Do I need new Tyres??!! Please respond ASAP
 

Hello team,

Well I`m in Rio Gallegos in South America, the last big town before Ushuaia, I thought the tyres were looking a little worn and wanted to replace them. However, the only place I can find in town is selling Michelin tyres for $1000US for two - CRAZY! This is way outside our price range and I think I`m getting ripped off.

Now it seems the only option is to risk it and keep driving to Buenos Aires, it will be about 4000km more. The back tyre has done at best guess about 8000km, the front we don`t know (but more of course) because we bought the bike second hand with the tyres.

Please help with thoughts, I`ve added photos of the front and back and can give any further details, but any help would be appreciated.

I can't tell what kind of tyre is it.

Also are you doing mostly road riding or both on and off-road.

You may be able to scrape out another 4,000kms if you inflate them a little more but this has the downside of making you more prone to punctures so stick to the road if possible.

Plus less tread + dirt = very slippery so be careful.

> I don't know where other's get their tyres from in SA but it's worth asking around.

It's mainly gravel on TdF if I remember rightly but fairly dull tarmac up the east coast to BsAs (but don't miss Peninsula Valdez if the whales are still there) so you'll be more likely to get punctures on the gravel. Are they tubeless as tubed tyres will deflate instantly which is something I wouldn't want to experience again.

The tyres Javier sent me down there from Dakar in BsAs didn't cost anywhere near that, am sure they were about the same at home (UK).

I'm guessing that the top tire is Tourance.

It's a question of safety really. Can the tires make it 4K? Most likely yes but hard to say for sure.

By the end though the rear tire will be bald. Keep in mind that once a tire gets down below a certain level of tread it will wear even faster as the rubber is softer and wears quicker. The lower tire looks better, at least from the pics.

Having said that, like probably a few people, I have ridden a Tourance down until the the steel belts were showing to just barely make it to the next tire stop. Be very careful at the end.

So, only you can judge, but if I was in your spot, I would ride them north and while checking them regularly. You've got two bikes, if one tire looks to be beyond your comfort zone you can stop, store it at a hotel for a bit and come back for it with a new tire. You might want to aim for north first, the closer you get to BA you'll have more cheaper options, whether that be getting one shipped or heading up to pick one up yourself.

Thanks for the advice thus far.

We`re riding up the east coast after Ushuaia which apart from 200km more gravel (100km to and from Ushuaia) it should all be paved flat road.

We`re riding two up on one bike.

Front tyre is a Michelin Radial and the back tyre is a Shinko Trail master

Cheers

You'll know this already but Pirelli MT60 is generally the tyre of choice down there, otherwise big name brands will cost you a lot more.

Get Javier at Dakar Motos to post you some to Rio Gallegos. That's what I did. Although it can take 7-10 days if I remember correctly.

Which way are you heading ?? If heading to Ushuaia for NY, get them sent now and pick them up on the way back North if you're going that way.

Failing that, ride as far as you can to Bsas and when they're goosed, get some new ones there. You can/could buy then in Puerto Madryn in a place called GATO MOTOS.

Ah, one bike two up, I didn't read your original post very well.

I'd still ride north to make it as far as you could, but would be extra cautious, two people on a bike with bad tires is not something you want to push too much.

Puntas Arenas in Chile is also relatively close. However the easiest would be, as suggested above, to get some Pirellis (made in Brasil, so a lot less tax on them = cheaper) sent from Dakar Motors in BsAs.

A long time ago (about 10 years?) there was a bike shop in Ushuaia: On road from town towards the Fin de Mundo sign in the Nat Park on the right before the left turn to the airport. A bit of a Steptoe and Son place but he did have new fork seals for a KLR amongst many other things. Might be worth a look.

Good luck and enjoy,

Chris

tires
 

If it was me I will get some new tires as the road to Ushuaia may kill these already worn out tires, if you ride two up you may take some serious risk ( I am riding two up and did this road few weeks ago), Rio Galenos is prtty big check the bike and tire place , sometime they may have used tires better than the one you have right now , safety first my friend the road to terra del Fuego may not seems very long but a shredded tire on the side of the road may cost you a bit too. The price you were given was a ripp off , I changed my tire in Buenos Aeres , front and back tourance for $600 mounted ( by Honda dealer in centro)

Hello guys, problem fixed :thumbup1:

Well, don't keep us in suspense, what did you do?

Cheers
Growler

Well thanks to the invaluable assistance of Emmanuel and his friend Jorge we were able to track down a replacement back tyre here in Rio Gallegos. The urgency of this became more clear after a second look at the tyre revealed whole sections were at risk of peeling off (we are told this was not due to the bad gravel we had ridden the previous day but the bad quality of the tyre).

The tyre we have is a second hand one from a guy who purchased a new one here in Rio Gallegos (his old one). It will get us over the gravel to Rio Grande (not far from Ushuaia) where we have a contact to purchase a new one. The front tyre is not in such bad nick and we will worry about that a bit later.

Thanks for everyone's help!

^ wow, that sure looks hairy – especially considering that you must have quite a heavy load on board! I´m glad you got rid of that tyre.

+1

Safe riding.