Heidi K60s

[Gassoon]

The bike turns abd flips a whole lot better and give me more confidence.

that's what matters, the confidence.

good, honest review ben, I think you are right in playing with the pressures - could try carrying bricks in your boxes, though ; )

Maybe drop the forks a little? Put more weight on the front might replicate the weight factor in having a pillion?

[TravellingStrom]

Been running this set now for about 12,000km, front and back

I get decel speed wobble on the front, that happens with my load and setup on every tyre I have run on the front and am no longer concerned, I just live with it.  If you are getting speed wobble at 85kmh you have a problem, maybe balance, maybe something else.

If you are talking about 85mph, then disregard the above statement, with the following proviso:

Even with the scolloped front tyre(causing the decel wobble) I can still ride this bike at 120kmh with no hands and it is STABLE

So, I would be looking at tyre pressure first

I am running 36 and 46, with the front also having a slight leak so that changes

Cheers from Transylvania
TravellingStrom

[bencav]

Cheers TS,

Yeah, I am stating Mph speeds. I honestly think it is down to pressures, 2 up fully loaded it was steady as a steady thing - I think they may be a bit too inflated for solo riding!

Will take a look this coming week at dropping some air out and see if that helps!!

[TravellingStrom]

I am heavy loaded and do not recommend running low pressure, at 85mph which is the same as 140kmh or thereabouts, my bike is always light on the front, with my panniers and weight it is like a big airfoil, so I don't bother anymore, and with the extreme loss of fuel economy over 100kmh I run economy mode which actually turns out to be a lot safer anyway

[bencav]

I think the light front end may be making riad undulations feel like the bars are vibrating. Perhaps it isn't anything more then me taking time to get used to the kobblies rather than the smoothness of the road biased deathwings?

I may drop a pound or 2 out to see if there is any change, but I think more saddle time will be the key!

Cheers for the tips TS!

[bencav]

Dropped a few PSI out of the front tyre before a ride today, made all the difference. No wobbe at speed, just a gentle vibrationat 30 which is no issue, and can be expected from the nobbly nature.

A happy bunny at last !!

[Juvecu]

Result!

[kevshek]

I've found my front end weeve slightly above a ton, I was told to increase the psi in the front a couple of psi? Is that right? What are yous running psi wise?

[bencav]

Sorry Kev, just noticed this now.

I think with normal road biased tyres, a few extra psi may help with the weave.

I am sure the tyre fitter put the owners manual recommended pressures in the tyres, but the K60 side walls are so firm, a drop of a few psi really helped!

[mjc506]

Fitted a set to my Wee yesterday.

Coming from a set of fairly well worn (~2mm front and back left) anakees... Loads of tread, the bike sits a cm or so higher, and they look great (very important, of course!) First ride was on warm damp (greasy) roads at first which then just got wet, so not an ideal first go!

The front's quite vibey below ~25-30mph, but that's no issue, and it disappears above that. It does howl a lot, especially under braking passing through 35-40mph, but meh

I did feel the back moving to and from that central band, which made me feel a bit twitchy, but I've either become used to it already, or it's gone along with the release compound, as turn-in's are now smooth. Plenty of grip there too! (Although I can get black lines from both ends under hard braking (abs active)

I'm happy, and it sounds like things will get better as they wear in  

Currently running 25/30psi (fr/rr, solo) but forgot to check my warm pressures this morning, so I'll be fiddling over the coming week.

[TravellingStrom]

Those tyre pressures sound a bit low

I run 33front 36 rear and have just clocked up 21,000km with plenty to go

[mjc506]

Yeah, but you're carrying more than a few times my weight

Warm pressures were only +5%, so I've dropped them a bit further to 22/27

[mjc506]

22/26 seems to be optimum for me (solo, very little luggage, morning/evening commute) giving ~10% increase in pressure when warm.

Perhaps more importantly, they still feel great

[TravellingStrom]

Are you blokes running the correct pressure?

Even the standard wee, with normal load should be 33/36, so why run them half flat, increase heat and reduce the tyre life?

Or am I missing something here?

Cheers
TS

[mjc506]

My tyres say 36psi max @ ~370kg load (for the rear) there's no way I've got that much weight on it! They're so stiff that they don't need the same pressures as a thin walled roadish tyre does, and mine aren't getting hot (maybe I need to ride harder )

I've always used the general rule of warm pressures being 10% higher than cold, seemed to work so far?

[Juvecu]

I also think that's a bit low for road use. Off road/rough tracks I can see your pressures being more suitable. If I go 2-3psi under the solo PSI that the Wee manual/chain guard sticker states (think it says 33/36) then I get noticeable squirm in corners from the rear and I can  feel the front getting vague (I am only 12 stone.) I agree that it needs to be modified higher and lower in accordance with the tyres you have, but you are running them a third less than the recommended pressures, that's a big difference. Also, pressures stated in the manual are COLD and so is that max pressure on the sidewall. Go with 27/32 if you don't want to go with 33/36 and work your way up if it's just a matter of not being used to it.

Just my 2p.

[mr_diver]

for the anakees I use 33/38 and up the rear to 40 when 2up. these are the cold pressures.
ridding through snowdonia I pulled over as the rear felt very fauge. it had dropped to 40psi when warm, bunged in another 3psi and felt much better. checked when cold and bang on 40. I am guessing the k 60's will have stiffer sidewalls. but not that much if their meant as a compromise tyre like the anakee.

[Andy M]

Having just ridden across the paddling pool that is West Yorkshires road system today I can't praise the K60's enough.

The OE Deathwings must truely be the worst tyres ever and I rode an MZ with Pneumats back in the day!

36 front 41 rear although to be honest it's been too long since I checked, so lets just call is "some".

Andy

[nt1]

Just rode my WEE down to the Sahara in Morocco and back (over 5k miles), fantastic grip in all conditions and still got 7 mm left on the rear !  

[Swazi sean]

The k60's were designed in south Africa and have taken the adventure sport blokes by storm (strom) with great km from them. I met some blokes who did trip up to Kenya and still at 18'oookm we're still happy riding them. But they used lot dirt roads n sand. But swore by them
I since have put a set on frog n rear and off road they second to none I have used till now here in Africa.