The 603's wern't horrible for me until they became worn, then I was digging nice holes going nowhere on steep uphills. And I learned how not to panick when sliding in mud front and back. Putting 606's on next week, hope to see improvement.

 

I had the 603 when I first bought the bike, and really they were fine for the riding I did. I ride mostly gravel roads and the blacktop from my house to work. Trails make up about 20% of my riding. Anyway I think the 09 bikes are coming with some sort of 50/50 tire from what I gather, and that will get you into trouble off road faster than Rossie O'Donnell heading to an all you can eat buffet.

The 606 was for sure an improvement over the stock 603. What are the 09 bikes coming with? Anyone got a close up of the rear tire?

 

I have an 09, I think the stock tires are fine for me. I ride some road and some sand down in NJ. I even rode in an enduro with them. Guess it depends on what you are used to, compaired to riding a KLR in the sand this bike with these tires is a dream.

 

09's are coming with Dunlop 605's. I don't however have a picture handy. They are OK on the road and hard dirt roads but don't ride them up step hills (unless it's hard packed), mud, or sand.

 

Let me clarify. You can ride them off road in mud, sand etc.. but they don't work very well.

 

Ok here is a small pic of the 605...


Here is the 606...


And the D739, which looks like a really good off road tire that would wear pretty fast on the streets.

 

Didn't I hear youi say the 606 is a little heavy? My bike is stock so I am a little leary of putting a heavy tire on?

 

I'm not very convinced the stock tires on the '09 are lousy, but like someone else said, I have no other experience on a dual sport tire or any other tire on this bike. I've been up rocky trails that a Billy Goat would flip you the bird and turn around on. Sand, okay, squirrely as all hell, but it doesn't just flop over. On slab rides, it wears straight down the middle of the tire. Wear, well not even 400 miles and I know it has a short life. Oh yeah, I ate dirt hard coming out of a trail on wet grass with the stockers, shot right out from under me.

 

My '07 came stock with 605's and compared with some of the OE parts (seat and springs come to mind) I actually think Kawi made a decent choice here. There are better tires for road OR dirt but let's face it, the KLX is a dual sport, so the tires are by definition a compromise. They've worked well for me but I've never asked too much of them - not many clay mud uphill runs around here. Probably going to replace them with 606's soon.