Author Topic: Karoo Street (Read 839 times)

GravelFox · « **on:** September 13, 2018, 05:55:26 pm »

Anyone experience with new Karoo Street on LCs (rear)? Want to go a bit more street, but do not fancy those “slick” tyres. Had 2 sets of Karoo 3 with only about 5,000kms per set. Had one set of Heidenau K60s and doubled mileage. Put another one on but had a scare earlier this year with it. Damp road and white line. Know that K60s in wet is not good.

Any experience appreciated.

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Blikkies1 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 13, 2018, 06:00:43 pm »

Just fitted the E07's after watching a vid of a guy who runs a fleet of 30+ adventure bikes claiming to get 13k km on a set, ride to Moorreesburg in the rain last week and they held up perfectly - avoided white lines though so judgement is out on that part.

DirtRebell · « **Reply #2 on:** September 13, 2018, 06:09:53 pm »

Quote from: Blikkies1 on September 13, 2018, 06:00:43 pm

Just fitted the E07's after watching a vid of a guy who runs a fleet of 30+ adventure bikes claiming to get 13k km on a set, ride to Moorreesburg in the rain last week and they held up perfectly - avoided white lines though so judgement is out on that part.

I guess its all about riding style.
The way they rde in those groups thats a fair amount of km.
I struggled to get 8 000 on the one I had on.

Best I got was 11 000 on a Motaz tractionator. I'd get that tire any day again, but stock was an issue.

BLK · « **Reply #3 on:** September 13, 2018, 07:13:06 pm »

Why do you guys always worry about getting as much milage out of a set of tyres.Why not not worry about the grip and when they are done,throw them out.Karoo streets are looking good.

73 Peanut · « **Reply #4 on:** September 13, 2018, 08:01:34 pm »

I have hit major ruts and even smashed so hard that my shock seals blew but my karoo 3 has never let me down . Done about 5000km on my present tyre and am still very happy . Would not push my luck in the wet. Karoo 3 on the front will always get you home when on gravel . Every tyre has a purpose so decide what you are going to use it for. Not for high speed racing because you will crap yourself .

Blikkies1 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 13, 2018, 08:17:30 pm »

Just paid R4 800 for E07's fitted, if I I have to do that 3x a year + 1x major and 2x minor services it becomes twatwaffle expensive, finding a balance between safety/performance and longevity matters to some.

GravelFox · « **Reply #6 on:** September 13, 2018, 08:28:05 pm »

Do understand that there is a tyre for every condition. As I am not only using the bike for one condition, itbis about a happy medium and understand shortcomings with such a choice. Money do play a role (mileage) as with services the services it can be a bit costly.

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Imran · « **Reply #7 on:** September 14, 2018, 08:28:05 am »

Just got the bike back yesterday afternoon, after having fitted a set of "Karoo Street" tyres! Will be my first experience on these, after Anakee Wild and Heidenau K60! Will keep posting over time to comment on what I've experienced

TheBear · « **Reply #8 on:** September 14, 2018, 11:34:24 am »

Quote from: BLK on September 13, 2018, 07:13:06 pm

Why do you guys always worry about getting as much milage out of a set of tyres.Why not not worry about the grip and when they are done,throw them out.Karoo streets are looking good.

Because that "throw them out" exercise is rather nasty on the budget.

GravelFox · « **Reply #9 on:** September 14, 2018, 12:05:39 pm »

That will be very nice Imran. I still have a good Karoo3 front tire and might combine it with a Karoo Street @ back once I get some feedback.

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Famous Fanus · « **Reply #10 on:** September 14, 2018, 08:49:40 pm »

Fitted mine on Saturday. So far so good but i am experiencing alot of road noise. Anybody else experiencing the same? Does it get better after a while?

Imran · « **Reply #11 on:** September 20, 2018, 09:29:50 am »

Ok, so after a bit of testing: this is what I've noticed, the Karoo Streets are in my opinion a 60/40 tyre, the do a damn fine performance on the tar, easy to throw the 1200 into and out of corners, have great grip at both low and high speeds. On the gravel side, I experienced slight wheel slip on inclines on rocky/shale surface, not scary but I suppose you get used to how the tyre behaves. Ruts and grassy patches were taken in their stride, mildly sandy surface did get the rear to dance, a little. By comparison, not as "notchy" as the "wilds" and not as slippery as the K60s on tar. Some have complained of "noise". I have'nt heard the singing.
All in all, I like these! I hope they offer the same lifespan as the K60s

GravelFox · « **Reply #12 on:** September 20, 2018, 01:19:31 pm »

Thanks Imran. Good feedback. Lets see what the tyre gives. This will give me time to first use up my K60 @ the rear.

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dustlover · « **Reply #13 on:** September 25, 2018, 03:09:58 pm »

Imran,
Good feedback, thanks. I'm keen to know more of the road noise from the front. I would expect them to be quieter then a Karoo 3 or a Heidenau but I have a 90/10 Bridgestone and that's still noisy as heck. Do you wear ear plugs? Do you really not hear the front tyre?
Cheers

heti · « **Reply #14 on:** September 25, 2018, 03:32:26 pm »

I just wish there was some way to know how puncture resistant these tyres are, other than anecdotal evidence. I suspect that the more street orientated tyres, like this one and the Scorpion STR for example, are not as tough as their more off-road biased cousins.

Imran · « **Reply #15 on:** September 26, 2018, 08:36:26 am »

Did the Parys "loop", on the way back between Losberg and Syferfontein on the N12, a relatively "new" section of tar, at exactly 117km/h the front tyre howled. Increase or decrease the speed, the noise goes away! Did this a few times, just to convince myself. The new tar surface was rough, the stones hadn't yet worn down to the "smoothness" you would expect from the black top, so that may have contributed to the increased noise. But, why at a particular speed, I have no idea. Perhaps, a physicist here with knowledge on dynamics of behavioural forces may offer a theory.
I do have in-helmet speakers to listen to the ipod, that could also account for the loss of ambient sounds emerging from the tyre!

Crankshaft · « **Reply #16 on:** September 29, 2018, 03:37:48 am »

Quote from: GravelFox on September 14, 2018, 12:05:39 pm

That will be very nice Imran. I still have a good Karoo3 front tire and might combine it with a Karoo Street @ back once I get some feedback.

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Ek het my karoo 3 agter vervang met die karoo street, overall baie lekker band. Geen pad geraas soos karoo 3 nie. Het al grondpad met hom ook gery en baie happy. Maak net seker jy blaas hom n bietjie af.

Voor hou ek by my karoo 3’s.

Crankshaft · « **Reply #17 on:** September 29, 2018, 03:43:39 am »

Quote from: dustlover on September 25, 2018, 03:09:58 pm

Imran,
Good feedback, thanks. I'm keen to know more of the road noise from the front. I would expect them to be quieter then a Karoo 3 or a Heidenau but I have a 90/10 Bridgestone and that's still noisy as heck. Do you wear ear plugs? Do you really not hear the front tyre?
Cheers

Een van my vriende commute elke dag en het ook sy voorste karoo 3 vervang met karoo street op sy F800Gs. Hy’s baie happy. Handle baie goed en BAIE minder pad geraas

Tman21 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 15, 2019, 05:32:42 pm »

Any more feesback regarding this?

Im between Karoo Street and The Pirelli's Rally STR that has been mentioned above.
{Started a new thread but the infor here has already helped a bit)

@Imran i really appreciate the 60/40 comment as the 50/50 tyres just dont sit well with me as I do only 20% dirt but I like to play on both tar and dirt.

Brucet · « **Reply #19 on:** August 16, 2019, 09:02:00 am »

At the beginning of this year I fitted Karoo Streets to my 2018 1200 GSA, about a week before a trip to CT and back to JHB. We did Swartberg Pass on the way down and Tankwa Karoo on the way back. All in all about 400kms of dirt and 1200kms of tar.
I fitted them a week before so that they could get some heat cycles into them before the trip.

I found the following:
- They do make a noise at certain speeds. IIRC between 90km/h and about 118km/h. Im a slow rider and generally keep to about 125km/h on the highway but compared to knobblies they make no noise.
- Tar they handled very well but wet tar I was not as confident. I also found, on the highway just before Bloem, heading south that they were very scary and did not like the repairs where tar/bituman (?) had been used to fill in the cracks in the road. The road was wet at the time and the bike was sliding all over the place almost like when you cross white painted lines when they are wet. My mate who rode with me said he did not notice anything when riding over those repairs. (he had tourance's on)
- In the karoo the front end seemed to be all over the place on roads with course sand and stones on them. I did not have confidence in their handling at all.
- When I got back from the trip, having done around 3400kms the rear tyre was squared off and I would say about 50% worn - the cross tread/groove between the moon shaped tread was totally gone leaving only the moon shaped tread. (see pic below where i have circled in blue)
- I did not get any punctures.

I traded in the bike soon after I got back so cant say how long they would last but I doubt they would see 10k kms safely.

My next set of tyres will be Anakee Adventures based on feedback I have received so far. If I do places like Magadigadi or Namibia, I will fit knobblies.

Picture taken after about 3kms of riding only.