Heidenau K60 vs. Karoo 3: A Side-By-Side Comparison

Ordered a pair for my 990 . Should have today . Hope to do some off the slab testing testing next weekend ..........

Try the mefo super explorer. The k60 scout is only good for distance. Did 3600k and it has about 2500 left .

Sorry to sound like a broken record but how did the mefo handle on the cold rain on assfault?

I'm a little aggressive in the pavement and I'm curious.

The main things i noticed were what i didnt notice, when i used the scout i didnt feel confident in the dirt , this tyre just made its own arrangements and i could concentrate on giving it some on the dirt. I never tried the wet apart for some ice on the roads and i never came off so thats a win. My bike is a hp2 e and i like to ride to the conditions . I ran the tyres with 36 psi

Karoo 3s are MUCH better in the wet than the K60. K60s in the 150/75-17 size are scary in the wet. I think the solid center rib has a lot to do with it. I have over 2000 miles in the rain on the Karoo 3 and they didn't let go or leave me scared once. I have just under 6500 miles on a set of Karoo 3s and the rear is pretty much done. Over 4000 of those miles were two up, loaded with gear, and a lot of 75+ MPH time. I liked the Karoo 3 enough that I'll be sticking with them.

I had a disappointing experience with the Karoo 3 tires I bought for a long ride out to the AZBDR. From New England to Texas, everything was great. Once I hot on the hot pavement between Tx and Az, the tires started wearing rapidly. Unrelated mechanical trouble kept me off the AZBDR, so I never got to see how a badly worn rear K3 handled the dirt. I replaced the rear with a TKC80 in SD and swapped the front when I got home.

I will buy another set, I think a huge part of the problem had been pavement temperature - it was early May and I was riding a loaded GS in 100f temperatures. The next K3s will go on my off-road wheels and probably not see the same conditions as the last set.

It's being said that pressures of 42 to 46 rear tire makes them last longer. Just checking

Juan Valderrama
XT1200Z
Broadcasting from Bogotá - Colombia.

That mud bog doesn't have a hill on either side...and how/when you add throttle determines the stability of the bike...coasting may not be in order...or even a steady throttle...all depends on bike, rider and conditions..

But no hill in his photo..

Just add my feedback on the Karoo3. I just pulled mine off to save them for a dirt ride planned in Oct. i've got some primarily pavement riding in my near future and they wouldn't have lasted for that trip. To set the tone, I regularly was getting 6500 to 8500 miles out of a rear Anakee2 and recently got 8500 miles out of a front and rear Anakee3 (front and rear wore out about the same time). I have now put 1000 miles on the K3's and the front is fine. The rear looks to be half done. We have coarse pavement here in Texas and it is hot. I've had them on since late April. Mostly pavement. So mileage sucks.

However, I've been very happy with how they handle and wet performance. Yes, we've actually had rain. They do tend to move a lot on tar snakes though. More than any other tire I've ever used.

So hopefully my riding condition and normal tire life histories help others in deciding how well they will last for them.

Oh, I typically run 2 psi over BMW specl, front and rear. And no, I don't need advice on other pressures to run

With opinions all over the board on these two tires, how would either rate compared to the standard tire on my bike which is the Bridgestone Battlewing 501/502 combination.

Looking for about 70street/30dirt. Dirt will be gravel/forest type of roads. I live in the PNW of the USA so solid wet performance is pretty important. I imagine either will be a lot better off road and only a little worse on road.

NC

Stock tires? On what bike?

Sorry about that. Forgot I wasn't in the F800GS forum.

Standard tire is the Bridgestone Battlewing 501/502

NC

I've been VERY happy with the K3 in PNW conditions. Much better than the K60 in the wet. It seems that constant high temps severely impact tire life on the K3s, but that shouldn't be a problem for you. I'm over 6500 miles on my K3s and the front is still good to go. The rear needs to be replaced soon. See my previous posts.

Thanks, exactly what I was looking for.

That matches my experience, doubly so on the tar snakes. Those tires HATE tar snakes.

I really liked the tires, I just didn't like how quickly they wore out.

From the Beast 800 thread

Hi,
I'm looking to replace the stock Metzeler Tourance tires.
A friend of mine has a set of Heidenau K60 that he's looking to dispose of.
He said the K60 caused speed wobbles when going over 110 km/h (~ 65 mph) and was wondering if some people here share that experience.
Thanks.

Well the K60's to my understanding are rated for 118 MPH.

I know a guy who has done that speed on them a few time without a wobble to be found and regularly rides 85-90 MPH on K60's. Not me of course , I would never exceed the posted speed limits .

There is a noise harmonic between 75 and 85 MPH (so I am told) but no wobble at all. I think it's going to depend a lot on what you are riding and how it's set up. The guy I know oddly enough has the same bike as me , 50mm front forks, 990v twin and solid. If you have a different front setup subject to some flexing the tread pattern might result in some shudder, but a speed wobble I would look to tire balance and wheel true/weights.

That said tires can have a flaw come into play during MFG and shipping processes. But overall I don't see the issue with the K60's you mention, however I'm two tires out of thousands of sets.

I had a back K60 with front TKC80. I had a lot of noise and vibration around 20-25 mph, but didn't notice anything above that. I don't know if the front K60 would make much difference. I have run the TKC80 front with other tires and no problems.

10000 miles on a set of K60's and probably another 2000 miles still in them. No troubles in wet. Front starts singing around 70 mph. Can't recall going over 100 mph, but no balance issues or wobbles at any speed. Did a 4500 mile loaded tour Virginia to Oregon, in the fall. Durable, predictable, handle well,... 1200 GS.


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