I'd say the Tourances will be ideal for that sort of trip/mileage... I've just stuck another set of TKCs on my bike and wasted them on 2000 miles of dull highway here in Florida (had about 40 miles of dirt one day, oh happy day!) - the rear is pretty much half worn now, so will need replacing again before I get on to the TAT...

The TKC really is the best 50/50 tyre out there for this bike, but won't last as well as the Tourance on the tarmac, obviously... however, I've finally started to consider tyres in the same way as oil and filters - they are just another consumable, and if the bike feels better on fresh rubber, I'd suck up the cost and fit the tyres you want (unfortunaly, TKCs are one of the few bike parts that actually cost more here in the US than in the UK...)

for info. I used a Metzler Karoo2 on the front of the XR last year around Europe, and that lasted well (the whole trip, around 6500 miles). The rear was a Dunlop 908RR which was surprisingly good on the tarmac too, and lasted for around 4000 miles which I thought exceptional for such an aggressive tyre... problem is the 908RR is only available in 18 inch rear...

However, due to the amount of tarmac you'll be riding, I agree that wearing out those Tourances in Europe is a great idea, then fit some TKCs!

xxx

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