I’ve been riding dual sport and adventure bikes for years. I’m building a scrambler now using a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 as a base. For the tires I chose the TKC 70 Rocks. Very difficult to install due to the stiff sidewall. I haven’t ridden the bike yet as I put them on an hour ago. They definitely give the bike the scrambler look.
I've gotten my best off road performance - to tire longevity out of Mitas Tires so far. Look at the E-07/E-07+, E-09 and E-10 lines. The E-07+ tire that I had on had 4000 miles on it when I took it off, and it probably has another 1k in it. I'm trying out a E-10 now. It's more knobby style, but it is surprisingly good on the road.
I’m only doing 30% off road but I run the Karoo 4’s on my GSA. Why? Because I want all the performance I can get out of the tire off road to prevent unwanted mishaps. I’d rather give up some tire life than risk unnecessary drops. The K4’s also do great in the rain on the road.
I run the same on my GSA. Love and hate them. Torque melts them off but work very well. Not as good on the lateral grip slow riding but I keep them spinning! Great video
Great point, I actually noticed recently that when they lose grip they tend to push sideways due to the tread pattern, I think I’ll head towards some Motoz next!
@@lifeofascrambler Hahaha all good squire! The desert HT looks like it would chew up everything. Don't hold you breath waiting for good content created by me.... Hahaha. I build, ride and Pete films me.
I haven't put the Karoos on the 1200, but I liked them on my SS. Was getting about 5-6k miles out of the rear, including traveling on interstate with a fully loaded bike. Got TKC80s on the 1200 right now, get about 5-6k miles out of the rear. It's basically a street tire after 5k miles though. Going to need to put something else on the rear soon. Like the Pirelli Scorpion Rally, and I got about 5-5.5k miles out of a rear on my SS, but I don't necessarily need that aggressive of a tire on right now. Maybe next year, might do some desert races.
Yeah I’ve been looking at the TKC’s but I heard they are softer than even the Karoos, a friend had them on his Ducati scrambler and he got like less than 5k (km) so only just over 3,000 miles. Also, which desert races are you looking into!?!
@@lifeofascrambler They're definitely soft, but I always get more mileage out of tires than the average person reports. Not sure if it's because I go easier on the throttle on pavement (or maybe in general), or other riders don't wear their tires down enough before they chance them! probably the former. Looking to do the Biltwell 100 next year, maybe the LAB2V race as well. Would consider trying it this year, but we want to ride down to Mexico and catch the Baja 1000/avoid winter there.
While cost is important it's also wise to get tyres that will stick in the toughest conditions you are expecting to ride in. There's no point getting a 70/30 if you are expecting to ride in wet mud or soft sand as part of your adventures. The hardest things with or 'Adv' bikes is getting a tyre that will do it all because they don't really exist. If you're new to it the common advice is to go more aggressive with the tires than less. This will give you good hook up in tough conditions and will save your arse a bit when you don't have the confidence to power through challenging terrain. It will cost you more due to tyre wear but will save you from getting stuck and these are heavy bikes to unstick. I like the Mitas E09 as an example of this. Rides well on tarmac too but there are many other tyres like this from most manufacturers. If I'm just doing road and gravel I use the E07 (not affiliated). Check the load ratings as well as we carry gear and also the speed ratings, these bikes can go quick when you have/want to. These are represented by letters on the tyres and there are online charts which tell you what is what. Also, if you plan on touring over long distance check ahead that you can get replacements. Not all countries carry adv tyres for our big bikes.One last last thing, these tyres are tubeless so carry a kit to repair punctures and a little electric pump. We travel way out and getting help can take a long time. And spiders.
i have a new XC…..the ride is always bumpy. new paved roads are bumpy. old paved roads are bumpy. the ride is always bumpy. my bike is a 2022, which i bought this week in june of 2023. considering it’s a left over i’m thinking it has been sitting in the showroom for a long time and one or both tires have a flat spot. as that flat spot hits the ground on every revolution, it will feel bumpy. i could be wrong but that’s the only thing i can come up with. unless the suspension needs tuning. even if the suspension needs tuning the ride should be smooth of pavement, especially a newly paved road. this is why i think it’s flat spots on the tires. your thoughts ?
Without feeling / seeing it myself that’s a hard question to answer, but yeah it definitely shouldn’t be bumpy. What bike did you come from? Also, your suspension shouldn’t be the issue if the road surface is smooth and you’re still feeling bumps.
Nice overview. I've been running the Michelin Anakee Wilds and I'm getting around 5000km as well on the rear...on my 2nd rear as well. Will probably change both soon. I'm thinking about more of a 70/30 to see if I can get more wear on the rear. Any thoughts on a good 70/30? I have to ride an hour or more to get to good dirt so I'm wearing those rears quickly.
Yeah that’s interesting, I was looking at the Anakees earlier this year. I’ve also heard the Motoz Tractionators are a good balanced tire but I haven’t tried them myself, there was a 2 month wait when I checked last!
