Continental TKC70 ROCKS Tire Review

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

Continental TKC70 ROCKS : A Solid Long-Range Option

Many motorcyclists spend years looking for the perfect adventure bike—and the perfect tires to fit it. They want rubber that delivers supple handling on tarmac corners and a confidence-inspiring grip on whatever backcountry conditions Mother Nature can throw at them. Likewise, tire manufacturers have attempted to answer that call, cranking out a litany of 70/30, 60/40, and 50/50 tires whose effectiveness on varied terrain has been the subject of many a campfire debate for decades.

One of those do-it-all tire candidates is the Continental TKC70 Rocks—billed by the company as a more off-road optimized option to the road-biased TKC70 and one more roadworthy than the legendary TKC80. But three years after its introduction, does this tire hold up to the competition?

The TKC70 Rocks is available as a rear-only tire, with sizes targeted at mid-to-full-sized adventure machines. The TKC70 Rocks have a much more aggressive tread pattern than the TKC70, featuring deep grooves, interlocking blocks, and a rugged design that delivers decent traction on challenging surfaces. Built with Continental’s Multi-grip construction, the Rocks is harder in the middle of the tire and gets progressively softer towards the edges to help with road manners. It’s also built with a Raingrip compound that delivers solid traction in wet conditions. The tire’s reinforced sidewalls add an extra layer of protection against cuts and abrasions, helping with resilience in the face of rough off-road conditions.

Billed as a 60/40, our Rocks tire was mounted to a BMW R1200 GS and paired with a TKC70 front. With a slight bias to road performance, the TKC70 Rocks rear was awesome on the twisties, quiet on the highway, and confidence-inspiring on wet roads. It’s far quieter than the TKC80, though it does deliver an annoying hum around 40 mph. But with a far less aggressive tread pattern than the TKC80, it’s likely to gobble up way more miles than the 50/50 option before needing to be replaced.

Leaving the pavement, the TKC70 Rocks performed well on packed gravel surfaces, cobbly water crossings, and steep, loose two-track. And though we didn’t plow it through mud and sand, it’s likely we’d step a bit more gingerly through terrain like that given the TKC70 Rocks’ mildly aggressive blocks.

While this tire is surely a candidate for a “one-and-done” adventure tire, the major downside is that Continental still does not offer a front tire in the TKC70 Rocks pattern. And while the TKC70 is a fine front, its shallow tread and tight gaps might be cause for concern when the track gets testy.

Overall, the TKC70 Rocks is an excellent option for a big bike, do-it-all rear. Paired with a more aggressive front, Continental’s 60/40 offering has the makings of a durable, long-range shoe for adventurers who’re willing to sacrifice aggressive off-road performance for a reliable tire on all but the most technical terrain.

ContinentalTires.com

MSRP: $259

Where to Buy:

   

PROS:

• Excellent road manners
• Solid off-road performance
• Good durability

CONS:

• No front tire option
• Noisy at mid-speeds
• Less suitable for mud or sand

 

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