Sports Bike Rider Here With A Tiger On Anakee Wilds

I can hear some of you laughing at this post but here goes. I have been an out an out sports bike rider for the last 40 years but took the plunge and have spent lock down doing up a 94 Steamer with the intention of doing some moderate green laning this summer. I've never purchased what I would call off road tyres before so put Anakee Wilds back and front but it feels like I'm coaxing a rowing boat around the corners, especially in traffic at low speed. Is assume this is normail due to the profile of the tyres ? Yes you can take the p!$$ but some sensible answers would also be appreciated

 

Can’t help on the tyre characteristics but ‘moderate green laning’ on an ‘adventure bike’ is a recipe for recovery ...... a recovery truck!

The dream is always sold as Moroccan desert tracks. I cut my teeth on Hertfordshire green lanes when an XT500 was too lardy for the mud. Gravel tracks only!

 

Yes, I have know what you mean. My mate has bought a brand new Scrambler XC 1200 and thinks he is now Steve McQueen on the set of the Great Escape.

 

I think your experience of 'coaxing a rowing boat around corners' is to be expected with this style of tyre on a bike as tall and heavy -- top heavy -- as the Steamer!

Think about this - that style of tyre is designed to support a motorcycle that has been deliberately LIGHTENED to enable it to be ridden across very rough terrain. The whole weight of bike and rider is supported by a contact patch which, in this case, is probably square millimetres! I assume the Anakee tyre is a radial so the sidewall is designed to deform - in a controlled way, of course - and the gaps between those tread blocks will mean that the individual blocks will also squirm under the weight of the bike and the pressure of centrifugal force ....... hence the odd 'rowing boat' effect!

The Tiger CAN be used for mild, very mild, 'green laning' but you would, IMHO, need to be big, strong, skilled and experienced to do anything other than a hard packed, gravel track on a bike of this size and weight.

Your on road riding would, I think, be infinitely improved by using something like Avon Trailrider or Metzeler Tourance. You'll see that these have much 'tighter' tread blocking that will give a, comparatively, huge increase in contact patch (compared to the Anakee's) and either will provide a moderate ability to cope with some green laning.

If you do take it green laning, it would be nice to see some pictures of the Tiger out in the wild!

 

Thanks for the comprehensive response Adie and yes, it will be very low impact green laning...if I can find one I can use without being shouted at by the locals. If I make it will send some pics but I don't want to chuck the bike in a knee deep , muddy pudlle full of boulders having spent 4 months restoring it to it's former glory.....perhaps an old XT500 beckons

 

Pleasure - it wasn't, by the way, meant to sound in any way 'holier than thou' or hectoring. I've known people take the Tiger - on semi-knobbly tyres - over very challenging trails but they had Thunderbike crash bars on for a good reason!! I've got a '93 Steamer so I know how heavy and challenging it can be!

Finding green lanes to ride is a challenge in itself! Are you aware of TRF? https://www.trf.org.uk/beginners/ Definitely a good place to start your search for local routes.

Best of luck with it all.

 

Not at all....your advice confirmed what I was thinking so thanks again

 

Just chucked away a decent pair of Anakees off my ditch pump in favour of more road orientated Roadtec 01s as I will never go off road. Firstly the weight was most noticeable when taking them to be fitted, the Anakees having very hard sidewalls such that my usual fitter couldn't get them off and didn't want to risk damaging my wheels. I never got any feedback from them either.