Heidenau k60 Scouts

[Dirt_Dad]

Basically hard pack would be the most noticeable, right?

Hard pack and lightly graveled is where I would notice the difference between the Anakee II and the old K60. We'll see.

 

[Combo]

I think that cut-out will work much better than the solid strip on slick paved water crossings for sure. ::008::
Not sure if it will cut the tire life on paved road riding? :-\

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Not sure if it will cut the tire life on paved road riding? :-\

It's definitely might. I got about 6,400 out of the last one. I'll report the death of this one. I expect they will face similar conditions.

 

[MikeBear]

Well... Just put set of those on and I am discusted by this tires road manners. I really hope it will change. I really hope it will get better... Please God, give me patience

 

[RED CAT]

My front K60 has about 3000kms on it and it howls on pavement. Wear ear plugs so it doesn't matter too much so far. We'll see if it gets worse. I am only running a K60 in the front and have an Anakee 2 in the rear. Can't say I've noticed any real benefits of the K60 over the front Anakee 2 except maybe in deep sand encountered on the White Rim Trail. On hard ground and loose gravel, no difference. I'm sure in mud the K60 would shine but I avoid mud AMAP. So far my thoughts are that I will go back to front Anakee 2s or 3s after I wear out the K60. And I ride as much gravel and easy dirt roads as possible. Probably 70/30 pavement/gravel. ::001::

 

[coastie]

I love this tire and think the road manners are fantastic for the tread pattern. I'm not sure how you could expect more. I think those of us who grew up in the dirt have no problems, as we are use to having a bike move around underneath us, and we probably don't know any better or just don't care. If most of your experience is on the street, I can completely understand why you would hate it. Nothing like nice sticky smooth street tires.

 

[Waiting]

Ok....I've only got 20 miles on my new K60s. This may not be my final word on these tires...maybe I'll learn to like them....but first impression is....OH CRAP!! The vibration is un-effing believable. I feel like I've got my old Harley back! No, that's not right....it's actually much worse than my HD Road King EVER was! I brought them home today in the rain....and it's supposed to rain the next couple of days...so it may be a while before I get them good and "scrubbed" in. At this point, I wish to hell I hadn't bought them! Different strokes for different folks I guess!

 

[Ironhand]

Ok....I've only got 20 miles on my new K60s. This may not be my final word on these tires...maybe I'll learn to like them....but first impression is....OH CRAP!! The vibration is un-effing believable. I feel like I've got my old Harley back! No, that's not right....it's actually much worse than my HD Road King EVER was! I brought them home today in the rain....and it's supposed to rain the next couple of days...so it may be a while before I get them good and "scrubbed" in. At this point, I wish to hell I hadn't bought them! Different strokes for different folks I guess!

Wanna trade for my 800 mile-old EXPs? I can wait to finally get some hairy chested rubber on this thing. These street tires aren't for me...

 

[True Grip]

My turn next. I'm gonna try a diagonal cut.

 

[OkState]

100 miles on mine today. Jury still out on the pavement, much more noise and vibration but I expected that. TC2 was lighting up on pavement which I wasn't expecting. BUT, I got to test in some fresh wet clay that is the local roads in my part of Oklahoma. These things worked like a champ. With the EXPs I'd be walking the bike out of that crap looking for first way out, today was standing and accelerating through some nasty slippery crud. I'll take a big hit in road vibration for that ability around here.

 

[snakebitten]

What vibration?

I've read every post in every K60 thread. No mention of vibration.
They look like they would be smooth as glass.

Just poking fun. But seriously, there are some consistent comments from those that love them and those that don't.

They vibrate, when brand new, between 5-25 mph.
They smoothen considerably after a few 100 miles.
They get loud as they wear. Especially the front.
They get the TCS to blinking on pavement.

And it could be true what was just mentioned: Dirt guys don't find them offensive on tarmac.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

My turn next. I'm gonna try a diagonal cut.

Look forward to your reports. So far I'm underwhelmed with the results of mine. I'll do more testing today, but after yesterday I think they might be as good as my wife's Anakee IIs with over 5K miles on them...maybe. I was secretly hoping they would improve the traction enough that I could lift the front end over ruts and holes when approaching at speed. Clearly that ain't gonna happen. I can tell there is more bite than my last worn out K60, but on the roads I've ridden so far, I'm not impressed.


OkState - I can tell you all the vibration you're feeling is from the front tire. My brand new rear tire with a lot chunks cut out is still smooth as a slick on the street. AS Snakebitten said, I'm a dirt guy, so it only amused me to feel the rumble up front. It didn't take very long for that rumble to disappear. I don't remember how many miles, but it definitively goes away as the tire breaks in.

 

[OkState]

OkState - I can tell you all the vibration you're feeling is from the front tire. My brand new rear tire with a lot chunks cut out is still smooth as a slick on the street. AS Snakebitten said, I'm a dirt guy, so it only amused me to feel the rumble up front. It didn't take very long for that rumble to disappear. I don't remember how many miles, but it definitively goes away as the tire breaks in.

I'm dirt guy too, so yes the rumble from the front is familiar. There's another vibration decelerating through 30mph down to 15 or so coming to a stop that is something extra. First thought I hadn't balanced them correctly, but its just an odd low speed decelerating shake up through the bike. It has gotten better with the few miles I've put on them.

 

[snakebitten]

I'm dirt guy too, so yes the rumble from the front is familiar. There's another vibration decelerating through 30mph down to 15 or so coming to a stop that is something extra. First thought I hadn't balanced them correctly, but its just an odd low speed decelerating shake up through the bike. It has gotten better with the few miles I've put on them.

Yes. That's an excellent description of the NEW K60 tingle. (Deceleration)

I was kinda bummed when it started to melt away. I liked the "data feed" from the road.

 

[coastie]

Yes. That's an excellent description of the NEW K60 tingle. (Deceleration)

I was kinda bummed when it started to melt away. I liked the "data feed" from the road.

HAHA its a deceleration warning! Better twist that throttle and get moving ::025::

 

[Neonguy95]

Re: Re: Heidenau k60 Scouts

Ok....I've only got 20 miles on my new K60s. This may not be my final word on these tires...maybe I'll learn to like them....but first impression is....OH CRAP!! The vibration is un-effing believable. I feel like I've got my old Harley back! No, that's not right....it's actually much worse than my HD Road King EVER was! I brought them home today in the rain....and it's supposed to rain the next couple of days...so it may be a while before I get them good and "scrubbed" in. At this point, I wish to hell I hadn't bought them! Different strokes for different folks I guess!

Step one: Find a dirt road.
Step two: ride at 30 mph
Step three: Grab a fist full of brake and hang on. It will stop almost too quickly.
Step four: Smile.

I never turn off ABS. Ride in TC2. I feel like the bike stops better on gravel than on pavement. Love the K60's. Just installed the second pair after getting 9200 out of the last set.

Probably had another 1k left in them but I am preparing for Alaska.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

 

[snakebitten]

............. I was secretly hoping they would improve the traction enough that I could lift the front end over ruts and holes when approaching at speed. Clearly that ain't gonna happen.

I can visualize getting the front light with throttle and body posture. It looks and feels awesome in my mind. But in real life, the technique just doesn't work nearly as well. And it ain't the K60 failing me, because a knobby won't do it for me either. It's just too much mass up front with this bike.

Only takes a few minutes each time I get off road to adjust the ambitious mental expectation to the reality version. And it's not as disappointing as it sounds. It's just a different kind of challenge.

In the Dakar, it's not hard to imagine how fun it must be to be strapped into one of those desert buggies and catching air over the dunes. But those guys riding in those HUGE diesel trucks are raising hell too. It's just a different technique. Necessary because of the physics of their mass.

Blasting on the Tenere off-road is not like anything I have ever done before. It's a much different technique that requires me to dial in an extra measure of margin-of-error. Fat old man margin-of-error not withstanding.

I enjoy the heck out of it with the K60 or the Karoo or the 80/20 tires. (Gonna try a Big Block next) But no tire can deliver my vision version. I'm just a hopeless dreamer.

Of course you, DDad, already know all this. You have way more dirt miles on S10's than I do.

It's kinda funny. The K60 is actually my favorite street tire. Since its the best street tire I am willing to put on my bike now.

Hoping the Karoo3 or Anakee Wild can beat it off road. (they should) Maybe they can become my favorite street tire?

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Blasting on the Tenere off-road is not like anything I have ever done before. It's a much different technique that requires me to dial in an extra measure of margin-of-error. Fat old man margin-of-error not withstanding.

Hoping the Karoo3 or Anakee Wild can be beat it off road. (they should) Maybe they can become my favorite street tire?

I know, I know...the weight of this bike demands more careful line selection and good pre-calculation of what impact with that obstacle will have long before ever hitting it. A large part of my fantasy comes from riding an ATV (KFX700) that everyone considered to be a pig and too heavy to be any fun. What the uninitiated didn't understand was the faster you rode that ATV, the more it lifted up on its suspension and all you needed to do was blip the throttle to lift that extremely heavy beast up and over anything in your path. Most thought I was nuts for riding it so fast. I wasn't nuts, I just knew the secret of that machine...and I loved it. My fantasy is to do the same with the S10, but I am realizing it's just not going to happen. That's fine, still enjoy the hell out of riding this bike off pavement.

Right now I'm also looking forward to reports on the Karoo3, Anakee 3 or Wild. Once I finish this latest rear I'll be ready to try something else.

 

[snakebitten]

The ATV sounds fun. Haven't ever really played with one. But it's obvious we are seeing that genre of vehicle going through some rich innovation. Crazy stuff showing up everywhere.

As for tires, I'm gonna continue to pursue the most I can get out of them for stretching the off-road prowess on the big bike. But I'm pretty sure there won't be anything magically that's gonna hook up much better than what I've experienced yet. So the next logical improvement to riding harder is suspension. I expect there is still a LOT to gain there.

After that, I might trim 40lbs off the package. (me )

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I had a chance to really test the tire mod today. First I rode my wife's bike with her Anakee IIs on a predetermined course. To feel everything I stayed seated as much as possible. Next I took my bike on exactly the same route and same lines. I stayed seated and turned off the clutch mod on my bike to make everything as equal as I could make them. Both bikes were in Sport mode with TCS off.

On a dry gravel road in a straight line both tires are pretty much equal. Both will break free with little provocation. The modification does nothing here. I also could detect no advantage with the bike in a left or right power-slide on gravel, again more or less equal.

On dry dirt with no gravel the modified K60 did have better traction and was more difficult to break loose. Once place I noticed a difference was going up a steeper than average dirt/gravel road that is very washboarded (road to top of Mt Weather for you locals). Normally I go up certain sections of this mountain with the rear wheel just spinning endlessly over the washboard. Today it was still spinning, but was actually getting more acceleration up those sections. Tire just seemed more effective than usual.

Also managed to ride in the rain for a while today. On pavement I could detect no difference with the mods vs any other tire. If I made the effort I could get it the TCS light to blink in Touring and TCS1, but I had to try. If I really went hard on the rear brake I could get the ABS to kick in. But I can do all of that with any tire. In general I'm not an aggressive rider in the rain. Riding my normal easy pace the tire seemed as sure footed as any other tire I've used in the rain.

Overall I'm not sure if I would do it again. There are some limited improvements there, but nothing dramatic. I'm probably more interested to see how some of the new offerings turn out in real world use.

Warning - it is unsafe to modify a tire. It could cause instability which could lead to a crash resulting in injury or death. You should use only unmodified factory tires in accordance with manufactures recommendations. This information pertains to my experience and I neither recommend nor endorse anyone making similar changes to their tires.