Michelin Desert on @

[boboneleg]

My rear TKC is getting close to the limit and I have a Michelin Desert (cheap cheap from Ebay) ready to fit.

Has anyone got experience of using these on an Africa Twin?

I am well used to feeling the rear move about having ridden on TKC's for years but wondered if anyone can compare the Desert to the TKC

[atgreg]

My rear TKC is getting close to the limit and I have a Michelin Desert (cheap cheap from Ebay) ready to fit.

Has anyone got experience of using these on an Africa Twin?

I am well used to feeling the rear move about having ridden on TKC's for years but wondered if anyone can compare the Desert to the TKC

much better on dirt particularly sand but a bit scary on tar

[YEN_POWELL]

Yes, very scary on tarmac, although that may have been because I had the matching Desert front which is like a serious motocross tyre. I found that off road they were a dream, but when new it only wanted to steer in a straight line on the road. Still got the rear desert in my garage, the front was knackered after 3,000 miles.

[boboneleg]

Hmmmmmmmmm interesting, thanks for the replies guys. I think I'll go ahead and fit it anyway as there is less likely to be rain now that it's summer

[douglas010]

The michelins t63 are my tyre of choice after trying both them and the tkc's and I'll tell you why. I fitted a set of tkc's to my rdo3 before a trip from melbourne to darwin. They were good on the bitumen for a set of off roaders and afforded spirited riding in the twisties. The front lasted about 20k klms but the back seemed to wear quickly. Yes I was carrying a load but it was a worry when in the middle of the desert, a long way away from a bike shop. I picked up a michelin desert in alice springs and noted that the handling was a lot better than the tkc's with the bike seeming to be more responsive to change of direction and more sure footed. I've been told, the michelin desert is cosmetically the same tyre as the T63 only with a stronger construction. It's available in a 140 were as the T63 is only a 130. There is a price difference too. the desert costs $100 Aust. more. I got more klms out of the desert when compared to the tkc but about the same or a little more out of the T63 when compared to the tkc. On a latter trip up into the salt lakes of south Australia, I ran a full set of T63's and found them to be far better on offroad than the tkcs although the front( a more open tread knobby than the tkc front) wears quicker. On the road, I find them less grippy but fun, with a progressive and predictable transition to sliding when you feel like it. The T63 front, despite its wear (still well over 10k klms) is a far better steering tyre off road than the tkc and gives greater confidence in sand, dirt and mud. personally I prefer this bias as I tend to be pushing the limits, more off road, than I find do on.

[boboneleg]

The michelins t63 are my tyre of choice after trying both them and the tkc's and I'll tell you why. I fitted a set of tkc's to my rdo3 before a trip from melbourne to darwin. They were good on the bitumen for a set of off roaders and afforded spirited riding in the twisties. The front lasted about 20k klms but the back seemed to wear quickly. Yes I was carrying a load but it was a worry when in the middle of the desert, a long way away from a bike shop. I picked up a michelin desert in alice springs and noted that the handling was a lot better than the tkc's with the bike seeming to be more responsive to change of direction and more sure footed. I've been told, the michelin desert is cosmetically the same tyre as the T63 only with a stronger construction. It's available in a 140 were as the T63 is only a 130. There is a price difference too. the desert costs $100 Aust. more. I got more klms out of the desert when compared to the tkc but about the same or a little more out of the T63 when compared to the tkc. On a latter trip up into the salt lakes of south Australia, I ran a full set of T63's and found them to be far better on offroad than the tkcs although the front( a more open tread knobby than the tkc front) wears quicker. On the road, I find them less grippy but fun, with a progressive and predictable transition to sliding when you feel like it. The T63 front, despite its wear (still well over 10k klms) is a far better steering tyre off road than the tkc and gives greater confidence in sand, dirt and mud. personally I prefer this bias as I tend to be pushing the limits, more off road, than I find do on.

nice reply