I’m New to Beta. Stock Michelin enduro tires any good?

[wakewop]

Just got my 2020 300rr.  I have zero experience with the stock Michelin enduro tires that come on these. It’s winter and can’t get on the dirt to see if they are any good.   I ride mostly hard pack dirt and rocky terrain here in CO.  Coming off of an 07 450xcw which I always ran a M59 front and Desert IT rear.  Don’t want to buy new tires if I don’t have to. 

[Chief]

Are you talking about the Michelin Enduro Medium?

That is what was OEM on my ‘19 and I think they’re a great tire. 

 

 

[motoxgiant]

Very good for the soil (?) you describe.

We change them out for sand and loam.

[David37]

The stock Michelin tires are ok, I was glad the rear wore out fast (5 rides) so I had a good excuse to put on new front and rear Bridgestone tires. I had no confidence or traction with the Michelin front tire. I gave the Michelin front tire to a fellow trail rider, he couldn't believe I was giving him a barely used front tire. I was glad to get rid of the tire.      

[Beta300recat]

6 hours ago, wakewop said:

I ride mostly hard pack dirt and rocky terrain here in CO.

Happy with mine.

[Edgecombe]

Mine lasted almost a whole year and probably half another one,but I was ready for some new rubber.  I thought 2020 came with metzelers.  Probably not spelling it correctly, but I live on a long dirt path, so........ Anyway, that's what I saw on the 2020 300re. Probably depends on what terrain and how you ride it and tire pressure more than anything.  I think people put to much emphasis on bike parts and stuff sometimes and it's best to run as is for awhile to see how it really performs.  Sure , protective parts , but stuff like tires, suspension and like are pretty much for pros that know what to really do with it. Plus if you think your bike doesn't have the stuff that you think will make you a faster or better rider,  you can ride it like it is and maybe become a faster and better rider.Then when you do go spend that couple grand for all the things that would make you a faster and better rider, you will be that much ahead of where you would have been. 👍. But what the hell do I know, I'm just another goober on the internet that loves to just ride my dirtbike.  And yeah, I put that ibex on the rear and M59 on the front,  rode the nastiest,  slickest, red clay mud trail in the rain yesterday that I've rode in a while and they performed awesome. 🤣

[jmgatx]

Terrible tires in my opinion. Zero traction on rear and front felt very unstable. M59 front and IRC VE-33S on both my betas. I'm in central Texas, which is mostly rocky and loose, but rode this combo in CO and UT all summer. If anything just get rid of the front, it'll be a huge improvement. 

[thefullmonte]

I ride similar terrain here in the Black Hills. My tires are the previous gen, but they are a similar tire. And admittedly I'm still dialing in my suspension, but here's my opinion after 3 rides.

I think they would be great tires in true intermediate terrain, but I'm not a big fan on hard pack and rocks. I knew that would be the case just looking at them. Because of the knob spacing the rear feels like it is often hunting for traction. It's predictable, but you can tell it's not hooking up well. Again, the front would be great in soft to mid terrain conditions. But in the rocks, it feels like it can't find traction. And that gives the front end a very twitchy feel. In soft terrain that tread pattern excels because the knobs are sinking into something. On hard terrain we have to rely more heavily on surface area and rubber compound. 

Mine are barely worn, but I'm going to be replacing them as soon as the snow melts. I just feel that safety alone is reason enough to swap them. There are a lot of tires out there that are a big improvement for those conditions. I'm going to give the Shinko 504/505 cheater a try. I know Slavens likes them. And I've heard good things from others that use them around here. Other options that come to mind are, (as already stated) the IRC, Goldentyre, Maxxis desert IT, and the Kenda Ibex. 

[knucklespisano]

My 2020 300 RE came with Metzeler 6 days extreme.  Too hard of a rubber for me and I don't like 140 rear tire size. After 100 miles I replaced them with what I prefer,  Tubliss and Shinkos, 216 fatty & 505 cheater(110).

I'm keeping the Metzelers in case I street legal any bikes, they're DOT approved.

Edited Sunday at 03:29 PM by knucklespisano

[Sierra_rider]

The RE's come with Metzler's which are marginally better than the Michelin. At least on my '18 350, the Michelin front is what was responsible for the "knifing" that some experienced IMO. It was a totally different bike once I threw the gt216 on it.

[Piney Woods]

My experience with the tires was at a demo and I found no shortcomings. But, the dirt was a very nice loam/sand combo so that surely was a factor. In those conditions I found them to be excellent.

[firffighter]

4 hours ago, jmgatx said:

Terrible tires in my opinion. Zero traction on rear and front felt very unstable. M59 front and IRC VE-33S on both my betas. I'm in central Texas, which is mostly rocky and loose, but rode this combo in CO and UT all summer. If anything just get rid of the front, it'll be a huge improvement. 

I agree. They are limited in terms of performance to certain terrain and riding style and would work best as dualsport tires. Once you start riding the bike hard, the tires are very limited.

But, I'm a total tire snob and feel that tires is one of the most important mods you can make on your bike. 

[Chief]

Now that most of the usual suspects have chimed in, the answer to your question should be clear as mud. 😂

Terrain, skill level, riding style, how much you’re willing to spend, how long you want the tire to last, how often you want to change tires, which aspect of performance are you focused on and personal bias all make opinions of tires very subjective. 

I assume the terrain you are riding is high country stuff, similar to what I ride in in the Sierra Nevada’s. 

I like to ride rocks. So, when I want maximum performance I use a Trials tire like the Dunlop 803 and except the drawbacks. 

When I want a compromise, I pick a Gummy knobby like the GT216X. Any Gummy will perform better in the rocks than a standard compound tire. This performance comes at the cost of longevity. The soft compound wears out faster. If you are trying to maximize speed, the soft compound knobs might not feel as stable as a standard compound tire.

Do you tend to spin and skid a lot?How you ride can eat up a Gummy very quickly.  

The Gummy’s performance depends on how soft the rubber compound is. Some are almost as soft as a Trials tire (55 to 60 durameter range), but wear very quickly. Some are a little bit harder(60 to 70 durameter range) and last longer but provide less grip.

If cost is a factor, these tires can run anywhere from $50 to $150.

Are you using tubes, TuBliss or mousse? Some tires are a bit better than others for different combinations.

I’ve been surprised at the performance of the Michelin Enduro Medium for the type of riding I do. If this is the OEM tire you’ve been talking about. 

Front tire is another conversation. 

Edited Sunday at 07:26 PM by Chief

[Josh Rowe]

Short knobs and tread pattern is not ideal in loose soil.

Rocks, hard pack or pavement they are decent. I've done 75 in highway traffic on these tires. 

They really come up short when you are in deep loose stuff, like fall leaves, and you need to dig down to the dirt for traction. 

Edited Sunday at 09:30 PM by Josh Rowe

[Chief]

I’d also like to add, Gummy tires, big knobs, low air pressures can all help in the correct situations. 

But, all that will only take you so far if you are not weighting the pegs properly. 

Failing to apply proper technique will leave you spinning your wheels literally and figuratively no matter what tire you’re using.

The better the technique, the less important the tire is and the more advantage you get from the other stuff. (Gummy, knobs, Lower PSI)

 

[Edgecombe]

12 minutes ago, Chief said:

I’d also like to add, Gummy tires, big knobs, low air pressures can all help in the correct situations. 

But, all that will only take you so far if you are not weighting the pegs properly. 

Failing to apply proper technique will leave you spinning your wheels literally and figuratively no matter what tire you’re using.

The better the technique, the less important the tire is and the more advantage you get from the other stuff. (Gummy, knobs, Lower PSI)

 

Bam, and there it is gents. Class dismissed.

[wakewop]

Thanks for all the replies.  I’m going to keep these enduro mediums on the bike and see how I like them before making any changes.   

[hawaiidirtrider]

4 hours ago, wakewop said:

Thanks for all the replies.  I’m going to keep these enduro mediums on the bike and see how I like them before making any changes.   

Yea . Use what you got. See how it works and hopefully it’s good.  I couldn’t stand my stock Beta tires. I gave mine away . I felt guilty selling them I hated them so much. 

[TraderVic]

9 hours ago, hawaiidirtrider said:

  I couldn’t stand my stock Beta tires. 

What are you running?

 

[Cullins]

They are so good we take them off when new and save them special for the next owner of the bike😂