Eurogrip Roadhound Tyres Review
Tyres Tested: Eurogrip Roadhound
Tyre Size: 120/70/17 (Front), 160/60/17 (Rear)
Test Bike: KTM 390 Duke
Test Started At: 6200 kms
Test Ended At: 10,763 kms
Kilometres Tested: 4563 kms
Price: ₹ 10,000/- (Front), ₹ 11,900/- (Rear)
The Eurogrip Roadhound tyres fit really well on the new KTM 390 Duke even after being an upsize to the standard size
Eurogrip showcased the Roadhound range of tyres at EICMA 2022 and launched them in India in 2023. These tyres are primarily focused on higher-capacity motorcycles, with the available sizes being a 120-section for the front and two options for the rear, a 160-section and a 180-section tyre. Since I had always wanted to upsize the tyres on my KTM 390 Duke and was looking for W-rated ones, the Roadhounds from Eurogrip seemed like the perfect fit, one size up at both ends, W-rated, and with a higher load index too.
Upsizing tyres always comes with its drawbacks, the major one being the additional rolling weight that the motorcycle has to manage. Both tyres were about 15% heavier than my stock ones, and I suspected that the larger, wider contact patch would significantly reduce my mileage. However, to my surprise, fuel efficiency remained the same on highway riding and dropped by only about 1 km/l when averaged across highway and city riding. This minor drop was hardly a concern, considering the level of grip was far superior to that of the H-rated stock tyres.
For the first 1,000 km, it was the pre-monsoon season and I had dry weather throughout, during which the tyres performed reasonably well. I noticed that, especially in the city, since my bike didn’t have enough weight or grunt, the tyres took some time to offer optimal grip. Out on the highway, however, the Roadhounds performed flawlessly. With the upsize, the contact patch was noticeably wider, making the bike stay more upright rather than eager to lean in. This issue was quickly resolved once I adjusted the tyre pressures according to the new sizes, 32–36 PSI instead of KTM’s recommended 28–32 PSI for the stock tyres.
Keeping the tyres at 32–36 PSI made the ride quite hard and bouncy, even though the handling remained dynamic. Since I was aiming for better grip and comfort while still maintaining that dynamic balance, going below 28 PSI wasn’t a good idea. Eventually, I settled on 30 PSI for the front and alternated between 32 and 34 PSI at the rear, depending on whether I had luggage or a pillion with me. This setup worked really well, and for an upsized tyre setup on a relatively lighter bike, the 30–34 PSI combination turned out to be ideal.
I checked the tyre pressure every 2–3 weeks, and the tyres would generally maintain it, sometimes dropping just 1 PSI. However, if a month passed without riding, which happened during back-to-back shoots, the tyres could drop almost 6–8 PSI, which was a bit concerning. Over the entire 8-months and 4,500 km stint, I experienced just one puncture in the rear tyre and no other issues. The first 1,500 km were dry, but the next 3,000 km were ridden in heavy rain, including a 1,200 km road trip. That was the real test for these Eurogrip Roadhound tyres.
For a regular rider, covering 1000 km in a month is easy. However, due to back-to-back shoots and launches, I wasn’t able to put as many numbers on the bike as I would have liked. Even during the heavy rainy months, I still took my Duke out for a few office rides, while it was even more ready and fun during weekend trips. There were times when I rode for over an hour in torrential rain, and the only thing that bothered me was water seeping through my raincoat. The Roadhounds simply gripped the road, and I was surprised by how much water they sprayed everywhere. Even from the front mudguard, the headlight illuminated a heavy spray of water shooting up.
The tread pattern and the use of silica in the tyres help them cut through water effectively while maintaining excellent grip. Although the response over dirt or small rocks can be surprising, the tyres don’t lose composure easily. The trickiest situation is riding over tarmac ruts or side undulations unless approached at the right angle, the bike can feel unsettled, but the tyre usually climbs through without trouble. Even with the upsized tyres, the nimble and agile nature of my Duke remains intact, though the increased clearance for leaning can feel a bit intimidating. The bike is slightly less flickable, but it holds its line better and maintains its lean more comfortably.
Riding just a few hundred kilometres on the weekend was starting to feel a bit monotonous, so we decided to take a spontaneous trip to Goa and back. Instead of calling for a touring motorcycle, I took my Duke along. I knew the tyres could handle it, but I didn’t expect them to perform this well! The Roadhounds are built for long distances although for shorter rides, they feel like regular tyres, but covering 600 km in 10 hours was a whole different experience. The tyres didn’t overheat, grip remained optimal across changing terrain, and the confidence to push the bike to its limits was on another level.
It was a quick affair as we headed back the next morning, and I have to say the Roadhounds can take a beating! We jumped over speed breakers, flew over potholes, and overtook other vehicles through shoulder lanes and offroad bit, with no bulges or pressure loss. The entire NH4 was under repair, full of diversions, yet the tyres performed flawlessly. The final 1,200 km of testing included heavy braking, transitions between tarmac and cement roads, and even stretches over some of the worst internal roads. A few acceleration pulls here and there were no problem at all!
The Eurogrip Roadhounds are impressive for what they offer! A 120-160 setup comes for around ₹21,000, fitting almost all 650cc motorcycles in India, making it a compelling option. The 180-section rear tyre accommodates a few 650s and higher-capacity motorcycles as well. The Roadhounds are designed for long hauls while maintaining consistent grip, and bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja 1000 or Z900 would be ideal to fully exploit their potential. With recent issues surrounding foreign-import tyres and their limitations, the Eurogrip Roadhound emerges as a perfect “made-in-India” solution!
