R wheels on an X, which tires for dirt & mud?

I'm getting R wheels for my X, and planning 4 day ADV forum ride (see 'Ontario Ride 2012'.)
There should be dirt, sand, water crossings and mud, and maybe rock too.
The tires will be used 80 - 90 % off pavement.

I want good traction for the above. I don't care that much about longevity, but they should last through a 2,000 km extended weekend (last meaning still work OK in dirt & mud.)

Suggestions?

I might have some Dunlop 606's with less than 100kms on them for sale. I''m coming to the realization that whenever I mount up the dirt wheels on my X, I need every bit of traction I can in the sandy enduro trails around here and I'm thinking about going to non-DOT motocross tires.

I also have a set of like new stock BT090's than came OEM with my X. I'll let both sets go for a special package price.

Chrispy1200 wrote:

I might have some Dunlop 606's with less than 100kms on them for sale. I''m coming to the realization that whenever I mount up the dirt wheels on my X, I need every bit of traction I can in the sandy enduro trails around here and I'm thinking about going to non-DOT motocross tires.

I also have a set of like new stock BT090's than came OEM with my X. I'll let both sets go for a special package price.

If I was going to the Montreal bike show this year (can't, busy that weekend), I might buy your 606 for the right price.

As for the BT090, I hated the profile of those tires - ran out of edge on the rear tire way too early. I might put a new set of BT090 on again, if they were new *and* free. Maybe.

Have you signed up for the Ontario Ride 2012 on ADV? At least half of it (it's a 4 day ride) will be in QC, likely more like 75%. It starts somewhere near Ottawa.

Not sure I have range for that run. I'll watch the thread to see how it progresses, looks like a sizeable group already.

The 606s are great all around, and I think they are popular because they are durable. If you don't care about longevity there are much much better tires out there, at least for the front.

I have 606s on my R set, and had them on my DRZ. If I ever wear out the 606s I am going to try out the Pirelli Scorpion All Pro Front. The 606 rear is pretty hard to beat for its longevity. On a more top heavy bike like the DRZ the front washed out a bit in a variety of situations. Running them at 15 psi, or less with rimlock, made a big difference. Even still, on slicker terrain the front got a little sketchy. I am sure the weight of the bike and rider had something to do with it too, but by all accounts I have read, there are better fronts out there.


I am planning on doing that ride too with a few buddies from this area (southeast PA). Not sure which bike though, the KLR685 might be a little more comfy for the super long days on gravel roads. If the WR, I'll just use the 606s. If the KLR, it will have Michelin T63s.

For what you are describing I think you would like the Trackmaster II in back and the Dunlop 952 in front. I went with this after several good reviews of the combo and have been very happy with it as a non-bluegroove wet to intermediate setup. The rear is DOT legal the front is not, but rides great on road also.

D606 rear I found ok, but I hated the front D606 in wet conditions.