Anakee 2's were my tyre of choice.
They are an 80% road tyre, 20% off road. No tyre will hold a line on a loose surface like gravel or mud.
The anakee 2's were a good predictable and grippy tyre in their day. Having gone from anakee 2 to a new design Metzeler Roadtec 01 there is a gap in performance. But would I buy another set of Anakee 2's... yes they are still a good tyre. I'd have them any day over the Bridgestone trail/battle wings that were like riding on wooden wheels.
One thing to consider how old were the tyres on the bike you rode? They will age, perish and go hard.
In the past I've ridden on gritted roads in the wet and minus temperatures... the Anakees gripped fine if ridden sensibly given the condition.
Tyres are a personal thing. If you don't like them... change them.
The mrs GSX14 came with a brand new set of BT023's. I hated the BT021's on the Deauville and wanted to change them, but being the tightarse I am I stuck with them, gave them benefit of the doubt and to be honest, I'll put another set on the bike when the time comes if the Roadtec 01 doesn't come down in price a little.
If I was looking to buy a bike and the tyres were old/worn/near limit I'd do a bit of haggling, but I wouldn't let it stop me buying the bike I wanted.
