Woods tires???

[hondarider102]

Wirelessly posted

Woods guys what are you running for tires? I have mx51's right now but Iearned Sunday that they really suck when it gets wet and they really don't like rocks and roots. I see a lot of ktm woods bikes with these huge Bridgestone tires that the trad wraps way up the sidewall like, any suggestions???

[Chippertheripper]

Vee rubber. Available locally from LDA racing. Trials compound in a mx tire/carcass.
I use the irc volcanduro front, it's got a big beefy lip around the bead to protect your rim.

Them vees are amazing tires and cheap.

[Kurlon]

Are they available in 18" though?

[Chippertheripper]

Yeah. Most woods bikes come with 18" wheels.

[typeone]

check out Motoz tires. I run the Tractionator Enduro S/T and love 'em.

i'd like to give the new Vees a try too. heard they really improved the compounds.

[Chippertheripper]

I've ridden both the 140 and 300 compounds. Go with the 300 for pretty much the same traction, but longer life.
And disregard the thing about it being a hard packed tread pattern.
It's a beast of a tire for NE woods. And did I mention it's only $65?

http://veerubberusa.com/motorcycle/motocross.php

The 120(size) on the 300 is so good. Beastly.

[KB]

Whatever you do don't fall for the Trials tire hype. Those things suck a bag of turkey mike dicks!!! Oh yeah I run some free shit.

KB

[Chippertheripper]

You just suck at riding them.

[maxim_X]

The Vee rubber tire is super grippy. I haven't raced it yet but, from a bit of trail riding its easy to tell it has some grip in anything. Down sides being they are pressure sensitive and wear out quick. There is always the M59/mt16 combo that so many run.

[ZX-12R]

Whatever you do don't fall for the Trials tire hype. Those things suck a bag of turkey mike dicks!!!

Do NOT use a trials tire unless you enjoy traction in just about any conditions. MT43 + ultra heavy duty tube + 9psi is an awesome combination for riding in the woods.

[typeone]

a trials tire seems like it would change the feeling of the bike too much (for me). must corner like poop. climbing rocks i'm sure they rule.

i've run the Motoz at 8psi with HD tubes, fantastic traction, super tough sidewalls. i normally run about 12psi.

[tls25rs]

Whatever you do don't fall for the Trials tire hype. Those things suck a bag of turkey mike dicks!!! Oh yeah I run some free shit.

KB

Do NOT use a trials tire unless you enjoy traction in just about any conditions. MT43 + ultra heavy duty tube + 9psi is an awesome combination for riding in the woods.

Pretty sure KB's disdain for the trials tire comes from the lack of traction offered by trials tires in the mud. If I recall correctly they tend to pack up with the mud and turn themselves into very slick tires that can wind up with you on your head very quickly. I've never ridden with one though so there may be something to riding one in NE. I hear alot of guys talking about running them that swear by them and just as many that say they wouldn't do it.

The Vee rubber tire is super grippy. I haven't raced it yet but, from a bit of trail riding its easy to tell it has some grip in anything. Down sides being they are pressure sensitive and wear out quick. There is always the M59/mt16 combo that so many run.

The Bridgestone M59 Front and Pirelli MT16 rear combo that was the NE default set up for a while were great tires on my bike for woods riding. The 19" MT16 is becoming extinct though so I can no longer run the MT16 on my YZ unless I find an 18" rear wheel. If you have an 18" rear wheel I believe that they are still available. The one odd thing people have mentioned, and I experienced on the last MT16 I had, is that the sidewalls of the tires seem to break down a lot. When I removed my spent MT16 the sidewalls had fallen apart to the point where they were pretty much just cord on the insides and the black powder that was the rubber on the sidewalls had spread itself out and accumulated on my tube and rim.

I am currently running the IRC VE33/VE35 combination. They were cheap and available when I needed tires. They do pretty well in the typical NE conditions and I don't really have a complaint about them.

Heard good things about the Vee Rubber as well as the Motoz tires. You'll likely be fine with whatever you can get unless you are a picky person and can actually feel the difference in tires.

Joel

[Kurlon]

As odd as it sounds, my Kenda Trackmaster 2 has worked pretty well on the rear. Heavy as hell, but it wears like iron and hasn't let me down grip wise.

[ZX-12R]

Pretty sure KB's disdain for the trials tire comes from the lack of traction offered by trials tires in the mud. If I recall correctly they tend to pack up with the mud and turn themselves into very slick tires that can wind up with you on your head very quickly. I've never ridden with one though so there may be something to riding one in NE. I hear a lot of guys talking about running them that swear by them and just as many that say they wouldn't do it.

Prior to trying out the trials tire, I received plenty of anecdotal evidence that they are terrible in the mud. My experience so far has been the exact opposite. Perhaps it's my extra weight that helps it out but in any case it works amazingly well in any mud that you'll find in the woods. I've also been told they don't work in the snow but I plan on testing that out in a couple of months. I should also mention that they wear like iron compared to a regular knobby.

All that said, my next rear tire will be a knobby simply because there are a few I want to try out. I'd have no problems going back to the trials through.

[Chippertheripper]

The tt works well in the typical mud that has a hard/rocky bottom. In the bottomless swamp type shit, forget about it.
I'd run a tt forever, but the vee has all the sticky, with the mud/rock flinging mojo of a knobby. It's pretty spot on for what I need. If my bike was more ds oriented, I'd look elsewhere. Likely to the ircs front and rear like Joel has.

[breakdirt916]

who cares?

run whatchya have

but I thought the trials tire had pretty good traction...no mud though, just dry CA trails



heck, I ran a tire that's pretty much 80/20 street/dirt...did just fine for trails

[Chippertheripper]

who cares?

Corey does. I'm guessing because he's been racing some NEW ENGLAND WOODS lately, and not desert trails.

[TheIglu]

I run the Pirelli MT16/MT18 combo and it works real nice out here in the rocks/roots/mud.

[slowkermit]

mt16/59 combo for me. I've tried a few others, but keep coming back.

[burnham]

mt16/59 combo for me. I've tried a few others, but keep coming back.

Same here. I was riding in WV this spring and was talking with one of the park staff where I was riding, the guy swore by the big IRC tire he had on his KTM. I'll probably try one of those out next.

[hondarider102]

Wirelessly posted

I looks at all the tread patterns and liked the motoz the best, the side trad seemed to make a solid grip point for corners so I ordered them, ill writer a review and probably end up trying the 16:59 combo next year to compare

[Chippertheripper]

The thing with the 16's is they desintigrate from the inside out. If you burn em up beforehand then it's not a thing, but the rocks eat the carcasses inside the tire.
The last mt43 I had delaminated on the sidewall at normal (not tt) pressures when the thing was only 3 rides old.
I'd easily do another Dunlop tt, they ain't cheap, but they stick and they LAST.
I think a few ds guys I know have run the z's but I have no feedback on em. They do look pretty grizzly.

[hondarider102]

Wirelessly posted

The thing with the 16's is they desintigrate from the inside out. If you burn em up beforehand then it's not a thing, but the rocks eat the carcasses inside the tire.
The last mt43 I had delaminated on the sidewall at normal (not tt) pressures when the thing was only 3 rides old.
I'd easily do another Dunlop tt, they ain't cheap, but they stick and they LAST.
I think a few ds guys I know have run the z's but I have no feedback on em. They do look pretty grizzly.

The looks alone are what got me, compared to my current mx51's that have gaps in the side, the motoz seemed to make a solid line in the sides with angled sipes to get rid of the mud and dirt

[slowkermit]

The reason I like the MT16 is the fact that it wants to stay straight over the top of rocks. When you look at the tread pattern, you can see why. What it gives up is drive in soft conditions, especially sand. The MX51 gets a better drive in the soft, but kinda sucks in every other way. I can run an MT16 twice as long as an MX51. I'm looking forward to trying the VeeRubber when I feel like experimenting again.

[gregp]

I was loyal to the Kenda Trackmaster II for a long time. They are inexpensive, work pretty good in everything, and they last a long time. I usually look for a hard, or medium terrain tire. I cannot recall the last time that I was "stuck in the mud", but I can easily recall the last time that I spun and struggled on a tough, gnarly, rocky, uphill...
I will probably try an MT-43 when my Michelin S-12 XC wears out, although my current ride is not very conducive to one (the bike is already very tall in the rear, and the power output is not very linear).
Front tires are mostly personal preference. I like the MT-16 for its overall good traction, its durability, and its DOT rating. The IRC VE-35 is also one of my favorites, but it does not have the DOT rating. I do not like the Trackmaster II front tire. It seemed to skate sideways a lot.