Better front tire than Dunlop 756?? PA riding

[stlavsa]

I currently run a d756 front tire (coupled to a 952 rear which I LOVE) and I looking to see what else you guys are running for a woods tire here in the Pennsylvania woods.

I switched from the D742 stocker that was up front a few years ago and have been using the 756 because it was such a VAST improvement for the terrain here. I am very happy with the 756, I think it is a great all around tire, and works OK in the mud, but not spectacular. (Being self-cleaning and handling muddy situations is important to me in a tire)

I could go for a front tire like the s12 or something that looks like it would do great in the mud but i feel like it would be as good all around as the D756 is.

Terrain here is: Hills, Mountains, Mud, Roots, Rocks, Dry hardpack, Grass, Gravel, and ash (from slate dumps). Rarely to I run into any Loamy Soil, not alot of clay either , but it does show up at times, usually around excavated areas, and man-made roads in the middle of no where.

[OldeDude]

I've never ridden in PA, but your description sounds just like places I have ridden. I like the Michelin M12 for an all around front tire myself. I've had good luck with a few other fronts too, but the M12 is my favorite, especially for conditions like you desribed.

[bg10459]

I like the MT16 front, but the 752 on my YZ is working really well in a lot of conditions. I rode Lost Trails (really rocky) on Sunday, frequently ride MX, and rode Tower City (more rocks) last year. Still not one broken knob, which is more than I can say for an MT83 and an S12 (similar patterns) in the same conditions.

For the back tire, I also like the MT16, but the MXMS on my YZ provided excellent traction and showed almost no wear after 3 track days and it's first rock run on Sunday. I chunked a bunch of knobs on an M5B after one day at Tower City and Maxxis IT's are durable, but don't really work well (even 739's work better).

[stlavsa]

I think im definately sticking with the 952 rears, I love them.

back to front tires tho, I have heard alot of good things about the mt16, not much about m12, (all buddies run s-12s front and rear, but we get dry spells here in july august so it doesnt make sense to run them then.)

How do these tires fair in mud, around here the mindstate is generally get a good tire for mud and make it work for the other stuff. When we do ride in mud here it sucks, and I see the reasoning, but its not always completely necessary. Its important for a tire to work well in mud for me, but i'd like to lean towards a mud/soft terrain tire that is capable in other areas that I described.

Thanks for the input so far

[stlavsa]

Liking the looks of this tire:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/29/391/19522/ITEM/Dunlop-MX51-Geomax-Intermediate-Front-Tire.aspx

[bg10459]

Sorry, it's the S12 that is similar to the MT83 and that was what my friend chunked. I killed the MT83 in the rocks, but it worked well for 3 AGP races at NA Warhorse. The MT16 is better in the rocks, but not as good as the MT83 in mud. I'm really liking this 752, though, which is similar to the 952.

[stlavsa]

I'll see if I can find the 752 to look at im sure I can atleast find the pics... do they still make them?

Edit: my buddies just run reg s12's up front.. but this S12 XC looks pretty damn sweet. Its a soft-intermediate tire (what im looking for) designed for mud evacuation and new longer lasting compound supposed to resist chunking.

[bg10459]

I'm not sure the 752 is available anymore. The 952 was modelled after it, but supposedly more durable.

[Mr. Epeen]

For all of the different terrain I have encountered here in PA, the Pirelli Scorpion Pro on the front is my favorite. I run a mt16 on the rear. IMO, best setup for PA offroad riding. The scorpion pro holds up well and provides good traction.

[jonahrei]

I've never ridden in PA, but your description sounds just like places I have ridden. I like the Michelin M12 for an all around front tire myself. I've had good luck with a few other fronts too, but the M12 is my favorite, especially for conditions like you desribed.

+1 M12:thumbsup:

[stlavsa]

For all of the different terrain I have encountered here in PA, the Pirelli Scorpion Pro on the front is my favorite. I run a mt16 on the rear. IMO, best setup for PA offroad riding. The scorpion pro holds up well and provides good traction.

What other tires have you tried that you can compare it to? I appreciate all this input I am just trying to see what others u have tried and maybe I have ran them and can compare.

I honestly havent tried alot of fronts lately, I have been running the 756s and loving them so havent switched.. just wondering if theres anything better. YOu ever ran the 756 by chance? Its a great tire I could use something that lasts longer. The edges wear quickly on the 756s. It also gets brake wear relatively quickly, but the handling is phenomenal.

[milk]

i'm going with what my buddy runs on his ktm which is a bridgestone m59. it seems like it's holding up well and he seemed to like it. i've ran trackmaster II's on my 650 and they were actually pretty good. but since i traded for this drz250 it has the stock 739's on it and they're way too hard for what we ride. i loose trackion over even the smallest of sticks if they're wet, it's pretty ridiculous so the front is the first one to go. now for a rear i'm not sure what to try yet. see my 650 had a 17 rear wheel so i was pretty limited but now this 250 has the standard 18 and i have so many more choices that i've been kinda looking around myself. but i can tell you as soon as the dry summer gets here and everything is dusty and rocky and dry i'm throwing on a trials tire:thumbsup:

[stlavsa]

I have a 19 inch rear so trials tire is no good for me.. Where im at it gets really dry and dusty too for the most part, but if we get a rainy weeked then that tire will be useless. There always seems to be some mud pits no matter what time of year too.

If your in the rocks or the real dry stuff tho im sure its great, it would probably be nice for the road riding i have to do from time to time aswell. I like a rear tire that will break loose though, just needs to be predictable, and work in all conditions. D952 fits my bill perfect. Its the front i want to experiment with.

[hoagie356]

Mt 16. Where are you at in Pa?

[stlavsa]

southwesternish

[MaddogYZ]

The MT83 (Scorpion Pro) works really well in the dirt and mud but has chunked a lot from riding in the rocks. I've never seen a front tire chunk like this before. I've run the Michlein Starcross MS3 in the front before and is very good in the softer muddier terrain and it didin't chunk in the rocks. You should try it its really good.

I'm going back to it since the pirelli is scary in the mud with the knobs ripped off on the side. Thats with only about 30 ashpalt miles and about 600 trail miles on it.

[milk]

stlavsa i ride around blair, cambria, and clearfield counties and there's always mud somewhere you're right. but i've heard too many good things about a trials tire to not try one when it gets dry. we have hardpack, rocks, roots, mud, creeks, everything but any nice loamy soil lol so when it gets dry here i think it should do pretty well. i'm not opposed to change a tire if it's going to be rainy for a while or something either.

right now though it's pretty sloppy all around. went riding on sunday and it was drizzling for the most part of the day. needless to say i had a couple bad wrecks that day. one was going down a steep rocky but kinda fast section. a big loose rock kicked up under the bike and sent me on my face lol. the other was minutes after that going through a fast double track section i came across a log in the trail which is usually no problem but it was wet and at a diagonal and as soon as my front tire got on it i slide out pretty bad. i was going along pretty good. took the wind out of my sails for the day to say the least but my front is unbelievably slippy on anything wet. i'll let you know how the m59 does

[stlavsa]

wow yah, I rode on sunday it was sloppy thats for sure, but the semi-worn 756 didnt do bad at all, I didnt go down at all and we were ripping on some new terrain I wasnt familiar with. I agree that the trials tire would be good for most circumstances around here, especially if your one of those guys who goes a gear high and goes for 100% traction. It would probably be great for that in the summer months, I hear ya on the no loam. Its all just hard pack.

[milk]

hey listen not to knock thumpertalk store(sorry) but bikebandit has the bridgestone m59's for $56.90 compared to about $90 ish on here...

[Mr. Epeen]

What other tires have you tried that you can compare it to? I appreciate all this input I am just trying to see what others u have tried and maybe I have ran them and can compare.

I honestly havent tried alot of fronts lately, I have been running the 756s and loving them so havent switched.. just wondering if theres anything better. YOu ever ran the 756 by chance? Its a great tire I could use something that lasts longer. The edges wear quickly on the 756s. It also gets brake wear relatively quickly, but the handling is phenomenal.

I've run the 756 in the rear but not up front. I have run teh 952 in front, the Bridgestone M59, and Michelin s12. I liked the S12 a lot, it handles very well. The Pirelli is very comparable to the Michelin as far as performance and is a little cheaper dollar wise. I have had no problems with the Pirelli fronts chunking at all. The rears are a different story but, that has happened with other brands as well. For PA trails, Scorpion Pro is a good bet and has not given me a reason to switch.