Has anyone tried both tyres yet on the MS DVT? I need to make the choice. The Michelin I've found to be ideal for roads and even OK on trails but I wonder if the compromise required to try the Trail Attacks will spoil my road riding more than it enhances the experience over any gravel roads?
No use at all, but I'd be more worried about bits falling off my multi should it go off road, than what rubber was on it. However, you kind of answer your own question, what do you value more, road or trail? If it were me, I'd have the road tyre every time, cause off road there won't be that much in it, but on road the pilots will be clear winners.
Haven't tried them on a Multi because I haven't got one, but if it helps Conti Trail Attacks are the OE fitment on the KTM 1190 Adv and when I bought mine I was expecting to hate them on tarmac but in fact they're remarkably good. You can ride hard enough to tear them up - which I didn't know was possible with dual-purpose tyres, they warm quite well and last forever. But the profile is fairly shallow and flat and its very easy to find the edge. There are no nasty moments when you get there but if you like to scrape your boots, though they'll grip well enough you need to adapt your riding style. I was quite happy with them for sporty road riding but I changed them before going on a week-long trip because the weather wasn't looking great and I had no idea how they performed in the wet. I'd read mixed reviews. Some people said they were fine, others hated them, so as they'd done the best part of 3000 miles (still loads left on the rear) I changed them. Never having been a huge fan of any of the Pilot Roads I went for Metzeler Roadtec 01s which are superb on tarmac. Near sports tyre levels of dry grip and the best wet weather tyre I've ever tried and they managed gentle riding on gravelly forest tracks in Wales with no problem at all. No sports profile but a lot more scope for slinging it around than the Contis. I can't tell you exactly how long they last because my rear succumbed to an irreparable puncture at 2000 miles and I've only just had it changed, but it won't be as long as the Contis. It was getting ominously low by 2000 miles and I doubt it would have gone far past 3000. A Trail Attack rear should hit 4000, even on the Multi.
PR4 on BMW rt., Rear fine front a lot of cupping. TA2 on tiger 800 and BMW f650 lasted long time and excellent. They last so long the center will eventually flatten on rear. Roadtec 01 on multi good for 7500 miles excellent. Conti motion on multi, 4500 rear 6500 front were ok and cheap.
I'm on PR4s and I live a mile off-road, so plenty of use on our rutted dirt track: no problem whatsoever for that sort of use. Excellent all round road tyre.
I ran with Metzler Roadtec 01 on my BMW S1000XR so similar HP to the Multi etc etc They are without doubt the best tyres available for the road on bikes such as the XR and Multi Dry grip is incredible and the wet performance better than anything else i have used PR4 included They also have a decent life, over 4000 on the rear compared to 2500 from diablo rosso 3 I like them so much i will be having a set on my Hypermotard next week
They sound very good if better wet than PR4. I have had 3 pairs now, 4K rear is about what I get and expect to get, so if you can get that from a grippier dry tyre without sacrificing wet performance, think I'll give them a go next
I took mine with the original Pirellis on a rocky trail at the side of my friend's house on Lake Como, Italy. I had only one scary moment, spitting stones and rocks whilst trying to get restarted on an uphill hairpin, but other than that it was OK. I was taking it very carefully though as it was only about 2 months old.
thanks for all the info. I was aware about the fitment to the KTM. The only experience I have with Conti tyres is with a Supermoto rear on my CCM 644. I liked the flat profile on that. The profile being flatter as you report interests me. I hate scraping boots, and yet there is still 1 inch of chicken strip on my PR4s. The Ducati app reported my lean angles at 37-39 degrees on the Stelvio pass. So I figure I'm not getting lower than that, especially with all my luggage. The flatter profile would give me more contact area I think and less wastage. Interesting what you say about the Metzeler. I used to be a big Metzeler fan in the 80s and 90s. The last set I have is on my VFR800, Z8 Interacts. They didn't wear well and are badly cupped. The PR4 GTs have been my favourite tyres for the road, on the Ducati and my ST1300. But although I'm not going mudplugging on the Multistrada, I have been told that the tread is a bit susceptible to punctures with sharp stones. I want to be able to explore stoney rocky trails more confidently as and when they appear. The TA2 front has an extra ply to make it more resistant to rocky edges, less deformation means less risk to the rims. But looking online, the compromise is that on hard braking into hairpin turns, it doesn't squish so much and can feel more vague. From what you say about the flatter profile, I might not notice the difference in my riding. The grip of the PR4 GTs in the wet has always been superb, and I've got good mileage out of them: Over 10,000 on the ST1300 steady motorway commuting, and 5,000 on the Multistrada. The rear on the MS is now approaching the wear indicators and the front is a bit cupped. My dealer took it out after a service and said he couldn't turn it, that they need immediate replacement. He knows I source and change my own tyres, so he wasn't trying the hard sell. He genuinely thought they were gone yet I'd run them longer if I had to. Maybe he chucks it around more than me? But his ride was only 3 miles in 30mph traffic.What you say about the Metzeler is interesting too. I'll check those out. Maybe I'll be one of the first to report back on the TA2s?
did you find any vagueness on hard braking into turns with the TA2 front? How does it compare in the wet?
Interesting.I'm wondering how long they'd last with all my touring and camping luggage weighing down on the back.
There is a heavy load version of the 01 specifically for large, laden bikes. But I think we're talking ZZR 1400s and K1600 and the like, with full gear and pillion. Doubt whether a lightish twin ridden solo would warrant those but worth checking. You've got to pick a tyre for your riding style. If you're not one for flinging it around and you genuinely seek out the loose stuff a dual purpose is the obvious way to go. If you don't think you'll utilise the dry grip of the 01 but you'd definitely have use for the longevity and loose grip of a dual, that's the one to buy. Metzeler Tourance are another possibility. BMW's favourite and KTM are using them on the 1090. What's Ducati's OE tyre for the Enduro? Got to be worth a look. I was wary of buying the 01s for the 1190 because I'd tried Z8s on an SMT and they were dreadful. Terrible front-end stability issues. I'd tried them on a Speed Triple which really liked them so thought they were worth a punt but they didn't work on the SMT at all. Doesn't mean they won't suit the Multistrada though, but TBH if you're going to buy the Z8 you might as well go for the 01s.
We've a bit of everything - stones & dust when dry, with a layer of fine mud when wet. I've also ridden a fair bit on local forest trails and not had any particular issues with trapped stones.
The OE for the Ducati MS are Pirelli Scorpion 2s. I found they were short lived,wore cupped, slippery in the wet on tramlines in Basel, (PR4s are not) and not even good on the dry. I couldn't wait to change them. I think I am on the cusp of whether the heavy duty 01s are best for me. I tour with camping kit now and so it's like having a small person on the back. The bike is still about 250kg fueled up. The limiting factor on tyre choice is the 190 rear. I'm told a 180 won't work as the computer notices the change and will throw an error. I think my choice is between PR4 GT, Metz 01, Metz 01 Heavy duty and TA2. The TA2 pair is the most expensive. £50 on top of the PR4s. The Metzs are half way between. Still, cost is irrelevant once I'm sure of my exact requirements. I think I'll wait a bit until I know where my next trip takes me.
i think the OE tyre for the MS Enduro is the smaller width Pirelli Scorpion. I hated those tyres on my MS. The rear is 190, so that precludes all knobblies and even the TKC70. Conti says the most off-road tyre I can get is the TA2, or the original Scorpion 2
I've got about 6.5K on my 01s on my 1290SA. Got plenty of tread left but starting to seriously square off (though handling has remained unaffected, as far as I can tell). Progressive mileage, too. Would have again. Tried a 1290 SA S the other day with Scorpion Trail 2s and they're a ton better than the first ones (have no way to tell about mileage).
My MS DVT came with Scorp 2s. I found them slippery, especially in damp conditions, tram lines in Basel for example. And they wore badly cupped. No such issues with PR4 GT
I've ran conti TA2 for years on my R1150GSA and they are very good. I'd guess that a dedicated road tyre should be better for road use though.
