KLR650 Tire Considerations

Now that I have an idea of when my 2016 Digital Camo Kawasaki KLR650 is showing up, I can start finalizing a few accessory and modification plans. I have a long list of accessory and modification ideas, but first and foremost I really need to take a close look at the tire situation.

The KLR650 comes equipped with a set of Dunlop K750; an original equipment tire dual sport tire only available from Kawasaki. The front size is 90/90-21 and the rear is 13/80-17. Both tires are tube-type and they're rated 70/30 by some suppliers.

Generally, dual sport tires are described as a relationship between on-road use and off-road use in terms of a percent. It took some research, but I found that the OE Dunlops are 70/30 dual sport tires; or, 70% on-road and 30% off-road. Does that mean that you can use the Dunlops 70% on the road and 30% off the trails? Well, no. Of course, not. For example, in the most gnarly of off-road conditions, the Dunlops probably can't/shouldn't be used any percent. On the other hand, the flip side of the Dunlop ratio, or 30/70, may indicate an overly aggressive tread pattern that isn't particularly road friendly in terms of comfort and durability. The ratio is simply a helpful gauge.

What's important is understanding the conditions and types of surfaces that one is likely to encounter in their riding plans.

In Florida I have two very significant considerations that I need to weigh in tire selection. The first is sand; Florida is a big sand bar after all. The second is mud; once off the pavement, what's not covered in sand is covered in soupy swampy mud. If I go off the highways, even on loose-surface unpaved roads, I'm most likely to run into one or the other ... or both! Ever try and dig a 600 lb motorcycle out of sand?

Back on the ratio, how much I plan to be off-pavement is mostly irrelevant. If I want to be off-pavement ever, which I do, I need a somewhat aggressive tire here in Florida. On the other hand, I don't want a tire that's so aggressive that they ruin the paved experiences. Here are a couple things I look for:

Channeling Ability: The way effective sand and mud tires work is that their tread is designed to channel those materials off to the sides. That essentially means large, side-to-side gaps in the tread design. The larger the gap the better, as what material doesn't get channeled to the side gets kicked out the rear (aka rooster tail).

The extreme example of that is a paddle tire, as shown in the photo below. Those tires channel surface materials pretty well ... but it sure doesn't make for a smooth ride on the pavement.

Aggressive Edges: A good off road tire for loose surface conditions has aggressive edges, particularly on the front tire. Aggressive means knobs or some other sticky tread pattern that runs around the tire "all the way" up the right and left sides. Aggressive edges help keeping the front wheel tracking along top the softness and also helps with turning and maneuvering. Now, bear in mind that you do not turn in the dirt/sand/mud like you do on the pavement; rather, it's less turn/lean and more distribution of weight and kicking the rear around. The tires do angle down though and that's where we need that aggressive edge.

A good example of a tread with an aggressive edge is a motocross tire, as in the photo below. Note how the knobby pattern wraps around the edges, almost on the side. As you can see, those tires also have good channeling ability, which is not the case for all motocross tires.

So, back on the Dunlop K750 (below) that come stock on the KLR650...

I suspect that the OE Dunlop K750s are roadworthy, but from an off-road perspective, imo they seriously lack even a minimal ability to channel the common Florida surface materials that I will encounter and they have tread pattern that won't grab and hold loose surfaces to avoid sliding and washing out. I'm going to need a better tire.

There are so many options, but I reviewed several brands and then I narrowed the choices down to a short list of three. I added a note as to the lowest price I could find for each brand at the time of my review. Of course prices change and also some vendors (like Revzilla) have free shipping in some instances over $100 which is very helpful. Here is a list of tires/ratings/price that I included in my search for tires:

• Continental TKC80 Twinduro 40/60 ($181)
• Shinko Big Block E804/E805 40/60 ($158)
• Dunlop D606 10/90 ($188)
• Michellin T63 50/50 ($152)
• Kenda K784 60/40 ($151)
• Pirelli MT21 10/90 ($178)
• Heidenau K60 50/50 ($243)
• Kenda K760 10/90 ($65 rear only)

The short list is the Heidi's, Conti's and the D606...

Heidenau K60 Scouts: Heidi's are an extremely popular 50/50 adventure tire suitable for larger (450+ lb) motorcycles. Out of my three choices for the KLR650, I've only used the Heidenaus and am very familiar with the capabilities and weaknesses. In fact, I went through three sets of Heidenaus on a Yamaha Super Tenere.

The Heidenau's were amazing in terms of durability; many owners including myself were getting 10,000 on a rear and it seemed like infinity on the front. They were also very smooth for the road work. I had the set on the Tenere above installed in Whitehorse, Yukon, went on to ride Alaska, British Columbia and Moab, Utah. Great tires for that experience. Yes, more expensive, but 10K miles is a heck of a lot more value over a tire that's beat at 3K.

Continental TKC80: If there were a Gold Standard in adventure and dual sport tires, it would have to be the Conti TKC80s. The TKC80s are 40/60 dual sport tires with a dispersion on the rear tread design looking like it would channel pretty nicely. The front looks a little on the gnarly side, but I'm liking it over the Heidi's front tire above; the Heidi front is better on road, the Conti front is better off road.

The downside of the Conti is durability. From reviews that I've read, the more road work, the faster the TKC80s are going to wear. I read where some guys got as low as 2,500 miles, but there were others in the 5,000--8,000 mile life. I do eventually want to ride out of Florida to some adventure riding venues in Georgia and North Carolina...and I don't want to be changing tires on trips, say nothing of lugging them.

Dunlop D606: The Dunlop D606 is the most aggressive of the three choices. In fact, given that gnarly front tire that looks more like a motocross pattern, the D606s rise to a 10/90 tire! Out on the sand bar, that D606 front would be da'bomb! However, I think I'd need to be dropping below 30 mph to navigate about any curve over 10% on the highway.

The rear tire looks pretty good, but I note that many of those preferred gaps and grooves that I'm looking for are blocked by an outer knob. Going back to the Conti, those gaps are wide open.

And the winner is...

I think that they're all great tires, but the choice is fairly easy. I'm going with the Continental TKC80s and have my dealer deliver with the tires installed.

The Conti's are situated in a zone that provides more aggressive tread than the Heidenaus that I'm very familiar with but not as much as the Dunlops. The Heidi's were perfect back when I had the Tenere, because most of the off-roading I did was in places with more solid surfaces. I don't intend to ride the KLR650 across the country and Canada. Rather, its to take advantage of the Florida dual sporting opportunities.

The Dunlop D606 are a very, very close second. As mentioned, the tires don't look like they'd channel as well as the Conti's but I really like the aggressiveness in the tread pattern. I know I would feel more confident on the Dunlops out on the sandy and muddy trails than the other two. The only thing that keeps the Dunlops out of play here is they're not roadworthy enough. I'm worried about that front tire in tight cornering and I don't think I would like to ride hundreds of miles up to Georgia and North Carolina on something that aggressive.

As previously mentioned, the Continental TKC80 are the Gold Standard in adventure and dual sport tires for larger models. We may encounter a durability issue, but I think they're worth a try to get my Fall and Winter dual sporting off the ground.


UPDATE (5/2016):

The rear Continental TKC80 got just about 3,000 miles before it had to be replaced. The front is still going strong at 4,000. I replaced the rear with another Conti. Next rear tire, though, I think I'm going to go with something with a little better wear, even if it's not as good in sand as the Conti. The front is a different story; wear has been good, but I may want to go to a 10/90 there given the conditions I'm riding.

A few points:

The Conti turns out to be an outstanding dry road tire! I was ripping up the Tail of the Dragon in West North Carolina on the bike in early April. Not a slip, not a hop, not a bump.

Block knobbies are not known to be good wet pavement tires and the Conti's are no exception. While they hold enough to get you around without too much trouble, the problem starts when you need to brake. On wet surface braking, the rear tire is virtually worthless. The front will get you stopped but your stopping distance is so extended on wet surfaces that you need to be prepared to start braking much earlier. In fact, to be on your game if the road is wet, I'd recommend taking a rainy day and going out to practice once in awhile.

The Conti's have been a fairly good KLR sand, mud and water crossing tire. I've done a couple rallys on the KLR and have had no tire issues at all. Deep water crossings, mud and, of course, lots of sand. On the forest roads and trails, its most important to keep the KLR in its sweet spot and let the Conti's take care of you. If you take the KLR into highly technical areas more suited for a 250 pound, lower geared, 250 cc KTM, it's the KLR that's going to let you down, not the Contis.

I recently purchased a Suzuki DR650 (below) and installed a set of the Shinko 804/805 Big Block tires. They're not better than the Conti's but real close. I did not have them on the short list because I didn't think the rear tire would channel well. However, they were so popular with the DR owners that I gave them a shot and am very happy with them. They definitely belong on the short list of tire considerations for Florida trail riding.