Let me tell you something about my experience with the Continental TKC 80 tyres. I was riding them on my KTM 950 Adventure with the dimensions of 90/90/21 up front and 150/70/18 in the back.
After a few heart stopping moments on the Heidenau K60 Scouts in Albania and especially on the wet roads of Croatia, I decided to try something else. Being quite satisfied with Conti on the mountain bike and after reading some reviews I came across the TKC’s and decided to give these middle priced tyres a chance.
The playground was the southern part of the Carpathian Mountains, Romania. We had pretty much everything from wide open gravel slopes to steep small dirt tracks and a few high speed moments on all new dark asphalt curves. And to say it straight away, I was more then happy with them!
Gravel and dirt seemed to really fit the thread style, and with the fairly soft rubber you could charge with them on the streets as well. After a few days I had a few goes at drifting on a perfect new and quiet road close to Arad, and even with this inappropriate discipline, the tyres felt safe to me. After warming them up, they always had enough grip and when coming to their limits in corners, they always gave me some gentle signals.
They might show a bit of a lack on wet grass and mud. And to be fair, I never came into sand, but for the terrain we searched for, they seemed to fit just perfectly. Providing confidence in tight dirt corners, stability on rocks and lots of big smiles on gravel. Even the huge load change after ditching our travel gear to search for smaller tracks, with some pressure adjustments, didn’t affect them .
But after praising them, I have to mention the one big drawback as well. The long connection stages, mainly on highways with only one aim, reaching the target. Maybe my slightly nervous right hand might also be liable, but the non-existent endurance would always limit the operating range unacceptably. 2,000km and the whole thing was gone, including the fun. Not even a quarter of what you would need for serious adventures. Though the front tyre would take a bit more, its still just not enough, and for the last 3-400 km’s you have to deal with reduced off-road fun.
Summary:
Pro’s – Confident for almost everything, fun guaranteed.
Con’s – Endurance not made for adventures. I’d buy them again to be honest, if the expected mileage fits – which just won’t be the case.
