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ADV Gravel Riders - What Tires?

It's amazing the variation we get from tires from person to person. I get 8000 or so miles out of a Shinko 805 and 10 to 11 out of a front 804. This is on a VSTROM 650 typically loaded down with 80+lbs of gear and my fat ***. One thing to note on these tires at least the 805 is that they start off wearing pretty fast then slow down as they wear further down the blocks.

:tab That variation has a LOT to do with how much performance drop off someone is willing to accept before deciding it is time for a new tire. On my GS, once the middle of the tire really starts going down, it has a very noticeable affect on how well the tire works on hard packed surfaces covered with loose gravel/rocks. The same is true for the front. I will generally replace a TKC or the 805 as soon as the tread hits the wear bar. I won't push it further than that. I know a LOT of rider will push it until the blocks are flush with the trough section of the tread.
 
, once the middle of the tire really starts going down, it has a very noticeable affect on how well the tire works on hard packed surfaces covered with loose gravel/rocks.

I noticed my front 804 was a little more "washy" than I expected in the Arkansas rocks with 3,000+ miles on it.

The brand new 805 rear was like glue.
 
:tab That variation has a LOT to do with how much performance drop off someone is willing to accept before deciding it is time for a new tire. On my GS, once the middle of the tire really starts going down, it has a very noticeable affect on how well the tire works on hard packed surfaces covered with loose gravel/rocks. The same is true for the front. I will generally replace a TKC or the 805 as soon as the tread hits the wear bar. I won't push it further than that. I know a LOT of rider will push it until the blocks are flush with the trough section of the tread.
I replace my rear at the wear bars and the front when the feathering of the traction bars starts to cause a "bounce" at low speeds.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 
One more positive review on the Shinko 800's.

My daughter's NC700X has 17" wheels and had stock tires on it. It was pretty nerve racking off pavement in any deeper gravel. I just thought it was due to the wheel size as I also rode a CB500X with stock tires in the gravel and it felt the same.

Since she wants to do more gravel road rides, I had the Shinko 804/805 tire combo along with a SW-Motech skid plate added to her bike. Today, I rode it home from the Waco in the rain. Not only does it handle better on the pavement than the stock tires did, it it literally night and day off pavement. I couldn't believe the difference.

I took down several of the deeper gravel roads in the area in the rain. They were washed out and muddy and the gravel was still deep in the center. These were roads we avoided with her bike in the past, but with these tires installed, riding through it was no problem on her bike now. More than that, it was actually fun.

The Shinko 804/805 combo made a pretty significant difference on my Africa Twin, but even more so on this bike. If this bike had 3 more inches of clearance, better suspension and more comfortable seat, I'd ride it myself.

So, if you have a 17" wheel bike that you're having trouble with off pavement, give the Shinko 804/805 combo a try. It's pretty surprising.
 
So if you are in the market for tires right now, RevZilla.com has pretty good prices with free shipping. I usually have them within 48-60 hours of ordering. For instance, today is Sunday and I just ordered a tire. Based on past experience, it will most likely be here by Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest.

My GS takes a 150/70-17 on the rear (I did not buy a front today)

The Shinko 805 rear for my GS was $107

even if I had bought a TKC-80, they were only $131.

Other tires were considerably more expensive.

K60s are $194!!

Anakee Wilds are $171

The Mitas E07s are $158 (and out of stock).

I was almost tempted to buy a rear TKC 80 just to have on hand.
 
Because of this informative thread, so far I've had on my Africa Twin:

Shinko 804 on front, TKC80 on back
Shinko 804 on front, Shinko 805 on back
TKC80 on front, Mitas E-07+ Dakar on back

They all seem to work fine. The Mitas has more slip than the TKC80 or Shinko 805, but at this point a little slip is fine for me now. Hoping it wears slower though as I only got about 3,000 miles out of the other two each.

I haven't had enough time on the TKC80 on the front to tell if I like it more than the Shinko 804. It feels softer than the Shinko and it handled the sand well at the Dragoo Clinic. I'm guessing I'll know more after Arkansas this year.
 
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Motoz Tractionator ADV, any info?

imo....
The tractionator ADV looks like it's a really good tire for riding out west - dry, hardpack, loose sharp rocks.
the fat blocks, w/ small grooves should rip&grip real good over the hard jagged surfaces. would last a long time on pavement , hot surfaces, too. with all that meaty blocks, it's going to be a very heavy tire,though.

Tractionator:
20160228_164648-L.jpg


For riding the softer, mud, trees, sand, umpteen water crossings - the new Bridgestone AX41 , or the Michelin Anakee wild w/ wider grooves to clean out the mud & sand, & paddle/cupped shaped blocks tio scoop the soft stuff should work real good out east.

AX41:
.602805085.1549208000-2015627986__75783.1549481350.png




Anakee wild:
-anakee-wild-120-70-r19-60r-y-170-60-r17-72r-tl-tt.png
 
Well, I'm headed to Arkansas and the rocks up there next"real" ride. I've been running Kenda and Shinko big blocks. My fear and it's happened once, with their spacing (open area) I've got a puncture flat from a sharp rock. Just trying to find something that will hook up but be resistant to a puncture flat, if possible!! Around here it's either pea gravel, sand, or mud. And of course the necessary asphalt to hook it together.
 
:tab I have never had a puncture from a rock on any of my three GSs, my KLR, or my KTM. That includes riding them in some pretty nasty rocks. The only punctures I've ever had on them has been from nails. I did have a flat on my KLR from a HUGE thorn that I at first thought was a framing nail until I pulled it out! I also had a tire cut on Four Notch Rd., near the train tracks. I picked up a large crescent shaped piece of steel and it just slashed the tire beyond repair. I had to call for Beth to bring the trailer on that one. I can't really think of anywhere in Arkansas that I've ridden where I would be worried about a rock puncture and I have ridden all over NW Arkansas. In Colorado, there are the rock skree fields on some of the passes that have big sharp jagged rocks, but I've never had trouble there either. The Gila Desert in Arizona was the worst in terms of TONS of sharp rocks, again though, no problems at all for any of us. When doing that kind of riding, I often have my tires at 25-30psi front and rear on the big bikes and 20-25psi front and rear on the KLR/KTM. I don't know if that makes a difference :shrug:
 
Maybe just being paranoid. Last trip up there, I think there was 2 flats out of 16 riders, guess who one was!
 
Either way I'll need a fresh tire before we leave in May.
 
Maybe just being paranoid. Last trip up there, I think there was 2 flats out of 16 riders, guess who one was!

Were they actually punctures from rocks? Or were they pinched tubes from hitting rocks (another kind of flat I have yet to experience)?
 
The one I had here on the GS was definitely a puncture between the knobs. (from something) I assume a rock. The one in Arkansas was on Joe's 500 and it probably was pinch flat.
 
I just got my first Mitas 07 rear for the Tenere. I'm debating whether to throw it on before the Strom-a-thon or not but its definitely going to be on for Arkansas. I have a worn Pirelli Rallycross's on now and the rear is pretty worn. If I think it will do the mileage in the hill country I won't change it now. And for Arkansas, I'll have something like a Wild or TKC on the front too.
 
I run a TKC70 on the rear and a TKC80 on the front of my '15 R1200GS. I've used shinko and have had problems. I might try a tractionator thing for the next rear. If I'm mainly doing pavement, I like the Trail Attack 2 tires. They grip well.
 
I just got my first Mitas 07 rear for the Tenere. I'm debating whether to throw it on before the Strom-a-thon or not but its definitely going to be on for Arkansas. I have a worn Pirelli Rallycross's on now and the rear is pretty worn. If I think it will do the mileage in the hill country I won't change it now. And for Arkansas, I'll have something like a Wild or TKC on the front too.
You aught to mount it, that way you will be used it it by AK time. I think its great for pavement myself, less in the slipy stuff.
 
Just outside Grants NM. Either a rock or possibly edge of a cattle guard. Pinched the tube also. Shinko 700. We pulled the tire and put a large patch on inside and patched the tube. Finished the NM BDR to Antonito Colorado on it. Replaced it with another 700 when I got home. I like the Shinko, but I'm not real picky about tires. I usually wear out whatever comes on the bike and then replace it with something cheap. I have had several pinch flats, but this is the only one thag cut the tire this bad.

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Well, I'm headed to Arkansas and the rocks up there next"real" ride..... Just trying to find something that will hook up but be resistant to a puncture flat, if possible!! Around here it's either pea gravel, sand, or mud. And of course the necessary asphalt to hook it together.

Look at the MITAS E-10 (60 dirt/40 str) - but in a "DAKAR" version.
The Dakar adds another belt (vs. stnd E10), so it's almost puncture proof.
IMO....The E-10 has nice gaps between blocks for handling the soft stuff and nice staggered blocks for the loose gravel roads along the side of mountains w/ switchbacks & off camber turns, not straight as an arrow.
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Any pricing on these new model tires yet?

They're in stock, and priced to move!
Plus, there's a $60 rebate from Bstone for a set of them, thru 4/30.
I bought a set ax41 here:
it's out of FT. Worth,TX, so there's state tax, but I
got it next day delivery. after purchase, same website files the rebate as well.

OTD, w/ rebate applied = $168 for two ax41 delivered , to fit my strom 650.
These tires will go on when i get around to doing western half of the KAT (Kentucky ADV trail) that runs through the Daniel Boone Nat'l Forest, and all the dirt & gravel roads between Cherokee Nat' Forests, Maggie Valley, & Asheville, NC.
I think the AX41 will be perfect for this type of woods.
 
Awesome Dao, your the first around here i know of thats bought these . I was hoping they would be cheaper czuse im thinking those european eo7's are being effected by tarriffs (too much $$). I may buy my next set later this year because I know Bridgestone has always made high quality tires.
 
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