Words: Abhishek Pandey | Photography: Saidatta Naik
The past couple of years have seen Eurogrip Tyres turn its ‘Tread Talks’ event into an opportunity for us journalists to experience its newest tyres. This year’s Tread Talks was no different, as we got to test Eurogrip’s new Trailhound series of tyres, to be available in two variants – SCR and STR. The SCR series (80:20 road to off-road ratio) is for entry-level adventure and scrambler motorcycles like the KTM 390 Adventure, Suzuki V-Strom SX, Triumph Scrambler 400 X, Royal Enfield Scram 411 and more, while the STR (90:10 road to off-road ratio) is for more big adventure motorcycles like the BMW R 1300 GS, Honda Africa Twin, Triumph Tiger and more.
The SCR series is a much-needed alternative for adventure touring motorcycles with engines displacing under 500cc typically, a segment that’s teeming with options as far as the motorcycles are concerned, but not as much in terms of tyre options. The SCR uses a radial carcass with a 0-degree steel belt, balancing longevity with the right amount of flex. Layered over that is an X-Ply construction, reinforced with synthetic fibres to boost strength. The tread pattern follows an 80:20 split, favouring tarmac but with enough bite for trail duties.
Eurogrip had lined up motorcycles like the KTM 390 Adventure, Royal Enfield Scram 411 and Suzuki V-Strom 250 SX for us to have a go on, to test the tyres on tarmac and also on a purpose-built off-road track. I jumped onto the previous generation KTM 390 Adventure first, that uses 100/90 R19 (front) and a 130/80 R17 (rear) tyres. The 390 Adventure is a machine well-regarded for its off-road chops, so I was keen on finding out how much of a difference the SCR tyres could make to its handling, especially off tarmac, more on that later though. We rode on tarmac first, and the first thing I noticed was how quiet the tyres are, despite being tyres meant specifically for adventure touring motorcycles, that are also meant to go off-road.
I tried to mimic real-world scenarios by putting the tyres through their paces at varying speeds on straights and around corners, too. The tyres felt stable and offered excellent grip in a straight line, even at higher speeds and even when braking hard. The tyres felt very stable around corners too, and I was able to lean in with confidence thanks to the copious amounts of feedback from the tyres. The tyres also seemed to soak up over broken patches of tarmac well, insulating the motorcycle from rough surfaces with ease. In my opinion, the SCRs are thus sure to appeal to riders who ride adventure tourers, but mostly on tarmac only.
It was then time to hit the trails around Moto Farm on the outskirts of Bengaluru — it is a delight if you like riding off-road, with multiple sections of difficulties including inclines, jumps, whoops and fast bermed sections. The tyres were able to find grip on the rocks and thin layers of dirt with ease as their uneven tread pattern was helping them. That said, the tyres struggled when it came to deep ruts with loose dirt — after all, these are tyres optimised for road usage, an area where they shine brightly. Thus, the SCRs would be a brilliant option for touring.
Apart from the SCR, Eurogrip also arranged for a showcase of their Climber motocross tyres, with a bunch of Hero Xpulse 200 4V motorcycles shod with them. These are competition-spec tyres, designed with the sole purpose of finding grip where none exists, and they handled the track really well. With the tyres digging deep into the loose soil, biting the hard-packed dirt underneath and propelling the bike forward, I was able to open the throttle wide easily. However, the Climbers are meant for experienced riders and in the hands of a pro, they are sure to show their true colours. As for the aforementioned STR tyres, we hope to be able to test them soon.
The Eurogrip Trailhound SCR tyres fill an important void in the market, given the influx of middleweight adventure touring and scrambler motorcycles in India, which, as mentioned before, may have a lot of bikes but not as many tyre options. The SCR tyres are sure to impress on tarmac and also allow light forays into the trails, while also making for excellent everyday usability given their low noise levels. So if you are someone whose rides involve a mix of a lot of commuting, some highway riding and an occasional sojourn off the beaten track, the Trialhound SCR tyres could be an option for you.
