Mitas (say “meet-us”) is part of the Sweden-based Trelleborg AB, a manufacturer of a wide variety of tires ranging in applications such as aircraft, farm, construction, truck, bicycle, and motorcycles, and been around since the 1930s. Mitas farm tires are made in Iowa, with the rest coming from factories in the Czech Republic and its headquarters in Slovenia.
As wide as the Mitas range of tire applications goes, its selection of motorcycle tires is quite broad and even more impressive. It includes on-road (sport, touring, and racing), off-road (adventure, dual-sport, trail, enduro, extreme MX, flat track, and studded winter), ADV, scooter, moped, and classic sizes. The Mitas catalog is quite extensive for a brand that few people in the US know, and with limited distribution here. I do see about a half-dozen distributors offering Mitas tires online for US delivery.
I tested a set of the Mitas Touring Force tires on my Yamaha MT-10, using sizes 120/70-17 and 190/55-17. I chose their Touring Force tire, although I was tempted to try the Sport Force+ offering. The tires incorporate multi-compound tread technology, as do most competitors in this category, and I opted for what I envisioned as almost the same grip with twice the life. Mitas promotes the Touring Force tires as having high grip at low temperatures, as well as in the wet.
Coming on the heels of testing Michelin Road 5s and Dunlop Roadsmart IIIs, the Mitas Touring Force tires had much to live up to and did not disappoint.
The smoothness of the ride is immediately noticeable, as is the profile that offers fast turn-in when cornering. The Mitas Touring Force tires easily keep my line through all types of twisties, with good stability on corner exit and acceleration. Once the mold-release compound wore off the tread, I noticed their eagerness to bend deeply into turns to the limit of their grip and my nerve.
I’m a rider that runs (toward the back) in a very fast pack of friends, and I can report that these tires deliver the kind of grip I demand and am accustomed to with other top brands. I performed no torture tests, no track days, and left few, if any, dark stripes on the pavement—other than by accident.
What I did do was ride the Mitas Touring Force tires hard through every type of Southern California mountain road. Fast sweepers up California State Route 33 and through the Topatopa Mountains out of Ojai, tight technical stuff on Stunt Road and through the amazing Santa Monica Mountains, all kinds of hot, cold, and dirty sections such as Big Tujunga Canyon Road, Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road (aka 9-Mile), and the length of Angeles Crest Highway in the San Bernardino Mountains.
I can report that in all types of Southern California riding—but for rain, of which we received none—the Mitas tires deliver all that is required of them in grand fashion. They grind out the freeway miles and tip right into a fast or technical canyon road with no drama. They have a nice feel and good stopping ability.
I like the look and feel of the tread pattern used on the Mitas Touring Force tire. It rightfully has more sipes than most pure-sport tires, and that is to be desired for sport-touring. I like that the sipes leave plenty of room on the edge, thus offering maximum rubber and grip at deep lean angles.
It is now August of 2020 and, but for a certain pandemic, I had hoped to have shagged these buns by now so that I might report on final tire life. I have 3400 miles on the tires today and, I’d guess, I may run another 2000 to 3000 miles before replacement—it’s hard to say precisely. The condition of the tires is good, with even wear and no blemishes. This compares to, and may exceed, the Roadsmart 3 and Road 5 mileage, both of which gave me a 5200-mile life. Time will tell, but it’s looking good for the Mitas Touring Force, though not by a great deal.
The Mitas Touring Force tires are priced similarly to most tires you’ve heard of. Made in Europe, it is not a cheapie brand—expect to pay at least $145 for a front tire and no more than $200 for a rear.
Mitas Touring Force Tires Fast Facts
Sizes
Front:
- 120/60 x 17
- 120/55 x 17
Rear:
- 150/70 x 17
- 160/60 x 17
- 170/60 x 17
- 180/55 x 17
- 190/50 x 17
- 190/55 x 17
Prices
Front tires from $145; rear tires up to $200
