Probably out of balance....my XR628's rear wheel used to bounce like a basketball over 65mph. Your chain isn't too tight by any chance?
Ok, so I just changed the rear tire on my SMS... by myself... I almost gave myself a hernia. Went up to a 160, and street tires are STIFF! First street tire I've changed on a bike, the bead is a heck of a lot stiffer than any offroad tire I've played with...
Update for the rear Michelin T-63 I mounted. Probably the best 80-90% knobby I've ever used on the street. Especially impressed riding in the rain, no issues whatsoever. Good capable tire off road also as long as you keep air pressure down. Sand, mud, rocks, dirt/gravel roads and no big complaints. Not the best off road tire but it has the right ratio of street/dirt compromise for me. Photo below is just over 1,700 miles. Maybe one or two more off road rides left then it'll be used up as much as I can on the street before replacing. At this point I'm guessing it might reach 2,500 miles. _
Mine has been on for about 700 miles. Proportional wear, but I seriously doubt I'll get 2500 miles out of it. I'm thinking more like 1500. We'll see. Also VERY happy with it. Performance is thoughtless...in otherwords, I don't even think about it. Hooks up everywhere. It is absolutely lightyears better than the karoo T. I have not tried other street knobbies so cannot compare to others. I run about 28psi for road and 18-20 off. For front 18-20 off, 25 on. My only complaint is it's a little narrow. Some have said that is actually an advantage for this type of bike. Pulling a huge 140 tire doesn't accomplish much unless you're looking for that last bit of traction for hill climbs or something like that. I REALLY wish it came in a 140 size though. The DESERT is it's sister/brother, but it's more $$, but does come 140 size. Also the Pirelli Scorpion Rally comes in 140. I've got that model front tire - it is also very good, BTW. Johngill put a K60 heidi on his, gonna pick his brain this weekend or may even get a test ride. Thinking about going that way in search for a 4-6K mile tire. Oh, and the T63 sings pretty good on the road at about 45. Over and under it's pretty quiet, but at certain speeds it sounds like a truck with mud-terrains on it. Also not a bother for me. For a lot of road I'd have ear plugs in anyway, offroad it doesn't matter.
Anyone run a tkc80 on the rear. I've always heard they were ridiculously priced, but I can pick one up for about $30 less than a K60 so I thought I would give it a try.
A bimmer tire. I have not run one, but everything I've read said they are short lived. If you can get it for $100 would be worth wearing it out. Performance is decent, good on road, okay off, couple thousand miles. Most are saying the K60 isn't worth it either. While they last longer the traction isn't as good and the second half of it's life is a half-worn tire for the same cost as something else new. Unless you need extended range for a long-haul trip most are sticking with the tried and true, 606, mt21, T63, k760, etc. If Mitas can ever get their act together the ED09 is another possibility. Too expensive and too hard to get here in the US. I was going to try the MOTOZ but everything I've read said it's great offroad but just shreds on road. $100 at phatperformanceparts.com Michelin Desert and Pirelli Scorpion Rally are two more. The desert is a very hard tire, not as good on road. The rally also short lived - about $100. 606's and MT21's reported to go about 1200 miles. And they are not cheap, at least not the 606. Kendas okay, good price if you can get them cheap. Both are smaller tires, the K760 wears fast and the K270 gets poor performance reports both on and off road. I just ordered another T63. It just does a good job everywhere and it's cheap. Looks like mine will go to 1500-2000. We'll see what it looks like after this next Death Valley trip. But I wanted to have a new one along in case it got shredded.
These bikes eat tires don't they?? We want a tire report after you get a few hundred miles on it. See you in DV!
Will do..... Can't wait for DV!! I'll be out there Monday morning for the WHOLE week!!! I even convinced 4 others to follow me out there for the week.....counting the minutes til departure!!
I have a 606 on the rear, with 1000 miles, and it's not half way gone. Actually, not nearly half way gone. I think it will be good for 2000 plus miles and maybe more if I'm careful. My plans include a 3000 mile "Forever West" ride this summer, and I will start out with a fresh 606. It will be a good test; minimal pavement on that ride and I hope it goes all the way. Getting to DV on Tuesday evening and I guess I'll be getting your report on the new stand in person! I am staying several days past the weekend as well.
I did a 2500 mile trip on MT21s with a friend that had D606s on a KLR. The 606s were a bit more worn than the MT21s, but that could be due to bike/rider weight (he's also heavier than I am). Both sets of tires were about gone by the time we got home, but held up just fine for the duration of the trip. The MT21/606 tires are comparable, IMO.
Some of us are unclear how some of you are getting twice the mileage we do. My stock karoo was toast at 750 miles. The T63 will maybe go 15-1800 miles. There's no way I can get that kind of mileage. And only half street, and I air up for pavement.
Mileage could be subjective, based on one's opinion of what one considers to be a worn out tire. Some people are willing to ride bald tires. I'm not one of those people, but I do get the most that I can out of a tire before I call it done. For example, this is the MT21 that I just changed out a couple of weeks ago: Not bald, but pretty well gone. I tried Motoz tires and burned through a set of those in 600 miles.
Which tire model? I was going to try a set of the Desert HT's. Several forum posts reported they were really good offroad but would just shred on pavement.
My stock Karoo went 2,400 miles. I get about the same from a T63 but for serious off road it is done a little sooner. Like jtemple said it's subjective. I run them balder than most probably do. But the last few hundred miles is usually pavement or hard pack only. Serious off road miles chews up a tire much faster than pavement or dual sport use for me. I ride probably 80% street to get to the dirt so that prolongs my tire life. Also you say you "air up" for pavement and that can be subjective as well. My street psi is 24/25 front and 28/30 rear. Once arriving at the dirt I air down to 18 front and 20 rear if I will be riding home on pavement without airing back up. If serious off road I will air down much more as needed but then requires air before a long street ride home. Long being a 60 mile ride or more, anything less than that I consider connecting trails and don't worry about air pressure. _
I still don't get it. I run the same pressures for trail and road. Maybe I twist the throttle more. Here's a pic of the stock karoo at 750 miles, comparing to the new T63. It had a bit more life left but I had an event or something and wanted a fresh tire. That T-63 is getting to almost look like this karoo now, with about a thousand miles, 50/50 on off, 25-28 on road and 18 off.
CJ, you've nailed it; all in the throttle. My stock Karoo, used only by the previous owner, looked a little better than that with over 1500 miles. I always try to be very gentle on acceleration and braking when on pavement and have found that my 606's last much longer that way. Off pavement, I really don't pay a lot of attention to tire wear as there is enough slippage to keep the knobs from disappearing too fast. Unless you spend all day roosting that is. If you read similar blogs regarding street tires you will find some riders get incredible mileage out of a tire that others dis regularly. I used to chase some Duc riding friends on my BMW and my tires just didn't last very long. After that group broke up because a number of them moved across the country, my tires all of a sudden seemed to last and last, especially the front. Hard braking is nearly, or just, as bad as hard acceleration.
