Tires: but not the usual suspects

[MattPie]

I'm on the fence about a trip to Labrador, Canada this summer, which will involve a few hundred miles of gravel. Has anyone tried either of these dual-sport tires on the R1150R? The GS guys are talking about knobbies, but I can't find any in the right size.
- Pirelli MT-60 (http://www.us.pirelli.com/web/tyres-cat ... fault.page)
- Avon Distanzia (http://www.avonmoto.com/products/distanzia)

Both are available in 120/70R17 and 160/60R17 (but fit on a 5" rim). Of course, a friend of mine rode to Prudhoe Bay on a pair of half-bald Z6s, so maybe I'm over-thinking things.

[riceburner]

I'm on the fence about a trip to Labrador, Canada this summer, which will involve a few hundred miles of gravel. Has anyone tried either of these dual-sport tires on the R1150R? The GS guys are talking about knobbies, but I can't find any in the right size.
- Pirelli MT-60 (http://www.us.pirelli.com/web/tyres-cat ... fault.page)
- Avon Distanzia (http://www.avonmoto.com/products/distanzia)

Both are available in 120/70R17 and 160/60R17 (but fit on a 5" rim). Of course, a friend of mine rode to Prudhoe Bay on a pair of half-bald Z6s, so maybe I'm over-thinking things.

The Pirelli Scorpion is a good 3/4 road - 1/4 off-road tyre. Obviously not as grippy on the rough as proper knobblies, but far superior than knobblies on the majority of your journey.

[snelson200]

tt

[snelson200]

tt

[TicTac50]

I'm on the fence about a trip to Labrador, Canada.

For after BMWMOA Rally, I was thinking about Victoria and Vancouver, but the Labrador sounds pretty interesting.
Last week I met a KLR rider and he did mention his trip to Labrador, but somehow I did not connect the dots.
Now I have to give him a call.
MattPie. Please keep us posted about the trip and the tires.

Good Luck.

[fj_pastor]

I have run a set of Pirelli Scorpions Sinc and I am really happy with them for mixed use

Best regards

[MIXR]

Matt - I've run two sets of Distanzias. Only managed around 7,000 kms out of each set. They are as good as most road tyres in the wet and dry. Handle very well, so no problem with the 'one size smaller' on the rear. The front also made my speedo run dead accurate for the first time. Compared against a GPS. same size as a road tyre, but obviously a different profile.

On the dirt - Very good. Bike handles much better. Doesn't slide around as much at speed. More grip at the front end, so it won't tuck-under as much as a road tyre does. Inspires confidence and faster travel. Not always a good thing!

Wear - They tend to get very hot when ridden at high road speeds in hot temps. Probably the big blocks getting hot, hence the accelerated wear compared to road tyres. Keep the speeds reasonable, and they will last longer I suspect. They are also very soft when hot. Easy to puncture, and not much substance to the tyre carcass. Very thin. Again - Keep the speeds down and that will be less of a problem.

I liked them, and do a lot of dirt. I gave them up as I just couldn't get the life I needed on bigger trips with lots of tarmac and heavy loads. Worth a shot though for a one-off trip.

Cheers, Mick.