The Tire Thread

Who needs pornography when we can just hand you a keyboard

Sounds like I need me some new tires!

SheWolf wrote:

My driveway needs to be graded. Those tires hook up and dig right in; that's where I noticed the biggest difference between this and the 606. The 606 was great in mud. This one is incredible! Honestly, I don't have any trouble with the gearing. I can tractor thru mud like it's not even there, climb some gnarly rock infested, root ripped hills and it just plunkers up and over stuff without losing traction. Cornering? What a dream! Just aim and shoot. They dig right in and don't let go, you can steer where you want to and loose stuff gets eaten up and spat out the other end.

Don't get me started. I have a way of describing things that even surprises me.

SheWolf wrote:

Don't get me started. I have a way of describing things that even surprises me.

SW,

Enjoying your info on the Mitas.

Thinking I will be getting some for my LTL PYG-WR250R.

Know anyone running them on a XR650L-my BYG PYG?

TIA.

Galen

Actually I know a guy who's running them on his KLR650 BYG TNK. He really likes them.

Another tire update, mileage ~5800. Since the last update I've mainly done highway rides, including the surf trip to the ocean.

1700 miles on the IRC VE-39 front, and the little dimples on the top of the knobs have just about worn away. This thing wears like iron and is pretty good off-road aired down, pretty good on road at 15-18psi. LOUD on the pavement at highway speeds, drowns out the exhaust (Q4) almost.

2000 miles on the Kenda Trakmaster II K760 rear, worn to 9/32nds. I hate this tire for the places and way I ride, plain and simple. It sucks on rocks and roots, imo as bad as the stock deathwing. It sucks on hardpack. It sucks in gravel. Its pretty ok on the pavement. Fantastically amazing in loamy soil, sand, and mud, just drives drives and drives, but once the soil becomes drier or more rocks than dirt it can't find grip and has me bucking all over the place.

I hate the Trakmaster enough that I'm pulling the plug on it. Another new rear tire is on the way and will be going on with my new chain slider (original one has just about worn through just behind the pivot point, still material left but its so thin its translucent, found it when I had the suspension apart for greasing and a sprocket change to 13/46). On deck... another MT43, with a Motion Pro liteloc rim lock.

What made you decide to not go with another IRC Dave?

Because the IRC (front) isn't worn out yet, hell it looks barely scrubbed in. I'm only replacing the rear tire, the front I'm happy with.

skierd wrote:

1700 miles on the IRC VE-39 rear

Sorry, I was going by what you said there. I'm assuming you meant front, or did you run an IRC on the back before at some point?

Nope, jsut a tpying erorr. Fruedian Slip I guess, my distaste for the K760 rear is so great.

My Michelin T63s are about to hit the garbage bin after about 2k miles. They are great on the street, and wear pretty evenly, but I do not like them in the dirt. I ride fairly conservatively on the street, and if its raining I ride it like I'm driving miss daisy, so I don't much care about street performance. Dirt is where its at and where I let it all hang out. So that said, I'll be going to non DOT Michelin S12 XCs and see how they fare. As long as they last 1500 miles I'll be happy. Tires are cheap, and you only live once, and I'm tired of dicking around with compromise tires. Wish me luck.

Brian when you get them on, please post up your findings on them with the bike. Information on different skins is always good.

Mileage is 5798.

Kenda K760 off, likely to be donated to a buddy who needs a rear tire sooner than later. end mileage of 5798 (start mileage of 3826), tread worn to ~9/32" from 20/32". Call it 2/3 dead at ~2000 uncorrected odo miles.

Pirelli MT-43 on, starting tread of 14/32". I'm also running a Motion Pro litelock rim lock now as well, so low pressures are no longer off-limits. Starting at 10psi... last one was dead enough at ~3000 miles, lets see how this one fares! DS ride to WV in a week. Might be going to test it in a bit tonight...

Hey, Ms. Wolf... did the temperatures get up as high in your neighborhood as they did in mine? If so, any update on the Mitas in the heat? I'll most likely pull the trigger on a set next month or the month after that, but your melting rubber report is still sticking in my mind a bit

Yeah, I did get them up there alright. It seems they have found a happy spot now, because they aren't degrading. I can still smell rubber, but the wear grooves haven't gone down any. Seems like some tires wear for a bit until they get to a spot where they wear really well. I was kinda wondering that myself.

Well, that is mostly good news

However, I don't know how to feel about the smell of rubber... I mean, we all kinda figure you ride like a crazy woman, but should tires otherwise smell like burned rubber? To me, that would imply that there is in fact some excessive strain or wear on the rubber compound. By no means am I a scientist or a tire expert, but recalling my physics and chemistry classes, something seems a bit odd. Is this a common issue with the other Mitas owners you know? Should we be worried?

SheWolf wrote:

Yeah, I did get them up there alright. It seems they have found a happy spot now, because they aren't degrading. I can still smell rubber, but the wear grooves haven't gone down any. Seems like some tires wear for a bit until they get to a spot where they wear really well. I was kinda wondering that myself.

I smelled rubber with my 606's as well, just not as profound. Seems as soon as they heat up, they do that. I took my truck for a good drive and when I came home I could smell rubber as well. Tires were warm, and considering the compound I guess some smell is normal.

I keep forgetting you have that heightened canine sense of smell

SheWolf wrote:

I smelled rubber with my 606's as well, just not as profound. Seems as soon as they heat up, they do that. I took my truck for a good drive and when I came home I could smell rubber as well. Tires were warm, and considering the compound I guess some smell is normal.

Funny you mention that...I have picked up the faintest smell of smoke on fire patrols when others haven't. It took a chopper to actually pinpoint where it was coming from because it was so small and the scrub cover was thick.

Yeah, I think I'm done with the MT43 experiment.



On its 8th day on the bike, riding to west virginia via some highway, country lanes, and dirt, bike is packed to camp with about 30 pounds worth of stuff. pressures were ~12psi, bumped up to 15psi and it seemed to help but started to wear faster.

Holy shit Dave, that's horrible! I'm going to try some new meats here in a couple of weeks. Got some MX71's coming in and they look pretty skookum.

SheWolf wrote:

Funny you mention that...I have picked up the faintest smell of smoke on fire patrols when others haven't. It took a chopper to actually pinpoint where it was coming from because it was so small and the scrub cover was thick.

Heya SW,

Any new info on the Mita tires?

TIA

Yep...great offroad. Hot pavement these things don't fare too well, sadly. I did a good run on them and they're melting off faster than I thought. Good thing they're cheap.

Hrm... that's not the best of news. Would you say hot pavement, or pavement in general that wears them down? They're supposed to be meant for hard surfaces, but that could be hard dirt surfaces. Given the amount of highway I do to get to dirt, I'm still a bit on the fence here. The 606 seems too heavy, though, and there is also the price point.

SheWolf wrote:

Yep...great offroad. Hot pavement these things don't fare too well, sadly. I did a good run on them and they're melting off faster than I thought. Good thing they're cheap.

I was all set to go out and get some Michelin AC-10's until I read this thread but looks like I may have factor in the Mitas jobbies.

As a matter of interest has anyone run the AC-10s on their R²? I had them on an XR250R and they were a good tyre.....

I'm glad you people with money are trying so many tires...cause I just can't afford too.

*The more posts here the harder time I'm having of keeping tires straight. Anyone ever think of a chart or something?