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Equipping the Bike - what's the best gear? Anything to do with the bikes equipment, saddlebags, etc. Questions on repairs and maintenance of the bike itself belong in the Brand Specific Tech Forums.
Photo by George Guille, It's going to be a long 300km... Bolivian Amazon

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by George Guille
It's going to be a long 300km...
Bolivian Amazon



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  #16  
Old 15 Dec 2015
Chris Scott's Avatar
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Scout is similar to K60 but has a centre band for full-sized bikes to help support the knobs but which can possible reduce traction in dirt (probably not much in it)
See this image
https://adventuremotorcyclinghandboo...ooser-adv2.jpg
3rd row

Temp: pretty sure both will do the distance. I just did 8000km with a K60 on the front (also 4-5 years old); not even half worn.
Get whichever is cheaper, rounder, blacker and in your size ;-)
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  #17  
Old 15 Dec 2015
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Thanks - will see what i can get in CT


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  #18  
Old 15 Dec 2015
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I would take a long hard look at the Mefo super explorers. I've just fitted a pair to a Dominator I'm prepping now and they look rugged. They have almost double the tread of a K60 but still have a rounded profile for road use. I've not road tested them yet but they do get awesome reviews and last forever.
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  #19  
Old 15 Dec 2015
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Mefo's get good reviews from friends round these parts too. I rode a DR650 with a brand new set on and found them "squirrly" on paved roads. Quite a bit of unsettling movement when pushed through tight bends. Felt like they wanted to break loose ... but they didn't. Not impressed.

Buddy thought the same and was worried at first. But after about 500-600 miles of hard riding (our 3 day ride was about 1100 miles in total) they broke in, much better, more stable, tracking straight and solid in corners. Unfortunately never got to sample them again myself once broken in, so report from friend on DR650. VERY GOOD ON FIRE ROADS!

Other Mefo reports also indicate they wear like iron, especially on light-medium weight bikes. Great travel tires if you can pay the freight and MUST have a tire that will make long distance.
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  #20  
Old 16 Dec 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mollydog View Post
Wow! I should qualify my comments. The MT60 I actually rode on was an OLD tire. (in storage 5 years) So could have been hardened? It IS a good wet paved road tire. Rode DRZ400SM on race track with MT60. Good!

One problem for me is how easy the MT60 fills with mud and becomes a "Mud Slick" off road. Tread not deep enough for muddy road. For simple dirt or gravel, probably fine.

I certainly respect your experience and I'm sure you have done MORE km than I on this tire Friends ran them on bigger bikes (Vstrom) and the rear tire did not last long doing FAST road riding. (about 3 or 4K miles only)

Tires are a HARD choice.
As I wrote tyres must be a quite subjective issue and as many opinions as there are riders. Probably similar to "what kind of engine oil is best for my bike" questions....

The Pirelli MT60s are not the most hardcore offroad tyres by all means. And I am sure they fill with mud quite quick as you say Mollydog and thus arent very good in that kind of conditions. But then again what tyre does well in mud???

Fited my MT60s in Thailand and rode through Southeast Asia on them and they were exellent on wet and definetively fantastic on dry tarmac. Some detours here and there on gravel roads where they were ok-ish, never did as much on gravel roads that I bothered to let out air so that riding wasnt optimal. But they handled very worn and rugged indonesian tarmac with short stretches of gravel just exellent.
But they are soft-ish and probably wont last long on a very heavy bike or if you are hard on the throttle.
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