Best tires for big bike on continental divide.

[BobSquires]

I plan to ride the Continental Divide on a BMW R1200GS next month and would like some opinions on tires. Yes, I have already heard that the GS is too big of a bike for the divide but itÔÇÖs the only bike IÔÇÖve got and besides, me on ANY bike becomes a heavy bike.

I currently run Michelin anakee 2s which my understanding is that this is an 80% pavement / 20% off-pavement tire. IÔÇÖm wondering if for this trip I should convert to a 50/50 tire (semi knobby). What are your thoughts?

Currently when I am running off pavement is loose gravel and sand, I typically just run a lower air pressure. (about 20 ÔÇô 25 psi) and that seems to help a lot.

I have been told that the only advantage to knobbies is when the road is muddy and that I would be best to stay with my 80/20 tires and to detour around muddy areas. Do you agree with this?

Thoughts, opinions, etc. - Thanks

[marchyman]

I'm a novice at all things off road. With that in mind I find that a knobby on the front helps -- maybe it's all in my mind, but I'll take any help I can get.

Given the above I do what some would find unthinkable: I run a TKC-80 on the front of my GS and something else -- a tourance, anakee, trail attack, etc. -- on the rear. I've been doing that for the last 25K miles. The front TKC-80 lasts 9K miles (plus or minus). It handles well on the road, on the dirt, in the wet, whatever. I stay away from mud and sand so can't say how it handles there.

Currently I've a TKC-80 on the front and a Trail Attack on the rear. When the Trail Attack wears I've got a Heidenau K60 in the garage, waiting.

[Polarbear]

On big GSs, I've ridden some of the toughest high Rockies on regular D/S tires, less air if it got nasty. Most of the rockies are just that, "Rocky" and the regular tires do really great on rocky terrain. I just found that Bridgstone builds a new tire, the GS/GSA TrailWing that looks like an in between knob, D/S tire and I just ordered one for my rear. This tire was not available until just recently for the GS/GSAs, according to Bridgestone. Its been made for many bikes for years, but not the GS/GSAs until now. I'm excited to get it here and mount it. I've been very tired of the TKC full knobs that have no life on the road(rears). Anyhow, the new TrailWing @$125.00( a true middle, knobby road tire) will be on my backend in Redmond. Randy"Polarbear"

[Polarbear]

"SWMotoTires" on the internet is where I buy, out of Tucson,AZ..Free shipping if you buy 2 or more and NO tax, out of state. They just had the tire(GS/GSA TrailWing) I mentioned above. Randy