Heidenau K60 Tire Review

[atokad]

Tiger 955. K60 Front, Tourance rear. Rode today for th first time with the K60. Put on about 100 miles. A little bumpier than the Tourance I used to run on front and, it sounds like a truck tire.

However, there are quite a few gravel roads here in CO and when I pull off on them even if t's just to turn around, the K60 gives me a great deal of confidence. I hate that front wheel plowing that I got with the Tourance.

Another 8k or so miles and I guess I will know if I will stay with a K60 as my choice of front tires.. (got 11k out of the last Tourance I had on front)

[cjracer]

These tires worked out Great for us. Good to see our review has helped inform so many travels. They are now my go-to tire for all general Dual Sport use. Great life and traction for all around needs.

There was a mention about balancing. I have never balanced any tires and none of the ones on our 17,000 mile trip were balanced. Mount, air up and ride.

Just put the paint mark with the valve stem. It's worked for me. I find they run very true.

Stock up when you can b/c they are made in small batches by hand and often hard to get mid season. I have found they are often in stock here.

Safe travels,
Craig
K60 scout user and destroyer of rubber.

[marbee40]

As AKMud pointed out to me today, lower pressures are reqd for the rears. My usual for tkc was 42 hwy and tops for k60 is 36psi.

Just put the rear on and knocked out 45 miles today. Lots less bumpy than tkc. Not that I cared but tis smoother. I did scrub it on gravel before rallying it and zero slippage.

Just need to go for a quik ride up Jim Creek to see how they handle a bit of goo.

[AKoffroader]

I put a set on my DR650. Ran them from Calgary to South Carolina (3,300 miles). Rear is shot. Real squirrelly on loose gravel.

My Africa riding partner ran a set on his 800 GS. They squared off badly.

I'm going back to TKC80's on every thing I own. Would go with Mitas if we could get them in the States (ran a set 9k miles in Africa, Fantastic tires!).

Greg

[The Dick]

The Dick has been made a dealer, they phoned me, I did not phone them. I don't intend to compete with commercial operators and will not be carrying stock but I can order them in. I had good feed back from several riders I encountered last year and a local RT friend is going to try a set so he can do some dirt and the TOW with me.
D2D will be a great opportunity as usual to share equipment experiences being tested in our north by all levels or riders.

[Ullr]

I'm starting to think they made a bad run of tires or certain sizes are bad. My rear didn't last as long as a TKC. Front still is perfect. I have Craig's front that he left in Alaska. It's a different tread pattern mine. I wish I had the rears to compare.

Anyway, as soon as I burn up this TKC rear I'll replace it with a Heidenau again.

[Av8rPaul]

Originally Posted by marbee40

As AKMud pointed out to me today, lower pressures are reqd for the rears. My usual for tkc was 42 hwy and tops for k60 is 36psi.

Just put the rear on and knocked out 45 miles today. Lots less bumpy than tkc. Not that I cared but tis smoother. I did scrub it on gravel before rallying it and zero slippage.

Just need to go for a quik ride up Jim Creek to see how they handle a bit of goo.

Why the lower air pressure?

[marbee40]

Originally Posted by Av8rPaul

Why the lower air pressure?

Manuf recomendation. Also, unless you've ever tried to mount one of these things you'd never believe how friggin STIFF the sidewalls are.

[Av8rPaul]

Originally Posted by marbee40

Manuf recomendation. Also, unless you've ever tried to mount one of these things you'd never believe how friggin STIFF the sidewalls are.

Roger, thanks!

[AKTREADs]

marbee-
The Heidenau K60 150/70-17' & 18" tires are a piece of cake to mount compared to the 130/80-17" rear tires.
A 50/50(K60) or 10/90(TKC/Karoo) tire by design has a lower speed & lower maximum air pressure recommendation compared to their 90/10(K76/Tourance/Anakee) counterpart.

READ & HEED THE TIRE
SIDEWALL INFO
Over inflating your 50/50,10/90 tires will render you 1/2 the mileage-so don't blame the tire for operator ignorance.

[Red0ktober]

After reading some pros and cons, loves and hates on ADV here, I decided to try a set of K60s for the first proper tires on my DL650 (after the OEM Trail Wings). Installed them myself last night, first time doing tubeless. I'm new to this sort of bike and riding, so I won't be much for an authoritative review. I can say already that they're noisier (expected), and they look awesome. :)

[Bruz]

Just had a set fitted to my R1200GSA. Great tyre on ALL surfaces and looking forward to the longevity. Haven't tested the top end speed rating yet!

[AK Bob]

Put some more miles on them so now I got a better idea about how they preform.

!st run up to the Arctic Circle last year. Fine No problems, but not far enough to really know much.

This years first run was for a mondo burger. Fairbanks to Nenana nice and dry no sweat, comming back Rain, Ice pellets, Oil on the road or the double yellows, don't know witch. It did cause the bike to do a real rain dance and a bit of pucker factor. I stayed up. My ride partner on a K75 with street tires didn't.

Fairbanks to Dawson City for D2D. No problems with the tires. Rain, Hail washing across the road.

D2D Poker Run was fun, little pucker in some of the loose stuff, but they held on fine, just sat the bike and rode it out. Filled out 4 poker hands, can't pull cards for SQUAT, best hand was a pair of Kings. Wonder why I stayed away from Diamond Tooth Girties..

Left Dawson @ 10AM went to Eagle, and was back in Fairbanks a little before midnight. Tires held fine.

Second impression bottom line. I like them so far! Now will they last? We will see.

[AKmud]

2400 miles on my K60 rear so far and it looks like it has a lot of life left. Last year my TKC was done after 2500 miles, so far so good.

[marbee40]

Before D2D, put 200+ miles on the rear.

D2D another 1100 or so miles....2 up!

The day after D2D, changed fluids and rode with Eddie Zeller to Deadhorse and back. Wasilla to end of asphalt north of Fairbanks at 36psi. GREAT tire in the curves. No loss of confidence...very sticky. (No, I've never run Tourances, only knobbies). Aired down to 24 rear for the run up the gravel. Dry conditions all the way north to Deadhorse. Mud on the way home. Rode from Fairbanks to Deadhorse, ate dinner, turned around and rode straight thru back to Coldfoot, hauling butt with Zeek the whole way. I never even thought about my tires...which says a lot.

Eddie put his K60 on after D2D for the run the Deadhorse. Following the Dalton, Eddie turned east after Fairbanks to head over and try his luck at the Dempster and then home to San Diego. IF this tire is all they say, it should be just about done by the time he gets home.

Air pressure has played a huge part of the longevity of this tire. No, it doesn't hook up quite as nice as a TKC, but considering at least 50% of those miles were highway/asphalt/macadam, they were the perfect compromise.

Just for the record, I won't put anything other than a TKC on the front ever again. Whether sliding sideways on fast gravel turns, or running 25mph thru nasty baby-poop muck, they just plain work.

K60 total miles = 3000+ so far. Haven't even put a dent in this tire yet and would GLADLY run this same tire up to Deadhorse again. I ride hard and this tire works.

Good luck!