Tyre Troubles.....

[doglegdon]

Just back from a 650km burn round the island I live on, over cracked cement(50%), good black top(30%) and slightly nasty, off road, mountain conditions(20%).
When i checked my front and rear tyres, the wear on my Sahara 3's was startling. After changing both to new 2000km ago, it looks like I will be changing again in about the same distance.
(Off road was loose/hard packed coral, loose/hard packed gravel, fist sized round/sharp stones etc.)
I always check tyre pressures especially in the "tropics", before every ride as I know how important it is and how much new tyres cost. Would temperature be a contributing factor you think? It's not even hot season here yet, but we were still out in 32-36degC heat most of the 2 days we rode.
Any suggestions as to what I should buy next time?

(Will upload some of the pics once I get to an internet connection that is quicker than my "snail pace" one).

[Chad]

can you get continental TKC80s out there there a good compromise between raod and offroad

[MacP]

TKC80's seconded...

They're a hoot!

[Lord Stig]

Sahara 3s do wear fast - I've never tried them on something as heavy as an AT, but my old TDR 250 ate them. I've been really impressed by a cheap Continental Escape I had fitted. When it arrived it turned out to have the old Enduro Pro tread, and it's a good compromise - it wasn't bad on English slimy tracks, and has been great on road. It's horribly square now, but still handles better than any other tyre I've had at the same stage of wear. Total mileage to date must be around 6,000 miles. Otherwise TKC 80s come very highly recommended, and I'll be trying them at some point....

Stig

[lootch67]

I have heard that the TKCs made in Korea are not as good as the ones made in Germany. Don't know how you're going to determine where it was made though. Probably says so on the tyre.

[Rubberchicken]

I have heard that the TKCs made in Korea are not as good as the ones made in Germany. Don't know how you're going to determine where it was made though. Probably says so on the tyre.

The cheap ones I got from Rodamoto are made in Germany according to what's on the tyre, and as far as I can tell they behave like TKCs should. So that's ok then.

[ben]

I think It is important to remember that no set of tyres is the same. There will be discrepancies between tyres out of the same batch( If that is the right term). I am using michalin anakees at the moment, but they are a little sketchy compared to the last set I had, I am loosing the back end regularly even with a controlled right hand. Some will get mega miles out of theirs, and others will get less from the same tyres. Does anyone find the new yellowish road surface they are putting down on corners tricky and a little slippy? I thought it was supposed to be grippier.

[Slimie]

Sahara 3s do wear fast - I've never tried them on something as heavy as an AT, but my old TDR 250 ate them. I've been really impressed by a cheap Continental Escape I had fitted. When it arrived it turned out to have the old Enduro Pro tread, and it's a good compromise - it wasn't bad on English slimy tracks, and has been great on road. It's horribly square now, but still handles better than any other tyre I've had at the same stage of wear. Total mileage to date must be around 6,000 miles. Otherwise TKC 80s come very highly recommended, and I'll be trying them at some point....

Stig

minor HiJack...where are your Escapes made? Mine are Korean and the fitter had a really hard time balancing them. I think there's over 60 grammes on the front wheel! I've heard similar stories from GS riders who've fitted TKC's that bear "made in Korea" on the sidewall. HiJack /off

[Lord Stig]

Good question Slimie; hadn't occurred to me they had more than one country of origin. My fitted didn't report any problems, but thinking about it there is a lot of lead on my rim...

I'm having a pair fitted tomorrow - hoping to get the same tread pattern as the one I have. Down to 1 mm or less at the centre, horrible squared and still feels remarkably good.

I'l try to find out where these ones are from.

Stig

[Lord Stig]

Fitted two new tyres weekend before last - the tyre shop didn't know the country of origin either. Luckily the ones that turned up had the tread I was after rather than that awful road tyre pattern you see in some of the pictures. Maybe they are only solf in larger sizes for GSs and Varaderos, or maybe the ones I have are in fact from Korea....

Eitherway, I like them a lot. They cost me £143 fitted - better than TW152/101s. This is what they look like with 900 miles on them:



and rear:



Stig