klr first trip - ride report -better link-

[S. B. Lawrence]

What would be the longest-running tires suitable for extended touring? Will be getting onto unpaved roads that a streetbike can navigate if you take it easy, not into true offroad conditions, so aggressive tread is not important.

[Judson D. Jones]

Dunlop K491s.

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "S. B. Lawrence" wrote: > What would be the longest-running tires suitable for extended > touring? Will be getting onto unpaved roads that a streetbike can > navigate if you take it easy, not into true offroad conditions, so > aggressive tread is not important.

[Zachariah Mully]

Jeezus, the Connie folk get 20,000-25,000+ miles out of K491's on a 750lbs bike, I'd love to hear what you expect to get out of yours on a 350lbs bike! Nothing like a 'Wing tire to last forever. They'll probably dry-rot before you wear them out Z DC

On Mon, 2002-10-07 at 09:21, Judson D. Jones wrote: > Dunlop K491s. > > --- In DSN_klr650@y..., "S. B. Lawrence" wrote: > > What would be the longest-running tires suitable for extended > > touring? Will be getting onto unpaved roads that a streetbike > can > > navigate if you take it easy, not into true offroad conditions, so > > aggressive tread is not important.

[Judson D. Jones]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., Zachariah Mully wrote:

> > Jeezus, the Connie folk get 20,000-25,000+ miles out of

K491's on a

> 750lbs bike, I'd love to hear what you expect to get out of yours

on a

> 350lbs bike! Nothing like a 'Wing tire to last forever. They'll

probably

> dry-rot before you wear them out >

I've never run them on the KLR, that's just the answer to the question I haven't asked. After years of suffering through 4000 mi. tire changes with Metzelers on my BMWs, I found that I could go 10-12000 with the Dunlops. But the best thing is that the fronts wear evenly, and don't cup out if properly inflated. I don't know if I could get 25k the way I ride, but yeah, I would expect the 491s to last a long time on a KLR.

[Mark St.Hilaire, Sr]

> question I haven't asked. After years of suffering through 4000 > mi. tire changes with Metzelers on my BMWs, I found that I could > go 10-12000 with the Dunlops. But the best thing is that the > fronts wear evenly, and don't cup out if properly inflated.

I've got Distanzia's on my bike for the first time, and at a little over 4000 miles of use, they still look new. Just don't - I repeat, DON'T - go anywhere near mud with them... Mark Glitter is coined to meet the moment's rage; Genuine lives on from age to age. - Goethe's "Faust" KLR650 Motorcycle Pages: http://klr6500.tripod.com/ HomePage: http://home.adelphia.net/~msaint/index.html My Adelphia Email can be "iffy." If you don't get a response, please try: KLR6500@...

[S. B. Lawrence]

Appears Dunlop 491 is a moot point since they don't make them for a KLR (604 Trailmaster seems like the closest to what I'm looking for) however I'm not familiar with Distanzia. Sounds like a disability. Could you point me to a website?

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "Mark St.Hilaire, Sr" wrote: > > question I haven't asked. After years of suffering through 4000 > > mi. tire changes with Metzelers on my BMWs, I found that I could > > go 10-12000 with the Dunlops. But the best thing is that the > > fronts wear evenly, and don't cup out if properly inflated. > > I've got Distanzia's on my bike for the first time, and at a little over > 4000 miles of use, they still look new. Just don't - I repeat, DON'T - go > anywhere near mud with them... > > Mark > > > Glitter is coined to meet the moment's rage; > Genuine lives on from age to age. > - Goethe's "Faust" > > > KLR650 Motorcycle Pages: > http://klr6500.tripod.com/ > > HomePage: > http://home.adelphia.net/~msaint/index.html > > My Adelphia Email can be "iffy." If > you don't get a response, please try: > KLR6500@h...

[Zachariah Mully]

On Mon, 2002-10-07 at 10:19, S. B. Lawrence wrote:

> Appears Dunlop 491 is a moot point since they don't make them for a > KLR (604 Trailmaster seems like the closest to what I'm looking for) > however I'm not familiar with Distanzia. Sounds like a disability. > Could you point me to a website?

Oops, yer right, Dunlop does make Harley touring tires (402's?) in 21" and 17" sizes that should work fine on the KLR. Z DC

[Mark St.Hilaire, Sr]

> Appears Dunlop 491 is a moot point since they don't make them for a > KLR (604 Trailmaster seems like the closest to what I'm looking for) > however I'm not familiar with Distanzia. Sounds like a disability. > Could you point me to a website?

Well, they're ok in gravel and dirt, just pretty bad in mud - but, no more so than a street tire would be. They DO perform exceptionally well on pavement. My only riding friend is on a Moto Guzzi V11 sport, and won't attempt to keep up with me in the twisties. He does, however, "blow my doors off" on the straight sections. Anyway, you can take a look at them here: http://www.avonmotorcycle.com/mcycle_product/Images2002/Trail.htm Mark Glitter is coined to meet the moment's rage; Genuine lives on from age to age. - Goethe's "Faust" KLR650 Motorcycle Pages: http://klr6500.tripod.com/ HomePage: http://home.adelphia.net/~msaint/index.html My Adelphia Email can be "iffy." If you don't get a response, please try: KLR6500@...

[Allan Patton]

I'm on my second Dunlop K491 on my KLR. The size Dunlop makes for the 17 inch wheel is one size larger, so it's a taller tire. Lowers the RPM, not as much as changing the front sprocket to a 16 tooth, but you can tell a difference. I got around 15,000 miles out of the first one. Changed it before leaving on a trip. Could have squeezed more miles from it, but I wanted fresh rubber for the trip. The one I have on now has about 16,000 on it. As for the "Connie folk" getting more miles, I'll bet they ride almost all pavement. I ride, probably less then one percent off road, and ten to twenty percent gravel, dirt, and crushed rock roads. On these roads, you spend a larger percent of the time accelerating at low speeds and have more tire slippage. Braking causing more sliding also. On yesterdays ride, when I used the back brake, it was like sliding on ice with that bald 491. Especially down hill. Got my blood pumping a couple of times. I know one guy who runs 491s and clams he gets an easy 20,000 miles. Allan A14

----- Original Message ----- From: "Zachariah Mully" To: "Judson D. Jones" Cc: "KLR List" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 8:41 AM Subject: Re: [DSN_klr650] Re: High mileage tires? > > Jeezus, the Connie folk get 20,000-25,000+ miles out of K491's on a > 750lbs bike, I'd love to hear what you expect to get out of yours on a > 350lbs bike! Nothing like a 'Wing tire to last forever. They'll probably > dry-rot before you wear them out > > Z > DC > > On Mon, 2002-10-07 at 09:21, Judson D. Jones wrote: > > Dunlop K491s. > > > > --- In DSN_klr650@y..., "S. B. Lawrence" wrote: > > > What would be the longest-running tires suitable for extended > > > touring? Will be getting onto unpaved roads that a streetbike > > can > > > navigate if you take it easy, not into true offroad conditions, so > > > aggressive tread is not important. > > > > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at www.dualsportnews.com. List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > >

[S. B. Lawrence]

What do you run on the front?

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "Allan Patton" wrote: > I'm on my second Dunlop K491 on my KLR. The size Dunlop makes for the 17 > inch wheel is one size larger, so it's a taller tire.