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ADV Gravel Riders - What Tires?

I had the TKC 80 front and a Shinko E-805 Rear. We did a bit of fast highway blasting in places and a LOT of dirt, gravel, and sand in the mountains. Other than in one section that was really muddy from rain the night before, the tires did great. We rode for seven days. The tires were maybe half gone by the end.

:tab The 805 rear is cheap compared to the TKC 80, last just as long, and has about 80% the performance in the loose stuff. If I know I am going to be doing a lot of nastiness, I will still use the TKC 80 rear. As for the front, I pretty much only run the TKC 80. My default right now is TKC 80 front and Shinko 805 rear.

:tab I did have some sliding on the Shinko 705s on dry pavement and I wasn't even really pushing. The front started to go, so I gave it a bit of throttle, which made the front come back, but then the rear started to slip. I went back and forth a few times between the front and rear sliding a bit. It wasn't major sliding, just that twitch feeling before it really lets go all the way. I was totally not expecting it but was able to nurse it through the corner and back upright. It happened more than once, so I got rid of those tires. The rear 805 has not done it either. I've not yet tried the front 805.

Maybe 3000 or so. Not really much better than the TKC, but cheaper. It also tends to slide easier in corners. In a straight line, they behave the same.

This is what confused me.

Looks like there is a $48 difference between the 805 and TKC80 for my bike.
 
Two cases of sliding.

For pavement:

:tab It was the front/rear 705 combo that was sliding on pavement. I've not used the 804 front yet, for dirt or pavement. I've not yet had the rear 805 slide on pavement. I've never had the TKC 80 front or rear slide on pavement. I have run that same corner where I had the 705s slide, at the same and higher speed, under the same conditions, and with numerous other tires (Anakees, Tourances, and K60s). The 705s were the only ones that slid.

For dirt:

:tab The 805 rear has a tendency to side slip more easily than the TKC 80s in dirt. It is not a real problem unless you are pushing hard or if you are riding in rough conditions where the surface is off camber and the tire wants to slide down the slope. For most of my riding, it is a non issue. The TKCs will side slip as well, just not so readily. So unless I am going to be riding in conditions where I want the absolute best grip, I don't typically mount the rear TKCs anymore.

:tab I am heading to Colorado at the end of July. I'll be riding the GS on some of the less technical passes and some highways. I currently have an 805 rear with about 800-1000 miles on it, maybe 2/3 of the tread remaining. The TKC front is also at about 2/3 tread remaining. I don't think I will replace either before the trip (although I might take a few of those half worn tires I mentioned before... just in case ;-)). Parking lot tire changes are easy to do.
 
I rode quite a bit of Utah with the Mitas E07 and was very happy on and off road. Just FYI

Wish I was going with you guys :(
 
Two cases of sliding.

For pavement:

:tab It was the front/rear 705 combo that was sliding on pavement. I've not used the 804 front yet, for dirt or pavement. I've not yet had the rear 805 slide on pavement. I've never had the TKC 80 front or rear slide on pavement. I have run that same corner where I had the 705s slide, at the same and higher speed, under the same conditions, and with numerous other tires (Anakees, Tourances, and K60s). The 705s were the only ones that slid.

For dirt:

:tab The 805 rear has a tendency to side slip more easily than the TKC 80s in dirt. It is not a real problem unless you are pushing hard or if you are riding in rough conditions where the surface is off camber and the tire wants to slide down the slope. For most of my riding, it is a non issue. The TKCs will side slip as well, just not so readily. So unless I am going to be riding in conditions where I want the absolute best grip, I don't typically mount the rear TKCs anymore.

Got it, thanks.

I've been using the 804 front for 1500 miles or so now and I'm happy with it. Hasn't slipped anywhere for me. Even when trying to keep up with MacDaddy.

I guess I'll try an 805 rear next when the TKC80 rear gets low.

I rode quite a bit of Utah with the Mitas E07 and was very happy on and off road. Just FYI

I would like to try the Mitas rear, but they are so much more expensive than the TKC80's or Shinko 805's.
 
I wonder if I could run the 130/80-17 rear of the Trekrider tire on the front of my bike. The front is 120/70x17 from factory. If so, then I could run them on my Versys.

I have shinko 705's for now, burning through the rear faster than I'd like. Front doesn't want to go away it seems. Thinking of the 805 for my next rear just to get something to "hold" better than I can on the gravel roads.
 
Update on this. With the Arkansas trip coming up next week, I went ahead and swapped out my rear TKC80 for a new Shinko 805.

The TKC80 had 2720 miles on it and looked like it could go another 1,000 maybe. So, it appears that the TKC80 is a 3500 mile rear tire for me.

Interested to see how the Shinko 805 does by comparison in terms of mileage, feel and performance. The two tires are $41 difference in price and considerably cheaper than some of the others out there like the Mitas stuff.

The Shinko 804 on the front has 2720 miles on it and looks maybe half worn or less. Guessing I'll swap it with the next rear swap.

So running Shinko 804/805 front and rear now.

I've gotten used to the feel of knobbies on pavement now and really appreciate them the second the pavement ends. Unless I get tired of changing rear tires so frequently, I'm going to stick with this for now.
 
:tab If I were still racking up the miles like I used to before having kids, this would be a much bigger issue for me. Back then, with my VFR 800, I was mounting new tires about every 6-8 weeks. I was averaging 25-30K miles per year. That is why I started doing my own tires. It saved me a TON of money over having a dealer do them. It was a bit of a pain though. When I got my 1150 GS, just before our first kid was born, I was still doing those kinds of miles and was burning through a LOT of tires. I came REAL close to buying a second set of wheels so I could keep TKCs on one set and Tourance/Anakees on the other set. Even that is a poor compromise because I RARELY stayed either on the pavement or on the dirt only during rides. Which is why I did not buy the extra wheels, but there were a lot of GS riders (and still are) that have gone that route.

:tab Now, with three kids ranging from 10-13, I might change tires once a year, maybe twice if I have been lucky and done more riding than usual and have a trip approaching for which I want new tires.

:tab For me, it came down to safety. I found that I spent a lot of time riding dirt/gravel roads. So I was willing to change tires a bit more often and spend a bit more money just so I could have that extra control when I went off the pavement. Other than life span of the tires, I really don't feel like I have given up much in the way of performance on the pavement, but I have gained much more in the dirt. This means I am less likely to crash and get hurt. I hate getting hurt. It is WAY more expensive than a few tires ;-)

:tab I don't know if you do your own tires, but it is not that hard and it really can save you boat loads of money!
 
:tab :tab I don't know if you do your own tires, but it is not that hard and it really can save you boat loads of money!

I did this one. It was... an experience :)

It was sort of a training session for me. Coming from riding bicycles, especially touring on bicycles, one of the main things with that is knowing how to work on your bike on the side of the road, with changing flats being at the top of the list. So when I got into motorcycles, the idea of calling a tow truck when I get a flat is a pretty foreign concept to me.

So I bought all the tools I need to fix flats and carry them with me on the bike all the time. (tubes are a pain) So for this tire change, I only used the tools I had on the bike to change it out to find out if I could do it on the side of the road. It was a pain, it took a long while, there was cussing, some Googling, texting friends, but I got it done.

If fact, I realized I missed something after finishing and had to do it all over again. So technically I did it twice. Second time took just a fraction of the time the first one did. I also ended up investing in a chain alignment tool, 22mm and 27mm deep sockets and a 1/2" torque wrench to make sure I get it done right at home, so I guess I'm more committed to doing my own now.
 
So I just spooned on an old set of TKC's to finish wearing out in Arkansas next week. It's been so long since I rode on them I've forgotten what a good pressure is for those. 28 psi? What are you all getting good performance with?
 
Update on this. With the Arkansas trip coming up next week, I went ahead and swapped out my rear TKC80 for a new Shinko 805.

The TKC80 had 2720 miles on it and looked like it could go another 1,000 maybe. So, it appears that the TKC80 is a 3500 mile rear tire for me.

Interested to see how the Shinko 805 does by comparison in terms of mileage, feel and performance. The two tires are $41 difference in price and considerably cheaper than some of the others out there like the Mitas stuff.

The Shinko 804 on the front has 2720 miles on it and looks maybe half worn or less. Guessing I'll swap it with the next rear swap.

So running Shinko 804/805 front and rear now.

I've gotten used to the feel of knobbies on pavement now and really appreciate them the second the pavement ends. Unless I get tired of changing rear tires so frequently, I'm going to stick with this for now.
yep, on the AT, the TKC 80 rear is a 3500 mile tire, so is the Shinko. The Shinko performs the same, lasts the same and is cheaper. The Mitas 07 and Kendra K60 is a 7500 mile tire, more expensive but more miles. I change my own tires, but like to do it less often with the 07.
 
yep, on the AT, the TKC 80 rear is a 3500 mile tire, so is the Shinko. The Shinko performs the same, lasts the same and is cheaper. The Mitas 07 and Kendra K60 is a 7500 mile tire, more expensive but more miles. I change my own tires, but like to do it less often with the 07.

It looks like 6,000 miles is where the Mitas would become more cost effective than the Shinko 805 for me. Guess I could give it a try next.
 
It looks like 6,000 miles is where the Mitas would become more cost effective than the Shinko 805 for me. Guess I could give it a try next.
I get double that mileage from Mitas Dakars on a heavier Tenere. I've burned through 8 or 9 of them. Lowest mileage was just under 11k miles. Keep them inflated to 40psi. I don't air down for off pavement either. Sidewalls are so stiff on the Dakars you don't gain much by airing down. Only lose mileage due to hotter tire, faster wear.

Don't forget all the saved tire changes and for me less Ride-On. And not a single flat in all those miles. I never retired a Shinko 805, 705 or TKC without one or two rope plugs.

Sent from my SM-G860P using Tapatalk
 
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I ride with a couple guys on Teneres and they routinely got the mileage you have gotten and it's what prompted me to try a set of E07s.

Only problem was Mitas' only offered the E07 line in 170-17s and 120-19s was the E07+

I was not happy when after 2K miles, the rear tire was near 1/2 done. But then wear seemed to taper off. I'm now at 4500 miles and figure another 2K of life, left. I can easily see 10K out of the front.

I can only surmise that the tread compound changes as the tire wears through the tread. I haven't noted any different "feel" and rarely ride in the rain ... hasn't been a lot of opportunity in the last few months ...

I plan on September/October to be big travel months. I'm hoping for 5-6K miles. So I swapped out a new E07 yesterday for the rear and will reinstall the 1/2 done E07+ over the winter.

It helps to have a friend with an air conditioned shop, Coats tire machine and spin balancer and has given me the code to his shop.

Another data point and my experience with Mitas E07s
 
I generally run 25 psi front and rear. Much more than that and it feels harsh on rough terrain. Much less than that and it runs the risk of a bad hit to the rim. It is a compromise pressure between street and dirt. If I were going to be doing prolonged street, I’d go up to 36 f and maybe 40 r.
 
I put 90 miles on the newly installed Shinko 805 today on dirt, mud, gravel, one water crossing and pavement and it seemed to fare like the TKC80 so far.

I took it up to 107 mph and it seemed to handle it fine. Maybe better than the TKC80? Not sure.

There might be a hint more noise from it, but barely noticeable. Headed to the Arkansas dirt next weekend, hoping it does well there too.
 
I generally run 25 psi front and rear. Much more than that and it feels harsh on rough terrain. Much less than that and it runs the risk of a bad hit to the rim. It is a compromise pressure between street and dirt. If I were going to be doing prolonged street, I’d go up to 36 f and maybe 40 r.

Thanks Scott, I'm going with 25 psi then. :rider:
 
The newly installed Shinko 805 on the rear did fantastic over 350 miles of Arkansas dirt, gravel, sand, muddy water crossings, rocky water crossings, big loose rocks, steep rocky ledges and blacktop over this weekend.

I had my traction control set to either medium or high the whole time and I don't remember it kicking on unless I was intentionally trying to spin the back wheel for fun.

It kept this newbie safe as I kept putting myself in over my head. Pretty impressive for a $107 tire, I thought.
 
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The newly installed Shinko 805 on the rear did fantastic over 350 miles of Arkansas dirt, gravel, sand, muddy water crossings, rocky water crossings, big loose rocks, steep rocky ledges and blacktop over this weekend.

I had my traction control set to either medium or high the whole time and I don't remember it kicking on unless I was intentionally trying to spin the back wheel for fun.

It kept this newbie safe as I kept putting myself in over my head. Pretty impressive for a $107 tire, I thought.

My experience, yours will vary...Trac control can be troublesome if heading up steep hills off pavement, power loss equal control loss in those situations (btdt:doh:)

Your at is good to go !
 
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I'm a huge fan of the 804/805 been running themon my Strom since they came out. If I know I'm going to be running nearly all dirt I'll drop down to about 18 PSI. Havent had any rim issues thus far and I'm not nice to the bike. I rode these tires all over Southern California on jeep trails and forest service roads. I was amazed how much better they were than the All Terrain styled 705s which I had ran a lot prior to these.

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.
 
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My experience, yours will vary...Trac control can be troublesome if heading up steep hills off pavement, power loss equal control loss in those situations

I'm a huge fan of the 804/805

Yeah, I was worried about the traction control on the steep rocks on the K-Trail, but that Shinko 805 just wouldn't let go.

Was like riding a 600lb mountain goat.
 
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