Motorcycle Tyres for Off-Road Riding in Bosnia

Which tyres does each tour require?

Tyre requirements follow the terrain. Here is what each tour asks for:

• Bosnia Marathon: around 70% off-road on gravel, forest tracks and rocky trails – knobbly off-road tyres are required.
• T700 Ride Bosnia 2026 (65% off-road, already held): adventure/off-road tyres, with the Mitas E-07+, Pirelli Scorpion Rally and Dunlop Trailmax given as examples.
• Croatia tour, Velebit: 45% gravel, 55% tarmac – dual-purpose 50/50 tyres.
• Serbia tour, Tara & Zlatibor: 50% gravel – knobbly off-road tyres suited to gravel and forest soil.
• Balkan Grand Tour: on tarmac, so a road-legal touring motorcycle on road tyres is fine.

Knobblies, 50/50 or 70/30: the differences

The percentages roughly describe what a tyre is designed for – off-road versus road. They are not a standard, and every manufacturer interprets them slightly differently.

• Knobbly tyres: tall, widely spaced blocks that dig into loose ground and clear themselves. Maximum grip on gravel, mud and rock, at the cost of faster wear and less comfort on tarmac.
• 50/50 tyres: a compromise with a clear off-road tread. Good on gravel and dry forest tracks and still pleasant on the road, but they reach their limits in mud and on steep, wet climbs.
• 70/30 tyres (more road-biased): a closed tread pattern that is smooth and long-lasting on tarmac and usable on light gravel – not enough for a tour that is 70% off-road.

Tubes or tubeless – and how to deal with punctures

Sport enduros and many adventure bikes with spoked wheels run inner tubes, while other models have tubeless-ready rims. That decides your puncture kit. With tubes you need tyre levers, spare tubes or patches and a pump; tubeless repairs usually just need plugs and CO₂ cartridges or a compact compressor.

Practise changing a tube at home before you have to do it on a trail. With tube-type tyres, a heavy-duty tube helps against pinch flats. Mousses are common in enduro, but they are less suited to long, fast road sections.

Fresh tyres before a 1,500 km week

Knobbly tyres wear quickly on tarmac and sharp rock. Turn up to a week of around 1,500 km on half-worn rubber and the tread may be gone before the last day – especially at the rear.

One advantage on the Bosnia Marathon: each of the three two-day stages ends back in Kupres, and vehicles and trailers stay at the base. If you arrive by van, you can leave a spare set of tyres there and fit it when you are back at base.

• Fit fresh tyres shortly before the tour and scrub them in over a few kilometres.
• If you ride down from Central Europe, consider fitting the knobblies just before the start or arriving by van.
• Check the date of manufacture (DOT code on the sidewall): old rubber hardens and loses grip even with tread left.
• Inspect sidewalls for cracks and cuts, and the tread for torn-off blocks.

Tyre pressure: start with the manufacturer's figures

Always start with the figures from your motorcycle and tyre manufacturers. Off-road, many riders run a little less pressure for a larger contact patch and more grip. With tubes, though, that raises the risk of pinch flats on sharp rocks, and you should go back to road pressure for tarmac stages. A small pump with a gauge belongs in your luggage.

Riding a KTM? Our guide Preparing a KTM for an off-road tour in Bosnia covers servicing, spares and fuel range.

Frequently asked questions