BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

My new-to-me '16 RT came with a set of new-ish Kenda KM1 tires, and I'm not sure what to think about them. I don't have much mileage on the bike (under 50 miles), so I don't have anything to compare them with. I'm trying to find objective reviews of them on the web, but that's challenging. Tons of Kenda ads, a few "take them off immediately because every other Kenda tire I've tried is garbage", and that's about it.

I _think_ they have really soft sidewalls. The bike seems to "squirm" a bit at highway speeds, and turn in doesn't feel as crisp as I'd expect for this bike.

Thoughts/opinions?

Found this on www.tracer900.net
"Everyone seems to hate on Shinko tires too but that's what I put on my cruisers, both the XJ650 and FXRS. Shinko's were on the '06 Fatboy in Taiwan doing switchbacks in the mountains last time I was visiting family and never had an issue. It's definitely left me suspicious of how much "high-end" tires are just trying to make the marketing budget back, or passing the cost of swapping moldings for new designs onto the consumer. Fingers crossed for the Kenda." Another poster said they still have tread at 14000 miles without complaints.

Personally, i used Kenda in the past on my off road bike. They make good tires for this type of sport. My advice is as they are fitted is just use them and you may be surprised. They are a newish tyre only being for sale since Feb this years.

Talked with a few folks, did some additional research. I think these are BRAND NEW tires, so they may still have the mold release compound on them. I've never had brand new tires on a bike before, but with car tires, you have to drive the vehicle to get it off the tires. This would explain the general feeling of "squirmy-ness" at highway speeds.

Sounds like they need scrubbing in. Pump tyres to 36f and 42r

Just fitted a set, I've done a couple of hundred miles on mostly wet roads. So far they seem to be okay. At less than half the price of Michelin's I thought they were worth a try.

Kenda KM1 at £144 a pair, https://www.sticky-stuff.co.uk/kenda-km ... -deal.html

Like to see some real world testing on these.

Doctor T wrote: ↑Mon Dec 05, 2022 3:50 pm Like to see some real world testing on these.

So would I Doc, trouble is that, generally speaking every time a "New" tyre from a premium brand is released on the market the Manufacturer pays for a plane load of Bike Journos to be whisked away to some warm sunny location such as the South of France with roads surfaced like Snooker Tables. Then out comes the "Glowing" reports that this years new "Michadunpirelmetzabridge" SmartPilotAttackingAngel is fantastic. Then it's up to Joe Public to really see just how good they are on Britain's embarrassingly disgraceful "real world" roads.

I stopped listening to Journos many years ago. If they give a bad review on a bike, tyre, etc they don't get asked back. You're not going to balls that up for a free holiday and booze.

Squirmy may be shooting too fast. I just installed a pair of KM1's and on first ride felt the loose sensation. A few miles later, I was putting more body effect into my riding, from head tilt to over-lean. The handling, response, and stability became better than the Mi Pilots that were replaced. Hands down KM1 puts the sport in sport riding. Now to check longevity.

I'm one of the new guys on the Forum. Just bought a single owner 2021 R 1250 RT Sport that had Kenda KM1's installed last July at 59,035mi. After finishing a 5 hour ride today the bike has 62,303mi and these tires aren't showing much wear at all. Today was a bright, cool (54°F) day and we hit a lot of different road surfaces and speeds...the tires seemed sure-footed to me at all times. I actually came to this post to see what your experiences have been with them since this is the first I've ever seen them. I have no idea how they handle wet, but can say they felt good on the road today.

The difference between a high end tyre and a low end is how they behave on the limit of grip and how easy the bike is to control when that limit is exceeded (i.e. what happens at break-away). Also braking distance in the dry is a factor.

Most touring tyres are faster then their riders on dry roads, which is why some German magazines concentrate on wet road handling to separate the wheat from the chaff. However, some tyres are more affected by wear then others, and this is noticeable even in dry conditions.

How often are you deleiberately braking/accelerating really hard in or out of a corner on a wet road, such that you are near the limit of grip?

If the answer is seldom, then I'm sure that Shinko, Kenda, Mitas etc are fine for the avarage touring rider.

Personally, I will try to stick to the premium brands.

Thanks for the input...I'm here to learn, more than to offer any insights. This bike marks my first real venture into the Sport Tour world and the various equipment available for them. I used to favor Metzler on my other sport bikes but the Michelin seems to be the favorite for the RT. Time will tell how the Kenda performs in the long haul...I'll be cautious when trying it in the wet stuff!