Last Updated on: December 11, 2025

Metzeler Karoo 4 has been on the list of tires I’d like to test out on the BMW 1250 GS. It happened sooner than originally intended.

Metzeler Karoo 4 on BMW 1250 GS in the woods of Norway.

Before I rant-start rant, this is not my first review (or “rant-flection”) of Metzeler Karoo tires. Whether the former Karoo 3 or the latest incarnation. I had Karoo 3 on my veteran Honda XL600V Transalp. Now I run Karoo 4 on that bike. The views you can read about here.

Karoo 4 “on a whim”

While on a mini-adventure north, and with several gravel and dirt roads in mind, a sudden wave of concern hit me, regarding the worn out Pirelli Rally Scorpion STR rear tire. Decided to try to get a new rear tire while underway.

It was a longshot. Summer is, here as in most other European countries, a busy period for motorcycle dealers and workshops.

MC Huset Nydal’. new location and new building!

But MC-Huset Nydal, a BMW and Honda dealer near the city of Hamar, delivered. If you ever come to Norway, have a BMW or Honda, or in fact anything on two wheels, and find yourself in need of assistance in this region, then try MC Huset. Widely known for their service level, will do whatever they can to help travellers in need.

Metzeler Karoo 4 17″ close-up.

So that’s how it happened. On a whim. They didn’t have the front Karoo 4 tire in stock, but the STR front was ok. A little later I rode off with the new rear. For those who don’t know, Karoo 4 is, like it’s predecessor, a 50/50 tire. That can be felt when riding slow on pavement.

The road onwards to Blåhøye, Vågå, Norway.

First impression

You’d be tempted to think Karoo 4 is just a minor iteration from the Karoo 3. And as you roll off for the first time, if you have experience with the former, then the “Flintstone effect” is still there, at lugging or low speeds, on pavement.

But several things has changed. The side blocks have been moved, the center blocks are divided into two with a deep groove. Riding slow Karoo 4 give you some of the “Flintstone feeling” of the former, but not as noticeable. There’s a distinct “singing” that manifests itself from ca 50km/t to 80 km/t.

Above 80+ km/t they go fairly quiet and stay (fairly) quiet, also at higher speeds. Plus they remain relatively vibration free. Good for transport legs in other words. Oh I should add, I always ride with custom moulded earplugs. Factor in that too.

So in other words

The noise is not constant, it varies, depending on air temperature, tire temperature and road surfaces. Without knowing I think finding a noise and vibration free 50/50 tire is close to impossible, if not entirely impossible. Plus, different tires have different sequences of development throughout their lifespan. Some start off with moderate noise level that changes during the life of the tire.

Karoo 4 is quieter on my 1994 veteran Honda Transalp though. But it’s a much lighter bike with different wheel dimensions. That’s something to factor in, always. If I want a quiet tire on a 1250GS then I’d be looking at 80/20 or 90/10 ones.

The most street oriented I’ve had on a adventure motorcycle is Pirelli Scorpion Trail 2. Which by the way as 90/10 tires go, is/was an excellent street oriented tire.

Arriving at/in Hell, or Helvete in Espedalen, Karoo 4 was run in.

Once run in I began to notice several familiar things; great grip on pavement, and some degree of directional instability. Latter especially compared to Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR. It’s not bad, just more sensitive to pavement surfaces. Karoo 4 gives road feedback in a different way, not quite as forgiving of pavement imperfections, cracks, bumps and uneven surfaces.

Karoo 4 lets you corner like a much more road oriented tire. No noticing of any slip or movement, at least not on dry surfaces. If they have “Metzeler soft” compound, then I think you can forget about a long life out of the rear. But we’ll see.

Gravel, dirt, sand and rocks

At Skåbu I rode in direction of Jotunheimvegen. A gravel and dirt road between Skåbu and Fv51 that I rode the week before. This time I had different ideas. Made several mistakes and ended up in a side valley I’d never been to before. A mistake that turned out to bring much joy!

Karoo 4 first gravel, sand and dirt test east of Jotunheimen.

This was the first acid test for the Karoo 4 rear which it passed with flying colours. The surface ingrediencies ranged from sand to gravel of various kinds and depths. The rear didn’t spin up as with the STR. Noticeable difference. Interesting how much more stable Karoo 4 felt on these types of surfaces than on uneven pavement!

Finally, coming out of that side-valley I found my road. It had long stretches of sand and loose dirt mixed with gravel. Some places pretty deep. Again the Karoo 4 proved its worth.

Rode for some miles northwards, then back on pavement down to the valley of Valdres and Vågåmo.

On the road up to Blåhøe mountain.

This is where you find the road up to Blåhøe mountain. Which also provides a wide spectrum of various surfaces, plus quite a lot of rocky sections. Have to say it was a joy to ride there.

The road onwards to Blåhøye, Vågå, Norway

I can recommend the trip up for anyone with tires and motorcycle capable of tackling the road conditions. The last leg is a bit steep, a bit rocky but not too difficult. When you get to the top you are rewarded with below view.

July 21st 2025: View from mountain Blåhøe, Norway

Karoo 4 preliminary conclusion

The next day I rode back south and on a series of very different gravel and dirt roads. You can find the rest of the pictures from the mini-adventure in this album. The experience from the first day carried over to the next day. The rear Karoo 4 gripped excellently under all (dry) conditions I had the opportunity to ride in.

The noise or humming/singing one has to get used to. That or forget about them, plus lots of other tires in the same category. Those who enjoy alternative riding, to tackle various challenges on two wheels, well Karoo 4 should not disappoint.

Karoo 4 front will soon go on. So I’ll be back with more reflections later this fall, on the set. It will be interesting to see how long the fun lasts.

Update: front tire mounted

Friday 8th of August I had a service appointment and got the Karoo 4 front tire on. Riding off I thought to myself, well the now transformation of the 1250 GS to a “Flintstone motorcycle” is complete.

Honestly, it’s not that bad at all. Slightly more noisy than the STR front maybe, but it is brand spanking new.

As everyone who’ve been riding for some time knows very well. nothing has an impact like changing tires. And that includes going from old to new of the same tire type or model. But what is more than vaguely apparent, are the distinct differences between Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR, and Metzeler Karoo 4.

Said above, I’ll return to all the details later. When the front is run in, and I’ve had a change to ride in places I know well.

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