Mitas E-09 Dakars - Page 2 - .: XT660.com

uberthumper · # 1 09-06-10, 10:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by uberthumper

so I know they'll at least get me there and through the event, just need to see now if they'll get me home legally

. Should do - I need to measure the tread depth, but there's more than half of the original 12mm left.

Further to this, measured it last night, and there's actually 9-10mm left in the centre of the rear after 1160 miles.

Brewers Whoop · # 2 09-06-10, 14:32

Another watcher here, eager to hear how they perform on- and off-road.

Have a great trip!

uberthumper · # 3 09-06-10, 15:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brewers Whoop

Another watcher here, eager to hear how they perform on- and off-road.

Have a great trip!

My take:

- Dry tarmac grip is fine, over to about 10mm from the edges on the rear, which is about as far as I leant the OE Tourances. Now we're into summer and I've got used to them I don't think they're holding me back at all - I don't bimble along but I don't exactly try to get my knee down on the Ten' either.

- People are full of horror stories about knobblies on wet tarmac. I've had no moments so far, so any decrease in grip is less than the amount I slow down in the wet anyway.

- I've only done dry off-roading so far, so I haven't had the opportunity to see if they are better than the Tourances at shedding sticky clay (as previously reported). I can't see how they would be worse

- The steering gets lighter due to the reduced contact, which takes a bit of getting used to. It will occasionally also weave at high (80+mph) speeds if set off by a bump, but not in an 'out of control' way, just a small oscillation that will die down unless you try to make it die down

. I imagine this is true of all knobblies - I've ridden smaller trail bikes which weaved something chronic at much lower speeds (50-55mph). This is also pressure dependent so you can fix some of it by playing with the pressures.

- The rear tyre does whine. It didn't when it was new, but it has started to now it's worn down a bit. Strangely, it's worse in the wet. I wear earplugs and ignore it, but it may annoy others.

Overall, I'm happy with them, the only question remaining being how long they last. I know it won't be as long as something like the Tourance/Anakee type tyres (I replaced the OE tyres at 6144mi), but if I can get say 4000 out of a rear I'll probably keep a set on there permanently rather than change back and forth with more road biased rubber.

uberthumper · # 4 22-10-10, 21:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by uberthumper

Overall, I'm happy with them, the only question remaining being how long they last. I know it won't be as long as something like the Tourance/Anakee type tyres (I replaced the OE tyres at 6144mi), but if I can get say 4000 out of a rear I'll probably keep a set on there permanently rather than change back and forth with more road biased rubber.

Quote:

Originally Posted by uberthumper

Well I did 3500 miles on the first set, including the Lakes meet, then swapped them for a new set to go to the HUMM - keeping Set 1, because I think there's at least another 1000 miles of road riding in them. The second set has now done about 3000 miles. Set 2 won't get quite the same mileage as the first I don't suppose - the rear had a good kicking from two and a half days of spinning along trails, and the front from hard braking into tarmac hairpins - but should still be pretty good.

No complaints about grip offroad, the only time I got stuck was on a loose 45deg slope, and I got 100 yards further up it than the two DR-Z's I was with

I'll report back when I actually manage to wear a set out enough to put them in the bin!

Turns out I was entirely wrong on that. Here are my two sets of E-09s, with a combined mileage of 9,340...

Set 2 have done 5,809 miles. The front looks terrifying, but still works OK on tarmac. I don't suppose it's up to much on dirt

. Far better than I expected, and since it's in the same ballpark as what I got out of the Tourances I shall expect to be ordering Set 3 some time around Christmas.

Set 1 will be going back on tomorrow.

Lairyboy · # 5 10-06-10, 11:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by uberthumper

I shall be watching with interest, although your findings will come a bit too late for me!

I've got a pair on at the moment as a 'tester' to see if they are viable for a 2500 mile trip to the HUMM and back (leaving on the 23rd). I've done about 1200 miles so far, and there's still plenty of tread left for off-roading, so I know they'll at least get me there and through the event, just need to see now if they'll get me home legally

. Should do - I need to measure the tread depth, but there's more than half of the original 12mm left.

Pretty similar trip/distances to you, so I expect you'll be fine.

Its good to know I'm not the only guinea pig!!

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