Normally I run Pirelli MT21s. I run them on my HP2 and love them. They last on the big bikes and work off-road. I've rallied my HP2 many times and never had an issue. But I decided to run some of the cheaper brands that are available in the 18 inch range and love them.
The Karoo tends to be soft in comparison with most other tyres. Look at Mitas if available your side of the pond - have used the E09 successfully (also on a HP2) and more recently the C02 on the Husky. And the Mitas E07 is an excellent 50/50 tyre.
I am still confused how anyone can get 2000miles/3200km out of the stock rear Karoo's s as mine was pretty much done at ~1000km?
It's all about air pressure. I had mine at 13 psi from the dealer and never checked it. At about 1000 miles I did and thought 'holy crap' and filled it up to 20 psi and I could see the wear difference in only 100 miles. Dropped it back down and didn't need to change it until 2400 miles. Even then the center blocks were still 3/16". This was 95% road use and I generally drove it like a motard. I would have bought another one if they weren't so ridiculously expensive. Went to a Sahara rear and am beyond happy.
Strange - higher pressures in knobby type tyres used on road normally result in cooler running and longer life?
Got 3200km out of my karoo. Ran 30psi most of the time.One thing i did notice after 1000km they looked well worn but the wear didn't change much for another 2000km. Now running a michelin T63. Fantastic tyre, hooks up real well in dirt, rocks, sand etc and grippy on the bitumen.
I've worn out two of the T63's so far and they work really well on and off. Although they seem narrow for a 600+ dualsport, there is no issue with grip anywhere. Particularly, you can rail the canyons and run at 85 on pavement with them. Even work in the rain. They do whine a little but that's expected for the tread pattern. I thought the next step up would be the Pirelli Scorpion Rally in 140 size, and since I was pretty happy with the front I thought I would bring one in and try it. It is a HUGE tire and weighs about 4lbs more than the Michelin. I could not get rid of the front end wobble at 70+ and just didn't like the size and weight of it so I took it off and sold it to a guy with a 990. Went back to the t63, and ordered another new one, the third one. I guess it will be my standard tire on this bike. It's so cheap it seems like it shouldn't work so well but it does.
I could only get a 130/80 in the t63 which does look tiny compared to the karoo 140.The michelin desert,same tread pattern, came in a 140.I may try this next to see which last the longest ,grip etc versus price.
Yes, T63 max size is 130 width. I don't think there's any advantage to a bigger tire, in fact, they can slow down turn in and road handling. Where they would be better would be very soft terrain, like mud or sand. I've ridden mine in miles of sand and it had no trouble, and it was mostly worn out. The michelin desert is a very hard compound, although they are reported to evaporate on larger bikes, like GSA, 950/990s. Watch out on wet pavement with them. They are also twice the cost. The D606 is a great looking tire and the go-to for dirt DOT tires, although they don't last on the road, and once squared off from wear they don't perform well on pavement either. The MT21 is old technology and reportedly does not hook up as well as any of these other tires, on or off, although there are plenty of fans of both of these tires. Again, both are at least 50% more in cost. EDIT: Notice the nice rounded profile in the photo above of the T63. This is one of the reasons it handles so well on road. The knob pattern is such that it works really well off as well. And the rubber compound provides great grip for wet or dry pavement. I wouldn't recommend it for a 80-90% dirt rider, then would say 606 or Kenda Trackmaster, probably with a nod to the latter.
+1 on the T63. Very pleased with the traction and wear..Works great on the road as mentioned above. I just adjust the air pressure as required for the nasty stuff. Mitas are avaialble here on the west coast in Canada as well.. Tempting to try a set out..
Colin at MX1 set me up with a Mitas E-09, no regrets with this tire on the rear, no balancing and still ran 140 kph with a lite rim lock. great on and off road. I will buy another, but am considering the E-09 in the 140 Dakar version
Yeah we only use the Dakar version here in SA - very strong tyre. It has an extra ply (4 vs 3 if I remember correctly)
Yeah is a toughy but the Heidi Scout is even harder IMHO. Personally just fitted a Mitas C02 rear and T63 front for a gnarly trip next week to Lesotho - a small Southern African landlocked country often known as the 'Mountain Kingdom'. Annually it is the host of The Roof of Africa Rally - a Red Bull extreme enduro over three days and I will be supporting friends and spectating (after a 4 day tour to get there ).
I'm still happy with the T63 for the rear, getting ready to put the third one on. I finally wore out the Scorpion Rally on the front so threw the extra Karoo2 I had on it and it's great on road but not very good off. I was debating between a T63 front or Michelin Desert front but worried about road manners with the Desert. I know the '63 will be fine, but I hear they're pretty bad in dirt. The rally was pretty skitterish when new, settled down nicely and was able to hit 95 with it without issue. I really think I would be unhappy with the T63 offroad but maybe not, it's gotta be better than the karoo just from knob spacing. But I don't want a front I can't ride on the road (or too scared to) with the desert. Or just go back to a scorp rally? It worked great on and off, like velcro off. Whaddya think? Will I like the desert? I know you've run one up front for a long time. Other riders have said it's downright dangerous on the road. But then a lot of riders run crappy dualsport tires like K270's and such too. Help me out before I pull the trigger. BTW, on the 140 size, I did order out a Pirelli Scorpion Rally in 140 size, installed it, test rode it, and took it back off and sold it. It was a HULK of a tire, almost five pounds heavier than the Michelins I've been running. I'm really leery about the Michelin desert rear in that size. Plus every comment I've heard on them is they horrible on road - like riding on ice.
I run the T63 on the front by preferance. Nothing wrong with it whatsover and once run in is fine on the road as well.
What about the half-height knobs in soft dirt and sand? The desert and rally knob height it about twice that of the T63, obviously a lot more spacing and side-knob as well. I want decent road performance because we don't slow down on road with these bikes. But also pretty aggressive cornering when not loaded offroad and I hate front tire washout.
I've ran the t63 on my big orange bike (200lbs heavier ) and was surprised on how good it was on the road. It was smooth, quiet, stable and let me hit the twisties with confidence. No real cupping with a bunch of pave use and wore very well . Offroad it was ok but too softwalled for the heavy bike. I pinch flatted and felt many rocks hit the rim no matter what pressure I ran. The side knobs like you mentioned made a bit sketchy leaned over off road. I'd say the front is an improvement on the stock karoo in everyway. It is definitely not as sturdy feeling as the rally or any other more dedicated dirt tire but a good all rounder. I vote rally, desert, or even mt 21 for fast rocky dirt vs the karoo, tkc, or t63 tire. The latter for all around performance..
