Dirt tyre recommendations?

[leathel]

I have not been doing much dirt riding for a good while but as my Daughter is looking at getting her road license I updated my bike so she could ride the old XR now that that is all going again.

The tyre the DRZ came with is cheap shit! Its near new but the carcase is so rigid that it has no give even down at 10psi.... So unpredictable as it steps out big time rather the a controllable slide , Got back on the 250 and that was soooo much better. It has the MT32 Pirelli on the rear, I could get another but just wondered what others are using. I used to run Bridgestone but cant remember the tread numbers.

It needs to hold well quartering hills etc not just in a strait line..... I should replace this tyre ASAP as I will end up damaging a leg trying to catch a step out....

110/100 18 :)

[Danger Dave]

You could try the Bridgestone M404 which is a good medium terrain tyre

[BoristheBiter]

I use Metzler MC5 and find them fantastic but have heard some good reports on the Michelin S12.

[leathel]

the M404 looks similar to what i used to run, MC4 & 5 look OK as does the Michelin ac10, will look at the s12 when I get a moment.
The Vortix I have looks OK so I value input as I don't want another looks good tyre that just isn't as good as it looks;)

[guy smiley]

I really rate the Bridgestone M203 and M204. Their rubber compound is awesome and gets plenty of traction for a long time after the edge has gone.
Great side knobs also for riding off camber and cornering. Get great mileage out of them.

I used to be sold on Michelin but since I've started using the bridgys, I won't use anything else.

When really wet and soft conditions, I'll go to the m101 and m102

[Jay GTI]

I've been using Michelin S12XCs for a couple of seasons now, it's a great tyre but it's rated soft/mid and does tend to get shredded pretty quickly when the ground gets hard in the summer. In Taupo in the middle of winter, fecking awesome.

[leathel]

I've been using Michelin S12XCs for a couple of seasons now, it's a great tyre but it's rated soft/mid and does tend to get shredded pretty quickly when the ground gets hard in the summer. In Taupo in the middle of winter, fecking awesome.

that tire sure gets a good rep with some...... I wont be riding too much as I have to many things to fit in to the weekends but I also dont tend to take it easy on the tyres mmmmm one to think about for sure

[Crisis management]

Go with the S12, I've had good grip and life out of them on the 200EXC, the 450 does eat them a bit faster but they are lasting better than I expected.

[ktm84mxc]

I run a MS3 front and S12Xc rear, mainly club day mx etc, the Michelin's do last well , though can be pricey.

[Jay GTI]

Go with the S12, I've had good grip and life out of them on the 200EXC, the 450 does eat them a bit faster but they are lasting better than I expected.

I tore whole knobs off the previous S12 rear, but there were a few fire road blasts in the life of that tire.

For clarity, I still use the S12s in summer, just something a bit harder wearing might be an idea this side of winter.

[Crisis management]

I tore whole knobs off the previous S12 rear, but there were a few fire road blasts in the life of that tire.

For clarity, I still use the S12s in summer, just something a bit harder wearing might be an idea this side of winter.

Good point, it's all about where and how you ride them, most of my riding is slow, single track in sand or clay although the few times they have beeen on rock I haven't seen them shredding.








(Note to self: I clearly ride too slow, hide if Jay GTI is around!)

[Jay GTI]

(Note to self: I clearly ride too slow, hide if Jay GTI is around!)

True, I am fast as feck on the flat, straight sections.


Corners, whoops, jumps, boggy sections and anything that requires actual skill..... not so much.

[leathel]

Well I was going to leave this thread for a few days and get a tyre after the research..... after a bit of reading on other threads on thumper etc the S12XC gets such a good rep.....(note the older ones had more of a rep for wearing fast, not so mush the XC version) I picked one up when I had to do a run for parts.... with a reasonable discount its pretty well priced, most of my riding will be in winter (fishing summer) or on farms with little gravel involved and some sand riding.

Will drop the wheel out later, Strip and grease the linkage and check the berrings at the same time :)

Still not sure if I tinker with the carb yet, seams a touch lean and with the big bore exhaust I could step up the jets a little....

[pete-blen]

Michelin AC10 arn't to bad..

[leathel]

Michelin AC10 arn't to bad..

Yup looked at those too, and the MS3 but neither were in stock, MS3 if it was in stock may possibly have came home with me..... too many great tyres.

The S12XC is close in pattern to what I had so I hope the better made tyre makes it better..... starting to doubt my choice, the proof will be in the riding ;)

[Jay GTI]

Yup looked at those too, and the MS3 but neither were in stock, MS3 if it was in stock may possibly have came home with me..... too many great tyres.

The S12XC is close in pattern to what I had so I hope the better made tyre makes it better..... starting to doubt my choice, the proof will be in the riding ;)

Nah you'll love the new tyres, they are awesome.

Interesting thing to note though, when I first put the S12s on to replace the stock tyres (forget what they were), the bike handled so differently, I did a quick loop and then went straight back to the car park to see if I'd left the axle bolts loose or something. Instead of needing a bit of weight and encouragement to get the bike over in the corners, it pretty much just fell into the corner.

Once I got used to it, I realised it was making cornering so much easier, because I could just put the bike where I wanted to and crank it over at will.

Just in case you get on the bike for the first time on the S12s and suddenly think "woah, this feels a bit odd!".

[motor_mayhem]

Pirelli Scorpion XT's - they're the only ones I use now and they give good grip while really lasting. I put an unnamed brand of tyre on my 450 once and it was destroyed within one ride, the XT thats on it now has been there since Feb.

[IIIRII]

I didnt realise there were so many DRZ riders here.
What size is it ?

[takitimu]

I'm bit of a fan of these http://goldentyre.co.nz/cart/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=57, the GT240 is like glue fresh but wears kinda quick, the GT230 was lasting well.
The S12xc are nice, but I reckon there are other tires out there that climb better & I need every help I can get going up hills.

[leathel]

I didnt realise there were so many DRZ riders here.
What size is it ?

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/97550-The-DR-Z400-thread

;)

[leathel]

I'm bit of a fan of these http://goldentyre.co.nz/cart/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=57, the GT240 is like glue fresh but wears kinda quick, the GT230 was lasting well.
The S12xc are nice, but I reckon there are other tires out there that climb better & I need every help I can get going up hills.

the MS3 with the wide center knobs sure would climb..... And if they had it in stock I may have walked out with it or the MH3 ...... but not this time, that might have saved some paddocks to as it looks like it could tear it up when on soft ground :P

http://www.michelinmotorcycle.com/tires/michelin-starcross-ms3#dim

[pete.ktm]

I'm bit of a fan of these http://goldentyre.co.nz/cart/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=57, the GT240 is like glue fresh but wears kinda quick, the GT230 was lasting well.


always meaning to try a cheaper tyre than the S12 and replace it more often, might give these a shot.

riding rocks and sand but mostly farm tracks, any suggestions for which golden tyre front to go for?

cheers

[Jay GTI]

I was given the MH3 as a front tyre option, but that doesn't really fit with the cheaper tyre more often plan, as it was recommended so I didn't need to swap it out as often as the S12 front.

[pete.ktm]

I was given the MH3 as a front tyre option, but that doesn't really fit with the cheaper tyre more often plan, as it was recommended so I didn't need to swap it out as often as the S12 front.

my thinking used to be "front tyres don't have all that power going through them so should last longer than rears" but then someone suggested they should probably be replaced more often, if the rear slides a bit it's all good, if the front slides you're probably going to go down. theres nothing like sharp edges to get the grip.

so think i'll try cheap and often and see how that works out.

[Jay GTI]

Fronts tend to take a lot longer to wear though, so somewhere around full performance and grip is usually maintained for longer, whereas on a dry, hard clay track I can make a nice mess of a rear in a single day if I really wanted to.

I generally just do 2 rears for every 1 front and to be honest, with my level of skill, I struggle to know when the front's gone off. I can definitely feel the rear lose it's edge though.

[takitimu]

always meaning to try a cheaper tyre than the S12 and replace it more often, might give these a shot.

riding rocks and sand but mostly farm tracks, any suggestions for which golden tyre front to go for?

cheers

I put a GT216 on from memory ( not in the country at the moment ), it's a nice tyre though I didn't think it was as good at braking on clay downhills as say a MX51/MS3/S12XC, but was mint in forest tracks/sand.

I'm like Jay, 2 rears for one front, though I confess I stretch it to 3 or 4 rears at times, the Golden Tyre prices are good enough that I'll try to keep to 2-1 :).

[leathel]

I have the M401 Bridgestone on the front of my bike, was on it when I got it and it seams pretty good even with roundish edges, The last dirt bike I had I ran the pointy Bridgestone...102??

But that was when bridgestone was cheaper.... times have changed since I last was playing on dirt :rolleyes:

[leathel]

Well finally got around to fitting the S12xc tyres.... front and rear in the end (front went well is sand), I doubted the choice of rear with it being pretty similar to what I pulled off but what a different .... no stepping out at all :D