TKC 80 vs Anakee on Dirt

[AdamWebber]

I recently did a 180 mile loop to the Grand Canyon with 150 miles on dirt roads. Speeds were averaged at about 50 mph. I have an Anakee II on the rear and a Tourance on the front. My bike seemed a little squirrely on rough surfaces. I met up with some 800GS riders and we chatted for a minute about the ride. They had the 21" front tire with knobbies. They said compared to the 1200GS, the off-road handling of the 800 is superb. They told me that the 800 will never compare to the 1200 on pavement.

My question is this: How much better off-road performance can I expect to get with TKC 80s? I know that my front wheel is a 19" and I shouldn't expect the off-road capabilities of a bike with the larger wheel. I do about 50/50. I've never had a huge problem off-road riding but I would like to know if the TKC 80 would be worth it. The worse thing I've been on is shale. Next is sand. If I can get more traction all-around, I think that it would be worth it. Also, if there is something better than the TKC, I'd like your input.

[marc]

I have run with a TKC-80 on the front and a Tourance or Trail Attack on the rear. It was a compromise to give me good tire life on the road and better control in the dirt. It worked. The bike seemed to handle better in the dirt with the front knobs, giving me a feeling of more control.

On the street the front knobs are a little noisy and the ride is a touch rough, noticeable at slow speeds. That is about the only down side. The TKC-80 sticks plenty good ONCE YOU HAVE A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES ON THE TIRE. They do seem to wiggle around a bit for the first hundred or so.

I like the combination enough that I've got a TKC-80 front and a Conti Trail Attack waiting for my next tire change.

[AdamWebber]

One of the bigger problems that I have is that there is a lot of sand in southern Utah. Most of the dirt roads that I hit are sandy in one place or another. I usually end up digging my back tire into some sand while trying to get traction. The front of the GS is a little heavy and the front tire doesn't want to float across the sand as much as my dirt bike.

In the future, I would really like to try a sand paddle on the GS at the sand dunes. For now I'm sticking to the dirt.

[Southern Cross]

The TKC80s are a well proven all round choice with a bias to dirt. They perform great in sand and dirt and ridden smoothly, you could probably touch down your pegs. They of course move around a little but you soon become accustomed to that. Plenty of info available on this subject.

On sand, drop your tyre pressures to 25 PSI this makes a big difference in control. Carry with you a small 12v tyre pump and a quality tyre gauge. Huge improvement you will appreciate.
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