Tyres - The Definitive List

[Chris.R.]

Anakee (150 only available) on the rear - 20.000km
Tourance on the front - 25.000km and both still have life in them (yes, mixed..tia=this is Africa..).

Ok, am commuting 60km round to work and back, 365 days a year. However motorway included and 17 sprocket on front.

Will try 140 on rear next time or even 130 if not available.

[Betterl8thanever]

MOTORBIKE TYRE CONTINENTAL TKC80 4.10-18 P TWINDURO on eBay (end time 25-Jul-10 20:13:10 BST)

£63 on ebay.

[tserts]

Hi again fellow Africa-philes...

I'm about to change tires on the africa for the first time since buying her.

She came with a battlewing set, with which I was familiar from my caponord. A great tire for the tarmac but I believe the africa deserves proper on/off tires to match her true all around character. I take her off road regularly but I have, on some occasions, missed some good fun because I had the wrong tire on...

The problem is that I also use the bike daily in the city and, even worst, I cruise on the highway a lot when traveling and usually in the 160 - 170 km/h zone.

The heidenaus K60s are not available in Greece currently, I'm trying to get them but no cigar so far. My next choice are the TKC80s, I want to give them a go, but are they rated for those speeds, and I mean 10 hour riding days at those speeds? (they will have to take me to Beograd in the Summer)

Would you suggest anything else for this usage profile:

- Daily city use but fairly mild riding (up to 4,500 rpm, up to 100km/h tops). No hard brakes (unless in emergency braking)
- High speed touring (up to 170 km/h), and tarmac twisty roads (I like to push her in the twisties a bit, no peg scrapping but pretty swift riding)
- (important) Ability to hit the trails if I feel like it (decent grip, not ice escapades like the battlewings, nor Dakar bonanza like the MT21s)

Am I asking too much? Probably, but it's not my fault the bloody bike can do anything!

Apologies for the lengthly ramblings, but I want to get it right....

[dysan]

I run the TKC's on my KTM and once the tread has rounded off a little bit they're fine and I don't like to hang around on the twisties.

However their speed rating is only 100mph (160kph) and for the first part of their life they look as though they're barely going to last 1000 miles but after 1/2 of the tread is gone it calms down.

[craigrevo]

I have The heidenaus K60s on mine, but I just don't trust them. I dont know why as they have never let me down and they feel OK. Next tyres I get will be TKCs.

[tserts]

I run the TKC's on my KTM and once the tread has rounded off a little bit they're fine and I don't like to hang around on the twisties.

However their speed rating is only 100mph (160kph) and for the first part of their life they look as though they're barely going to last 1000 miles but after 1/2 of the tread is gone it calms down.

I think I could live with 160 kph and with the price of fuel lately in Greece it wouldn't be unwise either. The funny thing is that the bike even beyond 170 doesn't increase consumption dramatically...

Generally I get more mileage than the tire's average, I expect it to last 15k km from what I can understand, unless it so good in handling that I end up thrashing it off the tarmac...

I have The heidenaus K60s on mine, but I just don't trust them. I dont know why as they have never let me down and they feel OK. Next tyres I get will be TKCs.

I've heard very good comments about those tires, if I could source them I would try them next but they are not imported, not even if I was to pre-pay them! So I guess I'll go TKC80 for now, I believe they're reasonably priced as well, but don't come near the heidies' performance/cost ratio...

[lootch67]

Might be worth investigating the Mitas range of tyres.

[XR Mad]

If i had the cash i would run TKC80's on all my bikes but a rear only lasts me 1800 miles on my AT thats just not enough and i'm not a fast rider 3000miles on my xr though.
Lately i've been running Mitas E09's on the rear of my xr for duel sport riding and got to say for the riding i do their perfect good grip off road wet or dry and good grip on road in the dry not so good in the wet but as i said i'm a plodder
I've just ordered a Trelleborg T644 for my Domi been wanting to try one for a while will report back once i've tried it out

[desertjoe]

also been testing the MITAS E09. half worn after 3000km, and that was all severe thrashing, mostly on gravel. they happy on tar as well. gonna also now try the E07 for longer trips, maybe better for you as well.mitas is likely the most affordable tyre in the range, and some of the best milage if read about. some report up to 25k on the E07! the lads in europe dont seem to like them as they are slippery on wet grass? well, here we are fresh out of wet grass the south africans an ozzies rate them highly, and greece has very similar conditions. have a look google trelleborg, the UK distributors

[tserts]

also been testing the MITAS E09. half worn after 3000km, and that was all severe thrashing, mostly on gravel. they happy on tar as well. gonna also now try the E07 for longer trips, maybe better for you as well.mitas is likely the most affordable tyre in the range, and some of the best milage if read about. some report up to 25k on the E07! the lads in europe dont seem to like them as they are slippery on wet grass? well, here we are fresh out of wet grass the south africans an ozzies rate them highly, and greece has very similar conditions. have a look google trelleborg, the UK distributors

Thank you Joe, interesting post. I'd say I've never ridden on wet grass myself either, are they talking about that green stuff?

I'll get a quote for them as well (the E07s), although the E09s look really nice on the AT...

Oh, what's the speed rating for the E07s?