Hey everyone,
Let me preface this by stating I've heavily modified my 300 but neglected tires and mirrors, and a short summary of events leads to a question of advice on tires with specific usage in mind.
Got my 2017 Versys-X 300 in August 2018 and did some light off roading thrice. Performance was fine for what I was doing, though I did get nervous by some fishtailing in the wet. As a completely new rider, both on and off-road, I wanted to begin to build my experience in the various areas of riding.
Rode the bike through winter though not when there was snow on the ground, and stock tires handled it fine.
Fast forward to last weekend (April 28, 2019) and I went off road for the first time of 2019 with a big local group, and joined their easiest route though it started real rough. I made a mistake trying to get around a muddy puddle and clipped the edge. Tires went left, bike went right and I went down with it. I didn't realize the edge of the puddle was the edge of a steep hill, and my leg getting caught between the bike and the ground saved me from tumbling down the 70 degree hill.
That was at 18 km in to an 80km ride, and I was pretty shaken and thought to limp back to base camp. I got some good encouragement from the other riders in the group who helped pick me and the bike up, and nothing was damaged aside from a loosened mirror and a dislodged muffler guard. I actually finished the day as the trail got easier (hardest part was the beginning) though I took it easy for the first half after the spill, as my back tire kept sliding left and right, finally the trail got easier and at some dryer stuff I got my confidence back.
Aftermath
My day aside, I saw another thread on here about tires, but didn't really come to a conclusion. For myself, my riding is 90% on road, with 10% weekend warrior, but because of where I live, Vancouver, the surrounding wilderness is wet and muddy most of the time. Sand is not a concern but gravel and wet pavement is.
Of note I've only just past 3000km on the bike, since my commute is so short and I've yet to really attempt any touring (though, it is something I am thinking of). I'm not a canyon carver, heck, still trying not to get nervous on sharp corners at highway speeds, but obviously I know I need a tire that can still be safe on road.
You may even be able to tell me that fishtailing is actually totally normal even on better tires and that I just need to practice more to be able to handle it when the bike starts to slide, so even some solid riding advice would be appreciated. I am standing and using my legs and knees, though I think I could do with some handlebar risers and properly adjust all the instruments for a standing position.
I was about to purchase a set of Shinko e805 but saw that the tread pattern is in rows and reviews state it has poor performance in the mud.
So of my criteria:
Good performance in: mud, wet pavement
Not worried about: longevity
Even if you don't have any specific advice, hopefully we can have an interesting discussion of your adventures taking your bike off-roading for the first few times!
Let me preface this by stating I've heavily modified my 300 but neglected tires and mirrors, and a short summary of events leads to a question of advice on tires with specific usage in mind.
Got my 2017 Versys-X 300 in August 2018 and did some light off roading thrice. Performance was fine for what I was doing, though I did get nervous by some fishtailing in the wet. As a completely new rider, both on and off-road, I wanted to begin to build my experience in the various areas of riding.
Rode the bike through winter though not when there was snow on the ground, and stock tires handled it fine.
Fast forward to last weekend (April 28, 2019) and I went off road for the first time of 2019 with a big local group, and joined their easiest route though it started real rough. I made a mistake trying to get around a muddy puddle and clipped the edge. Tires went left, bike went right and I went down with it. I didn't realize the edge of the puddle was the edge of a steep hill, and my leg getting caught between the bike and the ground saved me from tumbling down the 70 degree hill.
That was at 18 km in to an 80km ride, and I was pretty shaken and thought to limp back to base camp. I got some good encouragement from the other riders in the group who helped pick me and the bike up, and nothing was damaged aside from a loosened mirror and a dislodged muffler guard. I actually finished the day as the trail got easier (hardest part was the beginning) though I took it easy for the first half after the spill, as my back tire kept sliding left and right, finally the trail got easier and at some dryer stuff I got my confidence back.
Aftermath
My day aside, I saw another thread on here about tires, but didn't really come to a conclusion. For myself, my riding is 90% on road, with 10% weekend warrior, but because of where I live, Vancouver, the surrounding wilderness is wet and muddy most of the time. Sand is not a concern but gravel and wet pavement is.
Of note I've only just past 3000km on the bike, since my commute is so short and I've yet to really attempt any touring (though, it is something I am thinking of). I'm not a canyon carver, heck, still trying not to get nervous on sharp corners at highway speeds, but obviously I know I need a tire that can still be safe on road.
You may even be able to tell me that fishtailing is actually totally normal even on better tires and that I just need to practice more to be able to handle it when the bike starts to slide, so even some solid riding advice would be appreciated. I am standing and using my legs and knees, though I think I could do with some handlebar risers and properly adjust all the instruments for a standing position.
I was about to purchase a set of Shinko e805 but saw that the tread pattern is in rows and reviews state it has poor performance in the mud.
So of my criteria:
Good performance in: mud, wet pavement
Not worried about: longevity
Even if you don't have any specific advice, hopefully we can have an interesting discussion of your adventures taking your bike off-roading for the first few times!