Motoz tractionator GPS

[Louis]

After 6000km I have decided to install new tyres on my T7. The standard Pirelli scorpion tyre had about 3000km left on the  rear which I NO longer have full confidence in! Too many times the rear had unexpectedly slid out in the twisties. So my comprise tyre had three primary needs to  fulfill.  

1. Longevity 

2. Be good in the twisties 

3. Work well on gravel roads 

I figured that I am an older rider, I'm not looking for crazy technical off road rides, not on this  bike anyway. This is an adventure bike, which I will load up with camping gear and go exploring.

In Australia we have vast distances between points of interest so tyre longevity is important. In between adventure riding, the twisties are on my doorstep, so there's fun to be had in the hills. 

So shortly winter will be over and adventure calls. After a lot of consideration the Motoz tractionator GPS tyres got the gong. My first time on these tyres, I honestly hope that things work out. I have also  installed heavier duty tubes. I will update you on my progress and experience as time passes. Be mindful that I have multiple bikes and I am not always on the T7. 

TRACTIONATOR GPS | MOTOZ Tyres | Performance Adventure Tyres

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MOTOZ designed the TRACTIONATOR GPS Tyre to get you anywhere on the globe and back home again. Long milage, serious...

 

[Hammerhead]

Opting for the same only with their more aggressive tractionator adventure up front. Hope they can handle the mud better than the stock STR's which definitely don't.

[Louis]

5 hours ago, Hammerhead said:

Opting for the same only with their more aggressive tractionator adventure up front. Hope they can handle the mud better than the stock STR's which definitely don't.

I have heard reports that the tractionator adventure front isn't that good. If you are looking for more aggressive front, the Contnental TKC80 front is a better option I'm told. I don't have personal experience with the  Motoz adventure tyre.

My comprise is, I'm after better performance in the twisties. I suspect you see a bit of mud that I intend to avoid. In Australia conditions can change quickly, so  loaded bike in the mud with the GPS tyres might be interesting once mounted the GPS tyres look more aggressive than in pictures. 

[Hammerhead]

Ya, heard mixed reviews on the adventure front too. Willing to gamble & trade a little road performance & longevity up front for muddy surefootedness. See how it plays out. 

  The GPS out back on the other hand gets overwhelmingly positive reviews as a solid 50/50 performer worth plenty of mileage. Like that it's also reversible for on/off road preference. Not that I'm keen on flipping it 'round too often though, given how much fun that can be!

[Louis]

INITIAL REPORT

I have only 150km on road only. The rear is very quiet compared to the noisy whirring standard Pirelli. This was expected given the center strip.  I have measured the thread depth of the GPS near the center, is 11.2mm. I have rear tyre mounted in the 50/50 direction. 

The front has an oscillating whirring not very loud mind you. It gives an vibrating sensation till  it warms up around 60km/hr. At low speed  rolling it has a noticeable rumbling. I'm expecting a lot of these things to lessen as the tyres scrub in. It has been reported by many others that these tyres require a much longer period of wearing in.

EDIT ; forgot to mention that the front tread depth, I measured 6.6mm in the center. Also the tip in to corners is heavier, Mainly noticeable at slower speed. I think that the heavy duty tube is probably the "main"  reason for this sensation. 

Edited July 26, 2020 by Louis

[Louis]

15 hours ago, Hammerhead said:

Ya, heard mixed reviews on the adventure front too. Willing to gamble & trade a little road performance & longevity up front for muddy surefootedness. See how it plays out. 

  The GPS out back on the other hand gets overwhelmingly positive reviews as a solid 50/50 performer worth plenty of mileage. Like that it's also reversible for on/off road preference. Not that I'm keen on flipping it 'round too often though, given how much fun that can be!

Living in South Australia it's an arid region so mud is less likely to be encountered generally, and I'm not looking for it. So my comprise brief didn't factor for lots of mud. The standard Pirelli tyres are lateral grip challenged, even in firm mud was my personal experience. I did consider for a while to run a more aggressive tread on the front, like a Shinko 804 perhaps. 

But realistically aggressive front rubber didn't really fit my priorities brief, for my "perceived usage". I personally don't want to lose longevity and twisties fun . It's good to have choices for expected conditions, I hope the tractionator adventure up front works out for you. 

[wilky11111]

On 7/24/2020 at 12:54 PM, Louis said:

After 6000km I have decided to install new tyres on my T7. The standard Pirelli scorpion tyre had about 3000km left on the  rear which I NO longer have full confidence in! Too many times the rear had unexpectedly slid out in the twisties. So my comprise tyre had three primary needs to  fulfill.  

1. Longevity 

2. Be good in the twisties 

3. Work well on gravel roads 

I figured that I am an older rider, I'm not looking for crazy technical off road rides, not on this  bike anyway. This is an adventure bike, which I will load up with camping gear and go exploring.

In Australia we have vast distances between points of interest so tyre longevity is important. In between adventure riding, the twisties are on my doorstep, so there's fun to be had in the hills. 

So shortly winter will be over and adventure calls. After a lot of consideration the Motoz tractionator GPS tyres got the gong. My first time on these tyres, I honestly hope that things work out. I have also  installed heavier duty tubes. I will update you on my progress and experience as time passes. Be mindful that I have multiple bikes and I am not always on the T7. 

 

TRACTIONATOR GPS | MOTOZ Tyres | Performance Adventure Tyres

---

MOTOZ designed the TRACTIONATOR GPS Tyre to get you anywhere on the globe and back home again. Long milage, serious...

 

I too live in S.A.  not far from you. On my previous bike 2017 650cc V-strom I went through 2 sets of Motoz GPS averaging 19K./set.  These tyres saw me through all types of roads from the Flinders Ranges, western Queensland, Aussie Alps and Adelaide Hills.  The only terrain I didn't ride through was mud.  They served me well, on wet and dry tarmac, and all types of back roads and tracks.  Apart from expected road noise of tarmac up to 70 Kmph., they rode well and wore evenly and had no cupping on the tread.

 

[Louis]

19 minutes ago, wilky11111 said:

I too live in S.A.  not far from you. On my previous bike 2017 650cc V-strom I went through 2 sets of Motoz GPS averaging 19K./set.  These tyres saw me through all types of roads from the Flinders Ranges, western Queensland, Aussie Alps and Adelaide Hills.  The only terrain I didn't ride through was mud.  They served me well, on wet and dry tarmac, and all types of back roads and tracks.  Apart from expected road noise of tarmac up to 70 Kmph., they rode well and wore evenly and had no cupping on the tread.

 

19K is great longevity, these are the reviewers figures that appeals to me. It's early days yet for me with these tyres with only tarmac roads so far,I get the feeling that these may well be my go to adventure tyres. I'm going to the Flinders and Gammon ranges soon so off tarmac impressions will be coming in about 2 months. 

The reviewers  I read warned about  longer scrub in periods. I can totally agree with that. Our hills are riding heaven so slipage was experienced  and expected when  cranking over in the  tight bends, mind you the road looked slippery. Nothing abrupt like the issues that I had with the standard Pirelli tyres which  forced me  to swap out early. Yes they indeed take time to scrub the edges!

[AZJW]

@Louis

Looking forward to your impressions of the MotoZ Tractionator GPS.   I am not a fan of the OEM Pirellies in the dirt, but I may be in the minority on that.  I'm a huge fan of MotoZ tires and their thicker sidewall construction, been running them for years. I'm struggling in trying to decide whether to switch to the Tractionator Adventure or the Tractionator GPS.  I'm leaning toward the Adventure as I like the more aggressive front, but I see you and Hammerhead have read mixed reviews on that. Another (insignificant?) consideration is that the GPS is sold in tubeless only vs the Adventure,  which comes in both flavors. Wondering what MotoZ considers the T7?  Copied from their website concerning the Adventure tire " NOTE: Tube Tyre Tractionator Adventure are specifically designed for single seat enduro class bikes (typically single cyclinder, single seat bikes), where riders want to cover long distance/adventure (don’t use light weight Tube Type on large multi cylinder adventure class bikes)."    Having said that, the GPS does come in the 150/70/18 & 140/80/18, but I'm running OEM rims so I'd have to run tubes in a tubeless tire. The Adventure comes in both sizes for both tubed and tubeless,  with my dirt preference to go with the 140. Question, are you running tubes on stock rims? Also, has the noise increased/ decreased?

 

[BMRT7]

There is also the RallZ by Motoz which is supposed to be slightly more aggressive than the adventure. I just ordered a set. 

[Louis]

5 hours ago, CAJW said:

@Louis

Looking forward to your impressions of the MotoZ Tractionator GPS.   I am not a fan of the OEM Pirellies in the dirt, but I may be in the minority on that.  I'm a huge fan of MotoZ tires and their thicker sidewall construction, been running them for years. I'm struggling in trying to decide whether to switch to the Tractionator Adventure or the Tractionator GPS.  I'm leaning toward the Adventure as I like the more aggressive front, but I see you and Hammerhead have read mixed reviews on that. Another (insignificant?) consideration is that the GPS is sold in tubeless only vs the Adventure,  which comes in both flavors. Wondering what MotoZ considers the T7?  Copied from their website concerning the Adventure tire " NOTE: Tube Tyre Tractionator Adventure are specifically designed for single seat enduro class bikes (typically single cyclinder, single seat bikes), where riders want to cover long distance/adventure (don’t use light weight Tube Type on large multi cylinder adventure class bikes)."    Having said that, the GPS does come in the 150/70/18 & 140/80/18, but I'm running OEM rims so I'd have to run tubes in a tubeless tire. The Adventure comes in both sizes for both tubed and tubeless,  with my dirt preference to go with the 140. Question, are you running tubes on stock rims? Also, has the noise increased/ decreased?

 

Hi, yes I'm running heavy duty tubes, I have found that the front feels heavier for steering. I thought it was due to the extra weight of the tube. At the moment I have only 850km about 500 miles, I'm noticed improvement with noise and vibes from the front. The GPS is a long lasting tyre so I feel after about 2000km it's probably going to be better! It's not noisy at highway speeds.

It's winter here at the moment, so I have limited dirt use. Remember my review is from an older rider I'm not looking for crazy MX riding, I'm incapable! I was also considering more aggressive front rubber, I'm glad I didn't. I have found, not aired down that on wet and dry  gravel roads the GPS was better behaved than the stock Pirelli that was aired down, heaps less lateral movement!  So with little miles, I already feel that the GPS is a better option for my more sedate style of dirt riding. I'm heading off on a long adventure trip in a week, loaded up  so  stay tuned. 

[AZJW]

@BMRT7

Funny you mentioned this as I just added the RallZ to my short list, so I'll be watching for your feedback.

 

 

@Louis

The follow-up is appreciated.  I too don't care for the vague handling on gravel that the stock Pirelli's exhibit.  Your comments are very helpful and will be also standing by for your comments on the GPS  when you get some more miles under your belt.

[Louis]

I'm trying to give an honest, balanced report none of "best tyre  ever " BS 

[Louis]

I finally had an opportunity to get my T7 dusty on a longer trip. Sadly my pre-existing knee injury was giving me grief so standing up on the pegs was painful!

However the tyre worked very  well, was excellent on the highway with just mild whir felt at the front end which reduced as the tyre warmed up, disappeared at high speed. It felt very confident on gravel, not as vague as the  stock Pirelli. It felt Better aired down to 200kpa or 29psi front and rear was better than road pressure. It quickly found lateral grip after deflecting from rocks. They didn't have any tendency to tramline in car tracks in dried up mud tracks.

They felt good in rocky tracks, quickly found lateral grip after dropping off a baby heads. Wish my knee was pain free in this track of mixed rock. I happened upon one deep soft sand hill  climb. No problems with it. Sadly the trip was abbreviated due to my knee. But I was impressed by the performance of these tyres, I'm glad that I didn't go for a more aggressive front tyre.

I would recommend and get  these tyres again. 

 

Edited September 8, 2020 by Louis

[Toei]

Thanks for the updates on these tires.  I'd read on advrider some folks having issues with wheel hop or difficulty balancing with Motoz tires (can't remember the exact specifics).  Hopefully they've been able to improve their quality control, as the GPS seems pretty ideal for my use.  They don't have in-house manufacturing like the big brands.

[Treps]

Excellent feedback on these tyres, thanks. Has anyone tried the rear GPS mounted in the 'offroad' direction? Is there much difference? 

[Louis]

5000km Update; I have noticed recently that the front tyre whirring noise and knobby/ notchy feel at lower speeds has almost completely vanished. So I looked up how many kilometres I have covered since fitted. I can't believe that it has been 5000kms !

The tyres started with 6.6mm front and 11.2mm rear tread depth near the centre. The front looks hardly worn, with 6.0mm tread.  Little wonder the front took time to wear in to become more round. The rear has more wear now measuring about 8.8mm. I suspect that the rear should last at least 20,000kms before replacing probably more from squaring than wear. The front will probably last much longer. 

Feel great in the twisties, really good on gravel better if you air down a bit. Certainly suits my riding abilities and needs. 

[David Adams]

On 8/23/2020 at 9:49 PM, BMRT7 said:

There is also the RallZ by Motoz which is supposed to be slightly more aggressive than the adventure. I just ordered a set. 

 Can I ask a review of the rallz ?  Looking for a set of mud tyres that can handle highways 

cheers 

[MikeCMP]

2 hours ago, David Adams said:

 Can I ask a review of the rallz ?  Looking for a set of mud tyres that can handle highways 

cheers 

I put a set of the RallZ on my T7, they work decently in the snow, but I have not had them out on anything else so far. on some off camber bits the front tracked where i wanted but the rear wanted to slide down the hill so i had to keep dabbing but was able to control the bike just fine. They definitely look awesome on the bike though, if that matters. 

 

Only other thing i noticed is they seem to be more rumbly then past tires on other bikes.

 

For traction, they are great. I have a small drainage ravine, about 1.5 feet feet or so and 4 feet wide, with a taler slop on the far side. First time through it i was fine, second time i goofed up and ended up with the rear tire in the bottom of the ravine, with my left foot way up in the air. Managed to just rock the bike back and forth a couple times and out i went, with several inches of snow on the ground no less. 

 

 

[Ol'crazy]

I have taken 1,500 km with them and I am very happy.
On dry asphalt the studs are noticeable and precision is lost in the line. And when braking, you need more distance to stop the bike. But being aware of the type of tire you have, you don't have to have problems. The bike leans well and makes no strangers when cornering, allowing for a good pace on twisty roads.
On wet asphalt I never trust any type of tire, so I can't say much. I never incline more than is necessary and very carefully regardless of what tire I have.
The real difference is when you leave the asphalt: there you can tell that you have field tires that grip everything you need. Whether in mud, sand or gravel, they give you a security that you cannot even dream of with OEM tires.
Since I have been riding them, I face any off-road trip with much more security, and I don't suffer trying to keep the bike on the trail.
The choice is clear: if you like to take the bike quickly and safely on asphalt, the OEMs. If you like to take the bike quickly and safely off-road, the RallZ.
Although of course the ideal is to have two sets of wheels and change them as appropriate.

[Too Tall]

For those riders using the MotoZ GPS tires, did you go with the 140 or 150 width rear?

[Hammerhead]

13 minutes ago, Too Tall said:

For those riders using the MotoZ GPS tires, did you go with the 140 or 150 width rear?

150 / 70 , it was easier to find but pricey in tubeless

[Louis]

150/70 here, I hadn't used these tyres before. So didn't want to confuse myself adding the narrow 140 in a different type of tyre comparison against the stock Pirelli  (150 wide),  I wanted like for like. I'm interested in hearing from anyone has used the 140 wide GPS.  

[Louis]

Just a few quick comments on the GPS tyres. Was away on an overnight trip in the Nurrung region in South Australia. Found some intermittent sand covered tracks. The tyres coped well (better than the rider) had a load of camping gear in tow. We found some deeeep soft fine sand, that was scary!!! Only 3 brave and dare I say skilled riders with aggressive tyres fitted progressed forward for a track condition assessment. We retreated after the "more of the same" was the assessment. 3 passengers were in tow. 

[Louis]

I have recently fitted a Motoz tractionator gps 110/80 R19 front tyre to my BMW f700gs. The TKC70 was strangely scalloped after almost 5000kms, being 80/20 tyre this was odd. So the GPS was my obvious choice as I am enjoying these tyres so much on my T7. 

No oscillating whirring is noticeable?? On the T7 this persistent whirring (more when cold) took about 4000kms to subside. So it is my belief, that the T7's R21 front tyre was out of round/shape from new! 

So with only about 100kms on the BMW F700GS the GPS is rather quiet with only slight noise on smooth roads. A friend of mine is running the GPS front and rear on his V Strom, he noted noise from the front tyre,  but he feels it is due to the way the fairings channel/ funnel up the noise.

I will fit a GPS on the rear when the TKC70 wears out! I was going to run 80/20 road biased tyres on the  BMW but these GPS are pretty tough wearing and well behaved on road it's a no brainer.