 

[(RIP) Dennis]

Simon,

Thanks for that, well worth keeping in mind for the future.

But you're right, I'll stick with the Tourance for the rear this time around.

Dennis

 

[Paul Young]

Dennis:

Paul's right in all he says about the Twinduros . . . but don't think they are a better road tyre than the Metzeler Tourances.

Cheers Simon.

Just a small point about your comment above....it all depends on your priorities really. For mileage, you will hate TKC's because ridden hard they will be dead within 4k miles. My sole priority is confidence/grip and for the wheel sizes on the GS, I have found TKC's to be the best. Check with Jim Bryan who has converted his 1100 onto alloys and Bridgestone Battlax's, combined with Ohlins front & back. He is a very good & quick rider who I rode with at Hawes last year on the "progressive ride" and he was astonished to see the way I could keep with him on knobblies. This was in spite of the fact that I still had my luggage in the panniers and I don't profess to be an especially good rider. Perhaps they flatter me or suit my style, who knows.

Have fun in the Peak District next month. I'll see if I can get a pass-out and come to play......

 

[simon thomas]

Paul's spot on!

I'm on my third set of TKC 80's and can't fault them. I ride reasonably quickly and get 5-6k out of a back tyre.

Great in the dirt and yet still provide a level of grip and confidence on the tarmac, which I would normally only get from a pricey 'full on' road tyre.

Highly recommended.

Cheers
Simon T

 

[(RIP) Dennis]

Well.... the trip to Dutchman's in Scotland and back last week end saw off the last of the rubber on the rear Anakee.

SWMBO and I spent a pleasant if slippery day touring Lochlomand and Glencoe on the Sunday which just about left me leagl for the run back. By the time we hit a diversion which meant we had to run through Aberystwyth I had been intending to replace them during the following week.

However, Aberystwyth is the home of Cambrian Tyres, main importer of Conti tyres. So guess what ? I'm now the proud owner of a nice new pair of TKc's. Don't half make beaky look aggresive.

Had a good blast round the mountains yesterday, and yes, they do seem to grip just as well as the Tourances in the dry. Feel rather strange till you get more used to them. I found that I need to build up confidence in them they felt so different.

So far well pleased. Will report further.........

 

[Paul Young]

Glad you're having fun, Dennis.

Spring's here so you should have a great time building up your confidence. There's a whole Summer to look forward to and you're right about the chunky look...a sort of post-apocolyptic, Mad Max style to it.

 

[shuck raider]

Well.... the trip to Dutchman's in Scotland and back last week end saw off the last of the rubber on the rear Anakee.

How many miles on the Anakee, as a matter of interest?

 

[(RIP) Dennis]

Managed about 6k on the rear Anakee, but just did't like the feel of them. When I changed them, the rear was just about arguably legal.

However, I'm already getting woried about the TKC's life expectancy. I don't understand how Paul is getting around 4K inspite of being "fairly aggresive with them". I think I ride like a pussy, and after a mere 680 mile the rear is showing severe signs of wear, I think I will be lucky to see 1500 miles from it. Hopefully it will last to see me throught the Rhayader meeting, but I have a strong feeling that will just about finish it.

But Oh what great fun

 

[Paul Young]

I know what you mean, Dennis.

I went for a little jaunt yesterday and came home after 7hrs and nearly 300miles

It started with a ride through the Trough of Bowland just to warm up the tyres a bit, then onthrough Slaidburn to Settle. From there to Horton in Ribblesdale and Hawes with a stop for coffee and chocolate. By this a point, I'm getting into a very focused groove....

The route over Buttertubs Pass was perfect, with amazing performance from the TKC's and then I went through Reeth and on to Barnard Castle, Middleton in Teesdale and Alston. This road is one of my all-time favourites as it is quite open but very twisty and can vary in surface quality. It's like that the TKC's have teeth and bite through the dust/gravel to the surface underneath.

Over Hartside Pass and down to Penrith was pain due to some guy taking his sheep down the main road (family outing?) so everything was backed up. However, the A6 over Shap made up for it with virtually no traffic at all to get in the way. Fuel warning came on at 180 miles just as I entered Kendal so I filled up there and headed off towards Bowness via Crook, then through the Lyth Valley, A6 to Milnthorpe, Lancaster Cockerham, Pilling and back to Preston for tea. Absolutely buzzing and no chicken strips front or rear.

Total mileage was about 280 and the tyres look well and truly secondhand but they're only about 30% used after about 1000miles so far. Doing all this on a Saturday was a revelation with no police presence and hardly any traffic out of the towns. Today it'll be manic, I'll bet, so I'll do my gardening duties instead.

Hope you all have a great day and stay safe.

 

[(RIP) Dennis]

Yeah Paul, I know what you mean about the empty road and lack of Police presence. The Sunday afternoon cowboys just don't know what the're missing !

As I start work at 6am during the week, I tend to still wake early at the weekend. With the better weather round the corner (hopefully, although nothing to complain about over the last couple of weeks) and the lighter mornings, I love nothing better than an early morning blast just as the sun comes up.

Dry, empty roads. Even the farmers don't seem to be about. Plod just thinking about a change of shift is more worried about breakfast than chasing some lone loony - on a what ! a BMW. Everyone knows the're ridden by crusty old buggers just about to pop their clogs.......No way the're going to go too fast.....Hee! Hee!

 

[Nige]

Twinduros

Wonder what pressures other users are using, certainly like mine after the the old Metzelers.
Cheers
Nige