The Tire Conundrum

ADV Tires - Pavement versus Off-Pavement (dirt/gravel roads) versus Off-Road (trails)

One of the most asked questions. One of the deepest rabbit holes in ADV motorcycling. One of the most debated subjects.

What tire do you recommend? What tire performs the best? What tire is the best for me (as in the person asking)? 

Questions that can truly only be answered by the person asking. With just about any and every subject that pertains to motorcycling, there rarely is a straight answer. Many of these questions are too broad. There are so many variables from the specific bike, the terrain you plan to tackle, the skill level/experience of the rider, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Since I have started Appalachian ADV, the number of times those types of questions find their way into conversation has grown exponentially. When I started the Riding Clinics, even more so. If you’ve been to a Level 1 then you know we spend the first 30ish minutes talking about bike set up and a good portion of that has to do with tires.

The first thing I generally try to impress on people is that there is no unicorn. No silver bullet. Nothing that is going to be amazing at everything. Every single bike, tire, farkle, thing is going to have pros and cons. And on top of that, every person is going to see those pros and cons in different lights. Someone may find the right combination that tickles their fancy the most, and even overlook some of those cons, but that does not mean that combination is right for everyone else. Think about what you want to get out of Adventure Motorcycling and work back from that point. That can mean you may need to take a scientific approach and experiment a bit but you can also ask for help. You just need to ask the right questions.

When I am asked these questions I will generally come back and ask that person what they want out of “the thing” (and in the context of this article I will be talking more about tires but there are so… Many… THINGS!). I’m sure there is a slight annoyance when a question is answered with a question but, I will generally make sure they realize that is a question for which I am not looking for an immediate answer. Generally I will continue on and let them know that I can help them find the answer to that question but I cannot tell them what is best for them. With more information I can help point them in the right direction but it is up to the individual rider to decide.

PA Wilds

As an example, I will tell them what I want to get out of my Adventure riding and some of the things that I have done to help make that easier, safer, and/or more interesting. What bike, tire, farkles, and things I have used in the past and are currently using and generally why. I can also give an example of someone that is not wanting to dive deep into the trails on a T7 like me but is looking for a more balanced and classic ADV style of riding. I can then suggest some of the things they can do to help make that easier, safer, and/or more interesting. Once they give me a little more information of what they want to get out of their ADV experience then I can start to focus my suggestions of what to look for and where to potentially find it.

That leads me back to TIRES! You have to be honest in what you can do on a bike and how you plan to use that bike. Sometimes, as the old adage goes, “you don’t know what you don’t know”. That is where the experimenting comes back into play and going out to experience some of these different styles of ADV. In this article, I am leaning a bit more towards Adventure Riding but some of the main points can also help with deciphering the tire conundrum for a Dual Sport bike as well (as stated in our FAQs, ADV bikes can be modified to be more Dual Sport and Dual Sport can be modified to be more ADV!).

Are you looking for heavy lean to street riding with a bit of dirt and gravel? Something like classic Adventure Touring with a loaded bike, many miles, and comfort being key. Or is it more of a balanced ADV thing? Some pavement, some dirt and gravel roads, and nothing super technical. How about a little ADV Dual Sporting? That would be pavement, dirt and gravel roads, but also trail riding of some sort (i.e. OHV/OHM trails, Drivable Trails, and other off-road style riding). Or are you trailering your bike and really leaning more on that “Dual Sport” side of the whole ADV Dual Sporting thing?

Those four subcategories of Adventure Motorcycling can have very different crowds attracted to them and different needs when it comes to bike, tire, farkle, thing. Do you want to be in one or more of those subcategories? Or are you working your way through them with the goal of some level of trail riding? Or do you want to farkle the hell out of the bike with the latest gadgets and gnarliest looking tires to impress your friends at Starbucks? These are all questions that riders must honestly answer.

Allegheny National Forest

​The Four ADV Subcategories:
Classic ADV Touring
Balanced ADV
ADV Dual Sporting Light
ADV Dual Sporting Heavy

FYI, you can check out how we classify surface/terrain types; differentiate ADV, Dual Sport, ADV Dual Sporting and Little Bike (including a discussion of Dual Sport Moderate and Dual Sport Hard); ADV Rider Skill Classifications; etc. on our FAQs for Appalachian ADV Events.

I have a grievance. An aggravation, if you will. Tire manufacturers want to take advantage of you. Well not all of them or at least not 100% of the time. I think some do a pretty decent job, some have good intentions, and some just want to sell more rubber. The first issue: standardization of ratings for motorcycle tires in relation to off-road versus on-road is somewhat lacking. I think the 50/50 (off-road/on-road) tire rating is misused, abused, and provides people a false sense of security when it comes to traction in off-pavement / off-road conditions. It is up to the individual manufacturers to rate their own tires. They are developing, testing, and manufacturing the tires so on one hand it makes sense. A big but coming here…BUT they can adjust that ratio to a more desired combination in order to sell more tires even if the tire is not ideal in certain off-pavement conditions.

Just to be clear in the context of this tire discussion…when I say “road” or “pavement” versus “off-pavement” versus “off-road” I am trying to split up paved road riding, dirt/gravel road riding (off-pavement), and trail-style riding (off-road).

Something else that bugs me is how they title some of these tires. The manufacturer is trying to instill in you some confidence in buying an obviously non-off-road or sometimes even non-off-pavement tire with an off-road name (in the context of this article when I say off-pavement I am referring to dirt/gravel roads and off-road would be more trail style riding). I think one of the most gratuitous may be the Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tire (hyperlinked directly to the Pirelli website for reference). They double down, placing that tire in their "Adventure" line-up along with using “Trail” in the title and that thing is about as far away from a trail-ready tire as possible. I would not even advise taking that thing on thick gravel and I’d say it shouldn’t even be considered an off-pavement tire, it is a street tire.

Pirelli Scorpion Trail II Adventure tire, maybe if you are in the Classic ADV Touring subcategory and rarely run on dirt/gravel roads that are in ideal conditions.

So some of the issue is that there is so much variation in riders’ desires when it comes to ADV riding. I was alluding to that above, for sure. I think some of that bleeds into the manufacturing of bike, tire, farkle, thing… so that should also be taken into account. A little grace and benefit of the doubt, maybe? Truthfully, a good guess would be that most tire manufacturers are considering an ADV bike to be a street bike as opposed to a Dual Sport bike. So many are going to design ADV “off-road” tires to be a bit more street biased and they will also have to follow DOT standards which will create some limitations compared to straight dirt bike off-road tires. 

I think the term “off-road” is also misused by some tire manufacturers (and others in the business). It is a misleading term that I believe they are actually using to state “non-pavement” style dirt and gravel roads, but those are still roads. Off-road truly means off of a road and into trails. I would agree that they are all thoroughfares but I consider plated, street legal, maintained/semi-maintained roads such as paved, dirt, and gravel roads to be very different from rugged trails. Sure some trails are also plated and street legal (Drivable Trails found in the PA Wilds for example), but what I’m looking for in a tire and its rating (off-road/on-road ratio) is performance characteristics in rugged, less than ideal traction, trail riding versus maintained/semi-maintained roads. 

That Pirelli Scorpion tire mentioned above is even throwing that “combines the best features of sport-touring and dirt-road motorcycle tires” claim in there on top of the false claim of “trail” in the tire's title which I feel is a gratuitous and almost unethical gesture (click that hyperlink above if you haven’t already to read the description of that tire directly from the manufacturer, I cringe when I read it). That tire should be nowhere near a trail or even dirt roads that haven't been perfectly manicured or are weathered. New riders to motorcycling in general or new to ADV and/or Dual Sport styles can potentially waste money, time, effort, and risk injury to bike or self if they buy those or others like them and try going off the beaten path without the proper skillsets.

PA Wilds

I’m talking a big game here but what is the answer? Actual full standardization of ratings would be tough in many ways for the manufacturers. There are so many different tread patterns and coming up with rules to say this, this, and this makes a tire rated 60/40 off-road/on-road and this makes a tire a 70/30. Nuance, maybe too much. I have also noticed that there could easily be confusion because of how they list that xx/xx ratio where some will use an on-road/off-road combo and others will list it as off-road/on-road. For me, I have always tried to list it as the latter ratio, off-road/on-road. Some will only state xx on-road or xx off-road (without listing both), which may be a better way to avoid confusion.

There are also some manufacturers that won’t even list a ratio (i.e. Dunlop D908 Rally Raid but in the past I had seen it listed 80/20 or 90/10, depending on the retail outlet’s description) or the retail seller will list a different ratio compared to what is listed on the manufacturer’s website. More ways to potentially confuse the consumer. That Dunlop Rally Raid is most definitely designed to be an off-road style tire for ADV bikes (as noted in the manufacturer's description) and below I will try to spell out how to tell by looking at the basic set up of the tire and the tread pattern. 

What I will attempt to provide here are some general rules of thumb. A little help in recognizing the difference between a street leaning tire, an off-pavement leaning tire (in the context of this article I am referring to dirt/gravel roads), and an off-road leaning tire (referring to trail style riding). I will also try to provide some recommendations for what kinds of tires might fit into those four subcategories mentioned above: Classic ADV Touring, Balanced ADV, ADV Dual Sporting Light, and ADV Dual Sporting Heavy.

Fools Ride Territory

So what is a pavement tire versus off-pavement tire versus off-road tire? In my opinion, and yes this whole article is an opinion piece, any tire can be used in any terrain: twisty pavers to gravel roads to trails. But most tires are purpose built and designed to function in certain conditions to aid in rider comfort, safety, peak performance, to help riders expend less energy (physical and mental), and with the right tire for the right terrain it can also help cover up some rider shortcomings. What’s up with that energy thing…you might be saying…well the obvious one is repeatedly picking up heavy bikes due to loss of traction but also the mental expenditures for that process and in “fighting” the bike through multiple less than ideal traction scenarios (particularly in newer riders).

Grooves versus Knobs. The first thing to look for is, does the tire have a bunch of flat surfaces with some grooves or does it have defined knobs and defined gaps? Flat rubber with some grooves tells me that the tire is more street-oriented. If it has a knobbly-like pattern with some type of gap between some of the knobs then it is a more off-pavement to off-road oriented tire. If it has chunky knobs and well defined gaps then it is a more off-road leaning tire.

Grooved Pavement Tire / Small Knob Dirt & Gravel Road Tire / Large Knob Off Road Tire

So if the manufacturer is telling you that a tire is 50/50 (off-road/on-road) and you are seeing grooves instead of knobs and gaps, you should know that tire is not going to do great when the terrain gets loose. Flat rubber and grooves have great traction on pavement but when the surface gets loose that pattern will generally not be able to “dig in”. The flat spots will slide on loose surfaces and the grooves will pack with loose dirt, sand, mud, etc. and it will feel like a race slick.

Realistically in dry conditions just about any tire can handle off-pavement to off-road riding, relatively speaking as long as balance and momentum are maintained (i.e. dry dirt, embedded rock gardens, loose but thin rock gardens, etc). But when conditions get super loose like sand, thick gravel, loose and thick rock gardens, and mud or the introduction of water, then the performance of the tire changes exponentially depending on the grooves vs knobs thing and also the actual tread pattern of the knobs. The air pressure (PSI) that you run in the tires can also make a difference when it comes to traction but I’ll talk a bit more about that later.

PA Wilds

So now you are looking at a tire that doesn’t have grooves but does seem to have defined knobblies with some space in between them. Are the individual knobs short or tall? The taller they are the more potential traction when in off-pavement and off-road conditions. Are the gaps between knobs in a tight pattern or are they spread out? The more spread out the knobs are then the more potential traction in off-pavement and off-road conditions. The centrifugal force of the tire spinning will spit out mud stuck in the gaps between the knobs if the tire is designed more for off-road riding. The tighter the gaps, the harder it is to spin out the mud.

When I am looking at tires that are off-pavement leaning and trying to figure out if they are an off-pavement tire or an off-road tire I am looking at those knobblies and gaps. As stated above, if they are short and tight I would call them an off-pavement leaning tire (to ensure clarity, by saying off-pavement I am referring to dirt and gravel road leaning tire versus an off-road tire that is better for trail style riding but also functions well on the dirt and gravel roads). If the knobs and gaps are well defined, tall, and with larger gaps I would consider those tires to be more off-road friendly. I don’t have exact measurements when it comes to this but hopefully some of the pictures provided below will give you a better idea. Experience gained with different knobbly sizes and arrangements will also help you distinguish between these intricacies, i.e. the scientific approach.

Another thing to pay attention to is the alignment of the knobs, or the tread pattern, particularly when selecting a tire for off-road use. Are the knobs lined up in a straight across pattern with a straight across pattern in the gap also? Those will allow a lot of side to side movement, particularly when the bike is leaned over and/or turning. If you are stopped in mud/loose surfaces, lean the bike to one side, hammer the throttle, the rear end will spin out much easier with this pattern. But that pattern can also act as a paddle in those loose surfaces with the bike upright. 

Do the knobs have an off-set pattern? Many will have a few in a line along the middle of the tire with an off-set pattern of knobs as you move to either side of the tire. For me, a heavy off-set pattern gives the most traction in most circumstances and provides great all around performance. Like I stated before though, there is no unicorn that will help get your bike through super gnarly riding every time. The best way to try to attain getting through gnarly stuff a majority of the time is through practice, self-assessments with updates to practice, and assessments through a training course (but you will still fall as gravity catches up to everyone once in a while when pushing limits). These differing alignments of the tread pattern mentioned above, straight gaps versus off-set, will also ring true for the more off-pavement leaning tires (dirt/gravel roads) but to a lesser extent.

Those tread patterns will make a difference when it comes to comfort on various surfaces too. Tires built with flat surfaces and grooves are designed to have a smooth ride on pavement but depending on where those grooves are etched in, can still make a bit of noise. The knobbier the tire, the more it will make noise and vibrate when on the pavement. Some patterns will be louder than others. As an example, the Motoz Tractionator Rallz is super knobby and rated 80/20 (off-road/on-road) but to me sounds as quiet as a mouse compared to the Motoz Tractionator Desert H/T which is rated 90/10. The more you ride on them the more you get used to the noise, to a certain degree, but those Desert H/Ts just seem to scream on the pavement. I know that the Rallz will vibrate and sound a bit noisy but I’ve used them so much I barely notice anymore. The question you have to ask yourself there is: do you want more comfort and a quieter ride on the pavement or are you looking for the most traction you can have when in the loose surfaces of off-pavement and off-road riding?

Allegheny Region

What about air pressures for off-pavement and off-road riding? As with just about everything else, there are pros and cons to this practice as well. Some will say that you should run OEM stock pressures NO MATTER WHAT. I don’t disagree with the premise. You will get more life out of your tires and an overall safer ride (physical and mechanical). When decreasing the pressure you have a higher risk of a flat tire due to bending the rim (tubeless), pinch flat (tubed), or causing damage to the valve stem (tubed). 

Depending on the tire compound and the fact that most ADV tires don’t have rim locks, there is a potential that the tire can slip. This could also shift the tube and put extra pressure on the valve stem or it could break the bead of the tire and increase the risk of a crash. If you run a lot of high speed pavement with underinflated tires you also run the risk of a blow out due to too much friction which can cause overheating. If you are running heavy with a moto-camp loaded bike then the risk increases.

That sounds ominous, so why do people do it? That friction thing mentioned above also means underinflated tires will give you more traction in off-pavement and off-road terrain. With less pressure in the tire, more of the tire will touch the ground giving you a larger footprint and more surface area to gain traction. I will usually run lower pressures on my Tenere, which Yamaha recommends around 36 PSI. Generally I run around 25 and adjust up or down depending on several factors. I rarely spend time, or at least any significant time, on high speed pavement (i.e. freeway, interstate, etc.) and I tend to trailer my bike a bunch. I try to spend a majority of my time in that ADV Dual Sporting Light and Heavy so these and other factors help make my decision to run lower pressures, although I definitely enjoy all four of those subcategories!

I mentioned above that maintaining stock pressures can lead to a safer ride but the argument could also be made that lowering those pressures during off-road riding can lead to a safer ride as well. How's that, you may be asking? By lowering the pressure of the tires I am giving them more traction as well as adding a little extra to the total suspension (i.e. front/rear suspension, loose attack stance with knees and arms bent, and a little extra from the rubber of the tire flexing). More traction gives you a better chance of maintaining your momentum while planting the bike more sturdily and potentially expending less energy. With less traction, riders tend to expend more energy either through muscling the bike or physically having to lift it from the ground more often. Again, you have to be honost in what you want to do, what you can do, and be willing to experiment!

The key with the practice of decreased PSI is to assess the terrain you will be riding and adjust accordingly. If it is super rocky like the Bald Eagle Dual Sport Trails I will go a couple PSI up from my normal 25 and if it is the muddy and softer conditions similar to our Fools Ride Rally I may go a couple PSI down. If I’m loaded down with moto-camping gear then generally I try to keep my pressures at 30 PSI at least, if I will be hitting any trails. If I am leading the Allegheny Backcountry Adventure Loop Guide ADV Tour that is mostly pavement and dirt/gravel roads, I will generally run stock pressures when I'm moto-camp loaded.

As a contrast from my ADV bike, setting up my Dual Sport bike for light off-road riding I may put the PSI up to 15-18. In trails with rocky conditions I will generally set them around 12 but when it gets loose and muddy it may be down to 6-8 PSI. The heavier ADV bike will just need more air pressure in the tire compared to a lighter Dual Sport. I also run a softer tire on the Dual Sport bike but a bit more about tire compounds later.

Photo Courtesy of Ohio's Windy 9

So how can you mitigate the risks of dropping pressures? Know your bike and carry appropriate tools. If you are running tubeless I would not drop that PSI too low. If you bend a rim then you won’t be fixing that on the side of the trail. I suggest people carry a spare tube even if your bike runs tubeless. If you do bend a rim, at least you can get yourself out of there and back on the road safely. Since you are carrying the appropriate tools, you can also put air back into your tires with an air pump before jumping on a long stretch of tarmac to avoid the overheating issue. 

For a tubeless bike it makes sense to try and patch a puncture first because you can do that without removing the wheel. But when I used to run tubeless I would carry a tube as it can come in super handy in certain circumstances. If the tire rips (instead of a puncture) you are now screwed on the side of the trail as many patch kits won’t be able to appropriately seal a rip. Same premise if you end up with damage to the sidewall of the tire or bend a rim as these can’t be patched. But removing the valve stem and slapping a tube in there will at least get you back on the road and home safely. Heck, you can potentially just keep riding and fix it when you eventually find your way home!

​If you are running tubes, it's also a good idea to carry spare tubes. Personally, I won’t patch a tube and will just replace it with a new one. The integrity of the tube has been compromised, even if you patch it so I don’t feel comfortable going too crazy off-road (or too fast on pavement) which means my fun factor decreases. With slapping a spare tube in, I feel like I can go crazy again and not be thinking about holding back because of a potential repeat when a patch fails. With a tube puncture the wheel pretty much has to come off the bike anyway so if I’m already that far I’ll just swap out the tube. No way to patch up a ripped off valve stem also so carrying extra tubes helps mitigate several potential issues.

If you don’t change your own tires, I suggest you do it once in a while on your garage floor so that you have some level of comfort and you are not adding to an already potentially stressful situation on the side of a trail. This way you know what tools to bring in that tool roll when it comes to pulling the wheel off the bike and the tire off of the wheel. I recommend practicing at home because flat tires are one of the most common trailside issues, so preparation is key.

Something else to think about when looking at tires is the tire compound - hard versus soft. Due to the size/weight of my ADV bike I generally opt for a stiffer tire like the MOTOZ. I am less concerned about dropping pressures due to those stiff sidewalls and how well they stick to the bead. The stiffer tires are more rugged which means they last longer and take a beating but they can be a bear to change. I usually run a softer tire on my Dual Sport so that the tire grabs more in off-road terrain. Since the ADV bike is going to see more pavement than the Dual Sport, a harder tire that still has a great knobbly pattern will last longer (and I can still drag pegs with my super aggressive Motoz). The softer Dual Sport tire doesn’t see as much time on pavement and dives a bit deeper into more technical off-road terrain so I opt for something softer. Pavement versus a soft compound means a tire will wear out faster than something a bit stiffer.

PA Wilds

And worth a further mention, weather is a wildcard. I dropped weather nuggets up above a bit but it can definitely make a huge difference. Water tends to make terrain surfaces change. Wet paved roads can get slippery, especially where there is paint, railroad crossings, or tar snakes. Pools of water can also cause hydroplaning if moving at excessive speeds through too high of a volume. Most street oriented tires will maintain great traction on wet pavement but the knobbier the tire the higher the potential of losing traction. Since the knobby tire has less surface area touching the pavement, there is a risk of traction loss when it is wet.

Wet trails will also raise the technical aspect of riding. Some wetness helps on dirt and gravel roads to keep down the dust and a thin layer of water can also help with tackiness on some non-pavement surfaces. But, water will eventually create mud, fill ruts with murky water hiding obstructions, make rocks and other surfaces slippery, etc. I try to rate trails on a sliding scale as weather conditions will change some of the technical aspects of traversing the terrain. Some of the Fools Ride Dual Sport terrain is a bit easier in the middle of a dry summer compared to the usual soak of the Spring thaw in April. Due to that little bit of H20, the limitations of tires will be met faster when conditions are wet, muddy, snowy, or generally loose and slippery if they are not designed to be more off-road oriented (i.e. big knobs, big gaps).

So take those off-road/on-road numbers with a grain of salt and think about them more as a suggestion or a range of potential capabilities in ideal conditions. Some manufacturers do a pretty decent job of attempting to classify and describe their tires for the main intended use. But they seem to be the ones that make more aggressive, off-road oriented tires. When looking around, take into account the potential variables in the riding area you are planning to go, the potential conditions depending on recent and forecasted weather, and your skill level in ideal as well as less than ideal road/trail conditions. So. Many. Variables! Good motorcyclists are like scientists: experimenting, reassessing data, and constantly trying to improve.

Fools Ride Territory

Super star off-road riders can rely less on bike, tire, farkle, thing because they have an abundance of talent gained through experience and knowledge that allows them to pilot near flawless lines in just about any terrain. But it's worth stating that all riders pushing their limits will get a chance to take a look at the ground. Many of those highlight reels of riders just destroying the trails don’t show the 10 times that they didn’t make the run and lost momentum, missed the mark, and/or dropped the bike. Everyone falls, but as you gain experience you will fall less often. It is good to see that a bike can make it through gnarly terrain when piloted by a skillful rider and it shows you that the limiting factor is usually the pilot. Motivation to fuel the search of talent.

​Most of us need to rely on a mixture of bike, tire, farkle, thing as well as our experience to get us through the ride, in various levels. It comes back to that ‘you don't know what you don't know’ thing… maybe a rider doesn't have any experience off-road and watched some all-star YouTube rider making it look easy. It's a different story when you are the one sitting on top of a 500 pound beast. Putting in the reps, setting up your bike appropriately, getting some type of training, and learning from mistakes can go a long way in gaining experience and knowledge in search of talent.

So that was a bunch of opinions based on my experiences in the garage and in the woods. There are many ways to skin a cat, as they say, so there is other stuff (bike, tire, farkle, thing), other opinions, and other ways to do things. Hopefully some nugget in there helps or at least shows you a different perspective and new ways to look at things. And like I alluded to towards the beginning of this: each rider must find their own way through experimentation, asking people how they set up their own bike while gauging that person’s intended riding, and be true to themselves as far as skill level and their intended use of their bike.

And remember to… Have Fun, Take Chances! You have to push your limits to grow as a rider and those limits are most definitely individually based. It's not about getting better than everyone else, it's about getting better than yourself.

Experience Gained is Wisdom Earned. Gain skills through experience, experimentation, and honest assessment. Do that by getting on the bike as much as possible, riding with people better than you, and by building on fundamentals with skill assessments through training. Check out the Appalachian ADV Community Podcast episode The Five Pillars of ADV Riding for some more thoughts on some (probably not all) of the important things to think about when getting into and staying with Adventure & Dual Sport motorbiking.

Allegheny Region

Tire Graphics

When reviewing the below various tire graphics:
In the context of this tire discussion…when I say “pavement” versus “off-pavement” versus “off-road” I am trying to split up paved road riding, dirt/gravel road riding (off-pavement), and trail-style riding (off-road). Again, these are my opinions on the averages of the tires displayed and as I’ve stated, in ideal conditions just about any tire can get through any terrain.

The Four ADV Subcategories:
Classic ADV Touring
Balanced ADV
ADV Dual Sporting Light
ADV Dual Sporting Heavy

A note on those two ADV Dual Sporting categories, and to an extent, how Appalachian ADV rates those styles of routes. Multiple routes with various ratings may have the same piece of trail but be considered “ADV Dual Sporting Light”, “ADV Dual Sporting Heavy”, “Dual Sport Moderate” or “Dual Sport Hard”. The difference is that there will be more of those sections on routes rated higher, and less of them on routes rated lower. As an example, our ADV Intermediate route at The Fools Ride will have some unmaintained/less maintained roads which rates it higher than our all-skill-level ADV routes. It will also contain a small handful of optional Challenge Areas to help test riders’ skills. The Dual Sport Moderate routes will have ADV style riding plus those Challenge Areas and more that can get technical, but they are built into the loop and not considered “optional”. The Dual Sport Hard routes will just basically be that punch in the teeth plus even more technical riding all day.

Grooved Pavement Tire / Small Knob Dirt & Gravel Road Tire / Large Knob Off Road Tire

The three Dunlop ADV tires above visually display the "Grooves versus Knobs" topic. The tread patterns on the middle and right tires also display the off-set pattern in a unique way with a Chevrolet logo style pattern in the middle with offsets as you move out:

1. Dunlop Trailmax Mission, rated 40/60 (off-road/on-road)
2. Dunlop Trailmax Raid, rated 60/40
3. Dunlop D908 Rally Raid, not rated by manufacturer but retail have rated 80/20 or 90/10

​The following several graphics will display various tires from various manufacturers and are grouped to help aid in deciphering the "pavement" vs "non-pavement" (dirt/gravel road) vs "off-road" (trail) as well as highlighting the Four Subcategories of ADV Riding. Off-Road/On-Road ratios are provided and are either taken from the manufacturers if possible or retail, depending on availability of the information.

Pavement to Gravel Road Tires; Classic ADV Touring to Balanced ADV; except that top left one!

Tires in the above graphic are designed more for pavement to non-pavement (gravel and dirt roads). Listed below starting with upper left, lower left, then moving right:

1. Pirelli Scorpion Trail II Adventure tire, no rating found, street tire not ideal for off-pavement riding
2. Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR, rated 50/50 (off-road/on-road)
3. Dunlop Trailmax Mission, 40/60 
4. Continental TKC70, 30/70
5. Continental TKC70 Rocks, 40/60
6. MOTOZ Tractionator GPS, 50/50 when mounted normal but off-road ratio increases when mounted in reverse
7. Heidenau K60 Scout, 50/50

The GPS and K60 Scout displayed have a flat center patch to aid in a more comfortable street ride but that patch will slide easier on grass, dirt, and other loose surfaces. The K60 Scout will lose that centerpatch once you get around a 140/80-18 which helps it handle off-pavement and off-road better but many ADV bikes take a larger tire and will get the centerpatch.

Many of these tires I would almost consider grooved even though some have a knob-like pattern due to the large flat surfaces and small spaces in between. The Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR has become a common selection from the OEMs on their new bikes, probably due to the aesthetics. They do great on pavement and gravel but will struggle, as all of these would, when it comes to off-road style riding in less than ideal conditions. Pirelli may be the worst when it comes to trying to sell more rubber through heightened ratings and somewhat incorrect wording as they list those STRs as "off-road racing" and "trail on/off".

Pavement to Gravel to Light Duty Off Road; Classic ADV Touring to Balanced ADV to ADV Dual Sporting Light

Tires in the above graphic are designed for pavement to non-pavement (gravel and dirt roads) and light duty off-road (trails). Listed below starting with upper left moving right:

1. Continental TKC80, rated 60/40 (off-road/on-road)
2. Kenda Big Block, 50/50
3. Shinko 805 Adventure Trail, 60/40 (804 is the front tire, 805 is the rear)
4. Dunlop Trailmax Raid, 60/40
5. Michelin Anakee Wild, 50/50
6. Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41, 60-40

The first three tires have that straight across tread pattern mentioned in the article above and will allow a bit more side to side movement in the rear. If you take a closer look at those three you will notice that the tread pattern is very similar but they have varied off-road/on-road ratios. That Shinko has a huge paddle that can help getting through loose terrain. That straight across pattern can be super fun once you dial in your breaking traction with throttle skills and sliding that rear end around! The last three have a slightly off-set pattern to help aid in a better control of traction.

Pavement to Gravel to Off Road; Classic ADV Touring to Balanced ADV to ADV Dual Sporting Light to ADV Dual Sporting Heavy

Tires in the above graphic are designed for pavement to non-pavement (gravel and dirt roads) and off-road (trails). Listed below starting with upper left moving right:​

1. Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41, rated 60-40 (off-road/On-Road)... Yes they are on the last list too. I have ridden these on the T7 through all of the ANF trails. The terrain was in decent condition with no rain for a couple of weeks so to help drive home some of the points from the article, this tire did a great job in ideal conditions through off-road terrain. The knobs aren't as big as some of the others on this list but the gaps are wide which allow loose terrain to be evacuated farily easily and the off-set pattern helps with all around traction.
2. Heidenau K60 Ranger Dual Sport, 70/30
3. Tusk 2Track Adventure, 70/30
4. Mitas Enduro Trail XT+, 80/20
5. Dunlop D908 Rally Raid, not rated by manufacturer but retail has rated 80/20 or 90/10

After Motoz Tires, the Dunlop D908 Rally Raid and Bridgestone Battlax were a couple favorites for my style of riding.

A small disclaimer, Motoz Tyres is a sponsor of Appalachian ADV. That relationship was forged because I freaking love Motoz and so does my Tank Tenere 700. I tried a bunch of different tires, some of which are in those pictures above and I did also enjoy some of them. But, I was always drawn back to the Tractionator series which I believe to be the best for my needs. When I started trying to build collaborations and relationships within the motorcycle industry, Motoz was on the top of my list because I didn’t want anything else on my T7. I reached out to Pacific Powersports, the US Distributor, and a supporter of the Backcountry Discovery Routes (as is my company and me as an Ambassador). Brian came back quickly and took a chance on my little new company, for which I have been grateful. I will run either the Adventure/Dual Venture combo, Rallz/Dual Venture combo, &/or the Desert H/Ts every year on the Tenere. Pacific Powersports also offers riders to our Clinics and Events a 10% discount on their own set! Some may love them, some may hate them, but for me they have worked the best for my style of riding. Like I said, everyone finds their favorite thing eventually...

Pavement to Gravel to Off Road; Classic ADV Touring to Balanced ADV to ADV Dual Sporting Light to ADV Dual Sporting Heavy

The Motoz Tyres off-road line up.

1. Motoz Tractionator Dual Venture Front, 70/30 (off-road/on-road), reversible to extend life of tire
2. Motoz Tractionator Adventure Rear, 70/30
3. Motoz Tractionator Rallz Front, 80/20
4. Motoz Tractionator Rallz Rear, 80/20
5. Motoz Tractionator Desert HT Front, 90/10
6. Motoz Tractionator Desert HT Rear, 90/10

Big knobs, big gaps, off-set pattern, stiffer rubber, purpose built. Motoz. Take a test ride on a set through The Power of MOTOZ!

​These tire graphics listed above are not an end all be all as there are many other tires out there. My goal was to try and group a few to get a visual representation of the things I am looking at when reviewing tires. Some clue as to where some of those tires might fall when it comes to the items I discussed above. A generalization to aid in selecting tires but as stated all over this article, you need to take into account many different factors and realize that some things may fit in multiple places. My favorite may not be someone else's favorite but the only way to find the thing you are looking for is through gaining experience through experimentation.
​
There is no unicorn, no silver bullet, no one ring to rule them all. There can only be your favorite bike, tire, farkle, thing. And only one way to find “it”...experience.

Fools Ride Territory

Leading graphic: Left picture courtesy of Ohio's Windy 9
Unless otherwise noted, photos of riding action above courtesy of Tom Macconnell.

Kane is the founder of Appalachian ADV – Adventure & Dual Sport Motorbiking LLC, formed as an outlet for creativity in written word, captured visual art, and route development. Two wheels and a motor are his adrenaline junkie delivery system of choice, providing natural highs delivered through dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins that act as the catalysts for his motorbiking experience. His goal is to bring people of diverse backgrounds together to create common bonds through shared adversity on his ADV & “ADV Dual Sporting” routes as well as building confidence by overcoming those joyous hardships. Kane and Appalachian ADV aim to use motorbikes, the beauty and challenges of nature, and a healthy dose of those happy hormones to give people opportunities to enjoy life, unplug, find much needed commonality, and to Have Fun, Take Chances…