Putting more kilometres on his bike than most , Ray Heron reckons the Rally STR is well worth a look .

If you believe what you read on the internet , Pirelli ’ s Scorpion Rally STR tyres - fitted as standard to Yamaha ’ s Tenere 700 among others - get a bad rap . The basics are that they ’ re completely useless on the road or off , and should be changed out within the first five kilometres of ownership , for something truly 50 / 50 . But that is far from my experience . Disclosure : the following is based on my own impressions , with tyres I either received as OEM fitment on my own motorcycle , tyres I bought retail , or obtained second-hand . Pirelli hasn ’ t had any input in this story . There has to be a reason why not only the Tenere 700 , but the Moro Morini X-Cape , Ducati Desert X and a whole stack more , come out of the factory with the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR fitted , right ? Pirelli says the Scorpion Rally STR was “ conceived for the latest generation of adventure , dual purpose and street enduro bikes , also capable of handling long trips and excursions , including off-road sections . For those riders that are seeking versatility , balanced on and off-road performance and a knobbly tyre with an aggressive look that does not sacrifice grip , safety on wet roads , mileage , stability and comfort ”. If that was the brief , then I reckon Pirelli has nailed it . A street bias tyre with the ability to go off-road ... it ’ s not a mud plugger but can do a bit of mud . It ’ s not a gravel or sand tyre , but can do a bit of both . It ’ s a compromise . Which if we think deeply about it pretty much sums up all our adventure motorcycles ... they ’ re all a compromise . None of us are Pol Tarres , Chris Birch or Toby Price . Unless you guys are reading this , then ... ummm ... hi . The point is we all need a tyre that can do it all , on our bikes that can do it all ... we ’ re all effectively ‘ unicorn hunters ’. I ’ ve been running the STRs for a while . After chewing through the OEM tyres on my Tenere 700 , I noticed riders whipping the STRs off ( which still had plenty of life left ) and going for something else they perceived as a ‘ hero tyre ’. Well , I think “ If they ’ re going to go to waste , I ’ ll