[dieselndixie]

So, the tires on the bike when I bought it were shot, but the PO gave me a set of 85% TKC80 tires. I come from a long offroad riding background so i figured what the heck.

first ride i took, i immidiatly came back to the garage just to be sure I had installed everything correctly. the bike felt waaay different. I understood the rumbling at low speed (my mud terrains do the same on my blazer)

What freaked me out was that it WANTS to lean now. Its like you can be at upright 90 degrees, or 65 degrees, or 45....but nothing in between

i guess i will get used to it on the road, and appreciate it in the dirt. just wasnt expecting such a drastic change. Rides just like my plated ktm 400exc now.

the bike does want to stall now if I drop into first (clutch in of course) from a higher gear and coast. but i think the tire grab is just accentuating my unbalanced throttle body situation.

I just left the wheel weights where they were, and am going to ride tomorrow and see if they feel out of balance (how do i feel for this)

I have a set of dynabeads that i have been wanting to try....should I just peel the wheel weights off, and run the dynabeads? or do my ride tomorrow and then try them....

 

[hooliganrick]

Ran through a set of TKC's myself.....they do take getting used to. It's pretty hard to screw up an install...so I think you're good there... As for balancing....go with the beads....they do work, and you can tell the difference. I have Shinko 705's now...the front I've ridden close to 4,000 mi without balancing. I installed the rear last week and have the beads front and rear now....the difference is very noticeable. Before I wrote off the roughness as being a more aggressive tread....but it smoothed right out. Dynabeads are alot cheaper and easier for the DIY gang. Good luck with it
Rick

 

[dieselndixie]

went ahead and pulled the wheel weights and added 1oz to the front and 2 oz to the rear. have a 5 hour ride tomorrow, so we shall see...

 

[Illinois]

Runnin TKC's now. Think they are great off-pavement, decent on. Obviously change the riding characteristics on the hard road. With the stalling you might think about the 16/43 sprocket swap (provided you have the DL1000). The TKC's aren't designed for high-speed pavement anyway. :thumbup:

 

[OydnaR]

I tried a set of TKCs, I agree, lumpier than they need to be, I prefer Karoo Ts only cause they feel smoother on pavment, gravel perfomance is similar



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[dieselndixie]

took a 4 hour ride today through some dirt roads, county roads, and highways. the TKCs were alot to get used to for the first hour. lean angle was weird, hard braking with the front was less effective than normal. it did get better, but still not sure im into them. good thing i have a brand new set of maxxis detours sitting in the garage.

i am gonna give them a good go though, atleast 1k miles. but i had my first encounter with a rock stepup, and honestly couldnt make it. bottomed out on the skidplate and just spun the rear. i need to explore this bikes limits with the knobbies... personally, i think the bike is not offroad capable enough, to warrant a set of tires that make the bike ride that much worse on the road. it was manageable, and it would do high speed sweepers....but it did them smoother and with alot more confidence before the TKC. again, im thinking the maxxis tires will be a better fit for my riding conditions atleast.

 

[eye.surgeon]

Putting dirt tires on a street bike will tend to make the bike feel funny :mrgreen:

 

[dieselndixie]

I should have taken pictures, but the rock ledge that I tried to go up, should have bee crossable in my mind....not sure if the bike is lower because of the TKCs or not. I have a wilbur rear shock...maybe I can adjust?

The bike just got stuck on the skidplate and I couldnt go anywhere. I had to get off, and back the bike down. (shes a heavy sucker)

my 450x would have wheelied up the ledge no problem :thumbup:

i wouldnt be that upset, but my klr buddy made it :furious:

i kinda think the TKCs might be overkill. they have more offroad ability than the actual bike does...

 

[hooliganrick]

I agree with you on TKC's being overkill. But if you do alot of dirt, gravel, fire roads, the trade off is worth it. The onroad characteristics are easy to adapt to... unless you're a hardcore, leanerover on the curves kind of guy... I'd rather feel confident on the dirt with a good agressive tire, then to fight every curve on a dirt road... but like everything else, it's compromise and preference... I'm on my 4th rear tire...(1. stock 2. TKC 3. Anakee 4. Shinko 705) They all have pros and cons.....good luck

 

[dieselndixie]

yeah, I came from a long line of sportbikes, so I am comfortable leaning a bike over at speed. And I even felt pretty decent on the strom with the tourance tires...but man, with the TKCs...I full unstable leaned over in turns above 45-55mph.

I am new to the bike, so I expect to get more comfortable...but I just didnt think the TKCs made the bike that great offroad, in comparison to how bad they made it ON road.

I have a set of maxxis detours that may put me right in the middle of the two.

 

[Illinois]

More than just a tire swap if you are trying to get the most of it off pavement. Ultimately it is always going to be a budget 500# dualie. But for me that was part of the attraction :mrgreen:

 

[OhioPT]

The TKCs due indeed feel very "uninspiring" on pavement when brand new. After my first 50 miles ride on them I actually called my good friend (who recommended them and uses them on his R1200GS) to inquire if my experience was normal, which he assured me it was. Cornering got noticeably better after the first 100 miles, and they continue to feel better with more miles. I believe the issue is the center tread being initially taller than the surrounding tread, so the bike tips in faster as it rolls onto the lateral knobs. As those center knobs wear down, the progression is more subtle and the bike starts to corner normally. Just give them some time and I think you will like them. You can burn the chicken strips off them on dry pavement once they are broken in.

Regarding the Strom's offroad ability: the stock ground clearance sucks :fineprint: Check out my Project 7.5 thread to see how I addressed the issue. I used to high-center on waterbars and bottom on rocks, but now I just ride right over them. 1.5-2" of extra ground clearance and travel is a HUGE improvement!

 

[tytek]

It is good to know that these tires feel very different... might reconsider my interest in them for touring purposes (rarely ride serious dirt or mud). Thanks for posting your opinions.

 

[Justdrew]

Karoos

Just had my first ride on the Karoos. Very strange at first but what fun on dirt roads. I have posted a ride report in the Australian section with the Title Paluma the long way.

I am not an agressive fanger on the bitumen so the Karoos will probably exceed my needs in this environment.

 

[dieselndixie]

I am noticing that I am getting better "road feel" out of the TKCs after a few hundred miles. I assumed I was just getting used to them, but I think you are right. I think the center has worn down and matches the outer knobbies now. I still dont barrel into corners like I could on street tires...but they are a tad better now.

Front braking is less effective on the TKCs, that is for certain.