Jump to content

Dwight and others.. what tires do you recommend??

 Share

Recommended Posts

Proficient

whiskey wheelie

Posted
Posted

What tires does everyone run and love for offroad... hardpack and some rocky trails here in N. CA. I've been running the Bridgestone 404 and 403, but am tossed on that front... think there might be better options out there judging from the rounded wear on the knobs and ripping of the side wall knobs. I used to run michilin which I really liked MS3's and MH'3's but always felt the front was a little narrow. Any suggestions I'd love to hear them...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grand Master

Ttoks

Posted
Posted

the 403/404 is an intermediate tire, basicly for people who run a mix of hard and soft terain, which is why your ripping knobs off of them in hard terain, if you run solely or mostly on hardpack and rocks maybe try a 604/603 (which are a hard terain tire), prehaps a dunlop geomax MX71 front/rear as well might be the go, i'm a fan of the 31 and 51's.

however i'm currently running pirelli scorpien's (extra's since i ride a mix of sand and hardpack clay/rocks)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Proficient

racemx904

Posted
Posted

I always ran 756's out there...just like the overall traction and such..they are hard to find now...I have been using MX51's now....the 403/404 tires arent to bad I just was never sold on them for some reason...presonally I stayed away from the 603/604 cause they sucked in the sand and softer stuff...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Proficient

whiskey wheelie

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I tried the scorpion... wasnt a bad tire but didnt hook up as good as the 404. Also, the nobbies ripped off on that tire too. Tried the maxis it front and rear once... I thought the ride was much rougher and the front tended to want to slide out... the back wasnt bad but not my favorite. I saw those geomaxes had a decent rating but some people complained about the nobbs ripping off them too... how do the scorpion fronts work? or do they even offer one?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grand Master

Ttoks

Posted
Posted
I tried the scorpion... wasnt a bad tire but didnt hook up as good as the 404. Also, the nobbies ripped off on that tire too. Tried the maxis it front and rear once... I thought the ride was much rougher and the front tended to want to slide out... the back wasnt bad but not my favorite. I saw those geomaxes had a decent rating but some people complained about the nobbs ripping off them too... how do the scorpion fronts work? or do they even offer one?

exactly what scorpian did you try, theres a soft (mud/deep sand), mid/soft, extra (which is the internediate), mid/hard and hard terain scorpians, if you were using a soft terain tire on hardpack and rocks then theres no wonder you were ripping knobs off and it wasn't hooking up very well, soft terain tires have tall, widly apced knobs made of hard compound rubber so they can scoop the soft dirt similar to a paddle and so that mud doesnt build up between the knobs (think slicks), while hard terain tires have shorter, more closely spaced knobs made of softer compound rubber so that they can grip the hard surface like a road tire does on tarmac, when you run a soft terain tire on hardpack the knob's roll over because they're so tall, and because the rubber is a hard compund this causes the knobs to tear off, and if you run a hard terain tire in soft terain, the can't scoop the surface away and clog up.

the 404/403, dunlop geomax mx51 and 756 and michy S12XC are all soft/intermediate tires, they're not meant to be ridden in hardpack and rocks, the pirelli scorpian extra and IT is more in the middle, more suited to hard back but will still chunk if you run them in rocks.

hence why i said before, try a harder terain tire like the IT desert, scorpian mid/hard, geomax mx71 or a bridgy 604/603, these are hard terain tires and won't chunk like the more popular tires will, and will grip well in hardpack and rock, but they will be dog poor in sand or anything soft.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Proficient

whiskey wheelie

Posted
  • Author
Posted
exactly what scorpian did you try, theres a soft (mud/deep sand), mid/soft, extra (which is the internediate), mid/hard and hard terain scorpians, if you were using a soft terain tire on hardpack and rocks then theres no wonder you were ripping knobs off and it wasn't hooking up very well, soft terain tires have tall, widly apced knobs made of hard compound rubber so they can scoop the soft dirt similar to a paddle and so that mud doesnt build up between the knobs (think slicks), while hard terain tires have shorter, more closely spaced knobs made of softer compound rubber so that they can grip the hard surface like a road tire does on tarmac, when you run a soft terain tire on hardpack the knob's roll over because they're so tall, and because the rubber is a hard compund this causes the knobs to tear off, and if you run a hard terain tire in soft terain, the can't scoop the surface away and clog up.

the 404/403, dunlop geomax mx51 and 756 and michy S12XC are all soft/intermediate tires, they're not meant to be ridden in hardpack and rocks, the pirelli scorpian extra and IT is more in the middle, more suited to hard back but will still chunk if you run them in rocks.

hence why i said before, try a harder terain tire like the IT desert, scorpian mid/hard, geomax mx71 or a bridgy 604/603, these are hard terain tires and won't chunk like the more popular tires will, and will grip well in hardpack and rock, but they will be dog poor in sand or anything soft.

I was running the scorpion 454 which I believe is intermediate. Eric DuCrey insisted I try it... again not a bad tire but there were little cracks around each nobb... it worked great and lasted forever but like i said... a few of the nobbs would eventually rip off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Experienced

meyer1son

Posted
Posted
what do you run in the front dwight? see my issue is i ride some mx, but mostely fairly hard terrain tires here in n. ca. I just dont want to deal with front end wash outs like the Maxxis IT front gave me years ago...

Yeah the Maxxis IT front is not very good IMO. I do ride in NorCal mainly at Carnegie. Very rocky and dusty in the summer. And you can't go wrong with the Pirelli Scorpion Pro front tire. IMO it grips all day long with no wash out problems.

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Experienced

MaddogYZ

Posted
Posted

I ride in farily rocky hardpack conditions when things get baked out in the summer and the M12XC front has been the best tire I've ever used, it hooks up in mud or dry. I never cared for the M12 rear and love MT16 for the drier conditions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mentor

Red Dog

Posted
Posted

Dry hard packed ground, rocks, and hard packed ground with a loose top coat is all that we have here in my part of Arizona. The absolute best front tire that I have used is the Dunlop 745 90/100 x 21 (not the 80/100). It sticks well, is predictable in how it works, and is very durable. I recently read that it is the main front tire that Destry Abbot uses for this type of terrain. With his record and abilities, it's safe to say he knows a thing or two about what works.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Proficient

jeepspd1234

Posted
Posted

Allright, I am just going to say it. Dwight does not agree but you really owe it to yourself to try a trials tire. I know some people do not like them, but I don't believe most have actually tried them. 95% of the time they work better than a knobby. I live in northern cal also, and in the middle of summer when the ground is like concrete with dust on top I can climb stuff that there is no way I could with a knobby. I have ridden with a competitive b rider who is better than me and out of pride would never try a trials. In good conditions he can outclimb me easily. He won't ride with me in the summer when traction is bad. He has plenty of excuses but the truth is he cant hang on the climbs. I ride trails for fun, and a trials makes it more fun to ride. It stays on my bike year round now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grand Master

NorCal

Posted
Posted
Allright, I am just going to say it. Dwight does not agree but you really owe it to yourself to try a trials tire. I know some people do not like them, but I don't believe most have actually tried them. 95% of the time they work better than a knobby. I live in northern cal also, and in the middle of summer when the ground is like concrete with dust on top I can climb stuff that there is no way I could with a knobby. I have ridden with a competitive b rider who is better than me and out of pride would never try a trials. In good conditions he can outclimb me easily. He won't ride with me in the summer when traction is bad. He has plenty of excuses but the truth is he cant hang on the climbs. I ride trails for fun, and a trials makes it more fun to ride. It stays on my bike year round now.

I hear those trials tires really work well on motocross tracks, too. That's the only tire I will run at Hangtown.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grand Master

NorCal

Posted
Posted
Trials tire 95% of the time? Do you mean 95% of the time on Trials or trails? I'd sure hope you just cant spell... :banana: jk.

You read it right. Trials tires not only are superior on trails, but they work exceptional on the track, too. I see a lot of guys with KTMs use them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Grand Master

Ttoks

Posted
Posted
You read it right. Trials tires not only are superior on trails, but they work exceptional on the track, too. I see a lot of guys with KTMs use them.

i dissagre, trials tired work well for instances where you want no slippage on the rear whell, however they offer stuff all in the way of predicatability in the grip to slip transision and poor stability at speed due to they're soft sidewall's, both are poor atributes for MX, evan offroad, 90% of the time if it really is that hardpack then a little slide from the rear wheel will help you turn.

in other words what i'm saying is strait line traction = trials tire good:thumbsup: turn's with any hint of speed = trials tires bad :banana:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Proficient

jeepspd1234

Posted
Posted

Sorry for the confusion, I don't ride mx and from what I have read and what I would GUESS they would not be great for moto. I prefer to try to only give opinions on setups that I have actually tried, so I will leave the speculation to someone else. The 95% comment was "95% of the time they work better than a knobby." I guess I was somehow unclear. I do not own a trials bike or ride trials. I ride year round in northern/central California. Wet or dry ,soft or hard I have found through personal experience that 95% of the time the trials tire works better for me. The only times where it seems like you give up a little is in soft loamy conditions or damp sandy conditions where a knobby can really dig in. Even here it gives up very little. And just to really buck general "wisdom" it also works better in the mud.:banana:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Reply with:

ThumperTalk

Register a new account Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...
Terms of Use
Copyright
Privacy Policy