Newish rider tyre choice

[Blair.DRZ]

Hey all, need a bit of advice on tyre choice for trail riding. Any advice on what sort of tyres for all round trail riding on mud, clay, rocks, gravel etc etc etc would best suit my needs. I ride a DRZ 400 with 21 front and 18 rear, which are now both in need of replacement ( after coming off a few times and struggling to get up hills with lack of grip !!).
Also on a bit of a budget so can't afford top of the line type stuff.
Any help much appreciated

[B0000M]

spending money on decent tyres is worth it. $130-140 should get you a nice michelin MH3, its my new found best friend, and im sure cheese will back that up since he has just taken delivery of one. its a hard compound tyre which a lot of people will try to steer you away from, ive ridden it in sand, mud, clay, hard surfaces, gravel grass, it seems to love it all. best tyre ive ever had

[cheese]

Yes I also love the MH3, if you wnt the softer on ask for the MS3, but I have to say one ride on teh MH3 and I'm sold. My old tyre was a s12 (one of the good ones) and that was pretty dam good too. Front tyre I still like my S12.

[barty5]

I have run the MS3 on both my Cr250, YZ426F, AND MY NEW YZ450F never had any hassles with grip in sand mud or clay just ask 4stroke he wore a lot of it from my tyre couple a weeks ago and they wear real well even on the harder stuff.

[MXNUT]

Hey all, need a bit of advice on tyre choice for trail riding. Any advice on what sort of tyres for all round trail riding on mud, clay, rocks, gravel etc etc etc would best suit my needs. I ride a DRZ 400 with 21 front and 18 rear, which are now both in need of replacement ( after coming off a few times and struggling to get up hills with lack of grip !!).
Also on a bit of a budget so can't afford top of the line type stuff.
Any help much appreciated

Hey Blair, i use KIWI X tyres on both my DRZ400 and my RM250.
I have also tried michelin - pirelli - bridgestone and dunlop and still rate KIWI X.
I have been using them for 2 years now ( about 3 sets per bike ) and would
recommend them to anyone. My mate rides almost all the same rides with me using Michelin S12 tyres which are twice the price and he gets about 1 more ride per set of tyres than i do and performance seems to be on a par.
U can pick then up on Trade Me for about $65.00 for a rear.

[Blair.DRZ]

thanks for the advice, go easy on me of this is a dumb question, but which one is going to wear better on the harder surfaces ?, is it the hard compound or soft compound ?, just that if I'm going to spend a bit more than I thought on tyres they need to last me, especially when the ground gets real hard in the summer.

[B0000M]

hard is longer lasting

[cheese]

I got some Melville kendras once, never again. I think Chinese tyres are like chinese bikes.....

[crazyxr250rider]

Im not incredibly fussy with tyres but the better ones have been Michilen starcross (cant remember the code) probly the longes lasting tyre ive had,along with Bridgistone M402 rears (never used a front...) And pirreli Scorpion FIM's on the front.
I currently Have Pirrelli Scorpion 32's on the Front and Michelin Starcrosses on the back of both the RM and YZF and they are performing well.
In saying that ive always used Kiwi X on my XR and never had any trouble finding traction when ive needed it.

[B0000M]

Im not incredibly fussy with tyres but the better ones have been Michilen starcross (cant remember the code) probly the longes lasting tyre ive had,along with Bridgistone M402 rears (never used a front...) And pirreli Scorpion FIM's on the front.
I currently Have Pirrelli Scorpion 32's on the Front and Michelin Starcrosses on the back of both the RM and YZF and they are performing well.
In saying that ive always used Kiwi X on my XR and never had any trouble finding traction when ive needed it.

the starcross label i believe includes the MH3 & MS3

[crazyxr250rider]

Its the one with the wider knobs.
edit; Yea just looked it up they're MS3's

[Reckless]

What Size is your rear wheel I have some good second hand ones but they are 19". I'm guessing the DRZ is 18" but thought I'd ask. They are on Tme at the moment as I havn't any 19" wheel bikes anymore otherwise I'd use them.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=163734836

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=163738120

Pm me for a deal

PS I just put a Kiwi X on the 03 Ktm as my son will be back on that bike soon I hope.
I'm not too sure of it, not bad, but didn't feel like it had the bite I was expecting. But I have only been for one ride on it at the Sandpit.
Jury is still out on them for me till I get to some dirt????

[Blair.DRZ]

Yeah the rear is 18", but thanks for the offer. I was looking at the Kiwi X tyres, more because they are priced well, and if I do chew them up pretty quick at least i havn't spent to much.

[B0000M]

this topic is actually quite interesting, just over a year ago there was a similar thread, i think i might have even started it about which tyres to get, and last time the consensus seemed to be Metzeler MC5? or 4? cant remember or Michilen S12s,

im still in love with the MH3 tho.

[camchain]

In the budget range of tyres (approx $90 rear) I recently tried Kenda Millville and BF Goodrich. Kenda had knobs chewed off very quickly, BFG was a lot better. Dearer but I think better value (approx $120) was a Pirelli Scorpion Extra. The 'extra' is an MX training tyre, good all round performer and harder compound so lasted very well. Got about 50hrs out of it if I remember right.

It seems they (extra) don't like running real low pressures though. One very slippery ride (Paparimu this year) let air out to get around. Checked when back to car, was 8psi. Replaced tyre that week and cords had come away inside close to snakebite punture on tube.

I like MS3 on front.

Don't skimp on tyres. Replace often. Best performance upgrade you can do (next to upgrading your fitness). Don't neglect the front either. Good sharp edged front tyre keeps you upright and headed where you want to go. Tyres aren't cheap but neither is buying a bike and travelling to riding areas etc. worn tyres can really stuff up your day.

BTW: Wider knob gap, softer terrain so when comparing different tyres in rack I like to drop two fingers between Knobs, makes for easy comparison. (In general, any good nun will tell you to keep fingers away from knobs but what do they know?)

[barty5]

this topic is actually quite interesting, just over a year ago there was a similar thread, i think i might have even started it about which tyres to get, and last time the consensus seemed to be Metzeler MC5? or 4? cant remember or Michilen S12s,

im still in love with the MH3 tho.

think your right there although i have stayed ture with my MS3

[Blair.DRZ]

jeez, so many choices, I have started pricing up a few and the ones that have now caught my eye are the Metzeler MC5 which look like a good allrounder type tyre ( which is what I'm after ), is $185.00 for a front and rear combo a good deal, saw it on dirtbike.co.nz??

[cheese]

Hmm not that sure about the metzler. I got my S12 at teh same time as Booom got his Metzler adn mine lasted twice as long.

[B0000M]

for $185 a set id say go for it, and they dont last that badly because i have a tendancy to thrash tyres on gravel, but i would say the michelins better. but 185 a set is just plain cheap!

[crazyxr250rider]

Hell yeah!!!