Our experience with the BFGoodrich KO2 starts with it’s predecessor, the KO. With the KOs fitted we have travelled through the Kimberley, up the west coast, across the Great Australian Bight and countless more – and they performed flawlessly.
The humble tyre has to have one of the toughest jobs around – Australia’s tracks can be brutal! There is little surprise that tyre failures leave more people stranded than almost anything else.
Early last month we fitted the new KO2s and we’ve had them straight out on a couple of trips along the SW coast. On the highway they seem even quieter.
The new side biters provide extra grip, and surely will sway some of those torn between mud and all terrain tyres. Historically we’ve thought the section now covered by the side biter seemed a little exposed to damage, so the extra protection is welcomed.
Like all gear, tyres need to be looked after. Airing up and down to suit the terrain can be a chore, but it’s always worth it. Softer tyres have much more room to move. They can absorb and flex around the blows, rather than taking them head on. This means less damage and less failures.
At low pressures the KO2s lengthen well, and we managed to float above some very soft sections of sand with ease.
We’ve installed an ARB Tyre Pressure Monitoring System with these new tyres. It’s great to be able to see how the pressures are fluctuating with temperature. After spending time off-road we’ve already been tweaking our pressures more to get them back to our highway figures. Hopefully this will translate to an increase in longevity.
We have some big trips planned and feel confident heading out with our KO2s. Whatever tyres you choose to run for your remote trips make sure they are high quality, have plenty of life left in them, and that you look after them.