michelin desert tyres?
 

anyone tried these on the xt 600 (mines a 1vj tenere)? been looking on the internet and the only rear size they list is a 140/80-18. the michelin website says that this is the same as a 120/90-18 (i think). i just wanted to make sure that they will fit. cheers. karl.

I´ve an rear Michelin Desert in my garage and don´t fits the rear arm.

I used to have a 3AJ Tenere and the rear desert fitted on that ok. An awesome choice of tyre. The front can be a bit entertaining on the road and they're tough buggers to fit, but superb off-road with a heavy bike. A set of heavy duty tubes and deserts fitted to your hoops - punctures are rare.
Well, probably not now I've said it - doh!

Well, on 3TB and 4PT the rear 140 don´t fits.

Compared to TKC80's what would you go with for 50/50 road/off-road on either gravel or sand.

I think TKC80s are really 50%/50%. Michelin T63 are 50/50 too.

Yep, but T63 is altogether better tyre, for me, much better tyre...

Yes, for me too. I´ve been using T63s since I can remember in my XTs. I´ve put TCK80 once in a BMW R100GS and gave me a good impression.

But in an XT the TKCs must make many, may km. I´ve done 4000 km. with the rear TKC in my ex-R100GS PD (about 240 kg.) with load and an elevated tempo on and off road. Perhaps in a XT will last double ??

My impresion is that TKC goes well everwhere (as T63): water, rocky trails, rapid saharan pistes...

metzler mce karoos are good off road, ok fully loaded on road. not sure if they do a size for the tenere...

MT21s
 

I still rate the old favourite Pirelli MT21 - widely available in Tenere sizes, and on a recent Morocco trip after 6000kms of about 40/60% offroad/road the rear was about 2/3rds gone (admittedly with a few big chunks missing too - some of the rocks are really sharp). Front was less than 50% worn. They feel a bit strange on the road when new, but in the dry they are great.

Personally, I would rate the TKC80 as an 70 - 80% on road tyre, 20 - 30% off road.

The Desert is a rally tyre. Its designed for off road, but is road legal. Most of the bikes in the Dakar run Michelin Deserts. Almost all the victories in the history of the Dakar have been on Michelin Deserts. (none have been on TKCs). Its a 70-80% off road 20-30% on road tyre.

In fact I have never even heard on anyone riding on TKC80s in the Dakar rally. They dont last as long as a Desert. They dont ride off road anywhere near as well as a Desert. However, they are much better on road than a Desert. Especially on wet asphalt = so if you live in wet asphalty areas, the TKC is your tyre. If most of your travel is going to be on asphalt, with some off road thrown in, choose the TKC or a Mefo SuperExplorer or Heidenau K60. All much of a muchness. I use the SuperExplorers and Heidenaus where 60-70-80-90% of the tyres life will be be on asphalt.

If you want a tyre that handles dry, rough, off road conditions extremely well, has maximum life, very puncture resistant and is still road legal, then go for a Desert - cause thats what it is designed for.

I use the Desert for sections where the vast bulk of my travel will be off road (80-90%).

ive had a definate reply to the effect that a michelin dessert wont fit in the swing arm without modification....

If the swing arm dimentions on the 4pt etc are the same as the 1vj then I suspect that Deserts will fit those bikes. I know two people who have fitted them to their 1vj's, and though there wasn't much room they were fine.

I plan to test this theory soon as I'm going to pop over to see one of them and test fit an old Desert on my 4pt (18" rear rim fitted), with a view to using them in Mongolia next year. I'm trying out a K60 at the moment for the journey there.

Dan

\\\check this post
 

This would seem to surgest that Deserts will fit.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ok-140-a-26144

Dan