Mitas & Motoz Enduro XT+ & Tractionator Adventure

Ask ten adventure riders what the best tyres are and you'll probably get ten different answers. Tyres are one of the most personal choices you can make. Where you ride, how you ride and how much tar you need to cover before reaching the dirt all play a part. Living in Gauteng means I often have to ride long distances on tar before I get anywhere near a gravel road. That immediately rules out some of the more aggressive rally tyres for me. I still want excellent off road performance, but I also need something that won't drive me mad during a few hundred kilometres of highway. After plenty of experimenting, I've settled on a combination that works exceptionally well for my style of riding. On the front, I run the Mitas Enduro Trail XT+ in the Dakar specification. My decision was largely influenced by the fact that I had recently returned to running tubes after years of tubeless tyres. The stronger Dakar carcass gave me confidence that I was less likely to suffer a pinch flat on rocky terrain. That confidence proved worthwhile. On one ride I unknowingly covered more than 70 kilometres with a puncture before realising the tyre was flat. The Dakar carcass was stiff enough to support the bike and get me safely to a point where I could deal with it. That experience alone earned my respect. Would I choose the Dakar version again? Probably not. While the stronger carcass offers excellent protection, it also makes the front suspension feel noticeably harsher over rocks and corrugations. For the type of riding I do, I think the standard XT+ would provide a better balance between durability and ride comfort. At the rear, my tyre of choice is the Motoz Tractionator Adventure. I've also spent time riding on the Motoz RallZ, and while it offers incredible off road grip, I found it too noisy on tar. Since every adventure ride for me starts with a fair amount of highway, the Tractionator Adventure strikes a much better balance. It provides excellent traction on gravel, impressive longevity and remains civilised enough on sealed roads that long transport sections aren't a chore. Tyre life has also been outstanding. I've regularly achieved over 11,000 kilometres from a rear Tractionator Adventure, even on my previous KTM 890 Adventure R. That kind of mileage makes a noticeable difference to the overall running costs of adventure riding. My current front tyre has already covered around 7,000 kilometres, while the rear has close to 4,500 kilometres and still has plenty of life left. My tube setup is equally deliberate. I run two rim locks on the rear wheel to improve wheel balance, together with Kenda Tuffi Tubes and tyre sealant. I deliberately avoid ultra heavy duty tubes. While they offer excellent puncture resistance, they also add significant rotational weight and, in my experience, are more prone to tearing around the valve stem when subjected to prolonged off road use. Like every other modification on my bike, this tyre setup isn't about chasing extremes. It's about finding the balance that works for the riding I actually do. Would I buy them again? The Motoz Tractionator Adventure rear, without hesitation. It has proven itself over thousands of kilometres and continues to deliver the balance of grip, longevity and road manners that suits my riding perfectly. The Mitas Enduro Trail XT+ front also remains a favourite, although next time I would choose the standard version instead of the Dakar. The additional comfort would outweigh the extra puncture resistance for the type of riding I do. For me, this combination delivers exactly what an adventure tyre should. It gets me comfortably to the dirt, performs when the road disappears and still has enough life left for the next adventure.