Last Updated on: October 27, 2025

The TKC 70 tires from Continental came as factory standard on the 2024 KTM 390 Adventure. Think I understand why the choice. 

Continental TKC 70 on a 2024 KTM 390 Adventure.

Those who have been here before, possibly also browsed through or read some of the posts, may have seen that I’ve talked about, reviewed, or reflected, on Continental TKC 70. Twice, come to think of it, the second time was about the TKC 70 Rocks which is a rear only.

As a result I thought I’d said enough about the tire, that I was done ranting. But apparently not. There is a sensible reason behind the urge to flush out some more words and thoughts. A reason I’ve returned to before, related to the fact that tire experience can be different depending on the motorcycle they sit on.

So here we are, again.

TKC 70 on a small bike

I’ll admit the initial reaction was not overwhelmingly positive. The prospect of starting to ride the new bike with these tires did at first not appeal to me. But, as they, and the bike got run in, I started change my mind. So maybe there was some thought behind the choice, and not just a deal between Continental and KTM.

One could contend that the tires and the motorcycle, by design, use and behaviour, is a good match.

August 2025: en route into the woods and hills.

Why that is? Well for one thing, even if marketed as an adventure motorcycle, the outgoing KTM 390 Adventure has the presence and behaviour of a street bike. The setup is street biased, and It would be fair to say that its design pushes you in that direction as well.

But don’t let that dictate your perception too much. What may seem a downside can also be an upside. Lower centre of gravity can translate into easier handling under even demanding conditions. Ok, enough, back to tire talk.

Running in the motorcycle and the tires.

As expected they were pretty slick as new. TKC 70 require warm-up time, and these two things means one has to take it easy in the beginning. Past that their behaviour and manners were recognizable with previous experiences on large adventure bikes.

“Shoes” that fits

These tires handle almost any conditions very well. Save hard offroad and mud. And I’d say, since the dual sport counterpart of the motorcycle they sit on in this case, even better. Combined with the relatively low weight of the 390 Adventure they seem to complement the very purpose of the motorcycle. Let you ride active and aggressive on pavement, as well as on fire roads, on gravel and dirt.

In short, a hybrid tire on a hybrid motorcycle. Or shoes that fits.

Out doing some light offroad.

One thing that also hit me while I had TKC 70 on my large adventure bike, is that they work better if aired down slightly below recommended tire pressure. I attribute that to their hardness or stiffness. Best proven by he mileage some owners gets out of these. I said slightly. as too low air pressure in particular if having cast wheels and riding offroad, naturally could be a gamble.

I have friends who consider Continental TKC 70 to be one of the best choices for long adventures. They will last the extra mileage, spare you from having to change tires underway, whilst compared to other 70/30 or 80/20 dual purpose tires. On a forum I read one guy had done 16.500 kilometers on his KTM 390 Adventure. And still had (claimed to have) 4mm thread depth left. Not surprised.

TKC 70 update September 13th

Last weekend, after several wet days with partially heavy rain I went for a little afternoon ride. It was about to dry up after lots of rain, so the pavement roads were still mostly wet. Coming off a motorway and into a corner in not too high speed both the front and rear tire slipped quite a bit. No drama, was prepared for eventualities. Reduced speed and kept it steady through the bend.

This happened just ten minutes after leaving, about 5 to 6 kilometers from home. Rode in low speeds until hitting the motorway for a short stretch. The tires hadn’t warmed up properly. Later they felt much better.

The experience adds up to previous ones. TKC70 needs to reach a certain temperature to grip properly.

Riding home it started to rain heavily again. The front and rear tires actually does very well on super wet pavement, while thread pattern allows for water to be pushed very effectively away. The experience resembles what I’ve talked about in earlier TKC 70 posts.

Be wary of the warm-up period before going too actively into corners or turns.

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