Another Tire Thread (new rider)

Automaton25 said:

Hello Everyone,

I have a 2012 Versys 650 I just bought and it is in need of some new shoes. I will be riding in Colorado for the better part of 3 seasons rain or shine. I'm new to the bike and new to the street but have been riding dirt for a couple years. This bike will be nearly 100% street with a very rare fire road. I've read that it's hard to beat the Michelin road series but I was hoping not to spend that much. Anything close as far as performance/longevity goes for less? I ride and like Kenda tires on dirt but they don't seem to have anything for this bike.

I'm open to any and all suggestions so long as they are primarily a street tire.

Cheers,
Andrew

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My two favourite tires to date are the Scorpion 1 (2 is supposedly better and longer wearing, wore fast but griped better than anything else on loose dirt and tiny gravel on pavement - but only during first 50% of wear) and the Metzler Roadtec which I am currently using and is a great feeling, handling and wearing all weather tire. My experience with bargain tires like Contimotions is avoid them. They are cheap for a reason, cheaper rubber compounds that are slippery in the wet and cold. Michelins I have used (Pilot Road 2's and 3's) have been premium priced and good but not really fantastic which I want at that price point. The fronts wore fast and contributed to an unsteady feeling in corners perhaps due to on them wear.

Also there is no such thing as dual purpose tires that grip well off road and allow you to ride in a confident but relaxed, sporty manner on the street. You will feel like you're riding in the rain on them, at least to some extent, when on dry pavement. There is always a trade off. You just have to pick a trade off that suits your style of riding and you are comfortable with. Tires with a sharper profile will feel better and more secure in the corners.

Unless you are riding lots of dirt roads at higher speeds my advice would be stick with sport tour type tires. Adventure tires like the Scorpion and Metzler Tourance Next are essentially sport tour tires with slightly courser treads - still decent performing on pavement with an improvement on loose surfaces (when they are new) but not really an off road tire and no better than the average sport tour tire on loose surface grip when worn to 50% or beyond. There is also the Pirelli MT 60 which probably comes closest to an excellent compromise tire for the Versys. It performs well on and off road with few vices (when new) but suffers from very fast wear and performance degradation with wear (off road) due to a soft rubber compound on that allows the compromise. I believe it was stock equipment on an adventure model of the Versys 650 marketed briefly in Europe we did not get.

For the riding I do, 99% pavement, I prefer higher quality sport tour tires like the Metzler Roadtec 1. I'm OK with the slower speeds they require on dirt roads. The longer wear and excellent grip throughout their life means you can offset the intial cost. The Pirelli Angel GT 2 is supposedly one of the best tested sport tour tires on the market currently although I have no experience with them. Quality sport tour tires strike that balance of dry, wet, and cold grip with long wear and sportier cross sectional profile which I find ideal. Your results may vary.

Check out the Ryan at FortNine channel on YouTube. He did a few good videos on the subject.

Automaton25 said:

Will the dual sport tires like the shinko e705 mentioned above handle sand/gravel on paved roads better?

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A lot of members seems to like it but I strongly disagree and I will never put it again. You can tell just by looking at the thread hat it is useless in sand or mud. As for packed gravel, any road tire will work. You either need knobs or you don't. Simple as that.

Tulsazorro said:

You didn't say what tires you ARE using though. What are they?

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I didn't say because the 50/50 knobbies don't seem to answer the question.
I'm trying hard not to hijack too many threads...
There are many tire threads already.

But since you asked, by far the best rear is the motoz tractionator adventure (grip as well as the anakee wild, but lasts at least 50% more from the 14mm thread depth).

The least worst front (because of limited choices) is the tkc80.

I would never buy AGAIN:
-k60 scout (continuous strip = no grip),
-shinko 705 (low grip),
-shinko 805 (side slip too much though amazing in sand),
-heidenau k73 (low grip, low milage, much cupping, unstable because centre groove)
-ax41: (good grip but lower mileage than anakee wild)

I would never buy MT60. Very thin rubber would wear in record time. Reminds me of k73.

I would buy again my former favorites if I couldn't get the motoz: anakee wild (excellent grip but lower mileage than motoz).

If I will return to only pavement and dry rural packed dirt (no rock no hills no mud no grass no sand no snow), then I would return to michelin pilot road 4 (PR4), with its most welcomed 19000-21000km avg.

And FWIW - I am VERY HAPPY using SHINKO E705 tires on BOTH my V650s, and I DO ride on paved and on dirt roads, but I do NOT ride TRAILS or SAND or MUD, unless you include roads like the Dempster Hwy (in the NWT), about 500 miles of dirt EACH way. Here's a few pics of what it CAN be....

P6202131 by Ed Copeman, on Flickr

P6202134 by Ed Copeman, on Flickr

P6202148 by Ed Copeman, on Flickr

P6212166 by Ed Copeman, on Flickr

P6212174 by Ed Copeman, on Flickr

P6222210 by Ed Copeman, on Flickr

Automaton25 said:

Hello Everyone,

I have a 2012 Versys 650 I just bought and it is in need of some new shoes. I will be riding in Colorado for the better part of 3 seasons rain or shine. I'm new to the bike and new to the street but have been riding dirt for a couple years. This bike will be nearly 100% street with a very rare fire road. I've read that it's hard to beat the Michelin road series but I was hoping not to spend that much. Anything close as far as performance/longevity goes for less? I ride and like Kenda tires on dirt but they don't seem to have anything for this bike.

I'm open to any and all suggestions so long as they are primarily a street tire.

Cheers,
Andrew

Click to expand...

My riding style on my '15 is a bit "spirited". I'm on my 14th rear tire with 72k miles. Inflation pressures just 2-4 lbs over factory specifications. I bought the bike used with totally worn out factory tires on it. The previous owner went to the dealer for new tires and left with a new Trans Alp.

Some folks get more mileage by over inflating. JMHO, but I don't like giving up some safety to make a tire last a bit longer as I tend to use all of the tire.

I've had three Shinko rears, average life 3500 miles. Better for dirt than actual road tires, not overly inspiring for road use. After Shinkos I went to Pirelli Angel GT. There is no going back to the Shinkos after install a real sport touring tire. I've tried the Angels, Dunlop RS3, 023 and T-31 Evo Bridgestones. The RS3 and Angels lasted 5500 to 6000 miles, the T-31 about 4500. I buy the T-31 now as they run about $105 in rebate season.

The t-31, Angel, and RS3 all handle and ride quite well. A lot smoother ride than the Shinkos. The difference is quite noticeable.

Keep in mind my riding style is quite aggressive and I ride it mostly in the twistys, hence lower mileages than most. But the above info can give you an idea of wear ranges.

I've not tried any Michelins on the bike. I tried PR3s on a previous bike and was quite dissatisfied with the cupping on them as they aged. I've not tried the PR4 or 5. The road tires listed above all gave excellent handling right to the end.