I put a set of Avon Trailrider’s on my Suzuki DR-650 in March of 2017. I’ve got 5500 miles on them and the back is pretty much done. The front would go another 1000 but I’m going to swap them out at the same time. I’m happy with the performance and have bought another set to go on my DR. They have been a great tire for the type of riding I do which is around 80% street and 20% gravel.
Wow only 5500? My trail wings are getting there I am at 5800 miles and you see the wear on them but deff can go till next riding season for me here in New York. What pressures were you running?
22 front 25 rear, and that's what they call for. My geared up riding weight is around 250 lbs, which I'm sure plays a part. If you got 5800 out of a Trail Wing, then Bridgestone should make you the face of their company. I only got 2000 out of mine, so I was happy with the 5500 I got out of the Avon Trail Rider.
Just came across this review. ..really helpful! . I've been using the Avon Distanzia and am pleased to hear it's replacement is a good tyre!. Part of making the choice is about being honest with yourself about how much off roading you actually do! Thanks again, Steve
Currently my second pair of Trailriders on my Yam XT660x. In The Alps on the hairpins it felt like the bike was on rails and no chicken strips. So happy with these tyres I'm putting a set on my Speed Twin. I hear the UK factory is closing, so I guess they will no longer be available😢
I thought this was another flat tire video , until the riding portion . 'Ride'um Cowboy' Picked some good tract too wear some hoop's out . Thanks All , Thanks be
I have a 2012 Triumph Scrambler and I've liked the Trailriders too. They grip great on dry pavement and handle that loose-gravel-strewn-across-a-paved-road with confidence which we have a lot of here in California and the western United states. Finished up a 2500 mile road trip including some stretches of deep gravel forest service road. The tires didn't miss a beat. Even in the deeper graded gravel they were ok (not brilliant, but honestly my riding and the bikes suspension were likely way bigger limiting factors). My overall take is these tires make me feel like a more confident rider. Over tar snakes and damp roads you can occasionally feel a little slip (like any tire might do) but they immediately catch and hook up. I like that kind of feedback from my tire when riding. No surprises. My rear tire is starting to square off after about 4000 miles. Probably enough tread depth left to go another few thousand but I think I'm going to switch out and try the Trekriders next. I'm curious how the Trekriders compare in terms of on road feel, tread wear and of course if they make me feel any more confident in the dirt. Like you I'm mostly on paved roads but I do like the idea of doing a few miles of dirt and gravel sections on my longer trips. But I think confident road manners including wet tarmac is my top priority.
I'm thinking about trying a set on my Versey 650. It's difficult to find a 17"front tire that has some off road ability. These tires appear to be a little more aggressive, compared to the Conti Trail Attack 2 and Pirelli Scorpion Trail 2. In 40 years of riding, I never tried Avon tires ( or should I say tyres). Thanks for the review!
elitetileandstone A 17” front is never ideal in the loose stuff, but Im sure the Trail Riders would do really well on the Versys 650 (I owned a 2012) for dirt roads.
Speedytrip, Believe me, I have no pretense that the Versey is a dirt bike. As a road focused machine, it does quite well on smooth dirt roads. My last ride, a ZRX1200, was not that good in dirt! 😎
That's what I am here to know as well. Did you go with them? Have any feedback about them on a versys? Pirelli now has the scorpion rally STRs that I am also considering.
Hey thanks a lot for a proper review. I own a DR650 I commute to work and ride almost like a supermoto style lol but go on hard packed gravel roads here and there. Most of the time I am on the street and I don’t wanna take away fully dirt capabilities. From this video going 140km? On gravel roads seems like pretty awesome. How many miles you gotten so far?
Yes 140-150km/h no problem if there's not 2-3 inches of gravel, then you'll obviously want to slow down a bit :P I put about 8000km on the rear (i ride aggressive and lots of highway). You can easily put 20000km on the front and I think a reasonable rider could get 10-12000km on the rear if you dont spend 75% of your time on the highway.
Diego Ribeiro Thanks Diego! About 8000km at the rear (riding aggressively) and the front about 20000km. It will obviously depend on riding style, bike, weight air pressure, offroad or onroad etc, but they should last at least twice as long as 50/50 tires and someone riding reasonably should get a fair bit of mileage more than I got.
Hi nice review. Looking at replacing dt3 dunlops off the ftr1200 for avons trailrider or even spirit st.. However got michelin anakee, mt60rs, karoo street and even Bridgestone t32 on the list. Also like racing rain tire look. I like the rugged look for the bike but gravel roads would be less than 5% of my riding. I do like brisk riding ( with safety in mind) so lean angle, braking and corner exits is where i get satisfaction, predictability over out right speed is more important to me. ( there is always going to be someone quicker) michelin pr5 and pr3 on rear for 18" sizes. Would you still recommend these avon trail riders over some of my short listed? Cheers rich.
Its always about compromises. Price, longevity, grip, and even looks in these categories. There’s very few bad tires today, more about bad choices for what we do. Based on your type of riding I dont think you could be disappointed with the Avons :)
I still think these would be great on an FTR. Feels like a sport touring tire on road and much better than sport touring tires on dirt/gravel. Excellent in the rain too.
That was a Macna Geo that has been retired since. They make great jackets, unfortunately they seemed to have changed their sizing at some point and now sleeves are always too short. My Geo fit me like a glove (and I have arms like an ape hehe).
I just bought a 2017 yamaha XSR900 and I am looking for set of tires that can ride on dirt roads as well but still mostly on road, are these tires good for me?
If they make them in your bikes' sizes, I think they would definately be a good choice. These are by no means 50/50 tires, especially if you have a 17" front wheel (the bigger the wheel the more stable in the loose stuff, that's why dirt bikes have 21" front wheels). But they should handle dirt and gravel perfectly fine. You can also look into the Heidenau k73, technically they are like rain race tires, but I tried them on a few bikes and have even ridden them in the snow. Good street tire, though they won't last as long as the Trail Riders. No bad tires only bad choices depending on what your expectations are :)
Joe van Wyk i think I put about 8000km on the rear (i ride agressive and lots of highway). You can easily put 20000km on the front and I think a reasonable rider could get 10-12000km on the rear if you dont spend 75% of your time on the highway.
I like to try different tires but lately Ive been mostly usin shinkos 804/805, shinkos 705 and michelin anakee wild. The 705 is comparable to the trail rider (even if not 100% as good), but cheaper and overall still a great tire. Havent tried the scorpions yet.
Paul Clontz Macna Geo jacket. Great jackets loaded with smart features and can be used from 0c up to 30c+ no problem, unfortunately the jacket in the video fits like a glove but the more recent models no longer fit me. Definately worth looking into this branf, if it fits, youll be happy :) And yes great tires its probably what Ill put on my r9t urban GS once the tkc80s are shot (which should be the case at around 4000km).
Havent experienced any sliding in the wet. Road oriented tires with road oriented characteristics. Avon is british I think they know a thing or 2 about rain :)
