Leaderboard

I have to be careful what I say. They told me these are "pre production prototypes" and to hold off issuing anything public about them just yet. I think they have two compound formulas they are trying out and want to see how each fares before they choose a final. I'm sure they're fine with me saying I like them but probably don't want me saying exactly how many miles I get off each one. For the record, I put these on at 6380 miles today. I have them aired to 33 psi as is shown on the tire. We shall see! As for performance though, you need only check their other dirt bike tires for reports of their performance. I've heard nothing but good things about them. Longer lasting, great grip, off road traction, etc... Agree w/ the TKC 80/Mitas E09 conundrum though. Two of my favorite tires.

I would love to see a three way comparison between these, the tkc80, and the Mitas E-09. So far the last two have been my go to tires. I find the Tkc better on road but with shorter tread wear and the E-09 more aggressive off road with longer life. These might be the best of both worlds. My only concern is we have a lot of clay mud and how these might pack up in the wet season...Have they started a waiting list yet:)

Then came the water crossings towards the bottom Followed by bigger water crossings We descended into the town of Ouray after playing in a creek with multiple small water crossings of varying difficulty for a bit of a late lunch at the Ouray Brewing Co. The food was great, so was the view but we needed to depart and head back to camp rather than linger any longer. However during lunch we found out from other patrons that the Highway to Ophir Pass was closed until 5pm, so instead we headed over Last Dollar Highway and dealt with all the leaf watchers and their excessive camera’s But the views were worth the crowds! We also passed this set of contraptions heading up the hill out of Telluride to do roadwork, I felt sorry for the guy up front doing 4mph and getting vibrated to death as it slowly clanked along Got back to camp, enjoyed a beer or two at the campsite before walking into town for dinner under the full moon. Was another great day on the road/trail with friends.

So we setup camp in the campground in Telluride itself. As much as it kills to pay for campsites they had bathrooms, showers, bear lockers, and were within walking distance of all the restraunts/bars in downtown!!! Made everynight a night of delicious food and drink to cap off the day for those of us that ventured out. Good beer and company was enjoyed by all, although no photographic evidence of the events support it ;-) So on Tuesday the plan was to travel over Imogene Pass into Ouray for lunch and then back over Ophir Pass. We start up from the middle of town and the leaves are all changing creating far more color than normal in the surroundings. Some minor waterfalls and switchbacks as we work our way up to the over 13,000ft elevation pass As we headed up the hill we came to this shack just built onto the side of the mountain with stilts. I don’t know about you, but this is not a structure I would have trusted to live in, but that’s just me. Then we crossed the first challenge on the way up. I rode over it, popped off the bike for pictures and line assistance for anyone who wanted help. Dusty comes right behind me and before I can manage to get the camera out crests the ledge with a healthy dose of the right wrist levitating the front wheel a good 3 feet above the ground in the process. As awesome as it looked I didn’t get it on camera, but we both agreed a second attempt would probably result in another bike waiting on parts or person waiting on pain meds, so instead we took pictures of Roland as he made it look like it wasn’t even an obstacle. Some other challenges going up didn’t get documented, but we did have one problem with a jeeper who didn’t head our advice to wait a minute. I rode up and over a steep/loose climb and rounded the corner, but traction control defeated Dusty’s climb and a jeeper was coming down didn’t want to wait while we cleared the obstacle before he proceeded down the mountain. After we got the second bike in the clear the jeep proceeded down past the last bike on the hill who was waiting for the path to be clear for him to finish the climb. Rude jerk in the jeep, although the elderly couple in a second jeep were very kind and had no problem waiting for the 5 or so minutes it took to clear the section. At this point I get to ride a GSA in the dirt for the first time ever! My longer legs make it much easier on some things, but wowza do the new GSA’s have more power and rev up in a hurry. The Tenere is like a tractor that doesn’t do anything fast but just keeps chugging along slowly gaining steam with more throttle. The GSA on the other hand revs and spins in a hurry, so I had a bit more wheelspin than I intended as I finished off the hill. The GSA is also harder to dog paddle as I kept hitting the heads with my shins. She is a bit more nimble feeling though and I’m sure I’d get used to the power if I rode it often. Finally we reached the pass at 13,114ft! Then after a nice break we proceeded down the other side.

Eric, would love a compare/contrast with the "gold std' TKC80. Has the king been overthrown?

Wow, what an amazing trip! I haven't ridden any of the BDRs yet but that's the plan in the spring.

Got it mounted in the rim

Tauerntreffen,Austria,Jan 2014

More Middle Tennessee