Editor's note: Our supplier Motovan gave us a set of K60 tires to try out and we immediately handed them over to our ambassador Pete SS. He tested them out in all conditions on his most recent continent crossing expedition. The following are Pete's thoughts and words.
Talk to 10 riders, or hop on the Interweb and google “good adventure tires” for motorcycles, and you are bound to get at least ½ dozen opinions, and the remainder of riders just don’t know. The BEST THING you can do is actually talk to someone who has used the tires you may be interested in buying and riding, and get the straight goods. How are they? How’d they work? How’d they last? The ROI (Return on Investment) and/or any negatives?
Well… here ya go, the straight goods on the new HEIDENAU K60 Scout tires after 8,000 kms.
HEIDENAU is not a new tire brand… they have been producing tires for close to 70 years now, and currently make tires to fit motorcycle, moped, scooter, carts and even cars. I remember running a few different tires from this world maker more than 10 years ago… They were always known for their durability and good quality, especially the K60 Scout model with a solid center bar design, and of course this tire is still available.
While the original K60 Scout tire is known for great wear and long mileage (I’ve heard of guys getting well over 20,000 km using these tires on mid-sized adventure bikes) the solid center bar wasn’t for everyone, and true “dualsport” or “Adventure” tires feature a blocky design for increased performance and traction OFF ROAD on gravel or softer surfaces.
Like many, I was one of the customers looking for a more off-road capable tire for my adventure bike and have been running 2 or 3 of their competitors tires over the past 8 years/100,000 km. To be honest, I wasn’t super happy with tire life or availability of other makes/models. So, I installed a set of these new K60 Ranger tires just prior to a 27-day, multi-surface adventure ride from BC south to the Mexican border in southern Arizona and back. 8,000 km of fun!
What are the key topics we discuss when chatting about tires?
Durability: (cuts, nicks, sidewall slashes, torn off knobs etc.)
I had NO issues despite riding in some very harsh conditions. South of Death Valley the air temperature was 43 degrees C so I can’t imagine what the road surface temperature was… and off road we encountered gravel, shale, sandy and sharp lava rocks. These tires went where they were pointed
10/10
Longevity: (how many km)
When I was fully loaded for this 1 month tour, the total weight of my moto with me on it was 900 lbs! So to get 8,000 km out of a set was impressive.
10/10
Dry road performance:
This tire impressed me with its confidence inspiring cornering
10/10
Wet road performance:
Look, none of us push hard on wet pavement, but I never had any “holy shit” moments/surprises or scares when the roads were wet
10/10
Gravel road performance:
This is where my moto (and me) are happiest, and these tires performed BETTER than I thought they would. I never broke traction or had the front wheel wander or break loose in a corner. The rear tire hooked up very well in all conditions…… 10/10
Soft/loose sand performance:
Riding a fully loaded adventure moto on soft sand is NOT FUN. I can’t blame these tires for my lousy riding skills, so, I’ll just thank them for getting me out of these challenging conditions as well as they did…so,
10/10
Overall rating:
In my opinion, the new HEIDENAU K60 Ranger (developed to be the “off road cousin” to the Scout series of tires) performed in an crazy wide range of conditions extremely well… and better than I expected! They’ve got a winner! I’ve just installed a fresh set of these tires on my moto and look forward to putting another 8,000 km on this new set.
Final shots of my tires (with more than 8,000 km on them), just before they came off my moto. Sure the center section of the tire is pretty worn – but as it SHOULD BE. These tires lasted 3-4,000 km longer than some of Heidenau’s biggest competitors in wear. Full marks.
Also, take a look at the dark cornering marks on the outside knobs. As I said “confidence inspiring” cornering, especially for a fully loaded adventure moto! Full marks.
The front tire wasn’t fully worn out or even “cupping” from hard braking, so I would guess I could have got another couple of thousand km of use/wear on this tire. I’d rate it as a 10,000 km multi-surface front tire.
Summary:
If you want to improve your off road capabilities, performance and confidence the
Heidenau K60 Ranger Tires are available in a wide selection of tire sizes and widths that cover every BMW GS motorcycle model, along with many other big dualsport adventure motos. They are 100% tubeless compatible, but can be run with a tube if necessary.
Ride more, ride with confidence. Seeya out there soon.
Pete Stace-Smith
VIP Ride Ambassador/Guide
High Road Motorsports