DR650 Meets D606; TKC Shucked

Rrrrr - look at that!  A new chunky D606 - And after two on road/off road rides, I'm impressed!

 

A week or so ago, I put a nail through my relatively new Continental TKC80 Twinduro rear.  I then had to ride back 40km or so at 30-40kmh to get home.  I suppose I could have changed it, but that would have meant growing a rubber tree in Canada's northern temperate climate, draining the sap, vulcanizing the rubber and extruding it into an inner tube or using it to patch the old one.  Not something I wanted to do. 

 

Besides, I had concerns.  My first TKC Twinduro rear lasted from May 2011to July 2012 and did 6832km.  I replaced both front and rear at that time (even though the front hadn't worn more than 20%, it did have a deep gash in the sidewall from a pointed rock) with another set.  Disappointingly, and inexplicably, the new rear wore like butter!  In fact, it only lasted exactly 1,790 km before it looked to be as worn as the first.  It was then that got my flat.  I took it off and compared it with the first one (which I still have) and they are both worn to nearly the same extent!  I can't say my riding style changed THAT radically, and certainly I rode very little road as I had my W650 insured for the road over the summer.  I'm not sure if Continental switched compounds, but the wear characteristics are slightly different.  The newer one literally flaked, while the old one wore evenly with no grooves or flakes appearing on the blocks. 

 

I then placed both tires side by side and looked for any difference in manufacturer descriptions.  None, except for the load rating: the new one was rated to carry less load at one PSI less.  Otherwise all numbers were identical.  Both were made in Korea.  So what explains the apparent difference.  I don't know, but here are some shots:

 

Above: the recent TKC with 1720km on it - look at the scalloping in the blocks; below the original rear with nearly 7000km on it...Can you tell the difference?

Below: Side by Side.  Spot the difference...That's right - there's not much, maybe 10% less wear on the recent one; however, the first one (left and darker) lasted nearly 4 times as long as the one on the right with far more road use to boot...

 

 



Still, ever since Andy slapped a Dunlop D606 rear on his bike, I've been impressed.  The D606 is vastly better in the dirt, on gravel and in mud than the TKC.  I purchased a 130-90-17 and put it on with Andy on Saturday. 

 

What a difference a tire can make!  I can now close the throttle and the wheel doesn't hop or cause the bike to yaw disconcertingly on gravel or deeply pebbled roads when decelerating: the treads don't float, but rather grip enough to offer a firm resistance to the bike's engine brake.  For traction they are simply amazing and no longer am I spinning the rear on the dirt or when going up steep slopes: they bite, and I don't have to use wheel spin to maintain momentum up steep inclines.   On the road they feel just as sticky as the TKC's - well planted, and there is no sensation of lateral tire walking.  I haven't tried them in rain yet, (we simply haven't had any for two months) or in the deep mud.  And of course, who knows what the wear will be like, but as the W650 is off the road for the fall and winter, they will see plenty of tarmac on Siouxsie now.   Lastly, they are much more predictable and planted in corners off-road than the TKC's ever were.

I'll keep you posted on their performance over time on the big Suzuki.