Tires for an R1200 GSA

I have a 2016 GSA, and I am currently running Michelin Anakee III tires. I am starting to get into more dirt trail riding, mainly on fire-roads, and am looking for advice on a more suitable tire. I ride about 80 percent on asphalt and 20% on the dirt.

Thanks, Adam

Heidenau K-60 Scouts. Great off road, fine on road, and wear like an anvil. I'm on my fourth set after running Metzlers and Michelins.

Take a look at the AVON AV53 / AV54 TRAILRIDERs. They are advertised as 90/10 tires but look more aggressive than that to me. Just got a set for my 2017 GSA but have not mounted them yet.

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle...MIq5uxjOrk1QIVE4F-Ch0KTABcEAQYBSABEgL4VfD_BwE

I've got experience with the Heidenau K60s on other bikes. Good off and on road, but square off rapidly and so-so durability in my experience.

I have a 2016 R1200 GSA and swap between the Anakee 3s and Continental TKC80s. I use the Anakee 3s for long distance (St. Louis to Salt Lake City / St. Louis to Buffalo) and TKC80s the rest of the time (it takes me about 2 hours to swap both tires). For local riding, I like having the extra offload traction the TKC80s provide. My attitude is it's always better to have the capability to go on a moment's notice into gravel, sand, dirt, mud, water, etc. versus being on a road tire and finding out at the wrong time I really needed something with more off-road capability. The TKC80s don't wear well, but they're not a pricey tire and easy to mount/dismount.

Tires

Thanks for the advice all.

akbeemer said:

Take a look at the AVON AV53 / AV54 TRAILRIDERs. They are advertised as 90/10 tires but look more aggressive than that to me. Just got a set for my 2017 GSA but have not mounted them yet.

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle...MIq5uxjOrk1QIVE4F-Ch0KTABcEAQYBSABEgL4VfD_BwE

I've got experience with the Heidenau K60s on other bikes. Good off and on road, but square off rapidly and so-so durability in my experience.

Click to expand...

Weird, I've never gotten less than 10,000 on a set of Heidis and even at that mileage, the tires had more to give but were replaced as I was getting ready to do long (3,000-4,000 miles) high speed runs in the Southwest in summer. I run 36 psi in front and 42 psi in rear on my '09 GSA. I've found them the most durable of all the tires I've run on my GSA, but YMMV.

They do have a bit of a tractor whine until the first 2,000 miles or so of wear.

TKC 80s

I would recommend the tkc 80's over the Heidenau K-60 Scouts. The tracking on the Scouts back tire on loose gravel and going up hill is crap.

The K60 scouts wear like iron but nobody will tell you that you get good grip on wet roads.

Avon Trailriders are a nice step up from the Anakee 3s in my opinion both on and off roads. My go-to tire for the GS

TKC70s look great but the front tire cups badly on some bikes. Telelevers seem to be part of that problem.

I will be mounting Anakee Wilds in the next day or so. I expect to lose some surefootedness on the road but gain that much off. Will see if they can displace the Avons as my favorite.