Tires?

My used bike came with worn out stock tires and I mounted a set of Shinko 700's that also came with the bike. Now I am stuck on the gravel and road. What is a good 50/50 tire? I also need a good 30(street)/70(dirt) for a trip this summer.

What about tire height to gain more low end?

Any recomendations?

Thanks!

I think asking for a 50/50 tire is a bit much, I may be wrong.

I have Avon Distanzias. Supposed to be 90/10. I like them.

FNMAN wrote:

I also need a good 30(street)/70(dirt) for a trip this summer.
Thanks!

I've been very happy w/ a Kenda Trakmaster II rear (110/100-18 - lots lighter than the 120/100-18), and a Dunlop D952 front.

This combo is probably the most aggressive DIRT set-up that actually handles and wears very well on the street. Both the front and rear are considerably more aggressive than a D606, MT21, etc., and it shows in the really nasty stuff.

Obviously the front D952 is not DOT legal, but that never bothered me (how many times has a cop inspected your tire?? - and yes, I accept the risk in case of liability re: a crash "caused" by the front tire).

I really like the new D606's I spooned on a couple weeks ago.

I put 200 miles of street (in a single sitting) and about the same off road. They really hook up well and are DOT legal.

I have Avon Distanzias. Supposed to be 90/10. I like them.[/quote]

What size Distanzias are you running on your wr250r if you have an r.

i took off my stock trailwings at 600 miles. i can sell those if you want. you ever make it down to Tulsa,OK?

I feel I should say something about the Kenda 270.
Have ridden w/ them on KLR650s & other big bore scoots.
They will earn pretty good street miles. But really that will depend on your right hand.
I got over 5k miles on the KLR but that was mostly dirt/gravel & shale rock.

Recently put a set of 270s on my X & must say I really enjoy the bike in the dirt/sand & during one 4 day rough riding session in Big Bend, TX.

On the street they are very well mannered & predictable even during the rain.

Our wr is a lot lighter than the 650 scoots & these 270s are going to do very well both on & into the rough stuff.

If interested the size I am running is 4.60/17 & 5.10/17 w/ the thickest tubes I can find & at least 8 oz of Ride-On in each.

Should add, the tires are rather slippery when new so take it easy on the street for a good 100 miles.

I've got a few fronts I'm debating on trying when I get my new bike home. Stuck between the Dunlop MX31, MX51, Pirelli MT16 or MotoZ XCircuit I H/T fronts when I get the bike back. A pirelli MT-43 is for sure going on once I wear out the rear stocker.

skierd wrote:

I've got a few fronts I'm debating on trying when I get my new bike home. Stuck between the Dunlop MX31, MX51, Pirelli MT16 or MotoZ XCircuit I H/T fronts when I get the bike back. A pirelli MT-43 is for sure going on once I wear out the rear stocker.

I don't get the whole MT-43 rear thing. I bet it handles well on pavement and rocks but I have heard not so good in the mud and maybe not so good in the sand.

I have been looking at the Pirelli MT-16 for a while now. I think that I am going to pair it up with a rear Michelin T63 when I wear the stockers a little more.

Funny how things go full circle sometime.
Back in the stone age, dual-purpose bikes came with tires that everybody called trials tires and couldn't wait to get them off the bike. :)

My philosophy on tires is to have the tire that will do the job in the worst terrain you'll get into. If you never get into mud, sand, or technical rocky stuff, then DS or street tires will be adequate. But if i might be getting into more difficult terrain, i'd rather have a set of good knobbies. The knobbies will do ok on pavement, but street tires don't do well in the gnarlier off road sections. If the worst terrain you'll encounter is gravel or graded dirt roads, then street tires would be adequate. So it really depends more on what kind of riding you expect to do. I rode my X with stock sm tires on a couple of easy forest roads & they were fine, as long as i took it easy. But i got knobbies on soon after, because i knew i'd be in more difficult off road riding.