KLR tires???

[jtwest]

.. IRC gp 110 vs Kenda 270. which would be better for me (60%-70%dirt use) on a KLR.

[Myfuture_yourdebt]

Shinko 244

[Beezer]

Dunlpop 606 is more better off road than either of those. the TKC 80 is good too... not quites as god off roar but better on the street than the 606. my favorite big knob tire is the Pirelli MT21.

all the above are better off road than the IRC GP1 but truth is I like that tire. if I only had one set of wheels that's prolly my choice, but only because the TKCs on the back are gone in 3k

the Kenda is a direct rip off of the GP1 with a different rubber. they are OK off road but do not corner as well on the pave as a GP1

[ParaMud]

My klr came with TKC80s, ok for on road, but a slight kink on a freeway is scary. GREAT for offroad, done some single track and double track and they worked great. Sand goes pretty well. Havn't done mud with them yet. They are pretty much worn out now.
I was looking to get another set, until I saw the price tag.
About $250 for a set

D606- those are what I am looking to buy. 180ish for a set

For mainly commuting tires, I just got some shinko 705's

[rustynut2]

Shinko 244 rear might fall apart

IRC 110's got low milage and scream when leaned over

Kenda 270 great on the rear, 7000miles, scary as hell on the front, shinko 244 on the front instead.

[Myfuture_yourdebt]

Personally I thought the D606 front tire was absolutely crap offroad and a lot of people agree (do a search). It looks like a knobby but it doesn't ride like one, IMO.

The 244 rear did almost as well for me offroad as a D606 rear and better on road of course. The only time I've had a problem with a 244 rear was when I did 80+ MPH in the first few rides after putting the new 244 rear on, it tossed some lugs. I read that you should avoid 75+ MPH until you get the tire through a few heat cycles (rides)...then I did that for my next 244 rear and it was fine. For a tire that doesn't cost more than $40, I don't think it can be beat for 50/50 riding. I paired it with a Kenda 781 Triple front tire and the only time the tires were out of their league was during loose hill climbs (the Shinko 244 rear is definitely not a real knobbie but unless I'm treating my KLR like an actual dirt bike it does everything I ask of it). Despite having a true knobbie up front, it lasted at least 7000 miles (1000 offroad, 6000 street) and the Shinko 244 rear lasted at least that long too. And the Triple did as well on the street as a D606 which is impressive for an actual knobby tire.

If I were doing 50/50 riding with my KLR, I'd be going back to a Shinko 244 rear tire and a Kenda Triple. But with my riding playing out to be 90 street/10 offroad, I've been running Shinko 705s for a while and they've done great offroad as long as it's dry and not too loose. For offroad riding, I personally find front tire choice to be most important because it inspires or kills my confidence level more than the rear tire choice by quite a bit. That's why I think a real knobby (not a D606) up front is important for romping the KLR offroad especially given how heavy the front end of the KLR is. The relatively unimportance of the rear tire choice for my offroad riding is why I match something like the aggressive Triple up front with the semi-aggressive 244 on the rear...I've rarely felt the need for a real knobby on the rear wheel but often find myself wishing I had the Triple up front.

[kubiak]

yea i like the shinko 244s for road and trails. they sure last a long time. i have a 4.60 on the front of my f650gs right now with almost 6,000 miles and it has a lot of tread left still, maybe 80 percent still.i did flip it around at about 4,000 miles since it was cupping but i think it will go another few thousand before i change it out.

[Bustyrucket]

I'm also a fan of the Shinko 244

[oldxr]

I dont have a klr but I have a honda xr650r thats converted into a dual sport bike.I am on my 3rd complete set of tires in 2 years.Bike came with dunlop 606 f&r.Back tire was good -front cupped on pavement.Done at 1500 miles.Next set the bike was prepped for La-B-to V with pirelli scorpion xcmh on front and pirelli mt21 rear.best steering front tire I have ever had with traction to spare.But very fast wearing combo-1200 miles and they were done.Current setup is a shinko 244 on rear and a pirelli mt21 front.I am running 20 psi on pavemant and dirt.I have about 600 miles on this combo and will run this again.The mt21 front steers good on dirt and isnt cupping on the highway.The rear 244 is working good on dry dirt but I havent had it in mud.Both tires are smooth on the highway.

[wayne_l]

im running k60s on mine front and rear , i love the k60 rear on the KLR but hate it up front thinking of using the meffo version of same tire but has more blocks and siping .. while it wears fine and seams ok at high speads its a very noisy and buzzy tire for comuting .. ive had full knobbies ride smoother ..

but they really wear much better than the stock dunlops .. for a 50/50 tire shinko 244 is a great tire for the money .

[Kbowling]

I put a set of hiedenou on and love them, they have good road handling (wet/dry) and nice gravel handling,but havnt done alot of mud,and they last ,almost 9k so far

[Al Goodwin]

The Kenda are the most unstable, ill-handling, unpredictable, dangerous tire I've EVER ridden.

Buy a Shinko.

[Kbowling]

I had a set of stinkos a and agree,they were very heavy and made the bike feel heavy,but fir the price cant complain to much

[go::ahead]

I too have to say skip the Kenda 270, at least on the front. I just switched to 270's and they are like riding on ice on the sandy roads in my area. They also feel incredibly unstable at highway speeds.

The pig came with a set of TKC80's that I would love to replace if I had the money. They were 100% predictable and stable on the road, even when they did step out you knew in advance that it was about to happen. Offroad they were good enough for my riding, I could ride grave/sand roads at 60mph and feel confident. Double track was slow but sure, as to be expected on a KLR. I can't afford to replace the rear every 4k and the front started cupping from all the highway miles.

[Richklr650]

i have about 3000 miles on my shinko 244.s love them took about 50 100 mile of break in thow