Munich - Gibraltar

[chris76]

Hey,

on Wednesday I returned from a 8.000 km / 5.000 miles trip from Munich to Gibraltar in Southern Spain. Of course the XT1200Z proved to be the perfect ride for that kind of trip.

Here's a selection of pics:
http://christophschm.de/spanien_2011/

And some riding videos:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB979CC0FD51DDAD3

Enjoy!
Christoph

 

[colorider]

Thanks Christoph!!! Great pics!

 

[jajpko]

Thanks for the nice pics. Bet that was fun!!
Could you tell me what tires you have on the bike

 

[eemsreno]

Great pictures, Send more like that, I have one for a desk top now.

 

[chris76]

Hey Jim,

before the trip I was using Metzeler Tourance EXP C, which offer excellent grip especially in cold and wet conditions. But the back tire is typically worn out to zero profile after ~ 4500 miles. And in hot conditions the Metzeler tends to be a little bit too soft.

So for the trip to Spain I put on Continental TrailAttack. They proved to be very agile yet stable in dry and hot conditions. In the wet they have less grip than the Metzeler. But the best thing is their longevity: After the 5000 miles there are still at least 3 mm of profile on both tires and they are good to go another 1000 or so (law requires us to have at least 1,6 mm of profile).

 

[colorider]

That's good feedback on tires Christoph! Will you be sticking with the Contis then? Did BattleWings come on your's originally? If so - how did they do?

 

[jajpko]

Hey Jim,

before the trip I was using Metzeler Tourance EXP C, which offer excellent grip especially in cold and wet conditions. But the back tire is typically worn out to zero profile after ~ 4500 miles. And in hot conditions the Metzeler tends to be a little bit too soft.

So for the trip to Spain I put on Continental TrailAttack. They proved to be very agile yet stable in dry and hot conditions. In the wet they have less grip than the Metzeler. But the best thing is their longevity: After the 5000 miles there are still at least 3 mm of profile on both tires and they are good to go another 1000 or so (law requires us to have at least 1,6 mm of profile).

Christoph, thanks for the feedback on the tires. I think ours will come with Stones, and then I may be looking different tires.

 

[chris76]

@Rod: (This is off topic, you might want to move it) - I got my XT with the Metzelers, but I once had a replacement S10 with Bridgestone BW 501/502 "E". I only rode it for 120 miles, but also read about it on the German XT forum and in a test by Germany's biggest motorbike magazine. The Metzeler and the Conti I rode myself long enough. Below I put together a little table about how I would estimate these tires. Of course the Conti wins and I think I will put it on again eventually.

But there's a thing here in Germany that you are only totally safe legally when you're using tires that are tested and recommended for that specific motorbike either by the manufacturer of the bike or of the tire. And the Conti doesn't have that approval for the XT1200Z.

Therefore my next candidate will be the (approved) Michelin Anakee 2, which a lot of GS riders are using here. They say it lasts long and performs well in wet conditions, which unfortunately is an important aspect in Bavaria and the Alps.

Tire	Grip Dry	Grip Wet	Agilty	Stability	Longevity
Metzeler EXP C	***	***	***	**	*
Conti TrailAttack	***	**	***	***	***
Bridgestone BW501/502 "E"	***	**	**	***	**

 

[Swagger]

Yo Chris ... looks like you had a good time on that trip. Thanks for the pics. Enjoyed that.

 

[colorider]

@Rod: (This is off topic, you might want to move it) - I got my XT with the Metzelers, but I once had a replacement S10 with Bridgestone BW 501/502 "E". I only rode it for 120 miles, but also read about it on the German XT forum and in a test by Germany's biggest motorbike magazine. The Metzeler and the Conti I rode myself long enough. Below I put together a little table about how I would estimate these tires. Of course the Conti wins and I think I will put it on again eventually.

But there's a thing here in Germany that you are only totally safe legally when you're using tires that are tested and recommended for that specific motorbike either by the manufacturer of the bike or of the tire. And the Conti doesn't have that approval for the XT1200Z.

Therefore my next candidate will be the (approved) Michelin Anakee 2, which a lot of GS riders are using here. They say it lasts long and performs well in wet conditions, which unfortunately is an important aspect in Bavaria and the Alps.

Tire	Grip Dry	Grip Wet	Agilty	Stability	Longevity
Metzeler EXP C	***	***	***	**	*
Conti TrailAttack	***	**	***	***	***
Bridgestone BW501/502 "E"	***	**	**	***	**

Exactly the feedback I was looking for. Let us know how the Michelin works out as well!!

Rod

 

[Venture]

Christoph, you definitely have a knack for the camera. Awesome pics.

I have to call out this one as well that you posed to the media gallery:

[smg id=514]

My favorite pic so far.

 

[colorider]

Christoph, you definitely have a knack for the camera. Awesome pics.

I have to call out this one as well that you posed to the media gallery:

[smg id=514]

My favorite pic so far.

+1

Awesome picture!!!! I need to get a shot like that with my Impact Blue SuperT!!!!

 

[adventorider76]

Hey,

on Wednesday I returned from a 8.000 km / 5.000 miles trip from Munich to Gibraltar in Southern Spain. Of course the XT1200Z proved to be the perfect ride for that kind of trip.

Here's a selection of pics:
http://christophschm.de/spanien_2011/


Enjoy!
Christoph

Awesome pics! Looks like a great trip!

 

[MotorcopBBQ]

Christoph, I'm glad you joined the fourm, because your adventures on the tenere are incredible!
Great pictures and video from you trip.