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IRC Radial Trials Tire on my X and . . . . .

By Hawaii-Rider,
in CRF250R & RX

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Grand Master

Hawaii-Rider

Posted
Posted

The thing is like velcro off road where I ride.

Stuck so incredibly well I found I had to modify my riding a bit to compensate for the incredible traction.

This tire rocks!

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Been doing some reading, checking reviews, talking to folks way faster than me (most every one? ) and had three to choose from, the Dunlop D-801, IRC 11 Radial and the Michelin X11 Radial.

Shopthumpertalk had the IRCs and the Mich's available but heard that the Mich's when used on a dirt bike will start showing knob bottom and side wall cracking pretty fast. D-801s are like hens teeth and only found one place on line that had em, and he was a pro trials rider that had a shop on the side, but it was like $120. Its considered the best, but just hard to get outside the racing dealer network.

Pulled my stock X tire off which is pretty rounded but still hooks up amazingly well.

Stock tube (just like the front tube) is paper thin (weight savings for the brochures) so it got tossed and replaced (like the front) with an MSR heavy duty tube. Yeah I had em on the shelf ready to swap out but just didnt get around to em....so take me to court.

Tire went on actually pretty easy (knobs are sticky almost, and you can grab one and twist it.....sticky soft).

I added a 2d rim lock just cause of the low pressure I would be running.

Got it all together in record time for me... ?

WD-40 on the tire to set the bead and experianced what everyone told me about these tires.

go on easy enough and the bead has a mind of its own when it comes to seating. ?

4 times of cycling air in, reset, more WD and re inlfate....finally at 50psi she set onto the rim. wow.

Mounted her up....took the air pressure down to about 9 psi (didnt feel good about this at all.........) 9 psi ? ? ? ? ? ?

Oldest boy and I went out today for a run in Belfair. Its been raining for at least 48 hours and the trails were at best 50/50 water and trail...it was wet.

Lots of rocks, roots, and some nice mud thrown in for grins.

Riding away from the truck I noticed that the front end came up way easier than with the knobby rear.....had to be careful carrying across the puddles....visions of new rear fender with LED tail light kept flashing in my brain.......As the trail went on I quickly noticed that the rear end felt like the tire and trail were matched sets of velcro. The thing hooked up.

Slimy roots, wet rocks, off camber slots on the trails..........goodness this thing is incredible. It just wraps around stuff and hooks up regardless of what it is. I know the knobs wont clear out enough in deep sand or real deep mud, but the mud we were in today, I just hooked up like it was any other part of the trail. My son is running an S-12 in the rear and he was hooking up real well today as well, but he was sliding, like you do with a knobby rear.

He took my bike for a spin at a stop....and he almost had to replace the rear fender....and came back saying that the rear was sick. (whatever that means...teenagers). I followed him when he was on my bike up a wet, gooey, root infested nasty single track....when we stopped bout a 1/2 mile down the trail I told him that that was an awesome wheelie he rode all the way up the hill.....he didnt even know he did it. The rear end just hooked up and carried the X like it was perfect loam with no rocks.......

We hit some fireroads too, wanted to see how squirly the rear end was with only 9 psi.....only time I felt it a bit vague in the rear was well over 50mph, pushing it hard sliding around a scotty parker inspired wanna be corner, and even then it didnt squish enough to make you want to turn off the gas......

I aint up there much at all, spend my time in single track and roots......so if its a touch '"soft" over 50....I can do that for what I gain where and how I ride.

dont care what I rode up, over or through this radial tire hooked up better than ANY knob I have ever ridden off road. The S-12 is the tire around here in the single track, but this radial Trials tire has bumped it off the pedestal for me. Just have to be careful, cause you get traction all the time, the thing is goooooooooooooey sticky and hooks up and carries you forward. The dunlop 742f and this rear radial.......wow.....if you havent tried one, and dont run in deep sand or mud........its worth the $$$ in my book......never thought a tire could hook up like this off road like it did today......pretty sweet!

HR

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zmr

Posted
Posted

The thing is like velcro off road where I ride.Been doing some reading, checking reviews, talking to folks way faster than me (most every one ? ) and had three to choose from, the Dunlop D-801, IRC 11 Radial and the Michelin X11 Radial.

Shopthumpertalk had the IRCs and the Mich's available

?

Great to hear about your Trials Tire results. I 've have

heard similiar over the last yr from other single track

rider friends.

I was checking the ShopTT site, but could find neither

Mich or IRC's listed. I clicked on the Tires and Wheels

section. Are the IRC/Mich hidden somewhere else???

Is yours a Tubed or Tubeless type? I know the Mich is

avail either way-not sure about the IRC. Thought though

a special Tubless Rim is needed for the the Tubless version.

So maybe yours tubed...

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bianese

Posted
Posted

Hey, I have been riding trials for a number of years and I could not agree w/you more on the tire. People out of the trials scene don't have a clue how velcro like, as you put it, the trials tires are. I have to travel to ride trials, so I am forced to run S-12s here due to the deep sand and mud, but if I lived where there was rock, the rear would have a trials tire on my X. Dont expect the super stickys to last long as they are soft, but they will far outlast an S-12 in rocks and roots. You should also try a pair of trials boots. The soles are flexible and provide the give you need to articulate your body in very technical situations. You are definately on the right track. Clint

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Grand Master

Danceswithtrees

Posted
Posted

I've been runing trials tires for awhile now. Have an IRC on my X all summer and ran them on my Gas Gas. I'm the only one in our area that runs one and some think I'm nuts but it's like cheating. In the mountain they are unbelievable, I laugh at people spinning and flailing up rocky hills while I just crawl up no problem.

I think they work better just about anywhere. My only complaint is braking on a muddy trail. Oh, and I have almost 1000 miles on my current IRC and it's still fine. The knobs are cracked at the base and getting rounded and it's not as soft as it was new but it still works. Next year I'm going to try a Michelin.

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Grand Master

Hawaii-Rider

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Mine are the tube type.

Careful if you get a set of these, IRC and others make NON-RAIDAL ones, and they will not grip and perform like the radial tires do.

Model Tags off the tire is the

TR-011R

400R18

4PR

Call the folks at Shopthumpertalk,

or plug in this Thumpertalk part number

IRC-551

what was on my order

They are a bit more than a standard knobby in most cases, but as referenced from folks here and everyone else that runs em, they last a couple of seasons (where me with an S-12 I will run through two a year easy) so they are cheaper in the long run, kind of like running Sidewinder drive systems.

I checked my tire last night after the run in the rocks and stuff and it looked new.....holding up pretty well for the weight of the rider and bike on em.

HR

?

?

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smoker

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Posted

I literally just put on the 756. ? It has 0 miles.(0 miles, that's sad) However, the MMC riding area is all ledge!! Half the club members are trials guys. You need to be invited to ride there, but I know a few members. I will test it once I eat up the 756. I am sure it will work well there because you hardly get out of 3rd gear, and there is hardly any dirt.

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Grand Master

Hawaii-Rider

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Bret:

Sounds like an opportunity to call ShopTT.

110% Low Price Guarantee

If you find a lower price at any Internet retailer on a new identical item, just show us the lower price when you buy the item at ThumperTalk or within 10 days after your ThumperTalk purchase and we'll give you 110% of the difference.

The item must be in stock and available for purchase at that price from a company (excluding wholesale or membership clubs) with a physical store location in the U.S., who is authorized by the manufacturer to sell the product.

From the Shop TT Home page on their 110% price guarantee!

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Get it where you can save the most money is my rule!

HR

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Grand Master

GP

Posted
Posted

HR,

I thought you would like it ?

Several things to consider:

I have an X-11 thats been on and off my bike for over a year and its still good. Although the base of the knobs started to show cracks early, they have not progressed to the point of failure. I will be looking for a spare wheel to keep it mounted. I run a single, specially modified Motion Pro rimlock and a MSR HD tube at 6 to 8 PSI. Never got a flat.

In wet rocks, roots, any technical stuff it has no equal, IF there is something hard for it to grip. It doesn't matter if the mud is a foot deep, if there is rock on the bottom it will stick and pull. Bottomless mud and sand is not where you want to run the tire.

For local trail riding, where you have more of a choice in lines, and of course time, I run it all the time. For racing, you have to know the terrain, and take a gamble. I have found that it can be a huge advantage or the kiss of death (DEEP mud) depending on what the club throws at you in various sections. If I'm not sure, and it has rained, I'll play it safe and run a knobby.

Be smooth. If you ride like a maniac pinned and fanning the clutch, it will just spin. Its eaiser to stay hooked up so try to alter your style a bit if neccessary. On the 250Fs it probably works even better because the bike has less power than a harder hitting 2-stroke. Its awesome on the smooth power GG 2-strokes.

It will tend let go if leaned over hard in flat turns, like on grass tracks. Find a berm or lip to use if your running one. Generally, if conditions are good (dry, smooth) enough to allow fast agressive cornering, run a knobby.

In cold weather, effectivness seems degraded, probably from the stiffening of the compound. The tire works by adhesion of a large surface area, not digging.

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned yet but I find a big advantage is the ride is much more stable in nasty rocks due to the radial design. After long, tough rides I feel much less beat up running the X-11.

Bottom line is its a great tool to have available, just know its limitations, when and when not to use it. Hope this helps.

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mtbstuff

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Posted

I have to agree with GP on this.

I tried a Mich trials on my KTM 250 2 stroke and my YZ250F. While it worked great on rocks and roots(which we have a lot of in New England) and dry hardpack..it would just spin in mud,grass and sand.

I ended up going with a Pirelli MT16. It is a soft compound tire with soft side walls. It hooks up almost as good as a trials tire on rocks and roots...and is much better everywhere else.

F

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Grand Master

James_Dean

Posted
Posted

As the trail went on I quickly noticed that the rear end felt like the tire and trail were matched sets of velcro. The thing hooked up.

I'll second that perspective too, they REALLY do stay glued to the ground, having a Michelin trials tire on my CRF250R. I find the trials tire is a great match to the 250 thumper, because the bike likes to be ridden smoothly anyway. The tall and soft sidewall adds some cushion too. There may be a tradeoff in precision because the back end shifts left/right due to flex of the tire.

With more ride time I'll be interested to see if it's going to be a permanent choice.

James

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