the_wes
Grey Hound
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2007
- Messages
- 8,751
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Brackenfell, Cape Town
- Bike
- Harley Davidson (all models)
So it's almost tyre replacement time for the W650... because of the way I'm customising the bike (slowly but surely) I am leaning heavily towards the scrambler vibe. Problem is I sit with odd tyre sizes: 100/90 19" front and 130/18 18" rear. I can squeeze a 120 or 140 on the rear, but the front has to be spot on.
For the photo shoot Garage Magazine did with the bike we put a Mitas E-09 on the front and a Michelen T63 on the rear. The tyres were fun on gravel, but no good for daily use on a bike that spends 80-90% of it's time on tar (and does just the occasional gravel road here or there).
I am a big fan of the Metzeler Sahara as a dual purpose tyre with great road manners, but it doesn't come in a 100/90 19" front. So my thinking is this - put a Sahara (or a Pirelli Scorp) on the rear, and then what for the front? I am leaning towards a TKC80 front, as it looks great - but how good is the TKC80 on tar?
Any ideas or feedback appreciated... I know I am sacrificing some road handling if I go with these sorts of tyres, but I've been riding bikes on everything from Anakees to Pirelli MT21's for the last few years, so it's not a worry. I just don't want to go for full on knobblies, as it just makes absolutely no sense...
For the photo shoot Garage Magazine did with the bike we put a Mitas E-09 on the front and a Michelen T63 on the rear. The tyres were fun on gravel, but no good for daily use on a bike that spends 80-90% of it's time on tar (and does just the occasional gravel road here or there).
I am a big fan of the Metzeler Sahara as a dual purpose tyre with great road manners, but it doesn't come in a 100/90 19" front. So my thinking is this - put a Sahara (or a Pirelli Scorp) on the rear, and then what for the front? I am leaning towards a TKC80 front, as it looks great - but how good is the TKC80 on tar?
Any ideas or feedback appreciated... I know I am sacrificing some road handling if I go with these sorts of tyres, but I've been riding bikes on everything from Anakees to Pirelli MT21's for the last few years, so it's not a worry. I just don't want to go for full on knobblies, as it just makes absolutely no sense...
