MCN Biking Britain survey: Top 10 longest-lasting adventure tyres
By Rob Hull -
Tyres
17 December 2009 10:03
From the votes of 12,000 MCN readers, here are your top 10 adventure tyres, ranked in order of longevity.
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1. Bridgestone Battle Wing
Sizes: Front – 100/90, 110/80, 90/90 Rear – 130/80, 140/80, 150/70
Price: Front – From £61 Rear – From £61
The Battle Wing series combines rugged off-road looks with sportier on-road performance, longer wear life and more comfortable ride. It is designed specifically for riders of the latest adventure sport bikes, who seek the ability to move at will from city streets and motorways to dirt tracks and mountain bends.
MCN Biking Britain Survey results
Average miles: 6769
Grip: 67%
Value: 10%
Last Well: 17%
Wet: 6% |
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2. Bridgestone Trail Wing
Size: Front – 100/90, 130/80, 80/100, 90/100, 100/90, 110/80, 90/90 Rear – 180/80, 120/90, 130/80, 140/80, 150/70
Price: Front – From £37 Rear – From £46
The Trailwing is a slightly more offroad version of the Battlewing – Bridgestone say approximately 80 per cent road focussed and 20 per cent offroad focussed. The Trailwing still boasts excellent high speed stability, handling, wet performance, and all-round street use performance as well as being able to cope with dirt.
MCN Biking Britain Survey results
Average miles: 6500
Grip: 51%
Value: 10%
Last Well: 26%
Wet: 13% |
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3. Metzeler Tourance EXP
Sizes: Front – 110/80x19, 100/90x19, 90/90x21 Rear – 150/70, 130/80, 140/80, 120/90
Price: Front – From £63 Rear – From £112
The EXP has Metzler’s patented 0 degree steel belt technology on the front and the rear to give better braking stability, whilst improving absorption when being used offroad. The tyre is aimed at being used for the majority of the time on road, and the new tread pattern shows this.
MCN Biking Britain Survey results
Average miles: 6320
Grip: 64%
Value: 6%
Last Well: 14%
Wet: 16% |
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4. Michelin Anakee2
Sizes Front – 110/80x19, 100/90x19, 90/90x21 Rear – 150/70, 120/90, 130/80, 140/80
Price: Front – From £72, Rear – From £75
Claimed to offer excellent grip and durability, with the Anakee 2 delivering at least 29% better tread life than its nearest competitor, with no compromise in wet weather grip. Michelin reckon this tyre performs so well because it uses technology they’ve taken from the track with the tyre construction.
MCN Biking Britain Survey results
Average miles: 5821
Grip: 75%
Value: 4%
Last Well: 5%
Wet: 16% |
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=5. Continental ContiTrail Attack
Sizes: Front – 110/80x19 Rear – 150/70
Price: Front – From £65, Rear – From £93
The ContiTrail Attack is a road-focussed big trailie tyre for the likes of BMW’s GS. It’s a direct development of the ContiRoad Attack tyre. Therefore, this tyre is designed for urban machinery but with comprehensive road performance.
MCN Biking Britain Survey results
Average miles: 5500
Grip: 80%
Value: 6%
Last Well: 7%
Wet: 7% |
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=5. Avon Distanzia
Sizes: Front – 100/90, 110/80, 80/90, 90/90, Rear – 120/90, 130/80, 140/80, 150/70, 110/80
Price: Front – From £34 Rear – From £41
The Distanzia is aimed at the adventure bike market, however there are also fitments for supermoto machines, too. They have a rugged tread pattern and a compound design that’s more road focussed than offroad. Various speed ratings are available to suit different machines.
MCN Biking Britain Survey results
Average miles: 5500
Grip: 74%
Value: 5%
Last Well: 14%
Wet: 7% |
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7. Continental TKC80 Twinduro
Sizes: Front – 110/80x19, 2.75 – 21, 3.00 -21, 80/90x21, 90/90x21 Rear – 4.60 -17, 120/90, 130/80, 140/80, 150/70, 4.00 – 18, 4.10 – 18, 110/80x18, 120/90x18, 140/80x18, 150/70x18
Price: Front – From £41 Rear – From £59
Designed for big capacity adventure tourer types, this is the tyre that comes as the standard OE fitment on the BMW GS Adventure collection. It’s equally focussed on getting good road and ofraod performance. A more offroad focussed knobbly tread design means these will cope adequately with heavy offroad situations.
MCN Biking Britain Survey results
Average miles: 5091
Grip: 64%
Value: 8%
Last Well: 20%
Wet: 8% |
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8. Pirelli Scorpion
Sizes: Front – 100/90x18, 100/90x19, 80/90x21, 90/90x21 Rear – 120/90, 130/80, 150/70, 110/90, 110/80x18, 120/80x18, 140/80x18, 150/70x18
Price: Front – From £36 Rear – From £63
Not only does the Scorpion boast a wide range of tyre fitments, Pirelli also claim it has good high speed stability even when fully loaded thanks to carcass stiffness and advanced rolling comfort and cornering stability on dirty roads. They’ve made a special one for the new Ducati Multistrada 1200, too.
MCN Biking Britain Survey results
Average miles: 4993
Grip: 71%
Value: 11%
Last Well: 9%
Wet: 9% |
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9. Avon Gripster
Sizes Front – 90/90 Rear – 130/80
Price: Front – From £44 Rear – From £52
The tread pattern on the semi off road Gripster tyre is computer-optimised and has an arrow-headed pattern. It’s been okayed by Avon to be used on tarmac and firt but is really designed for mid-range trails bikes.
MCN Biking Britain Survey results
Average miles: 4990
Grip: 43%
Value: 15%
Last Well: 21%
Wet: 21% |
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10. Continental ContiEscape
Sizes: Front – 100/90x19, 110/80x19, 2.75 -21, 90/90x21 Rear – 120/90, 130/80, 140/80, 150/70, 4.10 – 18
Price: Front – From £35 Rear – From £59
Like the ContiTrail Attack, this is a tyre specifically for adventure machines but with road-focussed attention. It’s been developed to be used in all weathers and on every road condition. But it does have a mild offroad tread design, so it’s capable of coping with gravel and light dirt tracks.
MCN Biking Britain Survey results
Average miles: 4790
Grip: 67%
Value: 11%
Last Well: 12%
Wet: 10% |
