The Great DualSport Tire Shootout!

[bgoodsoil]

3 and a half hours! I had a blast on the ride back. I mean, yeah, the conditions were awful, but I knew I had a warm shower and some Red Stripe waiting for me at the end of it so I ignored the cold and the rain and enjoyed the ride. Never once wished I had a Honda Civic.

I didn't push the knobbies hard on the corners and they got me home. I don't like leaning on these things when it's dry and sunny much less a downpour.

[bmwblake]

i haven't had any problems with the maxxis 6006 tires. i got them b/c they were cheap. more than anything i wont get them next time b/c i spent more time on pavement. those duros look attractive.

[bmwblake]

any update? i need to order some tires soon.

[datchew]

Originally Posted by bmwblake

any update? i need to order some tires soon.

I can now attest that I have become a true believer in TKC-80's.


I saw on Airhead Wrangler's thread those MEFO tires. Wish they were a little more easily available and will consider them as a possibility. They appear to be the mid-point between things like tourances and TKC-80's. kindof a 60/40 road/dirt.

[Airhead Wrangler]

Originally Posted by datchew

I can now attest that I have become a true believer in TKC-80's.


I saw on Airhead Wrangler's thread those MEFO tires. Wish they were a little more easily available and will consider them as a possibility. They appear to be the mid-point between things like tourances and TKC-80's. kindof a 60/40 road/dirt.

I'm only running the front MEFO so far as my rear distanzia still has a LOT of life left on it. I agree the MEFOs are not so easy to find, but I managed to convince the local beemer dealer to stock them, so I should be OK. I've only just managed to wear the nipples off my MEFO so far, but no complaints. It holds paved corners pretty well and there's no noticable noise coming from it. All in all I'm happy, especially considering it cost $90. I really want to fit the rear MEFO too. I may just pull the distanzia and keep it as my spare.

[bmwblake]

mefo's are pricier than i thought they'd be. 1 set of mefo's or a set of duros and a set of kendas.....
i need to read some more on the mefos.

[bgoodsoil]

I found 'em on a KLR site. Their site is in German so it must be good right? I'm not seeing a big reason to go to the trouble or the expense of trying the Mefos. There are more commonly available and, more importantly, cheaper tires that I'm sure perform as well. What's got ya'll drawn to the Mefos?

I'm eagerly awaiting the solid rubber strip on this rear so I can chuck the Maxxis(maxxii?). My bike is handling weird and I'm hoping it's the tires. Problem is I've got over a month before I leave on the trip and I don't want to wear out the Distanzias before that so I'm going to run these Maxxis into the ground. I'm hoping to make it to the Spring Fling--I'm sure I'm going to have 10 different guys say 'hey, ya know that tire's bald?' I'm thinking of putting a sign on the bike: "YES, I KNOW'

[Airhead Wrangler]

I wouldn't consider Mefos to be particularly expensive. You can buy a set for less than $200. Also, my friend that recommended them to me got 10k miles out of his rear on a GSPD that was fully loaded for most of that time. Not that many tires can do that. Also, the mefo distributor for North america is just on the other side of my state, so shipping isn't too big a deal. My local beemer dealer carries them now, so that isn't even an issue.

EDIT: I just looked at prices again and it looks like prices on all sizes of explorers have gone up ~$20 in the month since I got mine. My front was $90, now they're $110. Hmmmmm.

[datchew]

Originally Posted by bgoodsoil

I found 'em on a KLR site. Their site is in German so it must be good right? I'm not seeing a big reason to go to the trouble or the expense of trying the Mefos. There are more commonly available and, more importantly, cheaper tires that I'm sure perform as well. What's got ya'll drawn to the Mefos?

Well said. Exactly why I chose the TKC's, + they were $60 cheaper than Anakees or tourances, and the other choices (sahara3, scorpions, etc) were just too much work to find in my size.

I don't really ride enough dirt to justify the TKC's, but I justified it by cost and was hesitant until I tried them out. Solo Lobo is correct when he said he's lost nothing in the on-road performance. So I might not really use them for dirt, but when I do, I'll be happier NOT sliding around on tourances. I don't notice a significant loss on-road for my riding style, and they're cheaper! Win, win, win. Did I mention they look great? WIN! (i'm such a poseur)

The MEFO's look like they bridge the gap between TKC's and a road tire and would suit my riding style perfectly, but what you said above is why I didn't pursue them further.

[datchew]

Originally Posted by Airhead Wrangler

EDIT: I just looked at prices again and it looks like prices on all sizes of explorers have gone up ~$20 in the month since I got mine. My front was $90, now they're $110. Hmmmmm.

Where are you pricing these? Linky please?

[bgoodsoil]

I'm seeing $110 for a front and $160 for a 120/80-18 rear

http://www.klr650.com/MEFO%20Sport%20Trail.html

at ~$40 a pop the Duros will still get my money if those are standard prices. 10k out of a rear is definitely impressive on a tire that's that aggressive.

[bmwblake]

lunch hour discovery session is over. i think i'll be trying a set of duros. the price is just too attractive to pass.

[Bike4Fun]

Here is another tire supplier:

http://www.tiresunlimited.com/motorcycle_tires.htm

[Airhead Wrangler]

Originally Posted by bgoodsoil

What's got ya'll drawn to the Mefos?

"Made in Germany and you know the Germans make good stuff."

-Vince, ShamWow spokesman




No particular reason really. They're about the right mix of pavement and dirt I was looking for, they were about the same price as TKCs when I bought mine, and a friend recommended them saying they wear forever. That was enough for me. Frankly, in a panic stop scenario, I'd rather trust my ass to something made in Germany than something made in China - maybe without good reason, but that's still the way I feel. However, the change in price has me questioning whether or not I'd buy another pair. Still though, they're exactly what I'm looking for. Anyone got any good numbers for how long those Duros last?

[bgoodsoil]

The rears on my KLR usually only went to around 6k, fronts around 10k.

I recycled my last set of Duros--My buddy's bulldog uses 'em as chew toys. Don't worry, he took out the bead.