Hey Guys, I'm new to motorcycle as well as riding. I recently passed the full licence, got myself a beautiful black Scrambler. I would like to make it my own and do some mods. I like the enduro look of some dual-sport tires like the Continental TKC80 but I have some questions about these type of tires. Do they grip as well as standard ones? Would it be adapted for commuting in in the city and could they wear faster than in off road conditions? Cheers
Hi Matt, TKC 80's are very much off-road tyres,TKC 70's are little more mixed terrain jobbies, but there are lots of other alternatives such Heidenau tyres, Trailwings, etc etc. On-road tyre designs have certain characteristics,off-road tyres are significantly different -so trying to find something with the look of an offroader but the security on road is not an easy task, but not insurmountable. Just bear in mind that if you are 100% on-road, using a 'mixed' will be a compromise.
Off road tyres will never be as good as road tyres. They don't grip as well, especially in the wet, due to a lot less rubber being in contact with the ground and less silica in the tyre compound, they will wear a lot faster than if only used off road, where the mud deforms and tarmac doesn't. My Michelin AC10 on the front of my KTM has worn down in 1200 miles and the strangest of wear patterns !!! The shoulder knobblies are now triangular sloping back from the leading edge. I understand why you would want them, they look awesome on the scrambler, but it will seriously compromise on road handling, braking and tyre life. But go for it, cos they look cool ;-)
Hey MrOrange, Thank you for sharing your experience, I also had the same feeling. But I must say 1200 miles, that's just really short-lived. Being a new rider, I think I'll stick to the stock ones and get some experience before changing.
Hi TheBigLad, Thank you very much for this, I didn't know the difference. I'll take a closer look at various models and brands. But I'm going to wait to gain some more road experience before making a choice if the off-road tires have less grip.
I had TKC80s on my Transalps and ridden France on them to Pyrenees and back and plenty of off roading down there they are great when new and can be pushed further than you can sometimes imagine... even in the wet. Wales tends to have a fair bit of rain !! Heidenau K60s are ace also. Worst for me in the wet handling dept was Mitas E07s but wear pretty well. I went with TKC80 front and Mitas on the back in the end. I did use an AC10 on my XR400 and they were fine for lighter bikes, but think a bigger trailie wasnt the ideal bike to put them on. Michelin T63 was a good rear tyre also
I've fitted Heidenau K60 scout dual sport tyres and once they've 'rounded in' they've been fine, plenty of grip...
