new tire coming up Karoo 3

For me the Shinko 705 is the only tire that I've been unhappy with. not good on or off road. but then again, you get what you pay for. they are pretty cheap. I personally think a better 50/50 tire would be the Mitas E-07. Good price. Great tire.

Does anyone know which sizes of the Karoo 3's are tube and which are tubeless?

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.co...tzeler-Karoo-3-Rear-Tire.aspx?WT.ac=SLIsearch

Click on "Choose Size". TL = TubeLess, TT = TubeType

Yeah, but the 150/70R 17 is only available TL, which is OK I since the TKC80 are tubeless as well, you just put a tube in ...

petzi-baer

Can't help you there, I was just answering the dude's question...

Once again, thanks for the info guys!

I'm thinking this might be my next tire. I took my 1200 Adventure into a pasture this weekend and quickly regretted it. The mud was so soft that the blocks on the Tourance tires filled up instantly and I lost all control. After 2 falls, it was time to see how quickly I could get back to tarmac.

I know this is the parallel universe forum, but I'd like to hear other opinions on this tire. Most of my riding is on the street but on the rare occasion I need knobs, I really need knobs.

Agree - shouldn't be a problem to use TL tyres with tubes. Only a problem the other way around, ie using TT tyres without a tube.

I see we have a 170/60-17 for these now...

They look absolutely rubbish.

The front pattern is going to give very poor stability off-road, it's going to want to slide side-to-side easily.

And both front and read are going to be bad on the road since the spacing between the grooves is so big, they're going to be noisy and wear quickly.

What you want is a big pattern but that there is a "continuation" in the contact patch to the road - that's why the tkc80 is so good.

looks like there is only an $8 difference between the Karoo 3 and the K60 on Revzilla. I'm running TKC's now and have been looking at the K60's but now may give these Karoos a shot. Shipping is now early April, looking forward to reading a few reviews!

You, obviously, have never ridden on a Metzler Sahara Enduro 3.

they are out there, so before bashing them around how about testing them? I think they have a little more experience with tires than you have and wouldn't have brought them up if they'd be worse than the old one. My local dealer tested them in marrocco during january and absolutely loved them, so much that he has equipped his GS and KTM with it. A selling technique he's trying? Don't think so since I know him really well and he told me to wait to buy them at least for the summer so that the price would go down. And since the old Karoo is staying in the catalogue (for now?) he'd prefer mounting me a pair of them at least as long as the longevity isn't confirmed.

Tried to have it installed on my to be delivered BMW F800 GS. Read favourable tests and my dealer confirmed it to be good, as he rode in two weeks ago in Marokko.

However, according to him, it will not be available soon.:huh

The rear might be ok, the front might also be ok as long as it's dry. But I wouldn't trust that front tyre on anything slippery like mud or grass. If you want a really good tyre-set that works both on-road and off-road I think the dunlop 908s will be hard to beat.



Or if you want more touring/road performance, the classic TKC80:


Notice how both these front tyres have pleny of sideways grip while the karoo 3 just has a big sideways groove, very strange design.

But I could be wrong.... they could have worked magic.... you are right, I haven't tested the tyre.....

Coming up: The Karoo 4:




Designed with the perfect thread patter after extensive research being done as to how most adventure bikes actually are being used...






On a more serious note: No - you can't fully value a tyre just be looking at it. But I think I have enough experience to give a pretty good guestimate. The Karoo3 front is going to be good for touing and light offroad in dry conditions. Possible it's going to be quite good in sand. It's however going to be appaling in muddy/slippery conditions.

The rear doesn't matter as much as the front, and the rear does look like it has a pretty good "cleansing pattern". It's also probably going to be quite good in dry conditions. But I worry what's going to happen when it's been worn a little and those edges aren't so sharp anymore.

Clearly this is a touring tyre that also can handle light dry offroad. I think it will be good at that but perform poorly in more slippery and muddy conditions.

huh...they look just like the Anakee 3

.

Boy I'm going to mount up the Karoo 3 rear with the TKC front. just seems like a good combo for my 50/50 needs. If I can Scrape and the TK keeps the 3 behind me in the rough I'll be a happy lad. Promise to get back w a review.;

I was wondering about that same very combo, i'll be interested in what you think. You should report back with a performance report soon and then after 6 months or so you can report back about wear... i know it didn't take long for me to see wear happen on my tkc 80s.