Normally I read tire reviews of either (i) stores / blogs that dedicate themselves to trying the tires on a bike and then passing to the next review and (ii) people that just bought them, write on first impressions and say "will update" but never do :)
So here is the "end of lifetime" review of the BMW Anakee 2 front & rear tire mounted on a BMW F800GS.
What size are they?
They are the size recommended by BMW to fit the OEM rims.
Front: 90/90 21 V
Rear: 150/70 17 V
What does Michelin say about them?
"There's no longer any need to choose between grip and durability :
The grip in all conditions (wet, dry, cold) while keeping excellent durability
A sculpture that invites out of beaten tracks"
Agree with the first two statements, not exactly with the 3rd... the translation "invites out of beaten tracks" is true.. keep off beaten tracks :-)
How many tires have you tried on this bike?
I've tried the factory mounted Bridgestone Battlewings (lasted 15000 kms) these Michelin Anakee 2 (lasted 20000 kms) and on a rented F800GS the off road oriented Metzeler MCE Karoo.
How do they perform On-road?
Very well! This is what this tire was made for, although they do call it a adventure tire it shines only on tarmac. I definitely prefer the Anakee over the Battlewings in terms of grip and general feeling, for example the BWs had terrible grip in corners given me more than one scare and no confidence to lean into a corner.
In wet more of the same - I've done lately highway speeds with extreme rain and not once have they scared me.
The Anakee 2 is a sure tire allowing you to know what the bike will do. It allows very good braking before the ABS kicks in. Rolling noise is reduced vs. the BWs even at high highway speeds. Up to approx 170km/h (legally on a German Autobahn) no wobbling whatsoever, only around 185 do you feel a slight high-speed wobble, easily eliminated by leaning into the bike.
Verdict: Highly recommendable for on-road city usage or highway usage on wet or dry.
And Off-road?
Although Michelin states that the sculpture invite onto beaten tracks it struggles here, especially when compared to a proper off-road tire like the Metzeler MCE Karoo. See below for more.... I would separate into four different usages I've done:
- Dirt roads: Here the performance of the Anakee is acceptable. It won't have you blasting full throttle over a prolonged period (at least if you are an amateur) but it "works". I've done a full Portugal les a les (on these tires with acceptable performance.
- Gravel: Not good. The tire is very fidgety making it a nerve wrecking drive. MCE Karoo win big here.
- Mud: Appalling. The tire simply gets covered in mud and has no role in propelling you forward, or sideways. Your feet get to do the pushing instead of the motorcycle.
- Grass: Not good, but better than mud!
Verdict: definitely not an off road tire , but can do the occasional dry dirt track.
How have they worn out?
I keep running the tires until their last breath as shown by reaching the 3mm bump Michelin incorporated in the center to warn us that it is time to change. Given that for the past year and a half I've mainly done city commuting with extreme stop & go (a red light every 100m) which is what normally kills tires they have resisted very well.
However there is a downside to the tires / while new they have much better grip than when worn out - you can notice the difference coming out of curves with gas.
Front tire
Rear tire:
Vs. the previous Battlewings the Anakee seem to have one problem / they do not wear out evenly. While the BWs wore out in the middle and to the sides, the Anakees wear out mainly in the central part making the tire more and more square as they go along
Pictures of the Michelin Anakee 2 new March 2011:
Rear wheel:
Front wheel:
Pictures of the Michelin Anakee 2 worn out: October 2013:
Rear tire
.JPG "Michelin Anakee II 20000 kms: Rear wheel")
Front tire
.JPG)
How many tires have you tried on this bike?
I've tried the factory mounted Bridgestone Battlewings (lasted 15000 kms) these Michelin Anakee 2 (lasted 20000 kms) and on a rented F800GS the off road oriented Metzeler MCE Karoo.
How do they perform On-road?
Very well! This is what this tire was made for, although they do call it a adventure tire it shines only on tarmac. I definitely prefer the Anakee over the Battlewings in terms of grip and general feeling, for example the BWs had terrible grip in corners given me more than one scare and no confidence to lean into a corner.
In wet more of the same - I've done lately highway speeds with extreme rain and not once have they scared me.
The Anakee 2 is a sure tire allowing you to know what the bike will do. It allows very good braking before the ABS kicks in. Rolling noise is reduced vs. the BWs even at high highway speeds. Up to approx 170km/h (legally on a German Autobahn) no wobbling whatsoever, only around 185 do you feel a slight high-speed wobble, easily eliminated by leaning into the bike.
Verdict: Highly recommendable for on-road city usage or highway usage on wet or dry.
And Off-road?
Although Michelin states that the sculpture invite onto beaten tracks it struggles here, especially when compared to a proper off-road tire like the Metzeler MCE Karoo. See below for more.... I would separate into four different usages I've done:
- Dirt roads: Here the performance of the Anakee is acceptable. It won't have you blasting full throttle over a prolonged period (at least if you are an amateur) but it "works". I've done a full Portugal les a les (on these tires with acceptable performance.
- Gravel: Not good. The tire is very fidgety making it a nerve wrecking drive. MCE Karoo win big here.
- Mud: Appalling. The tire simply gets covered in mud and has no role in propelling you forward, or sideways. Your feet get to do the pushing instead of the motorcycle.
- Grass: Not good, but better than mud!
Verdict: definitely not an off road tire , but can do the occasional dry dirt track.
How have they worn out?
I keep running the tires until their last breath as shown by reaching the 3mm bump Michelin incorporated in the center to warn us that it is time to change. Given that for the past year and a half I've mainly done city commuting with extreme stop & go (a red light every 100m) which is what normally kills tires they have resisted very well.
However there is a downside to the tires / while new they have much better grip than when worn out - you can notice the difference coming out of curves with gas.
Front tire
What I've noticed, but this is more due to my riding style on the F800GS, the front & rear tires wear almost evenly in between them. My Transalp used to go through 2 rear wheels for each front wheel change. My theory is that it's due to the double front disk of the F800GS (and me relying on the front more to brake) and the bigger weight of the bike cause the front to wear out more.
Rear tire:
Vs. the previous Battlewings the Anakee seem to have one problem / they do not wear out evenly. While the BWs wore out in the middle and to the sides, the Anakees wear out mainly in the central part making the tire more and more square as they go along
Pictures of the Michelin Anakee 2 new March 2011:
Rear wheel:
Front wheel:
Pictures of the Michelin Anakee 2 worn out: October 2013:
Rear tire
.JPG "Michelin Anakee II 20000 kms: Rear wheel")
Front tire
.JPG)
Any scares?
One big one where I actually fell off highside. turning left after accelerating out of a red light the rear end just lost it completely (approx 1 year ago) and then regained grip and threw me off the bike. To date I still have to explain why.. I looked at the ground and there didn't seem to be any oil or even wet patch (it was a dry day). But wasn't pushing the bike hard.. a regular acceleration.
Then a general issue is the rear wheel and ground paint (i.e. pedestrian crossing, the white double lines). In wet the rear tire struggles to get adherence here.
Pros:
- Longevity / value for money. Longevity not only in terms of wear out, but even after using so long on gravel and dirt roads no big knacks/holes on the tire.
- Excellent grip curving that leads to more confidence of the rider
- Stability - no wobble at high speeds
- No fuss tire - low maintenance required
As a bonus pro - no flats (although not entirely tires fault.. but the BWs did have a flat)
Cons:
- Rear tire does not wear out uniformly - the wear out of the center makes the tire become square
- Grip does get worse with the tire wearing out
What now?
I've been looking into what to replace the Anakee's with... coming up in the next post!
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