So the perfect 50/50 tire is...

Is the perfect 50/50 tire the tw301/302?
I realize there is better for road and better for trail...
My buddy rides an '10 with tw's a seems to get along well enough on trails...he can't understand why I whine about my tires(606's)...while he maybe a better rider, not that much so...
So for 1 set...50/50...what's the best you've rode?...did i mention 50/50?

The TW's are fine for fire roads and stuff, but anything loose be prepared to be launched. The Kenda270's are also a very popular 50/50 tire.

Shinko 244 is a pretty decent 50/50 tire. ANd about as cheap as your gonna get. The Kenda gets better wear, harder rubber. Similar tread pattern. But some say it is slippery on wet pavement. The Shinko is softer and gets better traction on wet pavement. But wears out quicker. I have a shinko 244 on the rear of my KLR and should get about 4000 miles out of it.

But if you are complaining about D606's off road, then a 50/50 tire aint gonna do it for you.

I am fixing to put new shoes on my WRR. Will go with a MT 21 on front and a Michelin T63 on the rear. Reason? The MT 21 rides good on the hiway on my KLR and is more aggresive than the stock tire. The Michelin comes in a lower profile rear 130/80 18 . Since I am inseam challenged the lower profile will keep the height down a half inch maybe. The reviews I read indicate the MT 21 may be a bit better on hiway than a D606. But not quite as good in mud.

I was looking over the MT 21 a while back and they are slippery on pavement when wet. I ended up going with Scorpion Pro's front and rear.

Reason I question is cause I think, at some point, I'll want a set of MX or Trials tires for the trails....most likely non-DOT.
So my second set would be tamer, DOT, and well, 50/50 I guess. Can't see leaving a street tire on it for long. Be nice for a trip, but I won't have many of those I'm sure. And my tire experience is limited to the almost new set of 606s I have now.
I have like 12 or more sets of mountain bike tires...so, eventualy, I assume it will be same for the WR

I was looking for the Metzeler sahara, they are a great tire, had them on a TDR and was very impressed
Couldn't wait for delivery so I ordered a Mefo explorer

I know there's a lot of tires out there but not many are available in the 80 profile, i'm all about the 80 profile

0007onWR wrote:

I was looking for the Metzeler sahara, they are a great tire, had them on a TDR and was very impressed
Couldn't wait for delivery so I ordered a Mefo explorer

I know there's a lot of tires out there but not many are available in the 80 profile, i'm all about the 80 profile

Click-click

So... tell us how those worked for ya. I've been eyeballing the MFE99s, as I'm about down to my last set of Trailwings and am thinking of trying something different. Walter Colebatch seems to think they're about the best 50/50 tire out there, and he doesn't exactly stick to only the nicest of roads.

http://www.sibirskyextreme.com/

Yeah, I'm sure he gets paid and sponsored and all that - but at the end of the day, he still has to ride on those tires on those trips, and he don't have a couple of Unimogs behind him with spare parts and a support team like some folks...

I like the T63's, they're stock profile. Just over $100/set delivered and I get 6,000 miles or better out of a rear. Not as mean as the 606, though.

Sarah

IRC GP110 is pretty good, very plush, quiet on the hiway and acceptable in sand, rocks, etc. I got to Cabo from Mexicali and back on one set on the KLR w/. It's the next tires for the WRR. Run a HD tube thou. JMHO.

+1 on the shinko 244's. They are a clone of kenda 270's. I' ve got over 8k on my set.. 4.6x17 front, 5.1x17 back. they have over 8k on them! Lots of varied terrain.. rocks, sand, dirt, pavement.. did i mention rocks?

My back tire is getting a bit worn.. most people would probably replace it. But i figure i can get another 1k miles on it, then i'll replace the back.. front still has lots of tread.

What is a 50/50 tire, anyway? If i'll be offroad in some gnarly terrain, i don't want some feeble tire on there that rides the pavement well. I want a pretty aggressive tread with some traction. I don't mind some buzzing on the pavement if it works better offroad. But if i can get a high mileage tire that does great offroad, yet still handles in the twisties, i'll ride those. That's what these shinkos are for me.. plus they're cheap. They also have stiff sidewall so they will run flat, & with the X i only need one size tube for either wheel.

I had the pirelli mt21's on before, but i'll be sticking with the shinkos. The pirellis were fine.. a little buzzier on pavement.. but they gripped fine off road. But the shinkos don't handle any worse, & are much better on pavement.

It doesn't matter to me if it is 50/50, 80/20, or 20/80. If i'm going to be offroad at all, i want some knobs. The trailwings are fine for dry hardpack dirt, or improved gravel roads, but they don't handle mud, sand or boulders well.. but nothing really handles mud, anyway.

rydnseek wrote:

+1 on the shinko 244's. They are a clone of kenda 270's. I' ve got over 8k on my set.. 4.6x17 front, 5.1x17 back. they have over 8k on them! Lots of varied terrain.. rocks, sand, dirt, pavement.. did i mention rocks?

My back tire is getting a bit worn.. most people would probably replace it. But i figure i can get another 1k miles on it, then i'll replace the back.. front still has lots of tread.

What is a 50/50 tire, anyway? If i'll be offroad in some gnarly terrain, i don't want some feeble tire on there that rides the pavement well. I want a pretty aggressive tread with some traction. I don't mind some buzzing on the pavement if it works better offroad. But if i can get a high mileage tire that does great offroad, yet still handles in the twisties, i'll ride those. That's what these shinkos are for me.. plus they're cheap. They also have stiff sidewall so they will run flat, & with the X i only need one size tube for either wheel.

I had the pirelli mt21's on before, but i'll be sticking with the shinkos. The pirellis were fine.. a little buzzier on pavement.. but they gripped fine off road. But the shinkos don't handle any worse, & are much better on pavement.

It doesn't matter to me if it is 50/50, 80/20, or 20/80. If i'm going to be offroad at all, i want some knobs. The trailwings are fine for dry hardpack dirt, or improved gravel roads, but they don't handle mud, sand or boulders well.. but nothing really handles mud, anyway.

If you want traction, go soft and pay the price for low mileage; If you want mileage, go for hard rubber and pay the price for traction. Ask any NASCAR tire expert, anyone who rides enduros, etc.

I put a Kenda Big Block on the rear and a MT 21 on the front..........now i ride it a lot!! My YZ hasn't seen a trail since. Did some extreme single track and was amazed!!

What size was your bigblock?

I think the best 50/50 tire, if 50 is hard trails off road and the other 50 is slab getting there and you want the tire to last is a D606. If you're having problems, air down. 15psi on the front, 10-15psi in the rear depending on rocks.

The Shinko's aren't bad, but I hated the front in any kind of sand or mud. Rear was just fine.

Honestly I'm consistently amazed at how well my stock X tires do off-road. Get a bit knicked up in the rocks around here, but otherwise the traction is strong except for braking understandably and the ride is smoother than any knobby ever will be.

Jäger wrote:

0007onWR wrote:

I was looking for the Metzeler sahara, they are a great tire, had them on a TDR and was very impressed
Couldn't wait for delivery so I ordered a Mefo explorer

I know there's a lot of tires out there but not many are available in the 80 profile, i'm all about the 80 profile

Click-click

So... tell us how those worked for ya. I've been eyeballing the MFE99s, as I'm about down to my last set of Trailwings and am thinking of trying something different. Walter Colebatch seems to think they're about the best 50/50 tire out there, and he doesn't exactly stick to only the nicest of roads.

http://www.sibirskyextreme.com/

Yeah, I'm sure he gets paid and sponsored and all that - but at the end of the day, he still has to ride on those tires on those trips, and he don't have a couple of Unimogs behind him with spare parts and a support team like some folks...

?? From Walters website under equipment;
Michelin Desert Tyres: Michelin Deserts are a legend in off-road racing, having Dakar race victories for over 20 years. I use the Michelin Deserts for the tougher, more extreme sections of the route. I use Michelin’s super heavy duty 4mm thick tubes all the time. The Deserts have a super tough construction and are extremely puncture resistant. Because of their background in off road racing they are able to deal with more powerful engines and heavier bikes and loads than a lot of the other off road tyres. The desert racing background also means longevity from these tyres is also good, about 6000km a set.

joenuclear wrote:

?? From Walters website under equipment;
Michelin Desert Tyres: Michelin Deserts are a legend in off-road racing, having Dakar race victories for over 20 years. I use the Michelin Deserts for the tougher, more extreme sections of the route. I use Michelin’s super heavy duty 4mm thick tubes all the time. The Deserts have a super tough construction and are extremely puncture resistant. Because of their background in off road racing they are able to deal with more powerful engines and heavier bikes and loads than a lot of the other off road tyres. The desert racing background also means longevity from these tyres is also good, about 6000km a set.

???? Me too... I picked up his comments on the Mefo Explorers from archived posts of his travels on ADV. And posts on other forums where he was recommending Mefos. Stuff like this:
hard compound, made in Germany for MEFO (I believe) by Heidenau. Very long life, very good on hard pack and gravel roads.

You will never get everything in a tyre, but for me, these are about as close to an ideal adventure tyre as you can get. You will never get something that has long life, AND is great in the mud and sand. But something like the MFE 99 Super Explorers that have particularly long life, are good on tarmac and excellent on dirt roads and hardpack covers about as much of my key requirements as anything out there.
I never went to his personal website, other than a quick glance. A closer look at it now shows that it sports a Michelin sponsor logo. I doubt with a Michelin logo and sponsorship he will use or reference on his website anything other than a Michelin.

What would Walter say if we asked him what he would recommend for a best all-round dual sport tire for a 250? No idea, but I don't think the Explorers would suffer in the comparison. I suspect the Deserts weren't designed or intended for 50% of their use to be on the slab. But they might be a fine choice as well.

I'm hoping the Heidenau's will show themselves to be a top candidate, for much less money. I think Ed has posted some pretty positive comments about them elsewhere here.

I put a 150/70 17 on the rear.....The Big Block front rubbed, so i put the MT 21 on the front...ended up to be perfect!

there is more to the story.

there is also the IRC GP-1 variation, but to be precise there are ALL downline generational variations (modifications of additional mid blocks or not) of the original tire to be produced: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/29/393/14747/ITEM/Bridgestone-TW18-Trail-Wing-Dual-Sport-Rear-Tire.aspx

here is a great thread
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=437898

to answer the OP i like the shinko 700 rear as a 50/50 but something better knobby upfront .
been real happy with this one for the price
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/29/393/19572/ITEM/IRC-TR8-Battle-Rally-Front-Tire.aspx

the time honored concept of a 50/50 DS setup also relies on matching a higher mileage rear (ie less knobby tire) matched with a knobbier front (for secure cornering and resistance to washing out) to achieve an equal wear front and rear...meaning you get front traction, rear mileage all in a package that last along time and wears out together.

that is the Zen of a 50/50 tire combo.

i know because i spend ALOT of time riding 50/50 as this is who i work for:
http://www.butlermaps.com/
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=598717

rydnseek wrote:

+1 on the shinko 244's. They are a clone of kenda 270's. I' ve got over 8k on my set.. 4.6x17 front, 5.1x17 back. they have over 8k on them! Lots of varied terrain.. rocks, sand, dirt, pavement.. did i mention rocks?

My back tire is getting a bit worn.. most people would probably replace it. But i figure i can get another 1k miles on it, then i'll replace the back.. front still has lots of tread.

What is a 50/50 tire, anyway? If i'll be offroad in some gnarly terrain, i don't want some feeble tire on there that rides the pavement well. I want a pretty aggressive tread with some traction. I don't mind some buzzing on the pavement if it works better offroad. But if i can get a high mileage tire that does great offroad, yet still handles in the twisties, i'll ride those. That's what these shinkos are for me.. plus they're cheap. They also have stiff sidewall so they will run flat, & with the X i only need one size tube for either wheel.

I had the pirelli mt21's on before, but i'll be sticking with the shinkos. The pirellis were fine.. a little buzzier on pavement.. but they gripped fine off road. But the shinkos don't handle any worse, & are much better on pavement.

It doesn't matter to me if it is 50/50, 80/20, or 20/80. If i'm going to be offroad at all, i want some knobs. The trailwings are fine for dry hardpack dirt, or improved gravel roads, but they don't handle mud, sand or boulders well.. but nothing really handles mud, anyway.

So far...for me...I'm now going with the Heidenau K60 Scouts. I'm really liking these tires!