Best D.O.T. Approved Knobby

[ssevans]

I live in a very sandy area (no mud) and I an running a mt 21 front and a dunlop 908RR rear. I really like the mt21, it has very good grip, but it wears kinda funny mine is cupped out real bad after 1000 miles. the 908RR well i just don't know what to think of it?? great on road, great in a straight line and kinda loose in the corners. It is toast after 1000 miles.(But i am hard on tires) so I to am looking at options. Michelin Baja any one?

[Greenblazer-AZ]

I commute 42 miles of pavement a day(5 days) on my DRZ400 Kicker(off road model), plus I ride in sand washes, dirt and rocks off road. Mud is not common in Aridzona. I've gone through quite a few tire changes(over 24,000 Miles). Both MT21's and D606's. I've not been able to tell much of a difference in how they last. I've had serious cupping with both fronts because I've always been a front brake kinda guy. I also have tried a slight used Michelin Desert front it cupped out faster than I expected. Right now I'm running a Metzler MC4(non DOT) on the front. I have dramatically reduced my front brake use, and it has so far been holding up surprisingly well to my use, and works well off road. I plan to try the Terraflex rear next. Many people don't like the 606 front in the sand, but I think for slow riding in the sand it's better than the MT21. It seems to float at lower speed better. I don't like going fast in the sand washes around here because of burried rocks. I tend to get left behind in sand washes around here because I seem to crash when I go fast in the sand. It's a weak spot for me. I do not ride hard on the street because pavement chews knobbies fast. It seems to me that there is probably no tire made that will hold up to the way I use them. I think I need an extra set of wheels so I can have street tires on one set, and dirt tires on the other.

Later,

Allan Greenblazer

[spidennis]

I know what you mean about sand being a weak spot in riding .... I live at the beach and still have trouble in the deep rutted truck tracks and usually ride another part, away from the ruts, though this does nothing for me getting better at it ....... my kenda trackmasters do jsut fine btw, gettin' another set soon, after a year on my first set. My fronts have some cupping too, but I'm guessing it's because I've been running such low tire pressures when I'm on pavement? (under 12-14)

[GregM21]

I have about 2,000 miles on a set of Dunlop D606's (front and rear). They have held up well on pavement. But they do not perform well in mud even when new. As long as the ground is dry and hard, traction is pretty good.

[Patster]

Check out the metzlers that come stock on the 2007 ktm exc's

very agressive and dot approved

I too am impressed with those. I used to run the non-DOT M-12/S-12 combo on my DRZ after trying various DOT tires and not liking them. I just got the KTM and had it out in the desert for the first time last week and was quite impressed with those tires. Of course, the KTM will naturally handle better than the DRZ anyway, but those tires were still pretty good for DOT.

Of course, when I buy new ones I'll probaby go non-DOT, anyways.

[defsailor]

Other than law enforcement issues the only other problem I see is an insurance company not paying a claim due to "illegal or modified equipment". If you ride the pavement in the peoples republic of California you must have insurance. Any experiences to share? I'm going for the teraflex rear and can't make a decision regarding the front on my ATK 605. I want dot and best performance for 90% desert.

[grreatdog]

I have run a lot of non-DOT knobbies on the street. The big difference I see is tread compound. The non-DOT knobbies would scare the beejezuz out of you on wet asphalt. Even A/C drips at stoplights are an adventure. I won't do it now that I ride a big bike.

If all you do is connect trails, then I say go for what works best offroad. Chances are good that you will need the tires to bail you off road rather than on road. But, if you are a street and trail rider, then IMO it isn't the best idea. DOT knobbies in the dirt are less of a compromise than non-DOT knobbies are on the street. And the street is way more likely to kill or injure you.

As for insurance, the worst case scenario would be the insurance company not assigning blame to some cage driver that takes you out because you are riding an illegally equiped vehicle. No small deal to me these days. We have had three vehicles totaled in three years from idiots crashing us. And life is much better when the other person sucks up 100% of the liability.

[XR650L_Dave]

Other than law enforcement issues the only other problem I see is an insurance company not paying a claim due to "illegal or modified equipment". If you ride the pavement in the peoples republic of California you must have insurance. Any experiences to share? I'm going for the teraflex rear and can't make a decision regarding the front on my ATK 605. I want dot and best performance for 90% desert.

Almost all the pirelli fronts are FIM/DOT.

Dave

[klx 400]

si, dunlop 606

[milje]

Almost all the pirelli fronts are FIM/DOT.

Dave

I think ALL of them are actually.

FWIW, I just ordered a MT16 rear (non DOT, but you can get this same offer with a MT18, the HD version of which is DOT) and through a promotion through Pirelli got a Scorpion Pro front for free ($15 shipping). Look in the Off-Road Riding Tech forum under "MT32 on closeout", there's a link in there for the promotion. Scorpion Pro rear also counts for the tire that you could purchase and get a front one free.

[SMWRF88]

I used the AC10's on my WR250F with a Baja Design kit. The hooked up great in the mud and hold up OK on the road. I like them.

[spidennis]

got pics of your bike SMWRF88? i got a wr250f as well ..... though it didn't need much to be tagged here in texas .....

[Trail_Ryder]

Kenda TrackmasterII K760, they are street legal, really!

The Trakmaster II Rear is good, the Trakmaster II Front is scary.

The best DOT combo I've found after 10+ years of trial and error is:

Front: Pirelli Scorpion Pro (a.k.a. MT83)

Rear: Kenda Trakmaster II