Tyre choice

[Rob J]

I know tyre choice is very much personal preference but I am interested to know what your experinces are.

I ride a 2009 F800GS both on (80%) and off road (20%) and have always used Tourances.

I have always been happy with the Tourances (provided I avoid the mud & sand) but my current set have lasted just 3000 miles which is half what I usually get.

I am considering changing to one of the following and would like to know what you think of them as far as on/off road & wet/dry grip is concerned.

Continental TXC 80
Continental Karoo
Heidenau K60 Scouts

Any thoughts, suggestions and/or recommendations would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Rob

 

[stephen.stallebrass]

Just tried some TKC80s and they're good on/off road tyres but the mileage is pretty bad: I got around 4k road miles off the back. Gone back to the battlewings for now but will be trying out the K60s (preferrably without the band) for my Mongolia & Siberia trip this July.

 

[Malcolm Leick]

Rob that sounds like very low milleage for Tourances. I got 11,000 miles out of my last pair and really rated them in dry and wet.

Did you have the 'old' type Tourances (which are still available) or the newer Tourance EXP which has a softer compound? My tyre fitter told me last week that the original EXPs wore very quickly but have improved recently.

I had to get some new tyres in a hurry last week to get me through the MOT and ended up with Anakee 2s, which I'm very pleased with at the mo. Excellent grip...but I have not tested them in the rain yet.

Going for more agressive tyres for 50/50 surfaces will obviously improve off road performance but the trade off will be stability and performance on road.
I ran on TKC 80s for 6500 miles on a trip to Turkey, but in the end I really didn't need them. I had to restrict my speed to 80mph to stop weave and of course there was more noise and vibration from the lumpy bits. Wet road grip when cornering was a lot less secure than Tourances. However, its the tyre of choice for many adventurers.

Heidi K60s are also well thought off, with better longevity that the TKCs. In the Summer i'm heading for Iceland with a Heidi K60 on the rear and a Mitas E-09 on the front. That's only because I will be doing several hundred miles of dirt roads and river crossings. Otherwise I would definitely stick with the Anakees or Tourances.

As you say, its a personal thing and you will always find someone who swears by a particular brand, while others despise it!

 

[curiousexplorer]

80% road, 20% dirt?

Look no further: Dunlop TR91. Google them and you"ll see why. Good luck!

 

[TheJoker]

We've had the Heidenau K60 Scout on our bikes for quite a while, including a ride to Finland. They're OK, if you avoid the muddiest and softest stuff. On gravel they're pretty decent. On the road they've not got much feel, kind of like sitting on your hand before... well. The front could do with a bit more aggressive pattern so a Mitas on the front might be an alternative. The front does make the bike vibrate a bit when it's new resulting in numb hands.

 

[Pixter]

Have a look here mate....TR91 Thread

 

[SuperTed]

I have always liked the normal Contis and currently have a set of TrailAttacks on my 800GS having previously got 13000 miles from a set of RoadAttacks on my 1150. 1650 miles to Orkney and back on a variety of Scottish roads and they grip in dry and wet. Give them a go.

 

[Adeeelnv]

I was going to get Tourance tyres until I saw how expensive they are.
I will probably be getting Michelin Anakee 2 tyres, which are much more reasonably priced.
But my F650 hasnt even arrived yet (3 weeks to go), so I havent completely decided yet.

I will be taking it on a 4 week 12000km trip in october, so I need tyres to last. I was thinking about the Pilot Road 3 Trail, but I think I would prefer the Anakee, partly because they are slightly cheaper and partly becuse they will suit it better. The GS doesnt really look like a bike that should have road tyres.

 

[StumpyFingers]

At the moment I have Perelli Scorpians on mine and just over 6000 miles with plenty of tread left.