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F650 Tires
For my F650GS I need a new front tire
I have Bridgestone road tires now but I want to switch to all-road tires. For 95% I drive on sealed roads but the other 5% I like a little more grip. My questions: What tires do you use? How long do they last? (normal riding around speedlimits, no wheelies etc.) I have a Bridgestone road tire on the rear wheel to that is not worn out yet. Would that be a problem ? |
Continental TKC 80
I believe you should fit the tires where they will most reduce the risk of loosing control when cornering or braking. If you do high speeds on the highway then fit good road tires and take it real slow if you end up on dirt. If you travel on bad dirt road conditions, even for small portions of your journey, but there is a real risk of loosing grip then fit off road tyres and take it real slow on the highway. There is no single tyre that will ever be great at doing both, but since you asked I believe the TKC80's come the closest. Not great at being a road or off road tire but the best at trying to be both. I always go for the off road tyres because dirt is why I do love biking so much, highways for me is only the means of getting to the dirt and sometimes I will even take a dirt road to get to the dirt if one is available. Fitting off road tires mean that I normally have to keep speeds moderate when on the hard surface. My number one choice is Michelin Desert but then these won't fit standard BMW's so I fit a specially modified rear wheel. Take note that these tires are real dangerous on tar at any speeds over 130km/h and I don't just mean the reduced tire contact to the road on account of the large gaps between the blocks but the Desert front will make you loose control of your bike even when riding in a straight line. Second to the Desert I can also recommend the Michelin T63 which have the same treat patten as the Desert rear but the front is not so aggressive so it is a lot safer at higher speeds on the asphalt, not as durable and great in really loose stuff though. Never let tyre life determine the choice of tire because this mean that you regard your life and health less than that of your wallet and coincidentally if you do come off on account of not using the right tires, your repair bill and hospital bill can be much more than a set of tires, that is if you do come out alive on the other end. Something I have also realised is that the most dramatic modification you can do to improve a bikes off road capability is to fit the right type of tires. It is also the cheapest and most easily done. I have copied this from another thread on this forum, not sure if you have read this? |
Other thread ?
I have been looking in the BMW tech area but found nothing about tires but maybe I didn't look good enough.
Where can I find it ? |
Hmm,
A topic of some interest to my wife who has a GS650 with the OEM tyres still fitted - Bridgestone Trailwing; the back is about shot now with approx 5000 miles run - a bit disappointing really, I would hope for a bit more. Do other Trailwings do about this mileage? I think the front is not too bad (I will have to look more closely). In contrast to the other posts, this bike never goes off-road in any shape or form (probably like a lot of other 650 GSs?!) so I am more interested in what recommendations there are for a new back tyre - any thoughts? Cheers, Dave |
It's common for F650 riders to get 10,000 miles + from a Tourance rear tire. The fronts last much longer than that, of course.
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there is a lot of info about tires in the The Chain Gang site. here
F650 Tire Opinions FAQ i just replaced my Pirelly Scorpion from my F650GS. the rear lasted more than 12,000 miles and i think the front one more than 15,000. i put front tire scorpion in Lima Peru. From there i went to Bolivia, replaced rear tire in Mendoza-Arg, Ushuai, Buenos aires, Santiago Chile, Buenos Aires-Arg again, then Uruguay and did the whole coast of Brasil. Even at the end of there life life i was able to take my fully loaded mototrcycle on a bad dirt/sand road by taking enough air out of the tires. I just put levolin bc where given to me for free other wise i would have put the pirelli's again. http://salcar.smugmug.com/photos/155527549-M.jpg http://salcar.smugmug.com/photos/155527553-M.jpg |
Try Metzler Tourances (from Germany)
As you said up front, you do 95% on pavement. So Tourances are by far a better option than TKC 80s. TKC 80's are the standard for off-pavement riding, but the rear generally is history after about 9-10k kilometers (doing mostly pavement). I've gotten as little as 10k kilometers on a rear Tourance, but that was when I was riding really fast and aggresively with a heavy load. Slowing it down some (with a heavy load) with the aim of making the tires last, and you should get about 16k on the rear.
I'm riding Pirelli Scorpions now, as a substitute for Tourances in SA. They are working well for me (I'm doing maybe 25 - 40% off pavement depending on the week). First set, so I don't know the mileage yet. I wanted a tire that would get me 16k kilometers between tire changes. Don't know yet if that's the Pirelli tire or not yet, but Tourances from Germany, definitely. Tourances from Brazil, well, that's why I'm trying Pirelli. |
i forgot to mention my time all favorite are the Sahara Enduro 3.. but they don´t last much. with a fully loaded bike i got around 7,000 miles on the rear and about 10,000 miles on the front one. sorry for switching from KM to Miles :o)
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Tyres for F650
I used the following tyres on my F650:
- Metzler Tourance, excellent for sealed roads, more comfortable than Bridgetone Tourance, last long; more than 20.000 km. - Continental Escape, for sealed roads but not as comfortable as Metzler; 15.000 km - Continental TKC 80s, for very bad unpaved roads & mud. Excellent but don't last for long, less than 10.000 km - Pirelli MT60, excellent tyre, 80% on road, 20% off road, 12.000 km |
+1 on the Scorpions. Excellent on the road and adequate off (being a bit gutless off-road I never really push them anyway and wouldn't really know a good off-road tyre if it ran over my foot). Better than the Trailwings I had previously. 10,000 kms so far with about 5k left on the front and maybe 10k on the back.
By the way, what pressures do people run in their tyres on the F650? |
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Psi
Tyre pressures are as per the recommendations in the handbook - always have been because it is always on the tarmac. I can't remember exactly what they are, but it is around the low 30's psi (I have the figures on a bit of A4 paper in the garage so I can check them as and when required without bothering to open the book). Rear is a bit more than the front but not by a lot.
Tourance seems to get the vote in these posts as a replacement for the trailwings. :cool4: Dave |
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Regards, Mick |
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With scorpions, 42 rear, 36 front is max mfg-s recommendation. Sorry about the dashes - my keyboard has changed mappings in the middle of this session and the cafe operator can-t figure out how to fix it, and I can-t find which key combo to press to get a single quote. |
I have tried Trailwings , Anekeys and Scorpions and thought that the Scorpions were the best all round ,at road pressures - 32f / 36r one up no luggage works well on gravel and bitumen.
I wear out fronts first and the Scorpion front only lasted 8000km before it was flat spotted either side at the continuous groove. The same happened to the set on my R100GS , but a bit sooner , so I have fitted a set of Mitas E 08s , which in Oztralia are less than half the price of the Scorpions , and IMHO every bit as good , wat and dry, on road and off. The more rounded front and faster turn in suits my riding style better too. |
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