70/30 Tyres
 

This may be a tyred subject :D but I have spent too long looking for an ideal replacement for my ageing Tourances, which on the whole have done well and have lasted over 12000 miles. I have put a Michelin Sirac on the back which I will try out today but these are no longer available for the front size, so I have to find something similar. As I do most of my riding on the road with some local green laning I dont need anything too agressive. Looked at Avon Trailriders and Continental TKC 70's but some reviews mention uneven tyre wear and front end wobbles.

My TKC 70 wore a little uneven from 20-22 k kms, changed them at 25 k kms, so they were completely fine the first 20 k kms or so.

Pirelli MT 60 should fit your needs. Shinko 705 wouldnt be too bad fit either. Continental Conti Escape could also do a decent 70/30 job.

Thanks. 25 k kms is a very long lifespan for tyres, so maybe TKC 70 was not as bad as i tought. I was taking a serious look at the Conti Escape, an older tyre, but tried and trusted with good reviews and no complaints. On a middleweight like the F650gs there is less demand on the tyres than for example a 1250 gs, so most of these options would be ok on the road I guess.

The TKC 70 that I was referring to above was a front tyre. The rear lasted ~ 16 k kms if my memory is correct.

That's still not bad, I don't get much more than that out of the Tourance.

I've got Trailriders on my 790. This year I took it up the Colle del Sommeiller and frankly the tyres weren't very good at all. On the road they are great, lots of grip, good neutral handling and the rear still has plenty of tread left after 7,000 miles. I think if you're not doing anything more technical than gravel lanes they'll be OK.

For my trip next year, out to the Stans via Siberia, I'll probably fit TKC70s for the initial tarmac bit and change to TKC80s in Ulan-Ude for the journey south where the road ends. Only slight concern is the 80s may not last as long as I'd like.

Got 10K Km out of the rear TKC70. Had no problems with uneven wear or wobbles. Good grip wet or dry on tarmac.
Bike is an overloaded CB500x

TKC70 is indeed a great tyre.

But I wouldn't say it's 30%.

It's a road tyre that's a little more adventurous looking.

Looked into the Michelin Sirac for the back and looked like what i was looking for. Road manners as good as the Tourance but more reassuring on gravel and loose stuff. The front size no longer available so fitted a Conti Escape. Same story. The trade off is more vibration, very noticeable at 15 to 25 mph, but bearable at other speeds. This was to be expected I guess.

Tyres
 

Mefo super explorers or Heidenau k70.
Had good results from both these but prefer the MEFO.

Here in Germany we have the stupid regulation that you may only fit a tyre on your bike that has been approved by the tyre manufacturer.


After many thousands of kms with my favourite, the TKC80, I changed from the R80GS to the F650 twin. Unfortunately for this bike no approval by Continental :( So I fitted the TKC70 instead.


IMO real crap :thumbdown: No comparison to the TKC80. The rear tyre was alright, but the front tyre showed uneven wear and lasted only for 6 kkms. After that I fitted the Anakee Wild. What a difference! Perfect grip on tarmac as well as on gravel :thumbup1: But alas - it hasn't the longest life span. Admittedly, living near Munich we often ride around in the Alps, and we usually don't crawl along at a relaxed pace.


For a 30/70 tyre I reckon the Heidenau K60 Scout is one of the best, and it last for many kkms. So is the Mitas E07.

I use K60s mainly because they last so long. I used Tourance for many years and they’re a good tire but, for me, they flatten out too quickly.
The K60s are fine for any kind of riding I do - I have a 1200gs, it can only go so fast.
My wife also rides a 1200gs and uses TKC70s. I must say they last really well and don’t flatten out.
Both tyres are fine for dry, big bike, trails in Europe (I wouldn’t use them on British green lanes), easy piste in Morocco and fire roads in the US.

Although the K60s looks more rugged, the rear has a solid strip down the middle. Whilst this is great for road mileage, it would get no grip in mud so perhaps the 70s have a slight advantage there.

For obvious reasons I’m not doing so many miles at the moment. The new Michelins look good and get great reviews so I may give them a try next time
bier

I think the 150-70/17 is the one with the solid strip in the middle.

You’re right and have made a good point - the OP didn’t say what bike they had