The TKC 80 Remains Undefeated
The highly regarded Adventure Bike TV British online show puts the TKC 80 and 4 other dual-sport tires through their paces. This head to head tests the selected tires to their limits on and off-road.
In Series 5, Episode 5, presenter Graham Hoskins teams up with former British Enduro champion Mark Molineux of Sweet Lamb Rally Centre in Mid Wales, England to pit five popular knobbly tires against one another.
To level the plain field, the same model bike, weather and test course was used through the test. The model bike was the KTM 1090 Adventure R. The wet weather provided great conditions for extreme testing. The test consisted of 10-mile off-road circuit and a challenging road ride through the Cambrian Mountains.
***Skip to 1:20 for the tire test until 13:05. The tire test will resume at 30:10 and end at 44:40***
Despite being the oldest tire on test, having been launched three decades ago, it was clear from the final scores that the TKC 80 is still the benchmark!
Graham admitted that he was unable to get the rear to spin despite his best efforts on the road. Mark commented that they were “the tire everyone wants to beat” and also “brilliant under braking”.
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Final Standings:
Continental TKC 80 Twinduro – 142/180
Mitas E09 Dakar – 125/180
Anlas Capra X – 118/180
Metzeler Karoo 3 – 84/180
Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR – 52/180
Both Mark and Graham were asked to score in secret. They were not permitted to discuss their experiences on each tire until after the test.
For Graham, the Continental was clearly his favorite, coming out as the clear winner in seven of the nine areas, and joint winner of the remaining two. He also stated that he was able to ride faster, as they gave him more confidence versus the competition.
You can watch the full episode on the Adventure Bike TV Facebook page or their YouTube channel.
The TKC 80 remains the favorite tire of choice for leading adventure riders, including Nick Sanders, Globe Busters and 2 Ride The World.
Until next week!
Love mine on my KTM 690. I will test a set on my 1200GS next year while riding the Transamerica Trail..
Great to hear, Jeff! Thanks for trusting Continental!