Kenda's new Big Block Tires

[Old_Don]

Here's my observations on the two tires.

Area: California, Hwy 5 and 33 to Joshua Tree NP then Off hwy.

Bike: 1150 GS, riding moderately

Conditions: Tire wear is 2 up with tools and gear for several day trips. (So a fair amount of extra weight/wear on the rear.)

Tire Wear Ratio: 95/5 Hwy/Dirt. TKC 2500mi, Kenda 1200mi.

Handling: On pavement the Kenda in my opinion handles better. Turns easier into the corners. To me the TKC needs to be turned into the corner more, but once you get use to it's fine, just different.

Light Sandy Roads: I air the TKC down to 26F 28 rear, warm. Handles great, stable when crossing the sandy ridges in the road. Kenda is squirrelly in these conditions, I even aired down to 22F. My wife even noticed the squirreliness and she rarely makes comments about the handling. I believe the TKC is softer/flexible so it spreads out better for sandy traveling.

Dirt roads: They handle essentially the same as far as I can tell.

Crosswinds: Kenda only: We had crosswinds up to 45mph across the desert Hwy. Up to 35 your fine but above that the front end started to push and was disconcerting. Had to slow down to 55mph at times. I have a large Airflow windscreen.
With Tourance tires the bike handles very heavy crosswinds superbly!

Conclusion: The front Kenda will last quite long as I see hardly any wear on it. The Kenda rear, for me, I believe will last to at least 3,000 mi possibly 3,500. Time will tell. Hope some of this info is helpful in some way.


Kenda Front 1200 miles:



TKC Front 2500 miles:




Kenda Rear 1200 miles:



TKC Rear 2500 miles:

[slowoldguy]

Got an estimate on wear compared to TKC rear?

[Bigdog54]

Look one post above yours.

Originally Posted by slowoldguy

Got an estimate on wear compared to TKC rear?

[slowoldguy]

I am on my phone and don't see a total expected mileage for the TKC. Now I see the Kenda at 3000 to 3500. How does that compare to what you get on a TKC rear?

[ghostrider1964]

Originally Posted by slowoldguy

I am on my phone and don't see a total expected mileage. It could be there but it ain't showing up for me. Unless 1200 is the expectation. Sorry.

New tire holding up any better

[~TABASCO~]

Dang, front looks almost new for 1200 mi.. I'm going this way with the new Kenda's.... Please continue with your report with more miles...
GREAT write up!

[caljw]

Originally Posted by FatChance

To sort of follow up on Marchyman's comment, does anyone yet have a feeling on how a front big block Kenda would compare to the more expensive front TKC when paired with a rear Tourance since that is such a popular combination?

That's what I'm going to run for the spring here in SoCal. Mounting front BB was no problemo with a couple of irons and windex.

[Jud]

Originally Posted by caljw

That's what I'm going to run for the spring here in SoCal. Mounting front BB was no problemo with a couple of irons and windex.

Front was dead easy. I think most including me have had fits out the rear. Heavy duty silicon spray, an automatic tire machine and I still had to use a long iron to keep the bead down in the middle of the rim in order to keep the bead from popping off the tire arbor. Stiff assed tire for sure.

[zouch]

depends a huge amount on how they get used; i've seen TKCs under a couple that went double-up to Alaska and back with their touring load go 9000 miles on a rear, and i've seen other people chew through a set in less than ~1500 miles because they were having too much fun throwing rooster-tails.

my experience with them (for a rear) in mixed road and trail use with a full camping load was anywhere between ~3000 if i was playing harder and ~5000 miles if i took it really easy on the throttle.


cheers!

Originally Posted by slowoldguy

I am on my phone and don't see a total expected mileage for the TKC. Now I see the Kenda at 3000 to 3500. How does that compare to what you get on a TKC rear?

[slowoldguy]

i've seen other people chew through a set in less than ~1500 miles because they were having too much fun throwing rooster-tails.

Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.

[rallen]

How far you guys think the front will run?

I have a trip this summer of 4500 miles (3000 off pavement)

I was planning on running TKC front with Heidi K60 rear, but might look at running the Kenda up front if it will make it.

[slowoldguy]

Didn't get far this weekend but I now have 500 on the new rear. It is doing better than last time but folks.....it is just not gonna be a mileage tire. I was cornering pretty hard with it today and it stuck really well on the marked 35's and 40's. Like double + 7-10 mph. For me, that's Tourance/Anakee/607 level performance which is pretty dang impressive from a semi-knob. I think that for me the rear comes in pretty quickly but the front needs a couple hundred miles to give me the feel I want. Right now, they feel great with the front having 1300 and the rear 500.

[mouthfulloflake]

for those of us that typically ride within the legal speed limits...


how might it last?

[eakins]

Originally Posted by FatChance

To sort of follow up on Marchyman's comment, does anyone yet have a feeling on how a front big block Kenda would compare to the more expensive front TKC when paired with a rear Tourance since that is such a popular combination?

or a big block front, shinko 705 rear so really save some bucks yet get some decent mileage plus dirt traction.

[GapRunr]

I was away for 4 days and then sick as a dog for 4 more, so I hadn't had much of a chance to keep trying these new Kenda Big Block's.

I had a chance to run the Kenda's again today in some less than optimal conditions. A well known motorcycle destination (T.W.O) closed their doors so we rode down today as it was the last chance to see it. I've got a lot of good memories of that place and wanted one last visit.

The weather didn't look like it was going to cooperate and it didn't. When we left the house there was 2-3 inches of wet snow on the hood of the truck and the yard. The 120 mile ride down there was mostly in wet snow and rain with temps in the 32-38 degree range. I continue to be impressed with the wet weather traction these tires offer. I scuffed them in on a rainy day through Deals Gap a couple of weeks ago and they impressed me then. I still don't know how they are going to do for tread life, but if they even come close to a TKC80 I'll be switching to these for my off road wheels. They have proven to be far stickier in both wet and dry conditions.

On dry pavement, even in the cold weather, they stick and feel very predictable. I got the left peg of my Adventure down a couple of times in a few tight corners and they never once gave me the feeling that they were going to disappear out from underneath me. Very impressive.