Best tyres for adventure bikes and dual sport bikes?︱Cross Training Adventure
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ส.ค. 2022
- crosstrainingenduro.com Which are the best adventure tyres or dual sport tyres? They don't exist. There are too many variables. What is your balance between on-road and off-road riding? Type of terrain? Which is more critical? Adventure tyres like the Shinko E804/E805, Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross, Michelin Anakee Wild. What is your budget? What is your weight? Do you carry a passenger and/or luggage? Do you ride aggressively? What longevity do you expect? Your skill level? Climate factors? Dual sport tyres like the Mitas E09, Continetal TKC80, Kenda K784 Big Block, Metzeler Karoo 4. Do you hate tyre noise on the road? Maximum loading rating? Maximum speed rating? Intended air pressures? There's the Michelin Anakee Adventure, Shinko 705, Continental TKC70, Motoz Tractionator GPS. Others include the Avon TrailRider, Mitas E07, Dunlop Trailmax Mission, Heidenau K60. Type of ply? The size of your motorbike? Tubeless? However, we will provide some suggestions. First, a few points. We believe it's 80% the rider, 20% the motorbike. For this video, we suggest it's 80% your riding skills, 20% your choice of adventure tyre. Why spend hours obsessing over dual sport tyres when you could obsess about learning to ride better? Most of us are clueless, or too biased in our opinions. If you take the advice of others, find hundreds of comments and average them out. Statistically you might find some value in this. Maybe. In a similar vein, don't listen to just one review. Social media influencers do rave reviews in exchange for free adventure tyres or money. Look for many objective reviews and see if a common theme emerges. Finally, I don't think there are any bad dual sport tyres. Welcome to Cross Training Adventure, we are into all things dual sport and adventure on the east coast of Australia. We think the whole motorbike scene is getting too commercial. So called dual sport riding reviews are just glossy ads nowdays. It will make much more difference. Next? Don't trust the advice of idiots on the internet. I include myself in that category! Some riders just make dumb decisions then blame the adventure bike tyre. They buy a road-oriented tyre then say it's terrible in mud and it almost killed them. Duh. They use a very hard rubber compound for longevity, then complain when it slips on wet roads. Do you own a 'sports tourer'? Then there's a wide range of touring tyres, or 'sport-tourer' tyres available. Every adventure tyre fits somewhere on this spectrum. The tread pattern is usually a good indicator of where each tyre sits between 'enduro' and 'tourer'. Then you need to make decisions about your budget, hard versus soft rubber compound, and countless questions. My advice? Don't stress about it too much. Focus more on your riding skills. Seriously? So lets keep it simple. Do you mostly ride off-road? Do you enjoy tough terrain? Are you an aggressive rider? You don't mind poor on-road performance and rapid wear? Buy an enduro-oriented tyre. Deep tread. Big blocks. Aggressive pattern. Why? We reckon it's 80% the rider and 20% the bike. So the Cross Training Adventure focus is just get out there and have fun on two wheels. Cross Training Adventure actively avoids sponsorship. Or don't subscribe to our Cross Training Adventure riding channel. Do you spend similar amounts of time on-road and off-road? Do you want reasonable performance for both types of riding, and you can accept the compromise? There's a huge range of adventure tyres available. Do you spend most of your time on the road? Do you ride very carefully when you occasionally ride off-road? You should be okay. The most aggressive off-road tyres? Here are some popular ones. The Motoz Rallz and Adventure tyres rate well with a 13.5mm rear tread depth. The Shinko 705 if often rated as the best value for money tyre. Here are some popular 50/50 tyres. I have a review on the Shinko 705, a great budget tyre. Do your research. Pirelli Scorpion Trail 2, Kenda Big Block Paver K678, Metzler Karoo Street, Bridgestone Battlax A41, Dunlop Roadsmart. Obviously there are lots of tyres we haven't mentioned. Which tyres have you used? Did you hate them or love them? Do you think your choice of tyres makes a big difference? Let us know in the comments. The Heidenau has a hard rubber compound and lasts a long time. Unfortunately I know very little about others, do your research. Touring? These tyres are so close to road tyres I don't know if there is much difference. Again, these are some of the more common ones. All we are saying is there's also the budget option for adventure riding. And it won't hold you back. The main thing is get out and ride while you can with dual sport riding or Adventure riding in Australia, Canada, Vietnam, Romania and beyond! So check out Cross Training Adventure.
Music: Busch by Marko Furstenberg
#crosstrainingadventure #adventuretyres #adventurebikes #dualsportriding
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But but barry... There is a perfect tire for Starbucks adventurers - Right? Something that screams "street tire".
Alot of youtubers talk about that how much TIME you spend on/off road should dictate what tire to get. I think that a more appropriate approach is how much you value your time on/offroad. I probably ride 60% on and 40% offroad but i am on knobbies because of the amount of pavement before i get to the good stuff. The good stuff that makes me want to ride 😊
Solid point. When you ride both on and off-road, there has to be compromise somewhere. Gotta choose where you can accept some lower performance so that you get the most out of your tire when you really want it. I used to ride knobbies on the street all the time, but that was when I could hit dirt everyday. Now I have to ride more street friendly tires and just be a little more cautious when I get off pavement; both ways are fun.
Good point, Johan. I don't think the amount of time is that important... probably where you value the performance most! Do you hammer on the bike on road, but just potter along easy dirt roads? Or do you cruise out on the highway then go crazy in the dirt?
As someone that is an "average" road ride and "below average" off road rider I went down the path of getting more offroad focused tyres (Shinko e804) even though my riding would be 50:50. The logic being I need all the help I can off road but happy to give away the performance onroad as I am more relaxed in that environment.
I've gone through multiple sets of the following tyres on my KLR650 - Dunlop K850A, Dunlop D605, MotoZ Desert HTs and Maxxis 6006. I've been happy with all of them and would buy any of them again. My philosophy is buy what I feel like and just ride them!
Una vez más debo coincidir contigo mi amigo Ausie 👍🏻
En mi zona decimos: “Es el indio, no la flecha” 😉
Saludos desde Argentina
As you said, terrain and usage plus personal preferences count.
I have excellent experience with the Heidenau Scout (no middle stripe) on KTM 690 for +80.000 km. Good for dry conditions, gravel, rock, tarmac and still reasonable on wet roads, but not in muddy conditions.
For real off-road I like Metzeler Karoo Extreme on the 690.
All in combination with Michelin UHD tubes almost puncture resistant.
On the 890 R the OEM Karoo 3 wasn’t convincing, but the Heidenau Ranger in 150/70-18 is astonishingly good off-road without significant compromise on-road. Currently 5.500 km and expect +2,000 km remaining useful life.
The hard carcass allows running at low pressure if needed.
LOVE THE WARNING AT THE BEGINNING !!! - Another classic :-)
Finally found my go to with Motoz. Could never justify the price, but I went for it and do not regret it. For the knobby-ness compared to longevity, I've never had a tire that comes close. Will definitely buy them again when I find my next bike
Great vid as always. I have to share my experience with the -by many people much hated- TKC80 on a 650 dual sport pegaso 650. Great on road. Great on wet (!). Perfect on dirt and gravel roads. Mud is a different story - if those knobs get full of it, it feels you are probably riding a street tire. But all in all, I loved it so much I am never using a different option on dirt/road. I honestly think it is not for everybody, but as you said, it worked for me.
Great to hear, Loukas! I suspect we always need to take all reviews and owners' comments with a grain of salt. You can always find that type of clay which clogs up even the most aggressive knobby! Does it mean the tyre sucks? Nope!
I have Motoz Tractionator HD for 100% offroad and use Pirelli Scorpion Trail's for all on road. Both are good for what I use them for. The Scorpions have never slipped on me in the wet going through round abouts and they wear very well. The bike is a DR650 also.
I find for my sub 600cc dual sport bikes, Motoz extreme hybrid tyres are all I would ever need. One step back from a full knobbly, hard wearing, and no problem at all on the road. Plenty good enough for spirited riding between lanes here in the UK.
Last back tyre I use was a moto Oz tractionator enduro. 100% single trail and rock hill climbs was every happy with it and its life span.
The best advice I can give in addition to what’s been said is:
Just pick something you think might be close to what you’re looking for. Then based on how it performs, move up or down the tyre spectrum appropriately.
I started with TKC80s on a 1290R and loved them, but needed something more aggressive for more off-road. I’ve tried the Rallz and now moved onto the Desert HT also by Motoz. I’ll probably hang around this area of the spectrum until either my skill level or the type of terrain I ride changes.
Great approach! So often I hear guys say 'This tyre sucks, it's going to kill me!' Possibly it's a bit more dirt or road oriented than the ideal, but I still think it's better to focus on riding skills and just ride within your limits. Then just pick a more suitable tyre next time. A good rider can do some incredible riding on the most inappropriate tyres when they have to...
I just put on a front Tusk Dsport tire on my new DRZ. The compound is super hard compared to the stock death wings. This means less rolling resistance. But I added a rim lock and weights plus a heavy duty inner tube. It's a lot heavier now. The gyroscopic affect when picking up speed is A LOT more than before.
Just a new front tire changed the handling dramatically. It's more responsive to any little handlebar movement but it's more squirly. I havent taken it up to high speed yet.
Seriously, I bet I just improved my gas mileage by 5 mpg and acceleration.
I cant wait to take it off road.
Still blown away by the production value of your videos.
Thanks Ollie, it's all a steep learning curve. I look back on my first videos and shudder now lol. But the new Gopro and drone also make it so easy to get good shots too.
Kyle Bradshaw is probably TH-cam’s foremost authority on Adventure Tyres but with a disclaimer attached: He will never give negative feedback on a tyre (smart from a potential sponsor perspective) so you need to focus on those he gives the most positive feedback on and recognise some he gives very little or “unconvincing” praise. I took his advice for my rubber and it’s been great 👍🏼
@@impact0r I did, thank you - corrected it now.
Another great video.I replaced my tires on my new,(last year)CB500x as I got a flat first ride on the dirt.After much research,chose the trail max missions,suitable for a beginner on the dirt.Mostly riding on the road with forays on dirt,but nothing too technical.Have got 10,000k's so far,rear doesn't even look worn.Yes,the front does make a noise but not annoying for me.Bang on the money when you say it's personal choice.I might move to a different rear when it's time to replace,see how my skill level has improved.Cheers.
10000km? Damn that's good, Steve! It looks like the perfect tread pattern for that sort of riding.
I have to agree with pantah81 that Heidenau Scout tires and riding lower pressure. I once had a rear tire puncture in a very bad situation, I rode several miles on the flat to get where I could replace the tube. I am still riding that same tire today. (a year later).
They are a pain to replace for my winter road tire though.
I have ridden 1000s of ks tar and tet on karoo Street, they have been amazingly capable in every situation, only being thwarted by mud. Lasted maybe 13000ks. On a rally raided cb500x. Love the channel guys.
Cheers
Cheers Jim! I'm hoping Honda will create a rally-style option for the CB500X one day....
@@crosstrainingadventure rally raid cb500x is fantastic, juts wish it wasn't 200kg and the engine ie VERY boring.
Yep. If Honda could get their mojo back for good bike design, the rally model could be quite a bit lighter and pack more horsepower too... it would sell like hotcakes.
You are spot on!! Txs for the honest summary
Thanks for watching!
Great video, interesting topic.
I used to dislike gravel roads for decades, tip-toeing along if I had no option but to ride on such roads. Then, 5-6 years ago, I converted a Virago into a scrambler, fitted it with a Heidenau K60 Silica 120/90-18 rear tyre and a 100/90-19 Mitas E-07 front, based mostly on TH-cam videos. Suddenly, gravel was fun. I entered a big multi-day rally (500+ bikes, mostly BMW GSs as well as KTMs and other more specialized machines), joined the second-fastest group and cheered inside my helmet when I rode past the guide who had went down on his new R1200GS on a semi-deep mud section littered with rocks the size of footballs and larger. I survived four days upright, and loved hanging the tail out 30 cm in apparent control around most bends. Or doing 150 kph on gravel roads without being scared or anxious, just alert. The bike was rock stable, much easier to control at high speeds than my mate's KTM 690 enduro.
A year later, I fitted normal road tyres to my scrambler, went for a ride on a gravel road - and nearly crashed. I did not in any way have the skills to control the slides on these tyres. Anything above gentle progress was scary. So for me, with limited (mild) offroad experience, tyres matter. A lot. Which made me go back to the 50/50 option, just to feel like I could ride a little bit.
I must admit I enjoy skating around on gravel roads and usually don't bother reducing air pressures to suit... fun fun fun. But I really admire those guys who can go flat track style on big adv bikes on gravel corners. Way beyond my skill level lol.
@@crosstrainingadventure I have never tried lower air pressure, it remains at 32 PSI front, 36PSI rear under all conditions.
Great vid 👍now I’m riding Mitas e-09 on xt1200 and they are fairly good on road with near to none noise at 150 km/h and and they behave pretty nicely off road including mud, gravel and not deep sand.
Great tyre, but I think "the not deep sand" is because your bike is too heavy ;-) Riding sand is a different discipline, I don't like it either because you have to lift the front a little by just giving enough throttle , but you can't go to fast, because the environment doesn't allow ... actually you can't win just survive hahahaha
@@Boudi-xy9by btw tried Motoz Rallz - great tires, definitely better off road than Mitas e-09, but noisy at 130 km/h
And the most versatile are Motoz GPS - pump them up and they are ready for 180 km/h without any noise and decent grip on the tarmac. Then pump them down and you are ready for light and moderate off road. Not enough for mud but good on sand and versatility rocks !
After a couple of years with Dunlop Trailmax on my 07 KLR I went for a pair of Dunlop D603. I ride 80% off road so with the previous set I had to be very careful on which road or path I would take. I feel free now.
Pirelli scorpion rally mst front and Motoz desert h/t on the back. Great combination off road and not to bad on road if you don't mind the tyre noise.
Dude I always lust for these "commercials" @0:59. Always have me cracking! 😂 Cheers!!👍
No one will sponsor me so I just have to fake it until I make it. 😁
I gave the tusk D sport adventure tire a shot on my wr250 because I needed a street legal for inspection here, figuring if I hated it, they were cheap enough I could toss my non street legal knobbies back on and not feel bad about it if I hated them, but I've been pleasantly surprised. You notice the rubber compound is a little hard for the slick rocks, but that is helping with wear from time on the asphalt, so a good compromise, not to mention dirt cheap, like I think 120$ usd for a set.
Bargain! Sadly not available here in Oz. I guess our similar tyre in the Dunlop D606... AUD200 for the set, or about USD140.
Good to know
Barry - You are so correct on so many levels, I don't think you realize it. Been riding for about 55 years. Now, THE MIGHTY SUZUKI DR 650 - (I'm 61)
MITAS E-07's are in my opinion an absolutely perfect 50/50 tire - Absolutely LOVED them.
Completely transformed the DR into a completely different bike. "HERE IN ARIZONA"
Now running SHINKO 244's (Golden Boy) and absolutely love these even more. They are definitely a 70/30 tire (as I think you said before) [70% dirt / 30%road] - Less than $100 delivered to your door...
Although most of my riding is in town, due to time, their performance out here in the Arizona Desert cannot be beat - but here, we don't have much mud to speak of.
As you said, this question cannot be answered.....
Cheers !!!!
Years ago I tried the E07 on the rear... great mileage!
I'm in the same boat buddie. On bush pig number 7 (still have number 4) - gone through lots of different shoe types - for me the K60 Scouts have been the best all round tyre. Cant get them in NZ at the moment (and cant see any in Australia) so have got a set of Tractionator GPS ready to go next.
I loved this for one specific reason...you tell it like it is. "Concentrate more on the riding first" I know probably what your average rider knows about tires, after a little research on my own, and I made a decision and I'm not looking back. I will say I got some good information from my dealer who gets a lot of feed back from lots of clients from many different types of tires they've installed. The dealers opinion really helped me make up my mind between the two different sets of tires I was considering. And I'll say it wasn't a situation where the dealer was trying to push me towards a tire that makes him the most money or the tire that he had the most stock of. Thanks again for your input. Feel free to check out my thoughts on the tires I went with.....S.F.A.
Glad the vid was useful, Stan. Years ago a guy would regularly give a very detailed analysis on a forum about various tyres. And I thought he must be an incredible rider. Then one day I finally met him and he could barely ride at all lol. He was just regurgitating stuff he'd read in so called tyre reviews. It always stuck in my mind because I thought he would be much better off putting all that energy into riding skills... but each to their own I guess.
Well that was pretty calm for a rant...well done! Interesting timing, as I just ordered a new set for the T7 today - before watching this......it seems I came to a concensus of what will work best for my riding, I'll let you know how it goes! Cheers Barry!
It didn't really rate as a rant, Allen. 😁 What did you get for the T7? Enjoying the Yammie?
@@crosstrainingadventure Yes, loving the T7 and becoming more capable on it with every ride! For what I want from a tire, it was either the K 60 Scout or Motoz Tractionator GPS...went with the GPS, and will run it in the 50/50 rotation. Ride safe!
Interesting on my recent trip to the OCR2022, there were many different bikes with different tyres, one that stood out was the Motoz Rally Z, and the Mitas E07+, I had a Shinko 705 on the rear which did not last the distance 6000km, whilst the E07+ on other bikes did. I think discussions about tyres should be less about grip and off road performance as opposed to longevity for a big trip. Next time I will use the EO7+ both front and rear, also the Motor Adventure on the front was completely worn out when I got home.
What oil do I use......great topic for the next video....
Looking for recommendations for a mud, snow, ice and rain tires.
New bike so I'll fit a brand on the front that I trust, Golden tyre. And going to try the GT 823.
On the rear Motoz Rall z.
Haven't used either before but it seems the best choice for me.
Michelin Sirac for lightweight dualsport. Don't expect to find any kind of traction in the sand/mud/snow or try and go hill climbing. They'll perform as bad as any road tire but they're more than decent on wet tarmac, gravel and dirt roads. The best bargain tyres for my personal use on a DT125RE. Same with Dunlop Trailmax and Pirelli MT90 A/T for an adventure bike. Currently I've got the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR which came stock with my T7. They're fine but I tend to find the limit a tad too quickly to my liking on-road and I don't think they offer any significant benefit to the aforementioned off-road. So I'll most definitely put a set of Trailmax when I'm done with the STRs.
Honestly, I change my tires before my trips. I get what best suits the type of riding I/ We will be doing. I should really get another set of wheels as the original tires on my 2022 AT only had about 700 miles on them before I tossed them and went with a 50/50 tire. Trailmax Mission. Those were for the trip we did in May, I have a set of Anake Wild waiting to go on for my trip in October.
The Dunlop 605s that came on my KLX 300 seem to be well suited for a even mix of on/off road. I’ll likely go to something more off-road when they wear out. I’ll appreciate the improvement in skills until then! 😉
Agreed. The D605's are a good tire for price and last quite a while. Went with the D606's after my D605's wore out. Better off road performance but worse on road. Very noisey on road
I remember the tyre howl when I used the D606 on the my old DR650! I'd up the pressure to 30psi and use ear plugs... still bad!
After my first ride on 606‘s I actually changed the wheel bearings cause I thought I got dirt in it. So loud but so amazing off-road
tyres are like boots, try many and choose by yourself which fits the best your riding style.
I just used a Motoz Adventure rear with a AX41 front from central Victoria to Cairns zigzagging all the way around the map, AX41 works everywhere 👍Motoz is so loud on tar road sections it was making me angry , I was riding a 22 T700 with 35kg of gear.
Love my Continental TKC 80's on my KTM 450 EXC-F. Nice on the road and good off-road. I ride all the same places with these tires that I did with my Kenda Trackmaster tires. Just have to change how I ride with the TKC 80's.
My lightweight experience with XT 600 (151kg).
For Street, long distance and some offroad activities in dry conditions I use CONTI TKC 70. Aggressive, fast riding on dry street is a pleasure, on wet street much better than my brave and in dry offroad conditions good enough for smooth rides and impressive hillclimbs. The durability is fantastic on lightweight bike.
If I ride in difficult or/and wet offroad conditions I use MICHELIN TRACKER. In my opinion best compromise for maximum traction offroad and a fairly small rest of street usability for these kind of knobby (noisy, but not so much, some durability, fairly stable on dry and wet street and legal for 170km/h!).
great that you first explains what you ride, and secondly give me directly an indication how heavy your bike is. Now I can judge what you are explaining, thank ;-)
My tires tend towards the knobby scale. If I want tires for on and off road, I use D605.
But if I'm going to ride more on muddy trails, these often get clogged too easily, and I prefer the closest road legal tire I can get to a motocross tread.
And then MX51 if I can get away with it.
Shinko 705 on the 650 and Bridgestone AX41 on the 250 dual sports. Work great for me! Both wear quickly, but my skin is fragile.
Conseil de bon sens! 👍
Nice vid again !
Now please do a video on what oil to choose :-)
I did that one a few years ago, Arvid 😊
I had hidenaus on my drz and the balance of commuting and trail riding was brilliant. I'm not a gun rider by any stretch but seemed to keep up in the bush plus it was pleasant on the pavement. And they didn't seem to wear. Would recommend them to people who require manners on road and don't underperform off road. Again one personal opinion but I was happy
It's always good when you find a tyre combo that works for you, Daniel!
If I wanted to go riding muddy green lanes on my GSXR1000 which tyre would be best ???
For my DR 650 I like to run a front tire that is one step closer to a dirt tire than the rear tire. I have two sets of wheels and on the more dirt orientated set I run a Shinko 244 rear and a Dunlop 606 front. For the more road orientated set I run a Shinko 705 rear and a Shinko 244 front. If you only have one set of wheels just run the 244’s front and rear and replace them often.
Good approach, Jarrod. I think many of us do that... a bit more dirt aggressive on the front.
I have tried so many different tyres on my DR over the years actually went back to the Dunlop Trailwings at one stage and found them okay, the front was a bit dodgy on soft dirt, thick gravel and mud so a more aggressive front tyre was better, Pirelli MT 21 was fine, the rear Trailwing was perfectly good on anything but mud and was cheap.
My T7 currently has a TKC 80 front and a Motoz Tractionator rear and works good for me with good mileage.
Sadly at the moment due to supply issues it is a case of you get what you can.
The good old Dunlop Deathwings. 😂 I know plenty of guys hate them but I'll keep them on a new DR650 until they wear out. Skating around on gravel or wet clay is lots of fun... until it isn't! Which type of Tractionator on the rear? Rallz or Adventure? I'm thinking of trying the Motoz next.
@@crosstrainingadventure Adventure
I've had good luck with Motoz Tractionator Enduro IT for all-around DS riding (more off road than on) on my KTM500. I'm doing the TAT soon and will probably start on the TKC80's that my bike came with and switch to the Motoz Rallz when the TKC's wear out. The Enduro IT is a great DS tire but it doesn't have the tread life on pavement that I want for a cross-country ride like the TAT.
I just had a look at the tread pattern, the Enduro IT looks like it would wear fast on the bitumen. I reckon the Rallz should go a fair bit longer... haven't tried them but keen to see how they go on the DR650.
Anlas Capra X deserves a shout out (knobby similar to Anakee Wild). I have the front and love it, the rear that wasn't available at the time of my last change will now replace the current TKC80 and I'm expecting it to be every bit as good or better, at a lot lower price, and last longer at that. DR650 riding 70% off road on rocky mountain terrain, but want to have decent on road performance for the approach&connects and occasional tour or commute.
TKC80 meets its good name but I find the tube type side walls soft for pressure below 1.4 bar.
TKC70 great on road but horrible on anything off-road slightly damp, especially descending, and front weird cupping.
Never heard of it, here's a link in case anyone is interested. anlas.com/en/products/capra-x-en/ Doesn't seem to be available in Australia.
I like tires that behave in a way that I can trust.
The Shinko 705 should really be compared with the touring tires as it is more like 80/20.
I just replaced my Death Wings on my DR650 at 4000km with the Shinko 700's they rate as a 60/40 tire. I now have 2000km on them. I went with the 60/40 as I come from a lifetime of offroad riding and racing, but am really a newbie at street, but I like to ride street aggressively. Offroad I can deal with whatever, it just changes my terrain choices. But I still wanted good ( in my eyes anyways) street performance. All I can really draw comparisons with street wise is the Death Wings, but it outperformed those. The big surprise is the dirt. The rear pretty much handles like any hard terrain MX tire. The front can skate in gravel, but does decent in roots and rocks and isn't a horror show in mud. The soft compound of these tires is a big part of why they work so well.
At 2000km the rear is looking around half life. I would be happy with 4000kms from it, as I am typically hard on tires and in the dirt world that is excellent life. Price is pretty hard to beat as well.
Wait, you guys use tires? I should try that
With my undying love of Motoz's tires already covered, I'll absolutely agree: it's genuinely hard to get a bad tire these days. Tire technology has advanced to the point where they're all pretty damn great, and the worst you can do is get a tire that's not so good for you and your specific requirements - if you're honest with yourself about what you want out of a tire, any major manufacturer will have a good option for you.
The problem I find is people aren't honest with themselves about what they want. It's always trade-offs, so you need to know what's important for you.
Ultimately though you can buy a tire based on what it looks like vs the kind of tire performance you want these days and not go wrong doing that.
It's a good time to be a motorcyclist. There really aren't bad tires (at least from major manufacturers, at any rate) anymore. You just need to work out which tire has the right assortment of trade-offs *for you*.
But they're pretty much all good tires these days.
So true, Derrick... It's a good time to be a motorcyclist. I try to be critical in my reviews of products but overall I'd say we really are in a golden age of motorcycling compared to the past. In most respects.
@@crosstrainingadventure Yep, I bought a brand new RD250LC in 1980 or '81 (my first new bike) and didn't even ride it on the standard tyres. I had the dealer put a set of Pirelli Phantoms on it before riding it home.
As a weird twist, my current street bike (a Royal Enfield) came with Phantoms as standard - a testament to the longevity of the tyre design 🙂
Pirelli Phantoms... never even heard of them. There seem to be so many tyres I don't know about. I've never been very focused on tyres as I just tend to go for round black ones that are cheap lol.
@@MalHanson the Phantoms are a great tyre. A true survivor. They went particularly well on the Yamaha FZ750.
except for the tkc 80 which has not evolved since its debut, on my gasgas es 700 it is soo scary on wet roads, the front is ok but the rear almost unrideable. My next will be the Mitas e07 or e09
Total agreement! I have Bridgestone AX41s on my pig of an adventure bike because i don't care about longevity, i don't get to ride enough. However, when it's dry here we have deep sand or hard pack dirt/clay and when it's wet we have wet sand and slick sucking mud. I want knobbies for the sand and mud without a hard rubber that slips on wet pavement. These do very well on a BMW 850 GSA. It doesn't have the power to encourage tire shredding shenanigans, and it is too heavy to push out of a mud hole. I'm boring on a BMW, but hell on the Beta RRs
I'm not really familiar with that one, Clinton. I'll put a link here in case others aren't either. Do you get much tyre noise on the highway with it?
www.bridgestone.com/products/motorcycle_tires/products/detail/pr154/
@@crosstrainingadventure Noise, yes, but not enough to bother me. Ride is quite smooth. Doesn't squirm in pavement corners, and i have buddies that really pushed them HARD. The reason they don't repeat AX-41S is they have large KTMs and shred the rear tires very quickly.
I took an adventure bike class with 90/10 tires and kept up with everyone regardless of their tires. There are limitations, but most of them are apparent before you even pick your line or take a corner. Be honest about what kind of riding you're going to do, and shoot for an approximation; your preferred riding will undoubtedly change as your catalog of experience grows.
I agree, Oliver. It will usually be more about your ability than the tyres lol. Many like the call the stock tyres on the DR650 'Deathwings' but I'll always use them till they wear out then get something more off-road oriented.
It depends on the situation, I did the TED in Greece last year (KTM890-ADV-R with luggage), and most of the trails where OK, and doable ... but some sections where really rocky and steep where 200kg bike with luggage is sometimes 30-40kg to heavy. and in some bad weather situations when the roads get muddy due to heavy rains .... mmm I wished I had a tyre that could handle mud better than the 50/50 or 80/20 street oriented tyre. An this has little to do with skills but more with the wright equipment. So we back at the dissisions where do you want to compromise ... on the ROAD or OFF-ROAD, that is the great question. I started the trip with Michelin Anakee Wild, but at 60% of the trip they where gone (I was a little bit to heavy on the trottle in the Alps (driving down from The Netherlands to the Alps and the Balkan to Greece) I did although a far bit of the trip with the Anakee Wild's and I really liked them On and Off-Road. but in Padras I had to change them for what ever I could get to continue an I shout I was lucky to put some Hydenau K60 Rangers ... the where Ok on the dry hard rocky stuff but they disappointed me if the roads became soaked in rain ... you know it looks a little bit wet, but it is soft wet and becomes muddy, to the extend that you tyre grows 50% bigger. So again what kind of skills do you want to learn in those situations?
I have 4500m on my Rallz (gen2 klr), the front is spent but I'll get another thousand on the rear.. I'll use the same again if I can find them ok, good stuff
I've experience with:
Scorpion STR Rally's - *excellent* road performance, decent offroad performance if you're not in mud or sand. Absolutely horrific cold performance. Very loud around 100-120koh but otherwise quiet. These are stock on many modern midsized ADV bikes.
Motoz Adventure/Dual Venture/Rallz: the Dual Venture/Rallz combo is imho the best mostly offroad tire combination you can get while still competent on road. Excellent ice and snow performance - I run Adventures now with small street studs all winter (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). Kind of loud, grab splits in pavement/rain grooves, are a bit wobbly on the side of the tire however.
Motoz GPS: very strong in the dirt, but shockingly good on road. Extremely good mileage. Excellent ice and snow grip. New formula is much better in rain than the old ones (same as new Heidenau, high silica and natural rubber). This applies to both the adventure and GPS lines; high silica content significantly improves mileage, wet, and cold grip. Very quiet and smooth on the road, particularly for such an aggressive tire. 13.5mm tread depth is nuts.
The Motoz tires are expensive, however. Worth it if you pay someone else to change your tires for sure, as they'll save you a couple changes. Maybe cheaper in Oz as they're from there.
I'll find out the Aust price soon, Derrick. I'm intereted in trying the Rallz on the DR650...
While you can get paired Rallz, personally I recommend their Dual Venture front and Rallz rear. The Dual Venture front is reversible, designed so you can counter cupping/knob edge wear midway through the tire's life, and is a very high mileage tire to start with, while the Rallz rear is just a *spectacularly* grippy tire though much faster wearing. The Rallz front tends to wear quite fast and for myself and my riding buddies, we've never found it to offer appreciably better grip to be worth the significantly reduced life. Basically, the Dual Venture front is just an amazing tire.
Thanks for the info!
I have had tkc80s and tkc70 (rocks rear) on my cb500x. 80s are slightly better in poor conditions off road but I did a day of TET with the 70s and it was no bother...
I originally had a set of Pirelli scorpion MT21, then went to a Motoz adventure on the front and Maxxis 6006 on the back, I really like the Maxxis, the adventure is a bit floaty on tar. Saying that, the DRs’ handling ( over all ) is much better now though, especially cornering
Anything that stops a DR650 from trying to kill us has to be a good thing 👍😎
Continental TKC 70 came on my KTM 390 Adventure, I believe they are a 80/20 tire or 70/30. Either way they belong on the pavement, except for the front which isn’t too bad in the dirt.
So I opted for the Dunlop Trailmax mission which is a 50/50 since I do so much tarmac to get to the dirt and if you know anything about the 390 Adventure, it’s no more than a modified Duke which is a street bike. The Trailmax had great reviews that I found to be true except for the front tire isn’t much better than the TKC 70. They are very hard, that’s why you can get nearly 10,000 miles on them, but you really need to air them down off the pavement. I would say they do ok in the sand, rocks, mud and dirt. On the pavement their great even wet.
Don’t understand those guys running knobby’s on the 600lbs adventure bikes. Can’t run them on very many single track trails. Maybe in the desert they would be a good option, but anything technical forget it. Plus they aren’t worth a damn on the pavement. Get ya a duel sport or enduro and have some fun off roading. That way you don’t have to call a wrecker when you dump it.
You are absolutely right. There is no do it all tire. I'm a cheap bastard, so I always tend to run the Kenda Trackmasters. Super cheap, good offroad, and good enough on the street to get you by. Pirelli MT 21's are a good choice as well. I hated the Dunlop 606, good on the road, spun everywhere offroad.
I know a lot of DR650 owners used to love the D606 rear MT21 front combo...
VE33/35. You buy whatever you want, im sticking with these badboys.
Had to look that one up, Helmut! Looks like a pretty aggressive knobby... I assume it's for a sub 650cc bike?
Wr250r pirelli scorpion I love them.
Super long life. Surprisingly good off-road gravel and dirt. And you can spin out for fun pretty easily too.
Not mud. Mud no bueno! But you’ll be surprised pleasantly off road.
And on road supremacy is the only order
They are excellent and as stated last forever.
Not literally forever.
My used KLX250 came with a new set of Kenda 270s. These are very similar in tread to the Shinko 244. I'm a newbie rider so I don't know one motorcycle tire from the next. After about 2000 miles of mountain riding, over lots of gravel, rocks, and even a little snow and ice, but no mud/sand and very little asphalt especially wet, I have to say I have no complaints about these tires. They haven't jumped out from under me. The center treads on the rear are worn down about 3mm almost through the little slit feature molded in. I don't know if this good or bad. My biggest concern is getting a flat while deep in our backcountry. So some video or comments on puncture resistance and things to do for that like heavy tubes, rimlocks, etc. Are the shinkos or others better? I can tell you that on vehicles like the jeep or 4runner, running a light truck or 10ply rated tire makes a big difference on our mountain roads. In fact the go to tire for the sheriff department and many locals (including myself) is a hankook dynapro atm 10 ply rated Light Truck tire.
We are working on a puncture reduction vid now actually.
Love the D606 off road. Feel so much more comfident....specially in the wet. Unfortunately I had a few scary 'wabbly' incidents on the highway at 110-120. Border line tank slapp... Never happened with the wings. I did the switch myself so mayble tire balance is off ??? In lower speed twisties (50-80k) they are flawless. I have 1600 k on them so far.
I used to run them all the time, Eric. For years they had a very good local deal on them including fitting...
Very good explanation
Thanks and welcome
Just had my 1290 KTM adventure 4 months - already have 11 500 km - had the AX41- excellent tyre both on and off road - but only 3.5k km on front and 2,5 k km on rear... put on a Anakee wild rear - amazing off-road and in mud and loose stuff and gravel roads - loved the tyre but lasted 1.5k km with about 50/50 roads and dirt on my big adventure bike.. Trying the Motoz now ( adventure rear and new dual venture front ) --- the 50/50 type tyres you have in your video for me are no good and too much of a compromise ... not really good off-road and definitely not good on road... so after 4 months - i have invested in a full spoke wheel set with tyres good for off-road and ok on the road - if it is a long trip with road sections - tyre choice is either harder for long distances , so expect less traction , or softer compound for medium trips and expect not to get more then 3k to 4 k KM on the set --- and a set of alloy full wheel set for when i only do road trips with proper road tyres. No more vibrations and no 99 MPH rating restrictions for road trips. ( take me about 30 mins to change wheels over - easy ) . Perfect solution.
Only 1500km, Gary? Damn. I remember using the Dunlop D606 on my old DR650 and never got past 2000km. But I did ride more aggressively then! At least they were cheap... I figure the wider rear for the 1290 must usually be pretty expensive?
Skill does play a big role but tires make it so easy n less harsh on your body. I rode shinkos 705 on some extreme off road with mud n sand. N it was hard but I was able to keep up with everyone do yo my skill. then I rode with a real dirt tire n it just it so easy n gave so much confidence.
Mud, clay and sand definitely make tyre choice more important!
I’m currently running a set of Motoz Tractionator Adventure tires on my 1200gs. The traction is great off and on road, but on the road they are super loud. Sounds like an air raid siren going down the road. Had Shinko 705’s that were good on dry pavement and hard packed dirt. If the conditions are wet, the 705’s didn’t perform very well on or off-road.
Bummer about the road noise, I figure that's even with road PSI? One of our guys is thinking of these for his GS1200... motoz.com.au/product/tractionator-adventure/
@@crosstrainingadventure I run 30 psi on the road. I believe the tires say 34 psi max. The noise isn’t so bad with ear plugs which I hardly ever bother with. The performance, durability and wear life are worth the noise in my opinion.
Same here, I wear ear plugs every ride so tyre noise doesn't worry me much.
You're right.. Too many variables to recommend one tyre over the other. I tried the D606 on my DRZ as per the intewebs recommendation and was not impressed. Too loud on the tarmac, the rear would loose traction on the rear too easily, the front would track in ruts. Then tried the MT21 and found my tyre. when you look for a tyre that works for you, it needs to be predictable in all conditions. The MT21 rear wears quicker than the MT21 rear but that's a price I'm willing to make.
Yep. In DR650 circles, the D606 rear and MT21 is a popular combination.
If in doubt, lean further toward off road tires in your choice. Even if this turns out to be a mistake, at least you will know how much road compromise you can accept.
I reckon this isn't a bad approach if you definitely want to do some dirt on every ride. I'd rather have a tyre that can handle some mud or slippery clay, even if it means I can't really lean it over hard when cornering on the road.
Battlax A41 works fine in sloppy sand roads - There is no pavement in the town I live in. I have them on my 850GSA. Wobbly where you expect it, grippy where sand layers are thin. While it's a touring tire the big thread grooves seem to work fine for sand roads/hard pack dirt and some gravel at medium speeds. I was pleasantly surprised.
And I suspect they'd be well priced, Arnan? I used to use Dunlop D606s years ago, great for budget riding...
@@crosstrainingadventure Hmm, pricing is weird here in Mexico. Shinko 705 is more expensive than Pirelli/Bridgestone etc.
If I recall correctly I paid some $160US (ish) for the rear tire maybe 5 months ago. Via an amazon like site.
I'm surprised at how much prices can vary across different countries, Arnan. I suspect it's often just a greedy distributor sets a high profit margin...
@@crosstrainingadventure Here in Mexico there is no real price regulation on anything, so yes, that's for sure.
Bs A41 on my 800 Xcx .. great on tar and hard gravel ,, but spiritual the mud ..
Nice one Boys
Your right I am a old person riding my Son just say leave it in third gear & hold it flat.
Bikes are amazing now days Guaranteed a good rider on a 30 to 40 year old bike would still beat most People
So as the older you get you become smarter lighter bike trying not to break any records or bones.
So True love the Videos Boys great work
Well said!
Mitas C02 is my favorite back tyre.
Yama xtz 125.
F 80/90-21
R 110/80-18
Really har to find tires.
Currenting using metzeler enduro 3 sahara
But the R is a 4.00-18.
Works nice on the asphalt and adventure. Well balanced.
The inevitable compromise... road and dirt!
Tires are consumables... And a bit like beer.
- Try them, if you like them. All is good.
If don't, they'll wear out soon enough... And you can buy something else 😊
I’m running a Motoz Mountain x hybrid trials ish rear on my Fe501 doing short adventures and trail riding its doing extremely well so far other then it being a rock thrower at anyone following behind
The good old Bergs! I still miss my old FE570, Steve.
Xj600 shinko 705 f & r, dr350s mc360 mid/hard rear shinko 216 fatty front, dr650 motoz mtn hybrid front shinko 244 or d606 depending on my ride planned. Going to try the shinko fatty on the 650 next.
It really does come down to rider experience. Just buy a set of tires and try them out. Learn to change your own tires! It's super easy and free!
Interesting combo! My brother is putting a Shinko 705 on his DR650 when the rear wears out, keen to see what it's like...
@@crosstrainingadventure every bike will be different..my xj600 i could do 20-35 on packed gravel fire roads with the 705 at 20-25 psi rear 25 front.....my dr650 with dunlop d605 front did pretty well. Now the 605 on my dr350s...not the best. Im guessing from there being less weight. The 350 is about 100 lbs less than the 650. And I'm getting about 3k miles out of the shinko fatty on the 350..would get more if I didn't brake so hard, but that bike is so much fun blasting around the country side.
@@crosstrainingadventure I actually took my xj600 out in November in some light powder snow (1-2 inches gravel road)with the 705s...they did waaay better than I expected...I do run lower tire pressure though.
I've used Dunlop D606's on my DR650. Awesome tire for off road riding, decent on the street but doesn't last long. I've had strange wear on my front tire, not sure yet if it's suspension, tire or aggressive cornering on the road. Just switched to a Pirelli mt-07 for the front tire but haven't ridden it much yet.
Edit: it's a MT21 got mixed up with the Midas E07 Dakar I put on my Tiger
I've had the same issue, Wyatt. I used to use them all the time because there was a really good deal on the front/rear combo fitted for many years here in Australia. Weird wear patterns on the front seem to be considered standard. A lot of DR650 riders use the D606 on the rear but an MT21 on the front... it looks very similar but doesn't get the weird wear pattern apparently. Hopefully your MT07 will be fine as well!
@@crosstrainingadventure sorry I just double checked, it's a MT21
Uneven block wear on the front? I experienced that with the kenda big blocks. It was a combination of not enough pressure in the tire and heavy braking loaded up with camping gear on paved roads 🤦♂️
@@skrillaguerilla sounds about right
MT21 front on my DR650. Have gotten the wedge shape wear on the knobs in the front in the past. Low pressure on pavement and heavy front brake use is the culprit.
good video, I think the hobby needs to separate dual sports and adv. with dual sports people usually want to ride street while also being able to ride a decent amount of single track. whereas adv riders want to ride on the street for long periods while still being able to do fire roads.
There's a wide variety out there for sure! I tend to lump them together... in Australia a lot of adventure riders are doing mostly dirt roads and even rough tracks on the big adventure bikes. But from what I've heard the USA scene can be much more about highway touring and only occasional bits of dirt road?
If I go with a 50/50 tire on my wr250f will I need to upgrade to beefier brakes? I will mainly be on road.
I've never heard of anyone doing this if it's just commuter style riding, Daniel. But of course if you'll be riding aggressively this is why motards have the 310 or 320mm front disc for about 25% stronger front braking.
@crosstrainingadventure Thank you for the response. I really do appreciate it. I'm a new rider at 39. My riding isn't going to be aggressive at all. I want a supermoto but I have much to learn before I get into a bigger bike ect. Thanks again
I've had kenda big blocks, kenda k270 and mitas e-07, happy to say I have never felt like I put the wrong tires on the bike, just may have abused them with unintended road surfaces 😁. the e-07 have been my favorite for what I do with my bike, despite taking a little more effort to get them over the rim. Cant bitch about the price of kendas though!
I tried an E07 years ago on the DR650, Neil. Really good mileage! It really felt like a 50/50 option to me as it wasn't particularly great on or off road... which is what any 50/50 tyre will be like lol.
@@crosstrainingadventure absolutely, they are wearing very well so far 👍 keep up the great work, really enjoy the videos👏
i currently have a brand new set of the Motoz Adv tires exact ones you have shown here in the beginning of the video on my 901 , only have 150-200 miles on em thus far so jury is out but tread depth and stiffness of carcass wise they are stout ! i recently tried the K60Ranger and it burnt up as fast as a TKC80 so wont be buyin that again , my go to combo has been TKC80-front and Mitas E07 = rear for the $ but havent been available consistently recently
I'll be keen to see how you go with them. I'm interested in trying the Motoz Rallz on the DR650. I hate tyre changing with a passion lol. So I'm happy to trade poor road performance for longevity!
@@crosstrainingadventure im planning to roll this weekend for an overnight so we will be trying out the new(ish) rubber and new Tusk Olympus rack/panniers both for their maiden voyage
1:12 ... The best Adv bike made to date! 100 hp... 400 lbs... v-twin torque... Super Enduro!
I like the black tires.
If you have to be fussy about colour then yes... black is the best. 😎
Motoz tires are absolutely incredible. Little bit of road noise but they wear like steel and get better traction than Velcro. They are definitely expensive but definitely worth the cost and no I'm not sponsored or supported in any way
Agree! 100% rallz rear and dv front, is the ultimate combo on a t7 so good on the highway too👍
Disagree 100% They maybe greet in warm climates but they suck in cooler climates. that is the trade-off for the great milage that the rubber compound is harder .... and bad on roads (wet or dry) if the tyre doesn't get his temperature.
After the original Bridgestone Trail Wings on my DR650, fitted Heidenau K60 Scouts. Much better handling with good grip on bitumen, dirt and over rocks. No noise and smooth. Seem durable with good longevity. Plenty of tread still left after 3000klm (mostly bitumen). Expecting well beyond 6000klm before replacement. However, recently noticed that 120/90-17 rear tyres aren’t available in Australia ATM which is disappointing. Hope they will be available in the future. Otherwise not sure how K60 Scout 130/80-17 rear tyres will go on the DR650. Plan on sticking with Heidenau K60 Scouts.
My brother is thinking of trying those next on his DR650, keen to see how they go.
The Heidenau K60 are a real bugger to install and remove because of their hard compound and stiff walls. However, the stiff walls are a safety option if you have a puncture at high speed and the tyre could potentially be ridden flat until you find a spot to fix the tube. Bought the MotionPro bead buddy and BeadPro levers which makes changing slightly easier. I thought they were good value a while back at $295 front and back so I bought a spare set. But they’re no longer at that price unfortunately.
Thanks for the heads up, Craig. He's got a set ready to put on so we'll leave them in the sun to warm up. And he's got some bead buddies and a tyre changing rig.
I thought it was what the manual was going to say? Lol..what the tire is made out of would be the correct choice. Choice Rating: Sand, snow, mud, rain, gravel. Pick 2 of the 5 type's of tire rating. Anyways mt 21 rallycross 90 10. 200 on them still over half tread and 4 stroke all Street. Was I using it wrong? lol. Kenda big block next.
my 2 cents: the Tusk D-sport are incredible. low cost, they last longer then most on pavement, and all around good grip on dirt, mud, gravel. I even take them on the sand and still feel comfortable.
Doesn't seem to be available in Australia. The price looks good! www.rockymountainatvmc.com/tires-and-wheels/tusk-dsport%C2%AE-adventure-tire-p
@@crosstrainingadventure Dang, sorry to hear that... maybe you can slip a set into your luggage next time you're in Canada? 🙃
Hahaha nice thanks!
😎👍
the intro was to funny Love it
Cheers!
I have some 50/50 Mitas E-07 on a new KTM 890 Adventure R. At first I thought they would be awful looking at the tread however they are good on the road (quiet too) and surprisingly good on gravel and hard pack dirt with excellent stopping grip in the dirt & gravel. However I have found that in soft sand, they wander and are harder to keep straight. This is where your point about 80% rider skill comes in to it and I know that soft sand is my weakest skill and contributes to the feeling in soft sand. I haven't done enough kms on the new bike to talk about wear. I have run Motoz RallZ on my KTM 1090 AR and they are excellent in dirt and good in soft sand. Road performance is good enough as long as you don't give it a fist full in the corners but they are noisy as hell.
Thanks for the reminder, I tried one of these years ago and like it... and I need a new rear soon!
Dunlop 606 are great off road. I ride a DR650.
I use what ever is the cheapest 50/50 tire I can find on my DRZ usually a Shinko 244 but my riding buddy is slowly convincing me to try a set of Motoz Tractionator Adventure’s
The Shinko 244 rear definitely last a long time. I think I've had mine on for 5000km now and there's plenty of tread left.
Still love the MT21 front, D606 rear on my Bush Pig (Forest Rat here in the U.S.)
Get about 2.5 K Miles out of the rear, 4 to 5 K out of the front. I only ride pavement to get to the mountains.
Very popular combo here too, Ben
Hi, put Michelin Anarkee on a Vstrom dl1000, first time ever used this brand. They 80/20, meaning 80% road, 20% dirt. I reckon after 1000+ks the 80/20 should mean 20% less grip on bitumen than a full road tyre, and 80% less grip on dirt than full on knobby. Not saying there bad in either condions, they do help improve your skills in handling a big lard ass bike.
Use the motoz adventure 50/50 on my Dr650. Good all-rounder, bit noisy on bitumen over 80k/hr, and a bit slippy in the wet on bitumen. I just ride a bit steadier and she's right.
I've just started using the Rallz with good results. Oddly enough, I mainly hear the tyre noise at around 60 to 70kmh then they go quiet again... or are drowned out by wind noise?
Nice video! I saw the pirelli scorpion trail 2s that I have on my triumph Bonneville represented in your video So can I now disregard everything you actually said in the video?
I think I'll exercise my biases and insecurities, pump up the PSI on my ego and go forth upon my world today declaring "Barry said my tires are the best, stick like glue in all circumstances!"it's true because I saw it on the internet.
This is a great approach, D! And then of course when you find out the hard way that all my information is incorrect, you can join the class action lawsuit taken against my dodgy vids. 😁 The old Triumph hey? One of the old models, or the new ones? Enjoying it?
@@crosstrainingadventure '17 Bonnie Black. Went from Maryland to Oregon across the old USA last year. Love it!
Tires do make a big difference if you push past any of the tires abilities. That's pretty simple right? I have tried to explain this so many times with little success. Another problem with tire buyers is their own perception of how they ride. Like the 244 Shinko for example. Rave reviews all over the place on this tire and to be fair they are fantastic for the price and what I would call normal riding. For me the front tire is down right scary because it has no side gripping power and washes out as soon as your bike leans a little too far. But great for "normal" light weight adventure bike riding riders. I'm a big fan of Mitas tires. E-07 for longer trips with more blacktop and E-09 for rougher terrain trips. Tough tires! I literally destroyed a new TKC 80 in one day with chunks coming out of it while doing so. To me that is not a good value for a very expensive tire. K60 tires are great for most people I would think. Long lasting and pretty capable albeit expensive. The bottom line here is that every tire has it's place and everyone has to figure out if their place matches the tires they choose.
Very true, stay with the tyre's abilities... it's why I discount so many negative reports on various tyres. DR650 owners hate the 'Deathwings' fitted from new. They can be hairy off road, but I still use them until they are worn out. I don't mind slipping and sliding around on gravel as it's all part of learning to ride better (and being a cheapskate lol).