TKC 80's

[Supahflid]

Originally Posted by Qwik

You would be surprised how far that front will go over. I do have CJs Medium peg extensions though.

My setup is the same, including the pegs and I too have drug pavement, although not often. I ain't always Qwik!

Also, just this weekend, I got the rear end loose a couple of times when turning; a little too liberal application of throttle and slightly damp roads were the problem. Generally, the Mefo feels squirrelly to me all the time; I keep the psi up in the mid to high thirties range for fear of pinch flats. When I first got my bike, I had four or five flats in just a couple of months. I finally learned my lesson and keep the psi up and run ultra heavy duty tubes.

[High Country Herb]

Originally Posted by Pantah

Another street tire with bigger grooves is the Pirelli Scorpion Sync, which comes on the Ducati MultiStrada.

The Multi now comes with the Scorpion Trail. I think it was Buel that was using the Sync on some models.

[Pantah]

Hey Too Tall - You need to start another thread in a forum that has people who know what you ride! These people recommend tires not available in a 17 inch front wheel. Ha Ha Ha... Really; this is the wrong place. There is little knowledge here at all.

[Ramv]

Originally Posted by Pantah

Hey Too Tall - You need to start another thread in a forum that has people who know what you ride! These people recommend tires not available in a 17 inch front wheel. Ha Ha Ha... Really; this is the wrong place. There is little knowledge here at all.

What tires aren't available in a 17" front? These ones are:

TKC-80
ContiTrail Attack
Pirelli Scorpion Trail
Avon Distanzia (Front only, widest rear is the 160)

I have had all four. I am amazed at how smooth the Distanzia and the TKC are on the road (fronts). The Trail Attack and the Scorpion almost feel like street bike tires. I haven't had much like with the scorps, I found they puncture easily on rocky roads. I just got the Trail Attacks, so no idea yet. I would probably consider the pair on an SMT for a long trip though. Or the TKCs if it was mainly dirt. No complaints there.

Most of my miles on the Multi was with a Distanzia front and Pilot Road (sport touring) rears. Fine, but aren't going anywhere if you encounter mud.

[Too Tall]

Thanks for all the adventure tire suggestions for our KTM SMT. It's the wife's bike and she needs a confidence inspiring tire for the Dempster, etc., especially if it rains. Til then, I'm getting her all the off-road experience I can on a DR650.

She's ridden to Alaska once and did fine on her Versys with a Distanza front and Tourance rear, both 17"ers. Plan to start with street tires and switch in Fairbanks or Anchorage.

[triplenickel]

Plan to start with street tires and switch in Fairbanks or Anchorage.

A TKC will be wasted before you hit the Dempster.

[Steveman]

Originally Posted by Eddieb

+1 My last one on my 950 lasted 8 days/3500km. The one before that I treated nicely and got about 5500km's.

Absolutely. If you want to have fun on pavement/tarmac then you definitely finish the rear in less than 4000km's. Some very good boyz get it to survive over 6000km's although I cant imagine how this works, Maybe it also has a lot to do with the grip. In the Italian Alps with its (mainly) super grippy roads you burn the rear tire in no time. As you say after a week its worn out.

Alternatively you could use a K60 rear tire but it has less grip and is somewhat behind the TKC offroads. I admit I never mix tires.

[Pantah]

I cannot find TKC Twinduro TKC 80's in a 120/70/17. That would be an ideal tire for the Dempster on that bike if you can get one, but google showed me only 17 rears, 18 rears, 19 fronts and 21 fronts...at least in the USA.

The Scorpion Trail is a street oriented tire not unlike the Dunlops mentioned earlier. The Dempster gets muddy. Even on dry days you get 200 yard lengths of mud.

That TKC 80 in a 120/70/17 would do the job, though.

Edit, this link says conti introduced the 120/70/17 this summer due to demand for the Duc MTS
http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/...twinduro-sizes

That'll do!

Originally Posted by Ramv

What tires aren't available in a 17" front? These ones are:

TKC-80
ContiTrail Attack
Pirelli Scorpion Trail
Avon Distanzia (Front only, widest rear is the 160)

I have had all four. I am amazed at how smooth the Distanzia and the TKC are on the road (fronts). The Trail Attack and the Scorpion almost feel like street bike tires. I haven't had much like with the scorps, I found they puncture easily on rocky roads. I just got the Trail Attacks, so no idea yet. I would probably consider the pair on an SMT for a long trip though. Or the TKCs if it was mainly dirt. No complaints there.

Most of my miles on the Multi was with a Distanzia front and Pilot Road (sport touring) rears. Fine, but aren't going anywhere if you encounter mud.

[Pantah]

Originally Posted by triplenickel

A TKC will be wasted before you hit the Dempster.

Not the front. The rear would have to be changed by Dawson.

[triplenickel]

Originally Posted by Pantah

Not the front. The rear would have to be changed by Dawson.

I figured that went without saying.

[High Country Herb]

Originally Posted by Pantah

I cannot find TKC Twinduro TKC 80's in a 120/70/17. That would be an ideal tire for the Dempster on that bike if you can get one, but google showed me only 17 rears, 18 rears, 19 fronts and 21 fronts...at least in the USA.

The Scorpion Trail is a street oriented tire not unlike the Dunlops mentioned earlier. The Dempster gets muddy. Even on dry days you get 200 yard lengths of mud.

That TKC 80 in a 120/70/17 would do the job, though.

Edit, this link says conti introduced the 120/70/17 this summer due to demand for the Duc MTS
http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/...twinduro-sizes

That'll do!

Yeah, they seem to be having a hard time keeping the TKC in stock. The Kenda Big Block is another alternative, but people are buying those up faster than they can make them too. I looked for both of those for over a month for my XL600, and finally gave up and bought a mismatched set of Dunlop/Pirelli knobbies that will probably go 1500 miles.

[syzygy9]

Very happy with the overall performance of a Mefo SE rear and Continue TKC 80 front for highway, dirt road and occasional dirt tracks riding. Swap back to to the stock Pirelli's when in town.

Any advice/experience with air pressures for this combo on hard to sandy dirt roads traveling at ~80km/hr.

I know the Mefos should be at 41 psi for fast highway and the TKCs have soft sidewalks, but was hoping to get away with ~25 psi on lower speed dirt roads.