So what was my first impression? When I got this out of the garage after the tire change and hit the freeway ramp, I realized that at the corner the bike tended to stay leaned over. It took me sometime to get used to it coming from an 80/20 tire that moves seamlessly from one corner to another. I honestly did not like that feeling but then got used to it that now it’s not a pain point for me. The rubber is hard. Not as hard as the Dakar version which they say is literally impossible to puncture. However, I live in the wet and cold region of Southern Ontario in Canada. I really am ok in compromising the hardness of the compound for some much needed grip in the wet.

So how did it do in the wet? So far I ran into a storm coming back from Pennsylvania crossing into New York. While it was not torrential, the pavement was wet. I felt that the water channeled well and never did I have a scary moment. Of course the traction control on the bike was at the highest. I have read and heard of unhappy consumers in the wet but that has not been my experience.

What about gravel and off-road? I stumbled into a forest road in Pennsylvania for around 17 miles. I did not deflate my tires and at road pressure, it was an ok ride. No complaints of slipping as the grooves on the tire held well to the gravel and dirt.

Would I recommend them? Absolutely. I think I am expecting 15,000 Kms from these tires and for the grip they give me off-road and the relatively low noise compared to other knobbies, I am a satisfied customer at 4,000 clicks. Let me update close to the end of these tires road life.

If interested, you can check them out at the below link: