Tyres for a Condor... perhaps 350 Scrambler too?
Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2017 4:50 pm
Just for information...... Not sure if this will be helpful to many, but I thought I would relay my experiences with tyres on my Condor.
Originally fitted with Metzeler “Enduro” tyres, both 1990s vintage, when I acquired the bike in 2013, I found these to be excellent, giving the bike fine and fully predictable steering, allowing the bike to take bends with almost zero effort on my part despite their worn condition – the rear’s profile had become flat like a sidecar tyre. I ran these until last week, covering around 10k km until the rear was virtually bald (wouldn’t have passed a UK MOT), but even in that condition it was still grippy in the dry. The front had a little more life left, but I decided to change both and chose the Heidenau K37 in the 3.50-18 size, front and rear. On the Condor the wheels are meant to be interchangeable, hence the same sizes.
The Heidenaus changed the bike’s handling enormously. The bike felt unstable and needed to be “held out” of slow turns, and oversteered on long, fast bends. I ran the tyres at 1.5 and 2.4 bar front and rear as per the Condor recommendation, but it was not happy. I rang Heidenau and they recommended different pressure settings, but with no great improvement in handling. I persevered with the bike to take the new edges off the new tyres, and experimented with different pressures. Now after about 400km and running with 1.7 front and 2.5 bar rear the bike feels much better, but there is still a little oversteer on the sweeping bends, and on roundabouts I feel the need to apply handlebar pressure into and during the turn. I have yet to try the tyres in the wet. Braking, however, seems much improved over the Metzelers with the bike stopping quicker and very stably.
I am a fan of Heidenaus having used them on my Moto Guzzi NF, and the dual sport style seems perfect the Condor, allowing road and dirt track use. I attach a photo of the bike in its natural environment which right now is the garrigue of southern France. I will report any further developments in due course, but grateful for other recommendations should others have found other tyres suitable for this bike.
Originally fitted with Metzeler “Enduro” tyres, both 1990s vintage, when I acquired the bike in 2013, I found these to be excellent, giving the bike fine and fully predictable steering, allowing the bike to take bends with almost zero effort on my part despite their worn condition – the rear’s profile had become flat like a sidecar tyre. I ran these until last week, covering around 10k km until the rear was virtually bald (wouldn’t have passed a UK MOT), but even in that condition it was still grippy in the dry. The front had a little more life left, but I decided to change both and chose the Heidenau K37 in the 3.50-18 size, front and rear. On the Condor the wheels are meant to be interchangeable, hence the same sizes.
The Heidenaus changed the bike’s handling enormously. The bike felt unstable and needed to be “held out” of slow turns, and oversteered on long, fast bends. I ran the tyres at 1.5 and 2.4 bar front and rear as per the Condor recommendation, but it was not happy. I rang Heidenau and they recommended different pressure settings, but with no great improvement in handling. I persevered with the bike to take the new edges off the new tyres, and experimented with different pressures. Now after about 400km and running with 1.7 front and 2.5 bar rear the bike feels much better, but there is still a little oversteer on the sweeping bends, and on roundabouts I feel the need to apply handlebar pressure into and during the turn. I have yet to try the tyres in the wet. Braking, however, seems much improved over the Metzelers with the bike stopping quicker and very stably.
I am a fan of Heidenaus having used them on my Moto Guzzi NF, and the dual sport style seems perfect the Condor, allowing road and dirt track use. I attach a photo of the bike in its natural environment which right now is the garrigue of southern France. I will report any further developments in due course, but grateful for other recommendations should others have found other tyres suitable for this bike.