[Snow Fox]

I swapped out the KLX SuMo street tires for a set of TKC 60-40 enduros and installed Ride On. When aired up to the bike's recommended PSI they totally suck in dirt, particularly sand, and they make the bike feel floaty. When I aired them down as I do on my TW, they feel wonky and out of balance.
Has anyone else experienced issues like this? Got a suggestion for me? 😀

 

[Fred]

No knowledge but sympathy for the underwhelming performance you are experiencing on your KLX.
Sure you got the TKC80?

Or the TKC70?

I could see the TKC70 as a little inadequate and spin happy for Hermit Heaven.

Would have thought the 80 would be a good match, capable of digging a god hole so you don't always need the sidestand.

 

[ZXtasy]

I found the TKC 80 to be sublime on and off road on a 2008 Versys 650.
Spendy and did not last long, but hey...

 

[Mistervelocity]

My guess is that they're too narrow. Once you go TW34 you never go back. That's the saying, right?

 

[Snow Fox]

Yeah I have the 80 enduros. They don't hold a candle to the Shinko, dammit! I'm wondering why they don't do well with a lower PSI. Any ideas?

 

[oldworld 124]

The rubber is probably harder than the shinkos. I went to a very soft rubber rear atv tire and the shinko sr241. They are very grippy. The rear tire only lasts about 2500 miles, but I feel it is worth it. As Mr V said, the rear tire might be a bit narrow.

 

[Snow Fox]

The rubber is probably harder than the shinkos. I went to a very soft rubber rear atv tire and the shinko sr241. They are very grippy. The rear tire only lasts about 2500 miles, but I feel it is worth it. As Mr V said, the rear tire might be a bit narrow.

Ahhhh, that makes sense. The Sumo has 17" rims, which limits choices. Apparently these 80s don't last long, so I'll be looking for recommendations on my next set!

 

[Ski Pro 3]

No knowledge but sympathy for the underwhelming performance you are experiencing on your KLX.
Sure you got the TKC80?
View attachment 233382

Those look to be exactly the photo I found on Dunlop D606 tires!
The Best Dual Sport Tires For Serious Off Road Riding (rideadv.com)

I think they got their photo wrong. Ha!
But I can recommend the Dunlop D606:
They do make it in a 17" tire:
Amazon.com: Dunlop D606 Rear Tire (120/90-18) : Automotive

 

[Snow Fox]

Those look to be exactly the photo I found on Dunlop D606 tires!
The Best Dual Sport Tires For Serious Off Road Riding (rideadv.com)
View attachment 233391
I think they got their photo wrong. Ha!
But I can recommend the Dunlop D606:
They do make it in a 17" tire:
Amazon.com: Dunlop D606 Rear Tire (120/90-18) : Automotive

Very nice tires. Thanks!

 

[TrialRun]

What pressure when you air them down? I have the Shinko 804/805s on my DR650 (not the TW). I told them the bike was for forest service roads and Moab roads that were actually roads (Switchbacks, Gemini Bridges, Long Canyon, Onion Creek and similar). When buying, Pro Cycle said ~"balance both tires and to make sure and never use a pressure below 20psi. If riding where you want pressures below that, you have the wrong tires." I assume it was a sidewall issue, but didn't ask. The TKC may have a similar issue and just get squirrelly with lower pressures for which it wasn't designed. But I found going from the recommended pressure down to 20 made a big difference on the off-pavement stuff that I specified. On sand, not so good; hence the TW.

 

[Snow Fox]

I aired em down to 20 PSI, and both tires are balanced with Ride-On. They don't handle lower pressure well at all and they're squirrely on sand. Perhaps I should have bought the 40-60 instead of the 60-40. What do you think?

 

[TrialRun]

As Fred said above, did you buy the TKC 70 (60-40, 60 on-road, 40 off-road) or the TKC 80 (40-60, 40 on-road, 60 off-road)? The 70 might as well be a slick for sand. It's a road tire that lets you ride down a forest service road and look for a campsite. But the 80 at least looks ok.

On the TW, I have the stock rear and replaced the front with a Shinko Trials Tire (SR241). This was recommended to me by Eckhart (ejfranz on the site) after watching me ride and fall. I've gone from being horrible on the DR in sand (so bought the TW), to bad in the sand on the TW with the stock front tire, to not falling once due to the tire in the Moab sand or Quartzite gravel/sand washes last two trips on the new trials tire. It doesn't mean I don't ever crash (or just essentially fall over in the sand at 2 mph). But the falls are now all rider error and nothing to do with the tire.

I also don't care at all what the tire is like on pavement. I only ride on pavement a few miles to get to off-pavement. But Shinko front does seem fine on the highway around Moab getting to and from trails.

All this said, the people that I ride with typically have an ATV tire on the rear and every tire under the sun for the front.

As far as the TKC, that is a tire I'm looking at right now for the DR as a true dual sport tire. But for the TW, I wouldn't consider it for me. I'd look at an ATV rear and off-road front tires only. Any tire is fine for riding a few miles on a highway to get to trails.

 

[Snow Fox]

As Fred said above, did you buy the TKC 70 (60-40, 60 on-road, 40 off-road) or the TKC 80 (40-60, 40 on-road, 60 off-road)? The 70 might as well be a slick for sand. It's a road tire that lets you ride down a forest service road and look for a campsite. But the 80 at least looks ok.

On the TW, I have the stock rear and replaced the front with a Shinko Trials Tire (SR241). This was recommended to me by Eckhart (ejfranz on the site) after watching me ride and fall. I've gone from being horrible on the DR in sand (so bought the TW), to bad in the sand on the TW with the stock front tire, to not falling once due to the tire in the Moab sand or Quartzite gravel/sand washes last two trips on the new trials tire. It doesn't mean I don't ever crash (or just essentially fall over in the sand at 2 mph). But the falls are now all rider error and nothing to do with the tire.

I also don't care at all what the tire is like on pavement. I only ride on pavement a few miles to get to off-pavement. But Shinko front does seem fine on the highway around Moab getting to and from trails.

All this said, the people that I ride with typically have an ATV tire on the rear and every tire under the sun for the front.

As far as the TKC, that is a tire I'm looking at right now for the DR as a true dual sport tire. But for the TW, I wouldn't consider it for me. I'd look at an ATV rear and off-road front tires only. Any tire is fine for riding a few miles on a highway to get to trails.

Yup, I've got the 60-40 TKC 80's. I've ridden the KLX only a few times before bad winter weather hit, and I'll definitely know more about the tire performance in the spring when the roads dry.
I'm close to the NM Backcountry Discovery Route where I'll be riding miles of pavement and some forest service dirt roads. The TW is way better on gnarly trails for sure. Love the Shinko 241!

 

[Leisure Time Larry]

The TKC80s are more of an ADV tire rather than a dirt bike or DS tire. I have them on my CB500X, but have never had issues like you describe, even taking the rear below 20 PSI. I think others are on the right track with the different rubber and the narrowness. The lighter weight of the KLX may also be a factor.

On a bike with pizza cutters, it needs to be going faster to be stable on sand and such, like above 20 MPH or more. Like a boat, you kind of got to get it up on a plane and float near the surface. The wider tires of the TW can accomplish this at slower speeds. I think you've got to grip it and rip it a bit. I would also have a digital tire pressure gauge and a pump and I would run the same mile or so back and forth dropping or raising the PSI 1-2 lbs. at a time noting any differences and finding the sweet spot. It seems like most can run the rear tire about 3-5 PSI less than the skinnier front tire.

I got the TKC80s for the X because of the 17" rims front and rear. There are limited aggressive tire options for a 17" front. The 17" front, even down from just the 18" of the TW is also going to make a difference in handling. I do love my X for the ability to go further and faster in a day, excel on pavement or give me the option to go on a dirt road or double track trail, but I prefer to ride the TW whenever I know I'm going to be offroad. It's just easier and more comfortable to ride. I've had that X on the White Rim Trail and other places I probably shouldn't have taken it. It'll do it, but I'd rather be on the dub.

 

[Snow Fox]

The TKC80s are more of an ADV tire rather than a dirt bike or DS tire. I have them on my CB500X, but have never had issues like you describe, even taking the rear below 20 PSI. I think others are on the right track with the different rubber and the narrowness. The lighter weight of the KLX may also be a factor.

On a bike with pizza cutters, it needs to be going faster to be stable on sand and such, like above 20 MPH or more. Like a boat, you kind of got to get it up on a plane and float near the surface. The wider tires of the TW can accomplish this at slower speeds. I think you've got to grip it and rip it a bit. I would also have a digital tire pressure gauge and a pump and I would run the same mile or so back and forth dropping or raising the PSI 1-2 lbs. at a time noting any differences and finding the sweet spot. It seems like most can run the rear tire about 3-5 PSI less than the skinnier front tire.

I got the TKC80s for the X because of the 17" rims front and rear. There are limited aggressive tire options for a 17" front. The 17" front, even down from just the 18" of the TW is also going to make a difference in handling. I do love my X for the ability to go further and faster in a day, excel on pavement or give me the option to go on a dirt road or double track trail, but I prefer to ride the TW whenever I know I'm going to be offroad. It's just easier and more comfortable to ride. I've had that X on the White Rim Trail and other places I probably shouldn't have taken it. It'll do it, but I'd rather be on the dub.

View attachment 233457

Good explanation! Thanks! And that's one gorgeous bike.