While maintaining its aggressive off-road look, Continental’s new TKC 802 has been redesigned for better wet-weather performance and high-speed stability on pavement.
By Keith Dowdle
The footprint in the critical wear areas has been increased by 17 percent to improve longevity and combat irregular wear patterns. Staggered shoulder blocks, the only noticeable difference in appearance versus the original TKC 80, boost grip in soft terrain by increasing edge engagement. These shoulders are longer, with equal-length gaps for improved off-road performance. The center blocks are stiffer for more mechanical grip on-road, and they are “ramped” so the front tire can grab the surface during hard braking off-road, and the rear can increase forward drive during acceleration. The bead structure has also been improved to provide better tubeless air-pressure consistency over time, and a new carcass construction and additional rubber thickness provide better high-speed stability and puncture resistance. The new TKC 802 will be available in all the popular sizes later this summer, with a retail price between $209 and $399, depending on size.
Lowdown | Continental TKC 802 Tire
Standout Feature: Outstanding off-road performance and surprisingly good on-road stability.
List Price: Between $209 and $399, depending on size
The OG of aggressive ADV tires still works better than most
Street performance is surprisingly good
Nothing looks better than aggressive meat on an ADV bike
Probably not the highest-mileage tire you’ll ever find
Rider Analysis | Continental TKC 802 Tire
At one point, the TKC 80 was the reference tire for serious ADV riders seeking off-road adventure. It was the tire of choice for Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor on their iconic cult classic Long Way Round. But nothing lasts forever, and after 40 years, the TKC 80 was long overdue for an update. We were excited to attend the launch of the all-new TKC 802 at the beautiful BMW Performance Center in Greenville, South Carolina.
At first glance, it’s hard to tell the difference between the old and new tire, but further examination reveals subtle differences, mainly in the large blocks down the center of the tire, which are slightly offset on the TKC 802. I was surprised that Continental is calling this a 50/50 tire, since it looks like a full knobby tire to me. After some aggressive laps around the pavement track at the BMW Performance Center, I quickly understood why they consider the on-road performance equal to its off-road strengths. Thanks to the new tread pattern and a stiffer compound, steep lean angles are easily achieved and inspire confidence from braking to corner exit when attacking fast turns on tarmac. Accelerating and braking are stable and predictable, even during tight, technical maneuvers on the street. While we didn’t have the opportunity to ride these new tires on wet roads, Continental claims that wet-weather grip is vastly improved. Hopefully, we’ll get a few sets for a long-term test so we can see for ourselves how good it actually is.
As for off-road testing, the BMW Performance Center was the perfect place to test the new TKC 802’s off-road capabilities, with purpose-built obstacles including deep sand pits, gravel traps, technical woods trails, and more to challenge both rider and tires. Of course, since this launch took place at a BMW facility, we were riding the new R 1300 GS and GSAs, which are not the easiest bikes to handle in deep sand and gravel. To make things even tougher, the team had us slow-ride through some of the deepest sections so we could truly understand how well the new tire hooks up when you need it most. Mission accomplished. As with the previous Continental TKC 80, the new TKC 802 is a highly capable off-road beast that grabs every grain of dirt and sand available to propel you forward, even when you’re on one of the heaviest ADV bikes on the market and in some of the toughest conditions you can find.
Personally, I’ve always been a fan of the TKC 80 because I live for off-road, but, as with all aggressive ADV tires, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. This is an aggressive tire built for riders who demand traction on big-horsepower bikes off-road. The new TKC 802 might last a bit longer than its predecessor, thanks to improved rubber compounds forty years on, but don’t expect high-mileage miracles. As I’ve said already, hopefully we’ll get a few sets for a long-term test so we can give you actual mileage numbers, but for now, I’d expect you’d be doing well to get ten thousand miles out of these new shoes. But they’ll be ten thousand miles of smiles, because, like its predecessor, the new TKC 802 simply works.CN
For more information, visit www.continental-tires.com
Click here to read the Continental TKC 802 Tire Review in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
