Tyres, tires, rubber...
 

Its time to start thinking about a new set of tyres to my Ten.

Have used Anakee 2 and 3 which both were very good both when it came to how long they lasted and grip and performance. However of course - they werent very good on gravel and offroad.

Now I am running Heidenau K60 Scout and they have so far done 12-13 k km and will last many km more. They have been really great so far. However they are noisy and they are heavy, which is something one notices quite well.

Its maybe a little luxury problem as both above mentioned tyres have been great - but I am thinking about something inbetween when it comes to on/offroad ability.

Has anyone tried the Heidenau 76 on the Tenere? It seems like a option for me.....
Any other suggestiones?

I am still overlanding with quite a loaded bike....and the most important about new tyres for me is

1. How long they last.
2. Performance both on and offroad, but 80-90 % onroad.

Still in Thailand but heading for Malaysia and further in a month or two....

The vast majority of tyres I've had experience of on the Z don't really fit your criteria - none could be described as long-lasting! (TKC80, Enduro 3 Sahara, Trailmax TR91, Battlewing etc.)

The only relevant ones I could comment on from experience would be the K60, which you've already tried, and I didn't like them. It's sods law that your least favourite tyre will be the one that lasts the longest!

By all accounts the K76 does't last long and aren't that popular? K76 Review

Now if I were in your shoes, in south east Asia (chance would be fine thing), I'd probably give the Shinko 705 some serious consideration. By all accounts they appear long-lasting, good on tar and OK on tracks/trails - a decent 80/20 tyre, and cheap too. The reviews that I've seen all seem pretty positive.

Other options that fit your needs on paper would be Mitas E-07, Mefo Explorer or maybe a Kenda K761, but they all seem to have mixed reviews - some love them, but an equal number appear to hate them!?

At the end of the day with tyres, the only way to find what you like and what works is to just bite the bullet and try something. If you don't like it, put it down to experience, and if you do... buy another!

tyres
 

Hi i have been working my way through all the threads on tyres I can find, and my findings are the two tyres that nearly always have good reviews are TKC 80, and the new Metzler Karroo 3. I will be buying a set of one of these in the next month or so.
Bear in mind the longest lasting tyres generaly have a high nylon content they last BUT THEY DONT GRIP on tarmac particularly if its cold or wet. I still have nightmares of my experience of the Jap bridgestones of the 1970s!! I would take high wear everytime over regular Hospital trips.

I run Shinko 700 , is a 50/50 tyre..
For a more roady tyre the Shinko 705 is a 80/20
On gravel use the narrower 120..
Wider the tyre the more it rolls around on top
of the gravel... Narrower tyre cuts though the lose
top easyer to get to the hard base where the grip is..

Shinko 700
http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...1/SAM_0161.jpg

Thanksfor answers everybody. Much appriciated! Especially Pleiades which always seem to have a informative and well explained answer.

The Heidenau K76 got very good reviews in the link you posted. And I also saw a similar good review one on another site. But - the tires seem to be noisy and heavy, just as the K60 scouts. Damned!

TKC 80 are probably good tires as well but maybe too "offroad" for my personal preferance.

The Shinko 705 on the other hand, looks like a very interesting tyre for my use. Thanks for that info!

Will also consider the Karoo 3, although looking quite rough.

Or maybe just another set of K60 Scouts....

Keithy2: I seem to get around 18-20 k km out of almost all (rear) tires I have used on any of the bikes I have owned. I have had two sets of T66 (Michelin?) on my Transalp that both lasted approx 20 k km. I had Tourances on a Tiger 955i, Anakee 2 and 3 on the Tenere and the K60 Scouts that I have right now will probably run much more than 20 k km. But the again I am not a hard rider, I seldom push the bike to its limits. Although the Tiger 955i got the beast out of me quite often...ha-ha. And I have had no problems with grip or loss of control with any of those tires. And they all lasted looooong. T T66 was not a killer on rough "ploughed" asphalt though.

The only really bad tyre I have had on any of my bikes was the original tyre on the Tenere. Was it Battlewing or Trailwing or something like that? Really bad grip, felt I had minimal control on the bike etc. Terrible!

Anyhow - thanks agan for answers everybody!

Kenda 761 may also suit your use...

Help, I think I read almost every review of every tyre on the interweb. But it seems that for every good review I can find one bad one.

I'm looking for a set of tyres for my XT660Z for our trip to Lapland. So they must be able to handle the gravel roads you have in Skandinavia but also handle long stretches of highway. They must at least do 5000-6000 kilometer complete with luggage. On earlier trips throught Finland, Norway and Russia I used the standard Michelin Siracs. They handle well on tarmac but on sand or gravel they are not up to the job. Last year on Iceland we used Michelin T63's. These are great tyres but after about 4000 kilometer I have to replace them.

I read reviews of the Mefo Explorer, Metzeler Karoo 3, Heidenau K60 Scout and the Mitas E07. Which one would you choose?