80/20 ANAKEE Adventure Tire size

[Oregon_BMW]

I’ve decided to tour Mainland Mexico - it’s prob a destination many of you from Europe can’t see yourselves riding … but you’d probably change your mind if you experienced the spectacular roads, history, cultures and cuisine of each Mexican State.

Let’s say you have “ 9 points “ on your license … well you REALLY NEED TO MOVE TO MEXICO where they really don’t care about your speed outside of the towns/cities.


My plan:

Anyway - on my older (30,000 miles touring) XR, I just fitted New road 5’s.

But I’m wondering if I should switch to an ANAKEE, or other brand, 80/20 tire? Considering I’ll encounter rutted gravel on some roads.

Caveat - I really like to go “zoom” and realize the benefits of the XR. So I’m not looking to turn this bike into a tractor. My wife’s 700GS and my son’s Triumph 800XC both got the ANAKEE Adventure tires two years ago, with negligible Highway handling issues.

I can’t decide - so please decide for me :)

Of course staying with the ROBUST Road 5’s is an option and cost savings too 

*****£
Question - the AA tire only comes in a rear size of 180/55/17 … instead of the 190 called out as bmw spec for the 2016 XR …

Will going to a 180 size, vs 190 create a problem got me?


******

Doesn’t have to be ANAKEE Adventure … I’m open to other folks success - if you’ve been down this road before

Here’s a thread of someone wandering Mexico … hotels are $11/night … dinner $6 is easy … sure there are drug cartels and violence in some places … but the ADV riding community boards are great about advising and nurturing visiting riders.

Mexico, especially Baja Mexico allows your XR to breathe daily … with little stress about points and tickets. But more than anything - it’s the people of Mexico … wow the people.

https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/ed-is-going-to-mexico-again.1543789/page-4

[Antares]

Just my personal opinion but besides the wrong size, I think tyres like this detract too much from it's on road handling VS how much you gain off road vs a Road 5, it already has big thread holes compared to other tyres so it's surprisingly OK on loose gravel compared to more traditional tyres, not that I'd prefer to take the XR anywhere near gravel, but if I do at least I won't sh*t the bed.

[Winger]

Originally Posted by Oregon_BMW

Let’s say you have “ 9 points “ on your license … well you REALLY NEED TO MOVE TO MEXICO where they really don’t care about your speed outside of the towns/cities.

You will never know how much that made me laugh cuz i’ve Got the 9 points....and a speed awareness course on top of that, all acquired on my X/R which is some going considering I run 5 other big bikes.

As for the tyres...if you have to Road 5’s but i’d Be wanting either of the other two bikes, the X/R is the last thing i’d Be using.

[Oregon_BMW]

*Originally Posted by Oregon_BMW [+]


Let’s say you have “ 9 points “ on your license … well you REALLY NEED TO MOVE TO MEXICO where they really don’t care about your speed outside of the towns/cities.


That's because it was directed at you 

I feel badly about how unbelievably (speed) restricted so many European XR owners are, by the speed laws in many of your respective countries.

Sad to always be looking for a laser, radar gun or Speed Camera ...

When i rode in New England USA, it was very much the same way. Too many people, too many speed enforcement officers ... when you get out West in the US ... it depends upon the money driving enforcement ... Oregon WIDE OPEN spaces with minimal enforcement outside of the Portland south Corridor ... but heavily patrolled for speed in Washington State just across the river ... that's why i like Mexico so much ... and until my wife finishes medical school ... we get to live close to the Mexico border (which I hope all of you get to visit sometime).

In Mexico, err uhm my friend here was stopped for speeding ... $10 roadside fine, and no points. Office asked him to take 5 mins to relax along the road in a safe spot and to please slow down ... we need you guys to stay alive and spend money in Baja Mexico ... we need "living tourists" they spend more $.

Anyway ... thanks for the chuckle today :)

[Antares]

UK police do almost no Speed enforcement, unless you literally do something in front of them, all of that is left up to in the majority to fixed cameras. Rarely, there will be mobile speed cameras but generally they are very rare and are deployed on very popular or generally high traffic roads.

Speeding is not even a concern in the countryside, on any but most major A roads, and even then it's unlikely to ever get caught for speeding.

Only concern generally is entering and leaving villages, and even then it's mostly community speedwatch people who got nothing better to do (but a community speedwatch report is not enforceable)

Not saying you should be speeding anywhere, not endorsing it, safe and sensible riding should be first, but if you say you're always keeping the speed limit and never enjoy some spirited riding, especially with a bike like the XR, you're just lying to yourself and everybody here lol

[Winger]

Every speeding conviction I’ve had in the last 10 years has been by mobile camera vans, worse place by far is Wales, I’ve been  ‘Done’ twice in the same day and had a 6 pointer for one speeding offence...just part of the game as far as i’m Concerned, the solution has always been trips to Europe, we averaged 3 for years most being 5, Covid put a stop to that, even this year our first trip for as long as I can remember is bike 24 hour at Le-Mans and that ain’t going to happen, back a month and then NW200 in May via Southern Ireland which is still on for this year.

Back on thread...re the hole in the sump thread...plenty of other bikes to being doing what you want with far less risk.

[Warree]

Originally Posted by Antares

Just my personal opinion but besides the wrong size, I think tyres like this detract too much from it's on road handling VS how much you gain off road vs a Road 5, it already has big thread holes compared to other tyres so it's surprisingly OK on loose gravel compared to more traditional tyres, not that I'd prefer to take the XR anywhere near gravel, but if I do at least I won't sh*t the bed.

  with Antares. And in my recent experience with Road 6 they seem even better