Tenere 700: Tires (Motoz Dual Venture & Rallz Differences, Motoz Tractionator GPS, Mitas E-10) - Rim Type - 2020 Adventure Tire Shootout - Tusk Tire Changer & Bead Breaker + Cabinet/Stand - Tusk Wheel Balancer & Truing Stand - Tubes

Motoz Tractionator Rallz Tires For Tenere 700

Many riders seeking improved off-road performance vs the oem Pirelli STRs are going with the Motoz Tractionator Rallz tires in oem 90/90-21 54 TT front & 140/80 18 TT vs the oem 150/70 18 70 TL rear size. RideAdv, a tour company with a fleet of T7s in Australia, along with many others, have been successfully running a Pirelli Scorpion Rally 140 rear size on the oem MT 4.00" safety/tubeless rear wheel. Most adopters of the 140 rear vs the 150 oem size are motivated by improved off-road performance, higher speed rating, less weight & cost. Noted trade offs are that the 140 width tire is ~ 0.55" or 14 mm taller with a diameter of 681 mm vs the 150 667 mm (check for clearance with the oem shock/swing arm plastic mud flap), noisier, less proficient on the road & may unseat the bead with low tire pressures due to it's narrower bead spacing & sometimes softer carcass when used on a wider than Motoz recommended rim like the T7 MT 4". Both have the same load rating. The T7 front wheel is a WM 1.85" tube type.

Here is a Good Visual of Differences in Bead Width of the same 140/80 18 Tire Size

Shinko Enduro 216MX TL & Motoz Tractionator Desert HT TT

Motoz Tractionator Dual Venture Front Tire

I just ordered the new bi-directional Motoz Tractionator Dual Venture 90/90 21 TT front tire (eta of early 2022 in BC, Canada) which Motoz is promoting to pair with the Tractionator GPS, Adventure & Rallz rear tires.

Differences Between Motoz Dual Venture 90/90 21 TT on left (mounted) vs TL on right

Both versions feature a self-cleaning bar style tread, 56 rows of knobs & is a bi-directional tire which can be reversed for more even lug wear & consistent performance, extended life span & is designed to be paired with Motoz's GPS, Adventure & Rallz rear tires. The TL has 20% larger lugs, 10.5 mm vs 12.0 mm tread depth, is 9 mm wider, 4 ply vs 3 ply construction, a lower crown or profile, less lug spacing, Q (160 kph) vs R (170 kph) speed rating & equal load rating making for a stiffer, longer mileage tire with better road manners better suited for heavier single & multi cylinder dual sport/adventure bikes.

Despite Motoz's recommended rim width of 1.85 - 1.60" for the TT Dual Venture front, which better matches the T7 1.85" front rim width than their TL version recommended for 2.50 - 2.15" rims (typical for most other mid/large sized ADV bikes) the TL version is actually recommended for the T7 & all mid/large size ADV bikes because of it's stiffer construction & shorter, larger, narrower spaced lugs better suited for heavier bikes & higher sustained speeds.

Having fitted both the TT & TL Dual Venture on my T7 I found that the TL feels more stable at speed plus seems more in sync with the 150 70 18 Motoz Adventure & Rallz tires. The narrower TT, while quicker feeling, wanted to drop in a little once a lean/turn was initiated...so probably better matched to a narrower rear tire...Kyle claims the TT was designed for lighter single cylinder bikes & is more dirt biased.

Kyle Bradshaw of ManyBikes video: Differences Between Motoz Dual Venture & Rallz Tires

Differences Between Motoz Rallz 150/70 18 TL (left) vs 140/80 18 TT (right) Tires

The Motoz Rallz 140/80 18 TT has narrower bead spacing & tread width (different aspect ratio/profile) plus wider tread lug spacing/voids than the 150/70 18 TL, which results in more noise from the 140 but improved off-road traction vs less noise & better on-road traction for the 150. The T7 rear rim is 4.00" (Motoz recommends 2.15 - 2.50" for the 140 TT rear & 4.25 - 4.50" for the 150 TL rear)...there have been reports of 140 Rallz tires unseating the bead with lower pressures. Most other mid/large ADV bikes use a 4.25" to 4.50" rear rims making the 150 a better match + TL tires tend to run cooler & last a little longer.

WM vs MT Rim Types, pic provided by Outex

My Tire Combos

My current travel combo is the Mitas E-10 Enduro 90/90 21 TL front & Motoz Tractionator GPS 140/80 18 TL (8.6 kg or 19 lbs) (152 mm wide @ 30 psi) rear mounted in "the mostly off-road" direction...this is a solid performing, long wearing combo for long distance road & gravel. Approximately 14 mm or 0.55" taller than 150 70/ 18. I'm very impressed with this combo on pavement wet or dry & gravel/dirt roads. They hold a line beautifully, transition well, provide tactile feedback, almost no noise/vibration & despite the continuous center tread the rear GPS provide good forward propulsion in gravel & dirt, but shows its limits in sand & muck. Mounted in "the mostly off-road" direction the GPS is more predictable & less resistant to stepping out in power slides than in the "on-road" direction & based on feedback from friends on KTM 990s who ran them on their Alaska/Tuk trip in 2019 they are long lasting high mileage tires with little penalty in mileage when run in "the mostly off-road" direction. A friend has asked me to finish a mileage test for a Mitas E-10 Enduro Dakar 150 /70 18 rear tire that he has put 1,600k kms on during his tire testing of it....so will run it next season to see how long it lasts...change of plans as it has developed an annoying/loud repeating harmonic whir >100 kph & I'm doing a 3k km mostly road trip, so remounted the GPS 140/80 18 which turns in much quicker & quieter.

Mitas E10 Enduro 90/90 21 non Dakar

The front axle required extra effort to break lose. @36 psi the handling characteristics changed a little vs the oem Pirelli front, which is wider with a less crowned profile. It is a little knobbly (most noticeable <20 kph), but with more tactile feel for the surface, with a slight fall in when leaned over & overall slightly heavier feel...@ 32 psi handling/feel improved & now transitions from side to side more neutral holding a line better...have settled in on 30 psi as it now feels very neutral & more similar to the Pirellis.

See this link for my blog on correct fork alignment & the floating right axle & fork design that needs to be set correctly to obtain equal gap for the rotor & caliper.

Motoz Tractionator GPS 140/80 18

As noted by others before, the rear axle nut was a bear to get off requiring a long prybar, would have been a challenge getting off in the field. The oem Pirelli Rally STR was a challenge to get off as well being a stiff tire. The 140/80 18 GPS, mounted in the "Mostly Off-Road" direction is surprisingly quieter & smoother than the oem Pirelli STR with nice side to side transition & neutral feel when leaned over...30/33 psi seems to be a favourable everyday range. The 140/80 18 GPS has 3 ply tread & sidewall construction vs 4 ply for the 150/70 18 making it more pliable, lighter & is well suited for mid sized adv bikes like the T7 in part because the 140 has a slightly slower crown putting more tire in contact with the road more often allowing use of the edges vs the 150.

Aug 2022 Mitas E-10 Front & Motoz GPS Rear Ride Review Update After 10 Day 3,800 km Trip

This combo works well together with consistent turn in, grip & predictability. The front can start to hint at a little weave above 140 kph (87 mph) depending on the road surface, but is otherwise exemplary, given the knobby tread design. The rear (30 psi) seem to develop a medium level whine when heeled over enough to get off the center strip >100 kph (62 mph), but nowhere near as loud or annoying as the E-10 Dakar rear tire. I had confirmed wheel alignment prior to the trip when changing tires, to eliminate that potential issue & neither tire had displayed any imbalance or vibration during use. It was more noticeable on smooth good condition pavement. I'm speculating that the aggressive leading edge of the tread, mounted in the 'Mostly off-road Direction' may be the source...it seemed to subside by about 1/2 in the 2nd 1/2 of the trip & interestingly, my friend did not notice it when he road the bike for an afternoon...go figure. I may rotate the tire to the 'Road Direction' to see what affect that has.

Aug 2024 Update Motoz Dual Venture TL Front & Motoz GPS Rear after 8 Day 4,360 km Trip

I have been running the Dual Venture TL & GPS (mounted in '50/50' direction) combo for a while & recently did a 4,360 km 8 day road trip. I reversed the DV TL direction at 7,047 km or 4,379 miles which has developed an annoying whine between 90 & 110 km, but otherwise performs well outside of a slight tendency to follow grooves...rotated the GPS to '50/50' direction at 7,546 km or 4,689 miles & is quieter than in 'mostly off-road' direction when leaned over at hwy speeds on pavement. The DV TL at 13,210 km or 8,208 miles has 7-8 mm tread depth in middle of tire (66 - 76% tread remaining), while the GPS with 18,546 km or 11,424 miles has 4.4 to 5.5 mm nearest the middle (33-40% tread remaining.

Motoz Tractionator Rallz 150/70 18 TL (left) - Rallz 90/90 21 TT (middle), Tractionator Dual Venture 90/90 21 TT (right).

Comparing Motoz Dual Venture (left) - Mitas E10 Enduro (middle) - Motoz Rallz (right) front tires

April 10, 2023 Mount the Motoz Rallz 150/80 18 TL & Dual Venture 90/90 21 TT (sold the Rallz 90/90 21)

May 13, 2023 Motoz Tractionator Adventure 150/70 18 TL & Dual Venture 90/90 21 TL

I prefer this combo for my for my mostly 70/30 to 60/40 road/FSR vs the Rallz/DV TT combo as overall it is a little quieter & more stable at higher speeds...the TL Dual Venture just feels more in sync with the rear tire with more linear lean in.

Motoz 150/70 18 TL Tractionator Rallz (left) vs Tractionator Adventure (right)

The 2 tires have many similarities in the 150/70 18 size with Motoz claiming 20% road 80% off-road for the Rallz & a 25%/75% ratio for the Adventure...which makes sense as the Rallz is based on the Adventure with a more aggressive tread design for improved traction in all weather extremes. They differ slightly in tread block spacing, size & configuration with the Rallz having larger voids, smaller tread blocks & middle/side block configuration optimized for improved traction off-road. Motoz tested summer & winter compounds & settled on a hybrid, Motoz cites hybrid/silica compound for the Rallz (74 durometer reading) & optimized hybrid natural/synthetic compound for the Adventure (76 durometer reading), both have 4 ply nylon for tread & sidewall & 15 mm tread depth & weigh the same 6.1 kg or 13.5 lbs for the 150/70/18, but the Adventure lasts a few thousand kms longer than the Rallz.

OEM fitment Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR is a neutral handling, supple 80/20 tire that holds well on pavement & is ok for basic off-road work, but falls short in low traction environments. Mine have not exhibited the front wheel wobble reported by some or tire defect covered by warranty...but I did add Green Slime shortly after getting my T7. Surprisingly, they are a little on the noisy side, particularly the rear (7 kg or 15.4 lbs @ 3,700 km).

Kyle Bradshaw 2022 ADV Tire Review

This is perhaps the best 2020 Adventure Tire Shoot Out to date by ChapMoto.com reviewing & comparing 25 80/20 & 50/50 ADV tires...comprehensive graphs are near the end of the video.

Tusk portable tire changer & bead breaker mounted to repurposed sink cabinet that has been lowered 4" by removing the recessed base, adding 1/2" plastic feet for ease of moving around the garage & strengthened for added stiffness. 30.75" to top of cabinet, 39" to top of tire changer hoop, 48" to the breaker bar. Has soft close hinges, adjustable shelf, sliding metal basket drawer & door mounted metal bin.