When you climb onto an adventure bike, your hands are your primary interface with the machine. They modulate the clutch on technical ascents, feel the front tire traction through brake levers, and absorb endless vibration over corrugated gravel. Yet, in hot weather or on low-speed trails, it is tempting to strip off riding gloves for better airflow or tactile comfort. Doing so compromises both safety and control in ways that can instantly end a trip.

Abrasion and Impact Protection

The most immediate argument for gloves is protection during an unexpected dismount. Human instinct is hardwired to extend hands first to break a fall. On asphalt, skin meets road at highway speeds; without heavy-duty abrasion protection, severe friction burns and deep lacerations occur in fractions of a second. Off-road, falling onto jagged rocks, coarse sand, or hardpack clay can crush delicate metacarpal bones and tear tissue. Adventure-specific gloves incorporate molded knuckle guards, palm sliders, and abrasion-resistant materials like goatskin or Kevlar to absorb kinetic impact and sliding forces.

Environmental Shielding and Fatigue Reduction

Beyond crash protection, gloves act as a vital barrier against environmental wear and tear. Long days on dual-sport routes expose your hands to constant elements:

• Debris & Vegetation: Roost kicked up by bikes ahead, flying gravel, and overgrown trail branches hit exposed knuckles like small projectiles.

• Weather Extremes: Cold winds numb fingers and slow reflex reaction times, while intense sun exposure leads to severe sunburns across the back of the hand.

• Vibration & Blisters: Sustained engine feedback and rigid handlebar grips cause severe palm fatigue and painful friction blisters over multi-day journeys.

Properly padded gloves isolate your nerves from high-frequency handlebar buzz, preserving grip strength and hand endurance.

Control and Tactile Precision

Sweaty or rain-soaked palms slip easily on rubber grips and metal levers, making fine throttle modulation and precise clutch control difficult in critical off-road sections. Modern motorcycle gloves feature textured palm overlays and silicone print patterns on control fingers, ensuring consistent grip regardless of mud, moisture, or sweat.

Ultimately, your hands contain dozens of small bones, tendons, and nerve pathways that require months of complex rehabilitation if damaged. Investing in quality adventure gloves ensures that your primary interface with your motorcycle stays protected, comfortable, and responsive through every mile of terrain.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Do Not Ride Without Gloves

Touratech and our partners are the best ADV Glove options. Click here to find yours.

Off road motorcycling demands a high degree of physical stamina, control, and coordination. Each of our appendages – hands and feet – are doing completely different things. Motorcycling also requires tremendous mental acuity and focus. I wanted to train in all of this and have fun doing it!

My solution? I bought an electric drum kit! WOW! This is quite an experience. I’m a total beginner again. When I bought the e-drum kit I thought to myself, “maybe I should practice a bit before I take lessons.” That made me laugh at myself, because moto students often ask, “Am I good enough to take your class?” With this in mind, I immediately signed up for drum lessons!

It’s only been a few weeks and I’m having a blast! I’m learning to use my right and left hands and feet independently of each other. Sometimes my right hand is playing a cymbal at 8 counts per measure, while my right foot is playing bass; and the left hand is playing snare alternating at 4 counts per measure each. On the bike I’m very coordinated. On the drums, not so much. I’m learning, getting better each day, and having so much fun!

So, what does this have to do with motorcycle training and riding?

1. Everyone is a beginner at some point. Be patient. Don’t take yourself so seriously, laugh out loud if you goof up. Then try again.

2. Take lessons from a professional. The great thing about working with brand new riders is they usually do not have bad habits that need fixing!

3. If it’s too cold to ride you can still find ways to train:

   • Static balance on the bike in the garage

   • Up-level your fitness at the gym with the SheADVantage training program

   • Improve agility by taking dance class – great for fitness, balance, and it keeps your brain sharp

   • Increase strength, agility, and learn how to fall by taking a martial arts or gymnastics class

   • Learn to play the drums

   • Train your brain and learn better line choice analyzing moto videos

   • Improve your visual acuity and peripheral awareness using free online resources

   • Watch moto videos and pretend you’re riding, using clutch, throttle, and brakes. (Seriously! You may look and feel goofy but it’s fun, especially if you make moto noises!)

   • Be creative! Anything you can do to increase strength (especially core), agility, coordination, mental focus, and visual acuity helps!

   • Meditation calms the mind and increases focus and clarity. There are lots of different ways to meditate, including moving meditations like ‘Labyrinth circles’

   • Practice, practice, practice. You’ll get so much doing something for 15 minutes each day!

4. Journal about the riding you did last year. What worked? What did not work for you? This is not about beating yourself up. It’s about learning what works for you.

5. Use the power of good habits to create the outcomes you want. Whether it’s meditation and journaling, working out, good nutrition, or getting enough sleep. Good habits and self-care make you better!

Give yourself the grace to be a beginner and learn. Whatever you do, have fun!

Bottoming: When your bike hits a large bump or lands from a jump the suspension can “bottom out” as the wheels move up toward the bike quickly and the suspension hits the end of its travel. “Bottoming out” usually happens very quickly like slamming a door closed and can easily upset the balance and damage the motorcycle.

Closed Cartridge: Modern motorcycle forks come in many different designs but many of them contain a ‘cartridge’ inside the fork that uses oil flow during compression and extension to control the wheel movement. The two main types of ‘cartridges’ are ‘open’ and ‘closed’ and these names describe how the cartridge interacts with the fork that it is contained within. An ‘open cartridge’ uses the same oil that lubricates the fork’s up and down action to create a damping effect on the motion of the wheel. A ‘closed cartridge’ is a sealed unit that keeps its oil separate from the lubrication oil in the fork.

The sealed nature of a ‘closed cartridge’ allows the manufacturer to fine tune the damping action and create a more high performance fork system. Manufacturers can use special oils that won’t be contaminated by the working elements of the fork and they can pressurize the damping oil so that it won’t foam under heavy use. When the oil is foamless, damping action is much more consistent under heavy use and high heat.

Compression (high and low speed): The term ‘compression’ refers to the compressing of the shock absorber. ‘High’ and ‘low’ refer to the speed that the shock is compressing, which is also called “shaft speed.”

High shaft speed is experienced when the bike is landing from a jump or hitting a large square faced bump like a big pot-hole. Low shaft speed is experienced when riding over rolling humps in a road or transitioning between right and left turns quickly.

Shocks that allow adjustment of high speed and low compression damping give the riders the ability to optimize performance to meet their own preferences.

Damping: Resistance that suspension puts against a quickly moving wheel is called “damping force.” Without any damping, the wheel would bounce uncontrolled with only the spring and the ground pushing against the wheel. ‘Damping’ is often mistakenly referred to as ‘dampening’ but don’t confuse the two because one is used for suspension and the other is used for gardening. Having effective damping is one of the most important elements of comfort and bike control.

Dynamic Damping Adjustment/Action (DDA): Until fairly recently, suspension was something that could only be adjusted with tools while the motorcycle was stopped. Electronic suspension adjustment (ESA in BMW speak) allows riders to choose different damping settings and ride height, while riding their bikes by simply pressing a button. This system changes the suspension adjusters in the same way that a rider would if they were “turning the clickers” with the bike parked.

The passive ESA system makes the adjustments that the rider asks for and leaves the shock alone once the adjustment has been made. This allows the rider to choose settings to match the riding situation for terrain, passenger, luggage-load and rider preference.

Dynamic ESA goes one step further than passive ESA and uses information from wheel travel sensors, wheel speed sensors, gyroscopic sensors, throttle position, brake switches, and the ride mode selected to constantly and rapidly make changes to the suspension damping. This system’s goal is to monitor the terrain and constantly adjust the suspension to respond perfectly to varying conditions on the fly.

Emulsion Shock: Every shock absorber needs to contain some gas because the shock fluid cannot be compressed as the shock shaft slides into the body and displaces that fluid. An emulsion shock is a very simple design that simply leaves an air gap at the top of the sealed shock chamber. This air mixes with the shock oil causing a foamy mixture. The valving of the shock is set up to work properly with the oil in this foamy condition.

The emulsion shock is much easier and cheaper to build than other designs but it does not perform consistently because of the foamed oil and drastic effect of temperature on gas bubbles in the foam.

ADV Riding On-Road and Off

You may have it in your mind that your focus is on learning how to ride in the dirt. However, adventure motorcycling is unique in that it involves navigating both on- and off-road terrain. Though you may have your sights set on remote forest roads and backcountry trails, street training is critical to successful adventure riding.

Between off-road and street riding, there are significant differences in technique that you will need to learn to successfully manage your motorcycle in different types of terrain. How you accelerate, brake, and take corners changes because of the dynamic nature of off-road riding. It’s important to practice your skills on both sides of ADV riding because the techniques are very different from one another. You have to flip the switch when you are on the street, then flick it in the other direction when you hit the dirt.

Start with the Basics

No matter how long you’ve been riding, everyone needs the basics, especially if you haven’t had formal training. Even as we rack up more miles on our bikes, the fundamentals remain essential. Seasoned riders sometimes have a hard time signing up for a Level 1 course, but a course that gives you a chance to practice foundational skills is never a waste of time. In fact, experienced riders are always surprised on how much they learn in Level 1 and are always glad that they spent time on the basics. Those who jump in the level 2 without any formal training, always struggle and find themselves frustrated.

Motorcycling is a life-long learning process. Here at SheADV, we encourage you to get feedback on your riding from a professional. That outside perspective helps you improve your skills more quickly. To do that, we recommend that all riders take a training course at least once a year.

Going out riding may give you experience, but it doesn’t necessarily increase your skills. Training increases your chance of participating in this sport for a long time. Practicing the mental and physical skills of motorcycling gives you confidence, lowers your fears, and gives you the ability to have total control of your motorcycle, which increases your FUN FACTOR!

Do Your Homework

Before signing up for training, particularly off-road, do your homework. As you know, there are numerous training courses out there, but not all of them are created equal.

Street safety courses are plentiful and have been around for quite some time. For example, the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) has been in operation since 1973. It is fairly easy to find a reputable training company with standards for qualifications and certifications for the instructors who are teaching the courses.

Unlike street riding, ADV is fairly new and nationally accredited curriculums are just beginning to develop. MSF now has dirt bike and adventure rider training courses. Other curriculums, like the BMW Performance Center and D.A.R.T. (Dragoo Adventure Rider Training), are also rooted in safety and have a building block format to the curriculum.

But just because a school is certified, it doesn’t mean that you’ll have a quality experience. Even though a school may have a curriculum, it is up to the individual instructors to deliver that information competently and correctly to help you properly learn.

Choose Your Coach Wisely

As you start your research, you’ll want to look for qualified coaches who can teach to your learning style, support your level of experience, and help you meet your riding goals.

Time and time again, we’ve heard about bad experiences from students who have had “instructors” who have no idea how to be “coaches”. But what is the difference between an instructor and a coach? At risk of oversimplifying, instructors know what skills riders need in general. Coaches, on the other hand, are able to know what skill each individual rider needs.

We encourage you to research how creditable the school is before you dish out your hard-earned cash for training. Find out the background of the school and its instructors. Find out what their teaching style is. Are they ex-pro racers, now teaching? What qualifications do they have for coaching? Do they continue to work on their professional development?

Many instructors go through the certification process and that’s where their training ends. They don’t continue refining their skills and developing into good coaches– they remain entry-level instructors, at best. Just as motorcyclists need to continually practice riding skills, motorcycle instructors should continue developing their teaching skills to become qualified, experienced coaches.

Without ongoing practice, anyone learning something new loses a good amount of the information that has been taught (some statistics say as much as 60%). Coaches and riders alike should practice their skills until the information is embedded and becomes second nature.

See You on the Trail!

We’re thrilled that you’re pursuing the adventure riding journey and hope you are in it for the long-haul. Remember that building a foundation and developing the skills you need to manage risks and have fun is a slow and steady process. Motorcycling is a life-long learning process and skill development should never end. Ride skilled. Ride well. Ride old. See you on the trail!

For more info about SheADV check out our website!

“With the team we have behind SheADV now, we can give women the support they need and empower even more women adventure riders. We are committed to elevating everyone in this community and are thrilled that the original vision is coming full circle and continuing to thrive.”

– Eva Rupert, SheADV Leadership Team

Ultimately, SheADV empowers women through adventure motorcycling and the results go far beyond time spent riding. Through SheADV, motorcycles become the vehicle for personal transformation, mental and emotional wellbeing, and leadership development. SheADV is a volunteer organization led by a group of women who know firsthand the empowerment that comes through adventure riding. The leadership team has a passion for inspiring women and helping them pursue their two-wheel dreams.

Touratech USA is once again proud to support rider and filmmaker, Sterling Noren as he embarks on another epic solo journey on his BMW R1250GS.

This season he travels over 8000 miles from his home in Arizona and to beautiful British Columbia and  back. It’s a terrific adventure and one that every rider, no matter the experience level or bike genre should watch.

Touratech parts on the trip include:

Zega Panniers

Crash Bars

Rallyeform Skid Plate

Aventuro Carbon 2 Helmet

www.touratech-usa.com

By Ron Lieback

1. Proper ADV Body Position with Adjusted Controls

Many advanced riders may say, “here we go again,” but proper body position needs to be unconscious, and that begins with the endless practice of the basics.

So first things first. Where do you put yourself on the bike? Unlike street riding, with ADV riding, you will often find yourself going back and forth between sitting on the seat and standing on the pegs. You’ll be moving around a lot because where you put your weight is important. But for starters, you stand when you’re off-road, sit when you’re on-road.

While sitting, use the balls of your feet on the pegs. While standing, more of the middle of the foot so you can shift and control the rear brake while using all of your balance.

In simplest form, while steering, push the bike away from you when you’re trying to turn in the dirt while keeping your body straight up and not leaning into the turn. This keeps the weight distributed and allows the tires to bite into the dirt (read more about ADV motorcycle tire selection here.).

On the road, you generally want to tip your body mass into the turn (opposite from dirt riding) to help the motorcycle steer. This keeps more of the tire on the pavement, keeping the motorcycle planted.

Some riders get too caught up in proper positioning to the point they forget other fundamentals like properly adjusted controls. For example, you can be a master of using your body mass, either sitting or standing, to steer, but if your levers are nowhere near your fingers, you will get into trouble if you need to use them.

The point is to place your levers and bars within easy (and natural) reach of your fingers so you can work the controls and control the handlebar—and thus the motorcycle—when needed. If your arms tire while standing, your levers are likely not adjusted properly.

You are also likely putting too much weight on your arms and not using your feet to keep your balance and body planted.

And learn to use two or three fingers on the clutch and brake levers—any more and you’ll not be able to keep control of the motorcycle if the bars are under hard braking or acceleration.

Also, don’t our body type will determine exactly where to sit on the bike, but generally speaking, the natural shape of the bike will likely put you near the front of the tank. I was trained to have at least all four fingers (with gloves on) separating me from the gas tank.

Don’t forget the motorcycle manufacturers experiment with different seat and tank shapes to get the rider in a good position for the bike’s intended purpose, so sitting up close with the levers properly situated should put you in the driver’s seat once you get moving.

2. ADV Weight Distribution

Now that you know how to properly place your body to affect where the motorcycle goes, let’s get a bit deeper. Especially at slower speeds, offsetting the weight and center of gravity of the motorcycle with your own body weight helps the bike steer.

You probably already know that, but even the most advanced riders don’t utilize proper weight distribution when steering—especially while standing off-road at low speeds. The offset weight should allow you to fully lock the bars and not drop the bike (vision is a HUGE part of this also, which I’ll cover later).

But what you might have overlooked is the importance of where you place the weight of your luggage, as that has an impact on your bike’s handling and what you need to do as a rider to cope.

The proverbial rule of thumb is to keep your additional weight as low as possible and distributed evenly across the bike. For example, load panniers so their weights are as close as possible and put the heavier items at the bottom. Properly loaded bikes ease riding, especially in the slow and tight stuff.

3. Pick It Up

Here’s a harsh reality: sooner or later, you’ll drop your bike. Once you accept that fact, here’s what you do next: learn to pick it up.

The common method is to stand over your bike, lean over, and pick it up. But that’s terrible for your back—not to mention ineffective. Most of these bikes are heavy—a BMW R 1250 GS can be well over 650 pounds with packed bags.

Use the most powerful muscles you have—your legs—to pick up the bike. Instead of leaning over it, turn your back towards the fallen side, bend down, grab some stable points (usually the bar, subframe, tank, just anything that won’t move), keep your back straight, and walk backwards into the bike, lifting with your legs at the same time.

As the bike gets more vertical, the easier it’ll be. Just don’t push too hard and flip the bike over to the other side.

Here’s a great video from RawHyde Adventures on how to properly pick up a fallen ADV bike.

4. Smooth Inputs

To make a motorcycle do what you want, it’s best to be smooth with your inputs. Remember the Navy SEAL adage: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. So, learn to ride smooth and slow, and the speed (and ease!) portions will occur naturally.

A jerky throttle or brake hand creates a wild and dangerous motorcycle. Sudden steering inputs usually don’t work out well. Smooth and deliberate input from the rider yields the same results from the motorcycle.

In that way, not only is the bike doing what you want, but it’s also giving you feedback. You can feel what the suspension is doing, how the tires are working, and whether any adjustments need to be made.

There are a few rare exceptions to this rule, especially in off-road situations, but generally speaking, a smooth rider is a happy rider—and a faster rider, if that’s your thing.

5. Keep Those Eyes Up!

I saved the best for last—likely because it challenges me often both on and off the road. It’s one of the oldest sayings in motorcycling, but it’s true: look where you want to go. The body (and in this case, the motorcycle) follows the eyes.

If you look down while riding, the whole world will fly by at lightning speed. It’s hard for the brain to process all of that—not to mention you can’t see where you’re going! If you look up and scan ahead, the brain has more time to process what’s in front of you.

This even helps keep your balance while going slow, something that challenges many riders, beginners, and advanced riders alike. Once you look down, you’ll lose focus and balance, and the bike usually ends up on the ground.

You can even try this when you’re not on the motorcycle. Walk around and look at the ground. You can’t go very fast, can you? And you certainly don’t know where you’re going. Now, look up and in front of you like you normally would. Much easier and faster to walk around, right? It’s the same concept on the bike. In off-road scenarios, scanning ahead will be very important when deciding which line or route to take, especially in the tight stuff.

This looking down problem happened to me at the BMW Rider Academy schooling. I challenged myself not to drop the bike during the two days of training, and I knew the only way for that to be remotely possible was to truly embrace every technique with 100-percent focus.

But during a mock-up race in some deep sand, I allowed the adrenaline to overcome my focus due to loving serious challenges. This made me take second—I dropped my bike because I looked down at a sand rut instead of looking ahead and letting my vision do the steering. I dropped the bike—and had to focus deeper on technique. Regardless, it was the only time I dropped my bike during training, but it helped confirm how fast a lack of looking ahead can prompt a fall.

Although many advanced techniques exist, these basics must be mastered—and often revisited—for successful riding. And successful riding means safer riding, which keeps us all happier human beings.

New riders should keep these points in mind and practice them when they ride, while veterans should remember these tips as refreshers of the fundamentals.

Again, these are just starting points. There are so many things to learn and practice when it comes to mastering the art of ADV riding. The beauty of this hobby is that perfection will never be reached—but it sure is fun to get close.

Touratech USA

By Ron Lieback

Photos by Jon Beck

Finding a campsite is easy. Finding the perfect campsite is another story. With these tips, we’ll tell you what to look for to find a comfortable, and safe, night’s sleep.

At the end of a long day in the ADV saddle, there are few things better than settling down for the day, setting up camp, and enjoying the night under the stars with a warm meal and fire by your side. Or a night of rain, but let’s not focus on that right now.

But we’ve all been there: your ride takes several unexpected detours and you end up having to set up camp somewhere you didn’t expect. In the dark, no less.

By the next morning, you’ve awoken in amazement. With the advantage of sunlight, you can see how terrible your spot actually was; you’ve slept on a bumpy slope at the bottom of a canyon. One time I set up camp around 11 p.m. and awoke next to a tree with a hornet’s nest…and I’m allergic to the buggers. Needless to say that morning’s packing went extremely slow.

They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, so let’s take these lessons and write them down so other adventure riders can learn from our collective mistakes.

Following are eight tips for finding the perfect campsite on your adventure ride. Some of these might seem obvious, but hopefully, some of these will be added to your bag of tricks the next time you’re looking for a campsite.

1. Plan Ahead

It goes without saying that the best way to avoid unexpected surprises when finding that perfect campsite is to plan ahead and do your research. Google is your friend here, and wherever you’re going there’s a good chance someone else has already been there and can recommend places to set up camp for the night.

If you’re lucky, they might even include GPS coordinates or pins to point you exactly where to go. Otherwise, look up campsites in the area (and along your route), and even reserve a spot if you need to.

Of course, things can and do go wrong on a trip and even most optimal plans don’t always work out. In times like these having a few apps to help you mid-ride can be a major benefit. I don’t want to sound salesy, so simply Google “camping apps” and you’ll find many.

2. Take the High Road

When it comes to elevation, try and pick a spot as high as possible to avoid potential rain from flooding your site.

Keep in mind that while a creek-bed can be a nice spot to set up shop at the end of the day, it can be prone to flooding, potentially from storms you can’t even see. Rainwater from far away could impact the creek you’re at and cause the water levels to rise, and sometimes quicker than you think.

Some of the prettiest campsites are along a creek, but please be aware of the possibility of rising water.

3. Keep It Level

This might seem obvious, but it’s worth repeating. If possible, look for a campsite on level ground. It’ll make your night a little more comfortable. If you can’t, put your head up high and your feet down low. This is my favorite practice because I sleep better when I’m on a slight decline.

While we’re at it, make sure the ground beneath your tent is smooth—nobody likes sleeping on a lumpy surface. If you have to, before setting up your tent, smooth out the surface as best as possible. Your back will thank you for it.

4. Here Comes The Sun

You have a compass with you, right? Use it to determine which way the sun will rise (it comes up from the east, remember) and orient your tent door accordingly.

Getting up in the morning on your own terms instead of having the sun blast through your tent wall and into your retinas sounds far more pleasant. While we’re at it, take advantage of any shade your site might provide to keep you cooler and block the sun’s rays.

But sometimes in desert or hotter climates that sun may cook your tent in the morning, so you’ll want to be positioned away from it. Or you’re camping in much cooler climates and want all that sun baking your tent as much as possible. Do what’s best for your comfort—and let the sun assist as needed (or not).

5. Traffic

Setting up camp away from high-traffic areas is the way to go. The reasons should be obvious, but you’ll have the benefits of less noise, a lower chance of onlookers snooping through your things, and an overall nicer experience. If the day gets away from you and you find yourself at your campsite at night, gauging the traffic might be more difficult.

Plus, sometimes I’m the louder party when the cigars start ripping and the drinks start flowing, so I never want to be that jerk to others trying to enjoy a good evening of solitude.

6. Watch The Weather

Closely! Of course, you’ll do your best to monitor the weather before your trip, but if you’re out for a long adventure, keep an eye on the weather regularly during your trip and avoid storms and bad weather as much as possible.

This might mean changing your route or riding for a longer or shorter amount of time than originally planned to avoid a storm, but the benefits of doing such should be fairly obvious. That said, if you absolutely have to set up your campsite in an area predicted for bad weather, remember the tips above for high elevation and level ground. If possible, ensure your campsite has good drainage, too.

I once idiotically parked my bike near the low point of the campsite. Little did I know that a quick rainstorm at night would produce just enough water to moisten the ground and allow my bike to sink and tip over. And that was with an enormous aftermarket kickstand plate.

7. Water

The last point was about avoiding water, but this one is about having enough. We humans have a love/hate relationship with water. We need it to survive, but we only want it when it benefits us.

In this case, make sure you have access to water at your campsite—or know-how and/or where to get some such as a creek nearby. It’ll serve you well for washing up those stinky armpits and cooking.

However, if you don’t have access to clean water and plan on drinking some, be sure to boil it or bring purification tablets to kill off any bacteria. I’ve seen one person get sick from contaminated water while camping, and it wasn’t too pretty.

8. Leave No Trace

While we love nature as much as the next person after we’re done enjoying our campsite and soaking in everything it has to offer, be responsible and leave your site as you found it. Or better. Pick up and dispose of your trash, and leave no evidence you were ever there. Mother Nature thanks you for it.

I’ve had many experiences of trash being left at campsites I’ve used. Of course, I cleaned up after others to preserve it for the next rider or camper, but it pains me to do so. Always take in what you take out.

Be mindful of these above tips, and your next adventure motorcycling camping trip will certainly be more enjoyable. You’ll also have a better night’s rest, which equates to the ultimate need on any serious riding: more energy and focus to remain safer and happier.

Touratech USA

Adventure Tire Traction

Each ratio is designed for either stronger traction on the road or off the road, and it all begins with compound and design factors. The softer the compound, the better the traction in the dirt and on the road. This is typically more of a focus for road riders as soft compounds will drastically increase traction, but at the cost of lifespan. There’s not much to worry about here, as OEMs offer well-rounded compounds for DOT-legal tires.

The tread design is a much different story. The deeper the treads, the better the tire will grip in the dirt. You’ll want more grooves between the “blocks” of rubber on the outer portions of the tire to dig into the dirt and deeper ones to clean dirt/mud from the tread to offer more bite in the dirt. This design offers less traction on paved road surfaces because you’ll want more rubber as the bike is leaned onto less and less tire.

Adventure Tire Stability

The closer the motorcycle tire’s design gets to a dirt focus, the less stability you’ll have when cornering or braking on the asphalt. Dirt-focused tires tend to flex more and provide an unplanned feel on corners and under braking. This is typically noticed on modern tires that focus on a 60/40 ratio and onwards to more off-road focus.

The question is—can you withstand the unsettled feel of a tire when aggressively cornering on the street? Due to modern technology, traction is there, though it feels sketchy. I’ve rubbed knees on asphalt while testing 50/50 or close compounds like the Dunlop Trailmax Mission, Bridgestone AX41, and Pirelli Scorpion Rallye STRs. The nerves have to be conditioned for aggressively leaning a larger ADV bike with these tires on the pavement, but the traction is certainly there.

Larger knobbies also provide a bumpy feel at highway speeds, something that can also test the nerves of riders. But, again, it’s all about preference.

Wet Performance

When considering wet performance, the tread pattern makes the most considerable difference, And the optimal on-road wet tread is much different from the off-road tread patterns.

A tire like the TKC 80 and its big-block design can quickly channel mud and wet off-road terrain, providing better traction. But on the wet asphalt, the tires can feel squirmy on the wet. The feeling is reversed with a tire like the Dunlop Trailmax Mission, which feels super planted due to the tread design on the wet pavement, and squirmy on the dirt.

ADV Tire Longevity

Here’s the quick and simple deal. The more you ride a dirt-focused tire on the road, say a 10/90 ratio, the quicker you’ll burn through them. The same isn’t true for riding a more street-focused tire off-road, say an 80/20, but you’ll sacrifice grip.

Most tires around the 50/50 and 60/40 marks offer comparable performance to longevity ratios. For example, I’ve heard riders getting upwards of 8,000 miles out of a set of Dunlop Trailmax Mission tires while riding a majority of the time on road. The most I’ve personally got out of a set of 50/50 tires is around 3,000 miles (Pirelli Scorpion Rallye STRs), and that was with me riding the bike like a sportbike and varying pressures on road and off-road.  As for TCKs, once my all-time favorite ADV tire, I never got more than 1,500 miles out of them.

Asphalt Road Noise

Another simple insight: the more off-road focus, the more noise. For the middle-focused 50/50 or so tires, on-road noise can vary dramatically. For example, the Bridgestone AX41s are much quieter than the TKC 80s. And the Dunlop Trailmission Max tires are much quieter than the Pirelli Scorpion Rallye STRs.

Read reviews and ask about this if it’s a problem. For most riders, I’ve encountered and myself, tire noise on the road is not an issue.

Performance to Price Ratio

I’ve seen prices range drastically, from Shinko 705s costing around $75 for a front and $145 for a rear, to Michelin Anakee Wilds from $140 for a front and $255 for a rear, with many in-between that.

The more road-oriented tires typically are on the upper level of the price range, but these typically get more mileage which can quickly justify the cost.

It’s all about the performance you want. Unfortunately, if you are looking for that proverbial unicorn of a tire that offers mileage and strong performance off and on the road, prices are going to be higher.

A Quick Note About Adventure Tire PSI

While testing adventure tires for 10+ years on larger platforms such as my KTM 1190 Adventure R, I’ve always changed the pressures for each riding situation. I typically run factory-suggested PSI for the road and drop pressures down to around 28 for off-road sections.

This practice will help you achieve more mileage out of your tires, especially when slabbing it for 100+ miles in-between dirt rides. I keep a PSI gauge and MotoPump with me, and those few minutes extend my tire life and my safety. Traction is limited off-road with higher PSI, and stability is limited on-road with lower PSI.

When ADV tire shopping, the golden rule is to be honest with yourself—for most of your riding, are you going to chase gnarly off-road surfaces for most of the time, carve asphalt canyons, or spend hours on the highways? The answers will help you ultimately decide what tire ratio is best for you. And if you can’t decide, trust in the technology and begin with a 50/50 tire. Newbies and experienced riders alike are always surprised at just how capable these tires are in both on- and off-road situations. And they seem to get better yearly, which will help make your future decision dilemma about what ratio to go with much easier.’

Speak to a Touratech ADV Expert about the best tire for you!