How to choose the right tires for long motorcycle trip?

Everything you need to know about the motorcycle touring tires.

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To buy the right tires for long motorcycle trip sounds like really difficult task. In this video I will talk about the most popular options and give you some very practical advices how to choose the right tires. Today we have so many different experts and sellers will try to convince you that their tires are much better than others or that will have a better traction and last longer. First and very important is to understand that there are no universal tires. Every choice is a compromise. For example, 100% street tire will work great on the asphalt, but very poor off road and absolutely useless in the mud. On the other hand knobby tires will be perfect on the motocross track, but terrible on the street. Because of that, during the years, the big companies started to produce different variations: sport, touring, adventure, dual sport or any kind of creative names to make us believe that their tires are the best. But best for one, could be the worst for another. It is very subjective and depends from many different factors:
- The weight of your bike
- The type roads you going to ride
- Your riding style
- The mileage you plan to make during your trip
- The temperatures in your time schedule
Each one of these factors could help your tire to last longer or destroy it faster. Let have a look to one of the most popular options:
Number one – road tires or touring tires
They will be maybe 90% road and 10% off road orientated. Examples are Continental road attack or Michelin Pilot. The reason of that is because they will have much larger surface are in contact with the road. The block will be much wider and the channels will be not that deep. And because of that the bike will be more stable when you ride on the high speed or when cornering for example. Because of the large surface area they provide much longer mileage. These tires are perfect for long trips in which you will stay 90% of the time on the asphalt. Ok, what the rest 10% will give you? Nothing, it is just good marketing strategy to sell the model easier and get to those small percent of possible buyers who might want to try some off road terrains.
Number two – Adventure tires
They will be 80% - 20%, 70%-30% or even 60%-40% road - off road orientated. Some examples are Mitas 07and Heidenau K60 scout. Here we can see a much different structure. The blocks are not that big and they have wider channels between. Also they have this large central line, which helps to have longer millage compare to some of the competitors. These tires will provide good traction on the pavement, but also decent grip when you ride off road. That basically means that you can ride on road, but also in some light off road section, like gravel, smooth dirt roads, some rocky terrains, but no mud or hard off road. You can, but it’s really depends from your riding skills and from the weight of your motorcycle. There are very good option for those who plan a long trip, but with possible off road sections.
Number three – Dual sport or more aggressive tires.
They are usually 50%-50% or even 40%-60% road - off road orientated. The good examples will be Continental TKC 80 or Metzeler Karroo 3. Here we can see that the blocks are smaller and the channels are wider and the centre line does not exist. Also the sharp edges here will dig into the soft ground and will hold your bike much better. The larger gap, between the blocks, will aloud the tire to self clean from the mud while you ride. Of course all of this coming with the curtain price. On the road this tires will be more flexible and a little tricky on the corners, especially when you worn it out. Another one down side is that they finish pretty quick. I really like TKC 80 and use in almost all of my trips, because they give me the confidence I need on and off road, but I have to confess that the mileage they provide is not much. You have to keep in mind that if you ride heavy dual sport bike, like GS 1200 or Super Tenere and you ride mostly highways, they will finish even quicker. These tires will be perfect solution if you plan a trip with a lot of off road mileage and you want to have a better as possible traction on it.

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