Just about worn out my third set of Skorpions and feel like it might be good to have a change. Does anyone have any experience using Michelin Anakees? Realistically, I'm after something that works well on tarmac, as off-road forays have either ended badly or been terrifying. I expect the tyres to last at least 6000 miles, with spirited riding (which is what I've had from the stock Pirellis). I realise tyre threads are divisive and extremely subjective, but if anyone has real-world experience of riding long miles on anything other than the OE tyres I'd love to hear your feedback.
Got Metzeler Tourance Next on mine, but that's what it came with so no real opinion, they seem fine. Had a little slide from the front (I think, may have been both wheels) on the BikeSafe course I did last week but it was a non event and they gripped fine once I was off the gravel.
On my 3rd set of DUNLOP Trailsmarts on which i have covered 45,000m so far. I like em, smooth, no vibs, good mileage and yes plenty of grip then again i'm in Arizona where is rains 25 days a year The OEM tires are not as good around fast corners, suffered from the heat and slightly less mileage.
Just passed the 20k mile mark and like you on 3 sets of tyres. I'll probably stick with them but I'm considering continental trail attacks. I had anakees on my R1150GS adventure which I had no concerns with. Ride then did a Big Bike tyre test and Dunlops came out on top, can't remember the exact model. I changed ti them and the handling was greatly improved as they had a much stiffer side wall. I ran dunlops until they discontinued them and as I couldn't get the replacement when I needed tyres I switched to the contis. They're every bit as good as the dunlops and still on the GSA. One thing to take into consideration is how you react to feedback from the tyres reaction with the road. Dave moss on you tube explains it briefly here
I wrote my post then went ahead and ordered the Anakees anyway, for no other reason than I just figured I'd try something different. I'll report back in six months, once I've worn them out!
Well they sure do look really cool! Nice blocky pattern, which possibly has slightly less tread depth than the Pirellis, although there can’t be much in it. I’ll have a ride on them tomorrow. Undoubtedly the bike will feel transformed, as the old tyres were absolutely shagged!
I did about 50 miles last night, on dry roads. I'll preface my impressions by saying I forgot to check what pressure the tyres had been inflated to, so I can only assume they were done to manufacturer recommended pressures. I'll check in due course. Initial feeling was that they felt like they would drop into a corner quite abruptly, and then remain quite stable once leant over. However, bear in mind the tyres they replaced were very well past their best. The front was almost bald off of the centreline, and the rear was very square. Once I got on with riding and stopped concentrating on how they felt they seemed perfectly ok. I got a sense of feeling like they need slightly more counter-steering effort to initiate a turn, but once in the turn they just sit there and feel very composed. I'll be interested to see how they wear.
Lesson learned - finally checked my tyre pressures and they were miles out - 32 rear and 30 front. Nice one Pro Tyre in Exeter. Not sure why I keep using those guys, other than they're convenient. So...tyres pumped up to OE pressures and it's handling like a dream. I've been out today on a mixture of motorway, A and B roads, and even some gravel tracks and a river crossing, and it's been great. I can't fault the tyres at all. I accidentally scuffed a boot on the way home, and have the rear tyre worn out to the edges on both sides, and I'm loving how the bike feels. Now to see how they last.
I'm interested to hear how they last, and whether they wear evenly or not. Also, off topic, but what silencer is that, and did you buy it as a full system ?
It's Delkevic de-cat. Not the prettiest thing, and a bit loud for my taste, even with the baffle in. It was a cheap experiment. Ideally I'd replace it with something longer, to give better noise attenuation.
