The Tire Thread

cryptomundo wrote:

skierd wrote:

22.488, new D606's front and rear. Lets see how long these go, particularly the front. Also took time to repack the wheel bearings again. Reused the same rear tube (MSR HD), but replaced the front with a beefy bridgestone HD over the thin bikemaster.

Also, I noticed something scary when I took the Shinko front off...

Only on the left side, all the way around the tire. I have a feeling I was going to lose that part of the tire carcass soon. I figured the handling had gone a little wonky because of wear, turns out the tire was starting to chunk apart. M

i have a pair of shinko's waiting to go on the bike, now im a bit nervous .. i did notice the tires are heaps lighter than the 606's, and after seeing that picture, it seems much safer to stick with the 606's and keep looking for a different tire to try out. the shinko you have might be a one in a million, but i dont want to be the second in a million and find myself on the pavement testing out the armor

Great. Get rid of those defective Shinko's. How much do you what for them? I'll take them off you hands.

I think you missed something important. That shinko had 8,300 miles on it. Mostly all high speed highway, twisties, high speed dirt and gravel while loaded up for travel running probably too low on pressure for all day pavement traveling at 18psi because I got lazy in Alabama and never aired back up since I hit gravel there, in Arkansas, Oklahoma, back through Arkansas, and Kentucky before I decided to make a 2 day high speed slab trip home. Started off in the middle of winter with salt and snow. I didn't notice handling wonkiness until I was back in MD, so it probably started around 8100 miles. Old knobbies chunk and tear, its a fact of life.

If it happened at 83 miles, maybe be concerned but not really because hey bad tires happen occasionally, but at 8,300 miles of use, which is likely more than you have on your WR250R total, you're worrying too much.

Hey Skierd, chill out ......I'm trying to score some tires here. No need to tell him these great, uhh, I mean lousy tires..........

sorry mordicai, i didnt know what he put them through .. if it were 3k i might still be worried, but 8300 cross country seems to be good mileage .. still worries me a bit when looking at that picture but still looks like theyre keepers

Crypto I think you are going to love those tires. Don't let their inexpensive price fool you. I wouldn't give their quality a second thought.

Well, wolfy-mama is getting new skins next week. My Stoneaters have finally worn out at just over 4000 miles. I can probably get a bit more off the rear, but the front is pretty much shot; the wear on it within the last 600 miles has been really odd. Every third set of knobs has been worn right to the carcass. Upon mentioning this to the tire gurus, they said that 5 other riders who have that same tire have experienced the same thing. I can still ride it, although not 2-up because it bounces like a pogo stick up there. So, that being said, they didn't get the return the 606's gave me by about 3000 miles. Traction wise, they kicked the 606's ass. So, in hindsight, the 606 has the best return so far out of all the tires I've used over the years.

Hey Wolfy, What tires are you about to take off? Mitas ?

Yep, the Mitas C16/17's are coming off.

Well, the Mitas C16/17 Stoneaters have come off my trusty ride, and have been replaced with these:



Bring in the Pirelli Scorpion Pro's, apparently the most aggressive DOT knobby on the market. These things are pretty aggressive, I agree. The compound is hard, so I'm hoping to get a good return from these.
First off, they were a bitch to mount. The carcass is like iron. I thought the 606's were tight...wow. Once mounted they looked pretty mean. But...they DO NOT like high air pressure! I figured I'd try them out at 30 on the front and 33 on the back. Yeaaaaaaah...NO. They were really squirrely, especially at the lower end of the spectrum. Anything up to 45 mph it wandered, especially when you hit cracks and uneven pavement. Above that it leveled out but I could still feel the rear walking a bit. So I pulled over and let some air out, basically where I normally run tires. 22 up front, 18 on the back. What a vast improvement! The tires tracked very well, hugged the pavement and held the corners. No squirming at all. Took it up to speed and then pushed it from 60 up to 85. Not a wiggle, squiggle or vibration. I was wondering if I was going to experience any wobble or head shake, but there was nothing of the sort.
Offroad...all I'm gonna say is it's the next best thing to an orgasm.

Anyone try to run the new Kenda Big Block 140-80-18 on the rear wheel?

http://www.kendausa.com/en/home/motorcycle/dual-sport/big-block.aspx

I am speculating it is too wide and will rub the chain....

TIA

Hi All. These new Mitas C16/C17 are the cat's meow!!! The traction is awesome. Really nice in the corners in sandy stuff, nice clearning tire in the mud, plus I only paid $160 Can for both, delivered taxes, etc all in. They're noisier and a bit less stable
on the highway than the TW's . I do a fair bit of local trail riding so the improvement on the dirt totally outweighs the slight drop in road performance. Thanx for the testimonial SheWolf.

No worries. I like to test stuff out all the time.

SheWolf

Whats your verdict on the Pirelli on the dirt compared to the Mitas?

I am currently rolling with MT21s on the WRR(i kinda like them * way better than the Deathwings) -- Should I go with the Mitas? Can I get away with just changing the rear MT21 with a Mitas (or will I kill myself because they are two different brands?). Are the Mitas really good in Soft Sand like in Moab? If not, what tire would be the best for a combination of Moab's Slick rock & sand at the same time??? Please HALLLP!!! thanks guys, Horsman

My current R rear tire is a Michelin T-63 130-80-18. I got 4500+ miles on it now. Great mileage and does well except mud.

T-63 is also available in OEM size 120-80-18.

Considering buying another one, but not sure which size.

Anyone try both sizes and have a recommendation?

TIA

Anyone try running a Dunlop D908RR Dual Sport Rear Tire-140-80-18?

TIA

I have been reading over the tire thread and was planning on going with the c16 combo shewolf was using for her shootout. I currently have deathwings and have been riding more and more dirt lately, at most I ride an hour (rarely two) max on twisty highway (think Squamish - Pemberton) to trails. thing is, I called the shop to order and they said..... "you dont want those... you want the c18, the c16 is too hard" and "consider a c19 or 21 for the front"

I want a tire that is fun in the dirt and still fun/safe in the twisties up to 70/80kph. don't really care if it lasts a long time I don't clock a lot of kms. I know that I have to compromise to have a tire that does both dirt and street.

comments on the c18 or a solid suggestion of another tire?
for use in the vancouver/squamish/whistler rainy climate.

thanx

I just recieved yesterday a 140 Heidenau Scout. Looks fabulous and I've read great things about it.

I just ordered a new set of D606 tires from RockyMountainATV.com

Cost was just under $170 for the pair. My current set has lasted quite well considering the abuse (and asphalt) they get. There's still some meat left on them, but I expect to burn them off in the next few weeks... I like having a new set on hand rather than waiting until I really need them.

I am a big fan of the T63 also, and have run through 3 sets on my DR650. These are awesome for the money ($63 each). I will probably use them on a Baja trip planned for next winter (for which I will take the WR).

I tried a Mita C-17. Looked like a great tire, but wore out in a weird way with the center knobs wearing down to nothing every other 3-4 knob. I will not buy this tire again.

After much....much.....(seriously I can't put this into words).....much deliberation, I chose Scorpion XCMS front and rear. It was Scorpion Pro, Scorpion XCMS, or Mitas C17 red stripe front and XT-754 rear. Sizes I was all over the place. I'm still searching for the perfect gear ratio/tire size combo. I'm a bit bummed that I didn't go with the Mitas as the local supplier here in BC supports our DSBC club quite strongly. But, in the end, DOT, price and history with my Pirelli MT-21's were the determining factors. Big shout out to MX1 Canada for their support and information even though I chose otherwise this time around. I'll likely give the Mitas a shake next time around for comparison.

I'm currently running 90/90 front MT-21 and 130/90 rear MT-21. It's been a good combo for a full season. The rear is probably about 50% and I noticed hookup wasn't as good now that we're entering the monsoon season here in BC. I plan to keep these tires and put them on again when the Scorpions wear out in the summertime. Then new mud eaters again next fall.

So I bought front Scorpion XCMS 80/100-21 and rear Scorpion XCMS 120/80-18. Sadly it's about $80 less than buying here in Canada. I don't want to get into a discussion on x-border shopping 'cause I'm dependant on Canadian mfg, but in some cases I cross to the dark side.

I've been running a 12t front sprocket for a year and recently added a 47t rear sprocket. It's a pretty big change - maybe too much, we'll see. Currently I'm thinking 13t front, 47t rear, and a 110/90 rear tire would be the magic spot, but we'll see. I've only had one ride on the lower gear ratio so it'll take a little getting used to. Three days of mud riding this weekend in Chilliwack coming up so we'll see what the prognosis is. Hopefully the tires make it in time...... Pics of the mount up and ensuing ride coming - stay tuned.

Just an fyi incase it matters the xcms rear is NOT DOT like the matching front is, all pirelli front tires are DOT but only some rears are.

Im curruntly running a 110/100 mt16 rear its huge and not DOT but does it ever hook up in the nasty stuff:thumb: , I have 13-50 gearing, I liked it with a tiny rear tire (100/100 tm2) but it feels tall offroad with the big mt16.

New tires are always good - but these were just flat out awesome. I was using probably 1/2 the energy compared to before. Always hooked up and could just tractor my way up the gnar....

Hey all,

I switched to Distanza's a few weeks ago so I wouldn't chew up my MT21/D606's during my 60 mile daily commute. The Distanza's are a great road tire. My little WRR feels almost like a road bike.

But...then I took them to Sam Houston National Forest. I was teaching my 14-year-old son to ride his first motorcycle (a KLX140L). I figured I wouldn't need dirt tires since my son wouldn't get too gnarly on his first lesson and the Distanzas would do fine for light trail riding. I was wrong on both counts.

On the plus side, my son was a natural. He's in love with his new bike (which he has been saving towards for the last two years). He quickly graduated from dirt roads and wanted to ride the sandy single track.

The Distanzias were fine on the dirt roads, but the single track was clearly beyond their design. I washed out and dropped it, breaking my clutch perch in the process. Dang. I need a new set of rims so I can swap out quickly.

SheWolf wrote:

All I can say is wow...  Dunlop's got a fierce competitor with this tire!  StoneEaters are mounted on the bike, and I'm trying something new called DynaBeads.  They're tiny ceramic bead that go inside the tube or tire instead of using rim weights and are more friendly.  
I took the bike out for a rip up to the local MX track to see how these new meats fare against the 606's.  Both tires I've got 18 psi, to make a fair comparison on both sets of tires from new, both on and offroad with the same pressure.  On the pavement there, the tires are very stable and amazingly quieter than the 606 considering the ginormous knobbies on them.  Cornering was tight and smooth, no squirminess and a decent side rail.  I managed to wear off the tits on the outside knobs on both tires.  Off pavement I was immediately impressed with the hookup; not just with the rear but the front.  Cornering on loose gravel they bit right in and held true, where the 606 seemed to like to wander a bit.  Once at the track, I started to play around with them a bit.  First I hit the sand because that was the first thing I came to.  DAYUM!  No comparison in traction, the StoneEater front connected hard and stuck all the way thru the carve.  I would have been eating sand had I done that with the 606 up front, even with less air.  The rear was flinging stuff over my head.  On to the loose loam.  Again, the front cut in hard and held the cornering with no feel of washout.  I hit a few wet roots and rocks but they bit in and over.  There was a decent sized mud hole at the far end so I attacked that like a rabid dog.  Incredible cleaning capability!  I had mud chunks raining all over me and those big knobs pulled me right thru to the other side.  I didn't have to fight the steering at all.  6 more runs thru it and I decided that it now needs to rain more.  Across the road to the other side where there are some decent granite rock faces that terrace up in a few spots, which was a nice test to go up, stop, continue up and then onto a tight needle, bark and rock littered trail to the top.  They stuck.  Like glue.  No slippage anywhere thru the whole ascent to the top.  I'm thinking those little depressions in the tread are like suction cups because they sure weren't trying to let loose.  I had the 606 break loose a few times going up rock faces but they did grab after a bit and keep going.  
So I guess all that I have left to compare after this is wear life, and wet pavement.  The 606 will be hard to beat, but I guess we'll see in another 5000 miles or so. If someone has anything they would like for me to test with this tire, feel free to shoot.  

So, the comparison so far on a scale of 1 - 10, with 10 being excellent):

Sand:
606 rear: 8
606 front: 5
C16 rear: 9
C17 front: 8

Loose gravel:
606 rear: 10
606 front: 6
C16 rear: 10
C17 front: 9

Loam:
606 rear: 10
606 front: 7
C16 rear: 10
C17 front: 9

Rock:
606 rear: 8
606 front: 7
C16 rear: 10
C17 front: 9

Mud:
606 rear: 8
606 front: 7
C16 rear: 10
C17 front: 9

Roots:
606 rear: 7
606 front: 6
C16 rear: 9
C17 front: 8

Pavement (dry):
606 rear: 10
606 front: 10
C16 rear: 10
C17 front: 10

Cornering (dry):
606 rear: 10
606 front: 10
C16 rear: 10
C17 front: 10

So far me likey.  Now I have to go wash off my lid and my face from all the mud.

Thanks for the review on these tires! I need new tires and I found the 606s for $170 shipped, however since I can't find the stone eaters in the usa I have to order them from canada. Mx1 canada has them for $220 shipped.

Anyone that's used them, are they worth the extra $50? And are these prices comparable to what you've seen elsewhere or are my prices above average?

Thanks

-Josh