Trials meets enduro Kenda tyres say of their Equlibrium K787, an approved rear hoop with deep tread and a do anything, go anywhere attitude – Enduro21 puts it to the test.

Apart from those who ride specific off-road sport and in particular conditions, a do-it-all tyre is the norm for many who ride off-road. Kenda knows this and that explains why they came up with something a different, the Equilibrium, a tyre wtih all-round skills but one which focuses grip and stability.

Enduro21 gets to grips (ahem!) with the Equilibrium on the trail, some awesome mountain riding and finally put it to a tough test at an extreme enduro.

They say:

Designed with a “trials-inspired centre tread and super-sticky compound”, the Equlibrium delivers high grip levels on rocky terrain in both wet and dry conditions.

Sitting at one end of Kenda’s off-road tyre scale, the Equilibrium (officially the K787) is a rear tyre designed as a trail and enduro hybrid. A rival for standard fitment on the KTM Freeride for example but with a broad outlook for all off-road with a strong emphasis on having the grip of a trials tyre but performance of an enduro tyre.

The US brand has a healthy range of tyres for off-road and enduro available globally. Stretching broadly across trail, hard-pack, loamy, and into mud and deep sand, their extreme or hard enduro range is just as broad with the Knarly, K7 series Enduro models, the Gauntlet and Ibex. (FYI Enduro21 has a set of Knarly to test right now) and there’s also the Trakmaster which works well for Cross-Country.

For enduro and off-road in general, the popular Washougal line, plus the Trakmaster, tick many boxes depending on what type of terrain, speeds (stability) and grip levels versus longevity you’re after.

The Equilibrium is a rear only, street legal, recommended tube type tyre which can be paired with any front and comes in 110/100-18 (4.50 - 18 US) and 120/80-19 size options (we tested the 18 inch).

We say:

The truth is we’ve had this tyre on test for far too long without actually getting it nailed down and properly worn out – testimony to the longevity to a certain extent but also our fault for not using it more. 

The thing is, when do you use a tyre like this? The Equilibrium’s remit is a broad one but 2024 was spent doing Sprint, Extreme and traditional enduro on the whole and none of those felt quite the right setting.

A bunch of hours on it with our long term test KTM EXC 250 last year were mainly trail and long-lap practice days at a couple of event organisers open days where you just ride and ride until you run out of fuel.

Those were good times and taught us a lot about the Equilibrium but it needed something more so we fitted it for an extreme race, two and a half hours of hard-graft of rocks, roots and cambers to push more for a definitive test. 

Finding the Equilibrium

Thanks to a soft compound yet deeper, and spaced tread pattern which helps massively to make this a traction tyre for the trail.

This is quite a soft tyre, gummy-feeling like a trials hoop when you see it and feel it. The deep block pattern clearly offers more than a trials-type tyre can and though it might look like it, once you start riding the difference is clear: it’s stable and bites in wet or dry conditions.

Tube type?

Kenda recommends fitting a tube which we tried and ran at 15 psi but we hate getting punctures on the trail so quickly swapped that out for a medium mousse which we across a range of terrain, plus threw in a soft extreme mousse for the race. (We matched the Equilibrium rear with a Kenda Knarly front).

To that end there were no issues at all with a 140 rear medium mousse inside. The tyre kept its shape well and stayed on the rim.

We can’t say the same with the soft mousse inside though with the tyre deforming more and the tread blocks not keeping their shape so well, closing up if you like. The tyre also dropped off the bead during the race, in the rim in one 20cm section and ideally you don’t want that and this is why Kenda recommend a tube (so the tyre can keep its shape better).

Grip for days

Our testing showed Equilibrium’s taller sidewalls and flatter profile (than normal enduro tyres), make it more at home in the rocks and wet roots in woods and forests where traction is at a minimum.

With the tube, or either mousse option we tried, the grip levels are high and this is the biggest positive you can give the Equilibrium – it grips for days thanks to those deep tread blocks and soft compound.

Picture Graham Jarvis climbing up a steep, slippery, root-infested climb through the trees, finding grip right at the bottom of the revs, sitting on the back of the seat and balancing grip with the clutch and throttle. Fit this tyre and you feel like you can ride like Graham because it offers noticeably better grip and feel than a standard enduro tyre, even a gummy one.

It lets you feel the ground under the back wheel to the point where there seemed no point to rev or spin the wheel, just feel and drive.

Edge grip

Where it differs from a standard, more rounded profile enduro tyre is with side grip. Despite Kenda talking about the “motocross-type shoulder blocks for aggressive cornering”, the blocks don’t come around the flatter surface of the profile which affects how it grabs on cambers or at greater lean angles.

It’s most noticeable in two places: on a camber and ruts. A long stretch of steep off-camber in the extreme enduro we did made us much more wary of the edge grip and ride more cautiously as a result.

The Eqilibrium’s ability to grab the edge of ruts and ride out of it is another place you notice the difference. Try and you’re as likely to find the back wheel stays in the rut and the bike crabs along. The cure is to slow-up, turn more of an angle, and use that centre grip to pop out the rut and get on the line you want but that can mean you lose momentum and it is slower obviously.

A rutted corner had similar effects of uncertainty for the grip as the smooth sidewall slipped through the ruts where normally the edge nobbles would be tagging.

It’s important to point out the edge grip thing felt like a trade-off from having all that grip it offers otherwise. As a trail tyre it really didn’t show its hand so much because you are upright riding so much, and in the extreme race it really felt like the bike could go anywhere. But on that long camber or in a rut, particularly downhill ruts, made us more cautious for the front and back wheels getting out of kilter.

No ripped sidewalls

Despite being cautious, we didn’t find any issues in the sharp-edge rocks at all with the sidewalls getting ripped or cut and overall it is tougher than it looks with many hours ridden on this one tyre.

Enduro21 Verdict:

Overall this the Kenda Equilibrium tyres was a surprise. Something different and ultimately grippier than a “normal” enduro tyre, it brings some stability to the bike.

As mentioned there’s a ying and a yang with it in terms of superior grip versus a little loss of ability to bite a camber or rut edge.

The price is good too (check your local price below, by comparison and it has lasted well only getting ripped like you see it has folowing the extreme enduro in a tough quarry venue. On the trail, where throttle use as less aggressive, it lasted well, kept its edge and importantly continues to grip.

More information:  www.kenda-moto.co.uk  or www.kendatire.com