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Published in: Gear
I’ve just completed a two-month ride on my BMW F800GS. Starting in Monroe, Virginia, and ending in Portland, Oregon, just under 9,000 miles across the U.S. Because I prefer tires that provide the best of all worlds, I rode with a Mitas E-07 Enduro Trail+ set. I’d heard pretty good things about the previous version, the E-07+, so I was keen to see how the updated version would perform.
I was also interested in knowing if they really had a 60/40 street-to-trail bias and how they’d deal with the varied conditions on a heavily loaded bike, which I was concerned might affect handling and wear.
The miles covered included hard-packed gravel, loose gravel, mud, light sand, two-track forestry roads, single-lane tar twisties, fast open-road twisties, and hours of straights in Texas and New Mexico. I’m not a great fan of freeways, but I tried to include a complete range of conditions in the testing. In with the mix were days with temps in the high 90°Fs, all the way down to below freezing. The tires were also tested in hours of monsoon-level rain.
The grip on asphalt is impressive, which genuinely surprised me; they stuck like glue when cornering. I’ve only ridden one other 60/40 tire that came close, and the Mitas beat them nicely. I’d been told their hardness made them slippery when wet, particularly on corners. However, this turned out not to be an issue.
The big block chevron tread pattern also worked nicely on off-tar sections. My F800 felt entirely planted, which was confidence-building, making me think I was a better rider than I actually am. Loose gravel, sand, and mud were fun, too. Although the E-07 Enduro Trail+ aren’t knobbies, as all-rounders, they kept impressing me.
One day, the track I was riding changed from hard-packed gravel to deep, soft sand so quickly that I couldn’t react quickly enough, and went down. As I was overloaded, that level of soft sand was a challenge, but the Mitas, although not knobbies, provided enough grip to get me out.
By the time I arrived in Oregon, I’d ridden just under 9,000 miles but estimated that the tires still had at least 2,000 miles more tread on them. Bearing in mind the fast pace and the weight of an overloaded bike, I was impressed!
I should note that Mitas states that their Dakar version of this tire has an even harder compound, resulting in a 20 percent longer tire life, also making them harder to puncture.
MSRP: ~$130–$170
Mitas-Moto.com
Continue reading...
I’ve just completed a two-month ride on my BMW F800GS. Starting in Monroe, Virginia, and ending in Portland, Oregon, just under 9,000 miles across the U.S. Because I prefer tires that provide the best of all worlds, I rode with a Mitas E-07 Enduro Trail+ set. I’d heard pretty good things about the previous version, the E-07+, so I was keen to see how the updated version would perform.
I was also interested in knowing if they really had a 60/40 street-to-trail bias and how they’d deal with the varied conditions on a heavily loaded bike, which I was concerned might affect handling and wear.
The miles covered included hard-packed gravel, loose gravel, mud, light sand, two-track forestry roads, single-lane tar twisties, fast open-road twisties, and hours of straights in Texas and New Mexico. I’m not a great fan of freeways, but I tried to include a complete range of conditions in the testing. In with the mix were days with temps in the high 90°Fs, all the way down to below freezing. The tires were also tested in hours of monsoon-level rain.
The grip on asphalt is impressive, which genuinely surprised me; they stuck like glue when cornering. I’ve only ridden one other 60/40 tire that came close, and the Mitas beat them nicely. I’d been told their hardness made them slippery when wet, particularly on corners. However, this turned out not to be an issue.
The big block chevron tread pattern also worked nicely on off-tar sections. My F800 felt entirely planted, which was confidence-building, making me think I was a better rider than I actually am. Loose gravel, sand, and mud were fun, too. Although the E-07 Enduro Trail+ aren’t knobbies, as all-rounders, they kept impressing me.
One day, the track I was riding changed from hard-packed gravel to deep, soft sand so quickly that I couldn’t react quickly enough, and went down. As I was overloaded, that level of soft sand was a challenge, but the Mitas, although not knobbies, provided enough grip to get me out.
By the time I arrived in Oregon, I’d ridden just under 9,000 miles but estimated that the tires still had at least 2,000 miles more tread on them. Bearing in mind the fast pace and the weight of an overloaded bike, I was impressed!
I should note that Mitas states that their Dakar version of this tire has an even harder compound, resulting in a 20 percent longer tire life, also making them harder to puncture.
MSRP: ~$130–$170
Mitas-Moto.com
Where to Buy:
PROS:
- Tough, grippy
- Long-lasting
- Mud- and snow-rated
CONS:
- I was surprised that the front tire wore at almost the same rate as the rear; that may have been the result of stopping a bigger bike with such a heavy load
- The stiff outer walls may be difficult to deal with in a non-pluggable puncture situation
Continue reading...
