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FALL 2019 ISSUE 02 / VOL . 04
graded on a curve
PRODUCT REVIEWS
PHOTO BY KEVIN WING
Michelin Anakee Adventure Tires
ADVENTURE BIKES have been gaining traction in recent years , with numerous offerings from BMW , KTM , Ducati , Triumph , Honda and Yamaha , to name a few . Tire manufacturers have responded . Michelin ’ s new Anakee Adventure 80 / 20 ADV tire now gives riders with off-road aspirations a third option , joining the heavily street-biased Anakee III and the 50 / 50 on- / off-road Anakee Wild tires .
The Anakee Adventure features a new profile , tread pattern and silica compounds , and it includes a Two Compound Technology 2CT front and 2CT + rear . Four separate compounds are used in a set , with the softest residing on the sides of the front tire for grip and the hardest being used in the center of the rear for optimal tread life . To celebrate the launch of the new tires , Michelin held a weekend riding / camping event near Death Valley . With a fresh set of Anakee Adventures mounted on a Suzuki V-Strom 650 , I was looking forward to seeing how these 80 / 20 tires would perform on a typical ADV weekend .
Most adventures , sadly , start with freeways . The Anakees exhibited great high-speed stability , tracked well though a variety of man-made rain grooves and seams , were compliant over square-edged transitions and , most importantly , were not noisy . After a few hours ’ slog , finally : Nevada back roads . The Anakee Adventure ’ s tread pattern resembles a dry lakebed , with grooves that gradually open toward the sides for shedding water and dirt . They worked well and were predictable , admittedly at a restrained pace on one road in need of maintenance , with sand , rock slides and running water that covered the entire aging road surface .