BMW F800GS: Which new tires to choose?

As per the previous post: Michelin Anakee 2 review, my faithful Anakee's have reached the end of their life. In general I was happy with their performance so the first question is "Why change?".

However they were mounted in March 2011, I think that maybe wheel technology has evolved since then especially for the growing segment of heavy travel enduros. Also with much more players here vs. when I bought my F800GS (i.e. the new Triumph Tiger, remodelled KTM adventure 990, new Yamaha Tenere, Ducati Multiestrada) there should be some investment from tire manufacturers for the segment.

When choosing a tire, I first filter by major brand names  (Michelin, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Metzeler, etc..), the reason being that the tires are the only point of contact in between the machine and the ground. You can have all the electronics in the world - ABS / traction control / stability programs, but if you buy a Chinese tire with less traction you will lengthen your braking distance, curving ability, etc...

Within the main brands there are various types of tire - some more for off-road use, some mixed usage and some for on-road. Here there's s difference in between the rational choice and the "What I would like to do" choice. Meaning that in my mind I would be doing enduro all day long up and down the Swiss mountains - i can see myself with a GoPro strapped to the bike in the middle of the forest with amazing Slow motion shots of drifts, dirt flying everywhere... The reality is, this never happens! I mean never! 2 years with the Anakee 2 and I probably went 8 times off-road and 900 times on-road and even then sloooowwwly. Don't want to crap up my daily commuting bike! But in spirit, I want the tire that goes everywhere just in case...

For the BMW F800GS the measurements are:

     Front 90/90 21 V
     Rear 150/70 17 V


The tires I found available in the market with respectable brand and F800GS size are


Recommended by BMW with Road Bias:
     - Michelin Anakee 2 (mounted by BMW out of factory)

     - Bridgestone Battlewing 501 (used to be mounted by BMW out of factory)

Recommended by BMW with Off-Road Bias:
     - Metzler Karoo

     - Continental Twinduro TKC80

Not recommended by BMW with Road Bias:
     - Continental Trail Attack

     - Pirelli Scorpion MT90

     - Metzeler Tourance

     - Michelin Anakee 3 (probably too new to be recommended by BMW)

Some of these are tubeless tires, but to use with BMW F800GS stock rims you need a tube.

So emotionally why not get the pure enduro tires for a what if situation?  But good for me the rational part kicked in... I need road grip!

I already had tried the Battlewings and not liked them and I have a bad impression of Pirelli tires in general, which left me with the Anakee 2, Metzeler Tourance or Anakee 3.

I chose the Anakee 3 simply because (i) it is the most Road tire of the 3, i didn't use the 20% off-road of the Anakee 2 (ii) it's cheaper than the Metzeler (iii) it has a radically different design! Why not try something new?

More to come....

Michelin Anakee 2 Review: 20000 kms after

I mounted the Michelin Anakee 2's when the bike had 15000 kms, and they've now lasted approx 20000 kms, not bad for a pair of tires!

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

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


Front tire

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!

BMW Santiago boots 3 years old review

I got the BMW Santiago boots as a gift November 2010, which makes it 3 years that I´ve had them. Vs. doing a first impression review, think 3 years is a good enough time to trial and see how they perform. Too many products nowadays are made to have a reduced lifecycle to make you buy more stuff, so why not see long term use reviews?
Also, BMW has not replaced these boots in their line-up for quite some years now - I honestly don´t think they have to.

Description of the Santiago´s:
The BMW Santiago boots are classified as the GS Touring boots, but I think it can be much more than that. According to BMW´s webpage these are the characteristics of the boots:
- Heavy-duty, unadulterated cattle leather (2.3 - 2.5 mm), impregnated
- Watertight and windtight with GORE-TEX
- Inserts in 100 % Kevlar
- Removable inner soles
- Aluminum snap fasteners with memory effect (also available as replacement components)
- Metal tips in stainless-steel with logo (also available as replacement components)

Apart from the above they have (BMW doesnñt describe everything):

- Oil and fuel resistant rubber sole

- Large shin protectors

- Ergonomically shaped ankle protectors

- Reinforced heel and toe area

- Reflective area above the heel poiting backwards with cat-eye reflective material

- Kevlar reinforced shift gear area.

- Elastic calf closure to avoid dirt / water entering from above.

Before the review, a sense of What have you done with them?
I´m not an extreme motorcycle rider i.e. motocross, but have put quite some kms on them in varied situations. As examples:
- Multiple weekend routes within Spain,with temperatures ranging from +40º to - 7º. approx. 5000 kms
- Portugal Les a Les - from North to south of portugal with multiple terrain from dirt, to twisted roads to sand, including getting there and back. 3500kms
- Full Route 66, from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica pier, Caifornia. Multiple weather conditions. Approx. 4500kms
- One accident in Tulsa. No harm to rider
- BMW Hechlingen enduro park training. 2 days of driving a BMW F800GS up and down a quarry, through mud, in water, over rocks and through sand
- I normally used them on weekend rides / longer routes, however since August this year I use them everyday on my 120km work commute 70% of the times under heavy rain. approx.
I would say I´ve logged approx 20000 kms with the Santiago´s

Wearing the Santiago´s:
Putting on or taking off the Santiago´s is very quick just open the velcro fastener and release the fasteners. Your foot will slip in or out with ease. Especially like the capability of getting them off easily after a long ride when you just want to relax. Only watchout is the sometimes the fastener mechanism gets caught inside itself, if you open it fully this doesn't happen.

A particularly good feature is the elastic calf closure allows you to wear them with the pants in or out of the boots, while ensure they rest closely to your leg - this avoids most stuff getting in. To date, I´ve had no dirt or sand inside the boots.

As most boots, the Santiago needs wearing in. The first time you use them they will be very stiff and not well molded to your feet. They need to be used for some time, but when they are worn in, they are comfortable. To note, they would not be the boots you would take to walk all day long or hike with - on my longer trips I always take some type of walking shoes. Only issue is pushing things with the boots, if you put pressure on the tip only (like pushing a high bike backwards while on it) you put your weight on the metal tip only and it slips....

While riding, you forget the Santiago´s are there. The Gore-tex membrane does it´s job effectively, blocking the elements out. To date they are still completely waterproof, with not a drop entering. The shin protectors work really well, having recieved some rock hits while on the offcourse. No injury to myself.

The only exception to this is very hot weather - i.e. 40º, where they are hot, not unbearable put even so enough for you to take your feet out when stopping for a beer.

I had one accident with the Santiagos - the bike suffered some damage, I fell off and slid on the tarmac for a few meters. I had nothing although my foot was under the bike. Not sure how much damage I would have had without the Santiago´s, but it seems the protected me )and prevented the ankle from getting a sprain.

Durability - the wear & tear
The Santiago´s are extremely well built. To date nothing on these boots show the 3 years usage I´ve given them (except for some mud stains I never washed off).

Opening/ closing mechanism - Although on the internet there are people that have complained that this is a week part and needs replacing,  no issue for me or maintenance to date needed

Leather: Extremely durable, just some scratches from the accident in Tulsa, nothing else. Even where normal boots get worn out (gear clutch) - nothing

Membrane: No water leakage to date in the boots in spite of heavy rain usage, and the BMW F800GS having an issue of spraying water water is on the ground to my feet (vs. my old transalp which did not).

Sole: I´ve not walked thousands of kms with them, but not worn out at all

Seams / Stitching: double stitching has not let any seam open, and the fixture of the sole to the boot has not let in.

Metal front caps: The only issue with the boot. You can take them off, but if you keep them they will wear out - mine have cuts on the bottom and the screws tend to unscrew and fall off, I´ve already lost one.

Pros
- Construction quality. Although expensive, well worth the money. 3 years later and still going
- All-round usage: I´ve used them from -7ºC weather to +40ºC and always been comfortable.
- Amazing protection: from accidents, offroad usage with the shins, etc...
- the bad-ass look. However if you remove the metal tips they look slightly more normal.

Cons
- Walkability: Are great, but still would not take these boots for walking a full day or hiking.
- Extreme hot weather: Although you can use them in summer weather, if it is extremely hot they are not the most enjoyable boots (like an airflow) however are bearable.
- The front metal  tips: I have 3 problems here (i) the screws come off by themselves (ii) the metal is slippery which you notice when walking and if you have a tall motorcycle and use tiptoes when pushing it backwards.

verdict: I would not swap these for any other boots (nor do I need to)

Somebody is reading!

Erik just adapted the iPhone solution to his F800GS and mentioned me on his blog. He used a rockform case for added protection.

Erik's solution:
http://jerikthompsonf800gs.blogspot.com/2013/10/iphone-5-mount-on-bmw-2013-f800gs-for.html

The original post on my blog:
http://charliemotorcycle.blogspot.com/2010/10/iphone-connectivity-ram-mount.html

Thx Eric!