Michelin S12XC tyres?

[green machine]

These were recommended to me by a couple of people so i thought i'd give them a crack,the bike had Bridgestones on it when i got it and i have run Michelin MS3's on my 250f in the past........i got the 130/70/19 which is supposedly the correct size for a 450.....but the rear tyre looks really skinny.....almost like a 125 or 250f tyre.....i only trail ride so it probably won't matter....i did a bit of research before getting them(which was mostly positive) and it's the first time i've seen them on a bike and that rear just looks wrong,haha,any opinions and or feedback?
Cheers Steve

[flyingcr250]

Yea they always look realy thin, they seem to be sized differently to the bridgestone or dunlops etc.. but ive never had any problems with them, i think they changed the makeup of the tyre too, when i first started useing them they would fly to pieces but now they seem to last quiet well, good winter tyre i reckon

[noobi]

Stop whinging, its the right size tyre. They do a 140 wide, which is the same as a 120 Bridgey, and thats a huge tyre.

[green machine]

Stop whinging, its the right size tyre. They do a 140 wide, which is the same as a 120 Bridgey, and thats a huge tyre.
Hey i'm not whinging....i went in to buy an MS3 and got talked into the XC......so just looking for reassurance haha

[scott411]

Hey i'm not whinging....i went in to buy an MS3 and got talked into the XC......so just looking for reassurance haha

i would give him a clip for that next time Steve,

he is right tho, it is the right size, Michelin have always used that fucked up sizing, they do work well tho, esp in mud,

[barty5]

i used the perelli ms32 but only in a 120 On mine when i had it the hooked way better the the michelins ever did even when they where worn the grip was better.

[Jay GTI]

Have just put the 2nd S12XC on the back of mine ( and a MS3 on the front). It does look narrow but I love it. On the first ride with the first one, I turned around on the access road and went and checked the axle bolt was done up, cos the bike felt so weird. But 1/2 an hour later I was sold, the bike basically falls into the corners and stays there, it's effortless. I was going to try an S12 on the front, but Cycletreads didn't have any in stock.

As FCR says, great winter tyre, as mine was chewed up pretty quickly when the trails started drying up.

[WStain]

As a front tyre they are fantastic, if you are riding hard pack they move around a lot because of the tall skinny knobs and relatively large void. If I am riding a lot of hard pack then I run an MS3 or similar. S12Xc - mud , sand, soft forest trails, slick greasy grass , basically anything that requires a bit of "bite".
Rears - I am not really fussy as long as they have good sharp knobs and a decent void - preference is however S12xc or Pirelli MX extra X

BTW - the "XC" has an updated compound over the S12 that reduces ripping knobs and increases wear.

IMO it is crucial you have a front end that sticks, the rear you can pull into line a lot easier.

Bike - 2011 YZ450f

[green machine]

I've run an XCS12 front and an MS3 rear on my previous two bikes,KXF250 had liked that combo but like people told me you never know till you try,was just the width of the XC that threw me, seems like it will be sweet
will do the trick then......cheers

[Nova.]

Tyres a Tyre to me, just asvlong as it doesn't shred too quickly.

[F5 Dave]

Yeah, - until that slippery uphill climb with a bunch of people stuck part way up, - yet some just seem to get traction.

My first few years I used Cheap Kings or whatever. My riding 'improved' greatly when I bought decent tyres.

[takitimu]

These were recommended to me by a couple of people so i thought i'd give them a crack,the bike had Bridgestones on it when i got it and i have run Michelin MS3's on my 250f in the past........i got the 130/70/19 which is supposedly the correct size for a 450.....but the rear tyre looks really skinny.....almost like a 125 or 250f tyre.....i only trail ride so it probably won't matter....i did a bit of research before getting them(which was mostly positive) and it's the first time i've seen them on a bike and that rear just looks wrong,haha,any opinions and or feedback?
Cheers Steve

Screwed up sizing, but insanely good tire on grass/roots, though they like being given hell, Bridgestones will climb under torque, S12's you need to give it death, could just be having to haul my fat ass up the hill of course. I prefer 120 wide on my 250 personally.

[F5 Dave]

I was talked into an M12 for summer. Never again, as soon as you show it slightly damp grass or clay you are spinning, despite sharpening with a knobblie knife. S12 due to go on next wet ride.

[scott411]

I was talked into an M12 for summer. Never again, as soon as you show it slightly damp grass or clay you are spinning, despite sharpening with a knobblie knife. S12 due to go on next wet ride.

i agree, the m12 are not good, the MH3 is a good hardpack tyre tho, but not available in 18" rears,

im still a bridgestone M404 man myself tho, although a set of S12s for mud and grass, or a set of MH3's for all around use is not far off,

[Trials Rider]

I run the S12xc 140/80/18 rear and S12xc 90/90/21 front on my Gassa EC300 and I love them, the front tyre holds extremely well on side hills, wet roots, rocks etc.

I also love the shape of the rear tyre knobs, they almost seem inverted in their shape so they stay reasonably sharp and square even after 27 hours of riding, any tyre is good when new but put a few hours on it to get a real test.

The Gassa is 50hp so rear tyres earn their money holding on and they do.

My only criticism is going over logs, the rear tyre is still only a knobbly, when you are used to a trials tyre over logs everything else is disappointing but I can live with that.

My next tyres will be definitely S12's, I would take some convincing to try something else.

[pete.ktm]

I run the S12xc 140/80/18 rear and S12xc 90/90/21 front on my Gassa EC300 and I love them, the front tyre holds extremely well on side hills, wet roots, rocks etc.


just outta interest, since you sound like you know what you're talking about :niceone:, what sort of pressures do you run on soft and hard trails?

i run mine pretty low 9-12psi, maybe too low?? good grip but sometime they feel like they're moving around a little too much when going across hills etc.

cheers

[scott411]

just outta interest, since you sound like you know what you're talking about :niceone:, what sort of pressures do you run on soft and hard trails?

i run mine pretty low 9-12psi, maybe too low?? good grip but sometime they feel like they're moving around a little too much when going across hills etc.

cheers

michelin always reccomend running them higher, i normally run s12's at 15psi.,

[Trials Rider]

just outta interest, since you sound like you know what you're talking about :niceone:, what sort of pressures do you run on soft and hard trails?

i run mine pretty low 9-12psi, maybe too low?? good grip but sometime they feel like they're moving around a little too much when going across hills etc.

cheers

I wouldnt say I know what I am talking about but I know what works for me, there are a lot of influences on what tyre pressures should be run, your riding style, your weight, terrain, wet dry etc and the list goes on.

For me, I weigh 74kg, I am a slower rider but enjoy the technical riding rather than fast riding, I run between 6psi & 8psi in the rear and 8psi to 10psi in the front, lower pressure soft compound tyres make a longer foot print on the ground = more lugs on ground = more traction.

Yes they sometimes feel like they are moving and if you are not use to it, it does feel different but I put a lot of trust in my tyres at my running pressures to do what I want.

My personal thoughts are people do tend to run more tyre pressure than they need to avoid punctures but higher tyre pressure has huge influence in loss of traction so it really is a "choose your poison" scenario punctures V traction

[scott411]

IMy personal thoughts are people do tend to run more tyre pressure than they need to avoid punctures but higher tyre pressure has huge influence in loss of traction so it really is a "choose your poison" scenario punctures V traction

this is very true, it comes down to the type of riding you do, if i run anything under 10 psi i get punchures, but i tend to ride higher speed stuff and do not like alot of very tight stuff,

also i run alot of motocross, and do not like the feeling of the tyres moving at high speed, esp the front, and michelin s12's are like that on harder tracks, that is one of hte reason i tend to run mid terrain tyres over full softs,

[Trials Rider]

this is very true, it comes down to the type of riding you do, if i run anything under 10 psi i get punchures, but i tend to ride higher speed stuff and do not like alot of very tight stuff,

also i run alot of motocross, and do not like the feeling of the tyres moving at high speed, esp the front, and michelin s12's are like that on harder tracks, that is one of hte reason i tend to run mid terrain tyres over full softs,

Bang on, it is very individual and yes the tyres would just whack flat at high speed so puncture city.

I am at the opposite end of the scale to you, I dont do motocross or bugger all high speed so the softs suit my riding perfectly.

[F5 Dave]

and too much time on bikes that run 3psi:lol:

my TXT has only been gone a month & I miss it.

[Trials Rider]

and too much time on bikes that run 3psi:lol:

my TXT has only been gone a month & I miss it.

Ah now we are talking, I normally run 2.5psi in the rear and 4psi in the front of the Sherco

[F5 Dave]

Yeah I'd normally run ft4 & rear5 on Michi Trials tyres of old but beem told it was too high now & experimenting with f4 & r3 & maybe a tickle less in the rear. Man it flattens it out if you do a wheelie.

Have to wait till I can afford another.

[pete.ktm]

thanx guys, might try the S12's with a few more psi in them at the next dry ride.

so far the HD tubes have withstood some pretty big bangs running 9-10psi but i'd rather not tempt fate too much.