W
hen adventure riders start looking away
from the tried and true knobbly for a set of
more road-biased tyres, they tend to look at
brands starting with the letters B, D, S or M. But why
not start at the beginning of the alphabet?
Avon is a British manufacturer which is probably
more known as the supplier of tyres for Triumph
Motorcycles, but it offers a range of tyres suitable
for more than just the modern classic market.
Now, as much as I like to think of myself as an
adventure rider with my trusty Honda CRF250L
Rally, I also like to think of myself as a realist. As cool
as grabbing a set of gnarly off-road tyres for the
little Honda would be, a more off-road capable tyre
isn’t what I really need. In fact, for the type of riding
I use the Honda for most, even a 50-50 tyre would
be overkill with all the road riding I typically do.
Enter the Trailrider.
The Trailrider is what Avon calls a 90-10 tyre and has
replaced the Distanzia in the Avon lineup. It’s designed
to spend 90% of its time on the road, with just 10%
off-road, so think of it as an adventure touring tyre
with a focus on the touring side of the equation
rather than a trail bike tyre as the name suggests.
With a high silica compound, Avon says the
Trailrider is quick to warm up and offers enhanced
wet weather grip, while the tread pattern comes
in the form of your classic chevron shape for a
decent evacuation of water and debris. Look a
little closer Avon has integrated interlocking
three-dimensional points hidden in the sipes
which are meant to improve stability and grip,
while also limiting tread flex and allowing the
tyre to warm up quickly.
KIWI RIDER 107