Also ran a 908 on the 610 for a trip to Lesotho - tough as nails but a very hard ride on rocky stuff. But as you say good peace of mind. Probably best suited to the big trailies IMO.
IMO, it has great grip driving you forward in sand or mud but it's lateral grip on loose surfaces is pretty bad. Looking at the tread it makes sense. The wide continuous blocks have no voids (like your AC10 does) to keep it from sliding side to side. Not too much of an issue for my sight-seeing riding style, it's more important to me that it keeps things moving forward (I'm not out railing thru corners on loose stuff). I can see why the fast guys here don't like them though. I will say that what hurts the tire laterally on loose stuff probably helps it corner on pavement, those blocks for sure aren't squirming. .
Some 908RR info: http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/michelin-desert-race-dual-sport-tire.32551/ (Ignore the thread title, lots of 908 info there) Not good in mud or wet conditions.
D606...love it. It's a much better tire overall than the T63. The dunlop is actually much quieter on road than the michelin. Go figure. It holds up better and has deeper lugs, wider tread. Out front on the last trip I had a Karoo II lying around so threw that on in place of the Michelin Desert because there was gonna be a lot of hiway - worked really well for that. Scalloping badly though. Ran it on my Tiger as well, good there too. Desert was best for sand of anything I've tried. Melts on road, also pointy little knobs not so grippy on sweepers. A fellow rider washed out the front on road and went down - pretty scraped up. Going back to Scorpion Rally for the front though. Will keep the D606 rear. The rally is just the best tire ever.
I agree on the Rally! I have a new Mich. Desert front to try now. Having the most problem with the rear, cant seem to find the perfect dot rear..
Not being argumentative but my results for the D606 are almost completely opposite yours so posting this for others to balance. D606 was much louder for me than the previous three T63's I've worn out, much louder to the point that is why I will not run another at any price. Maybe noteworthy is mine was the 130/90 size not the 120/90 that most state using and I also mounted a new D606 front at the same time so maybe that contributed. I also got a shorter life from the D606 than I did any of the Michelins. And almost 1,000 of those miles was a high percentage of sand running LAB2LV roundtrip and Arizona. D606 was slightly better in the dirt but T63 is better on pavement, especially wet pavement. Only other rear tire I want to try at this point is the Karoo 3. If it doesn't give up too much in the dirt and I get increased mileage it might just be the right compromise. Priced reasonable also at $82. http://www.bikebandit.com/tires-tubes/motorcycle-tires/metzeler-karoo-3-dual-sport-tire I also currently have a Karoo 2 on the front. Bought three of them when ZipTy had them for $15 each. Not bad (equal to D606 front which I didn't like either) but I knew right away not for me. I sold the other two on Craigs List and will go back for a third Scorpion Rally at next change. _
Just finished 2600 mi "ForeverWest" trip on my Dunlop 908 rear and Mich Desert Race front... The 908 has 5939 miles now. It has been just the tire I hoped it would with no punctures, long life, and good traction even now. IMO, the key to liking this tire on our bikes is never running more than 15psi. I run 6-8 psi and don't air up to 15 unless I have a bunch of slab. I do run Tubliss so no fear of pinch flats but as stiff as it is (a 5 ply tire) don't think you'd have much to worry about with a tube. Some say they're hard to mount but I've put two on 630s and they were easy. Desert Race has 4048 miles and again I couldn't be more pleased. To me that's amazing for a true knobby tire. The center knobs must be made from stronger stuff than the side knobs because they're still standing tall. I've kept it at ~18psi (again w/ Tubliss). My buddy did wear his Desert Race out with two days to go on our two week trip. His Tubliss looses air for some reason and tire was under inflated some of the time (8-12psi) so it wore faster than mine. We had a new one strapped to the spare on the Jeep so we changed it at the hotel one night. His center knobs were still tall also.
Wow that's some impressive miles and still some more left. I forgot I have a new 908 next up as found one locally for $80 so jumped on it. If I could get 6,000 miles it would justify the normal $180 price for me. I'll post back what mileage I get from mine. _
Stupid newbie question: The 630 has tubes in the tires, right? I'm just surprised there are no rim locks.
Yep, thats probably why the manufacturers tyre pressures are in the low 20s, to avoid slipping on the rim. I've put rimlocks on anyway, just drill the extra hole in the rim and pop one in, you may want to check the balancing and throw a couple of wheel weights opposite as well. Gives an extra bit of piece of mind on a long trip that the valve stem isnt going to get ripped out.
I installed the plastic rim locks on mine, tried the ride-on balancer/sealer as well. Good results so far.
Yes. It's plenty big. Seems to be about half worn, has been a really good tire, on and off road. Was $98 at MCSS. They are on sale right now for $94
This showed up in my email today. http://www.bikebandit.com/community/videos/5-dual-sport-adv-tires-you-should-know-about
MCSS not on sale anymore Dennis Kirk has the 130/90/18 for 88.88 + 5.00 tire fee = 93.88 I usually get my tires locally (cycle depot in eagle rock). brick and mortar (supports local business), most places will price match or come close, they have it or its next day. You pay the tax (california!) but no shipping....its a wash!! I also have scotts in montrose!
Who pays for shipping? Free shipping minimum purchase amount is easy to meet; usually one tire and one tube. If you order from out of state no CA tire fee, no sales tax and no shipping. Savings adds up. _
Different places play different games... All I am saying, is for a minimal difference it is possible to buy from a local brick and mortar and get it sooner!!!
