Tyres for the Transalp

[zishko]

Hello everyone! I’d like to share my choice of tyres for the Honda Transalp 750. I used to have a Yamaha MT-03, but I fancied switching to a proper adventure bike. I looked at various options and settled on the Transalp 750 – I’ve always liked it for its balance of power, comfort and capability.
I wanted a versatile bike that I could ride comfortably on the motorway for long distances, yet still handle light off-road terrain — gravel, forest tracks, and dirt roads — without any issues. So I could get out into the countryside, rather than just pottering around town and on the motorway. The MT-03 wasn’t comfortable on gravel and dirt: the low ground clearance meant the narrow tyres got stuck, the suspension bottomed out, and the handling became twitchy.
Of all the tyres I considered, I went for the Metzeler Karoo STR (Karoo Street)

My experience:
On tarmac, the tyre performs excellently: it offers good grip on both dry and wet surfaces, and handles corners and high speeds with confidence. It’s slightly noisier than pure road tyres (especially on the motorway), but is perfectly comfortable for its class. In terms of handling and stability, it is one of the strongest options among all-round tyres.
On dirt tracks and light off-road terrain, the Karoo STR performs admirably: decent grip on gravel and hard ground, better than that of pure road tyres. The motorbike feels noticeably more confident and stable when leaving the tarmac. However, this is not an aggressive off-road tyre — in deep sand or wet mud, it clogs up more quickly and is outperformed by more ‘aggressive’ models.
The result is a good balance that suits my riding style perfectly: 70–80% tarmac and 20–30% light off-road. It’s comfortable on the motorway, and when I want to head off-road, the tyres let me do so without any real hassle.
What else I considered:


The Continental TKC 70 Rocks is an excellent all-round tyre with slightly better off-road capabilities. But I preferred the Karoo STR for its road handling and comfort.
The Michelin Anakee Wild is very strong off-road, but for my use (non-extreme off-road) it seemed a bit over the top — it wears out faster on the road.
Dunlop Trailmax Mission — very versatile and durable tyres, with good grip on tarmac. They’re not bad on dirt either, but according to reviews, they sometimes fall short in mud and self-cleaning.

Conclusion: Choose tyres strictly according to your riding style. If you need a comfortable option with a focus on tarmac, but with the ability to handle light off-road terrain comfortably — the Metzeler Karoo STR will be a good choice for the Transalp 750.
I hope my experience proves useful to someone. If you have your own experience with these tyres or any objections, please write in the comments – I’d love to read them!
Happy riding to all and have a great season!