Trails tire...WHY?

[ElDiablo]

I see a new trend with trails tires. I'm wondering what are the advantages of those tires.

So what tires do you run on?

I currently have Michelin Desert front and Teraflex on the back.

 

[WoodsChick]

I see a new trend with trails tires. I'm wondering what are the advantages of those tires.

So what tires do you run on?

I currently have Michelin Desert front and Teraflex on the back.

On my regular dirtbikes I run an IRC trials tire on the rear, and usually a Dunlop 756 on the front. There are tons of advantages (and a few disadvantages) to trials tires, most of which are mentioned here in one of our longest threads to date...

http://www.cafehusky.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53

Even though I've never run one myself, I'm not a big fan of the Terraflex. Do you like it? What types of terrain do you ride with it? I'm not really sure what its intended purpose is. It's very heavy, wreaks havoc on trails, and is hard on the equipment (chain, sprockets, etc.)



WoodsChick

 

[Coffee]

I use trials tires front and back - perfect play tires for our conditions - bare rock/concrete type trails that are steep at times.

Think "very sticky marshmallows"... they squish out for a wider foot print depending on the tire pressure.

 

[I8AKTM]

After reading about them from Coffee's posts for a while, then Woodschick, and then Kelly gave great reviews too, and after reading a 37 page post on KTMTalk about them, I decided to give it a go.

I put on an IRC two weeks ago and I'm sold on the thing. I was climbing a loose, rooty, nasty, rutted, quadded out trail on Labor day with my friend Todd watching and about 2/3rds of the way up I realized I had picked the wrong track. Too late to switch, I gave her a quick blip and the front end lifted over a nice quality root and the back end non-chalantly moseyed over, making it seem a non-obstacle. I Busted out laughing, mostly in disbelief. Todd thought I had lost my marbles. Simply put, it flat out climbs.

Ran an enduro on it yesterday and the only place it didn't hook up was in a large mashed potatos thick mudpit that was a good foot deep. But there was never a shortage of guys stuck in there, and I passed a lot of dudes who had trouble with the creek crossings...

I ordered the front tire as well, but am waiting to put it on until I get a good play weekend to really try it out. Right now I'm running the Scorpion Pro on the front.

paul

 

[Motosportz]

I ordered the front tire as well, but am waiting to put it on until I get a good play weekend to really try it out.

I am still very happy with my front trails tire. Similar advantages as the rear and tracks straight like the rear. I have traded off with many a knobby dude and they did not notice the trails front or commented that it worked well. Does not seem like it should but it does.

 

[I8AKTM]

Kelly-

You were certainly spot on about the rear, if the front is more of the same, I'm going to be riding around giggling like a little girl.

paul

 

[Poopy]

Anyone know the best source for getting an 18" wheel on a husky?

 

[ElDiablo]

OK it looks like I'm sold on it. I'm wondering how they will do in Death Valley at higher speeds. Most of the stuff that I run is under 40mph.

BTW can you run them on the street (only connecting to trails)?

 

[SightedN2]

I love the trials tire, and will keep using them, but I am going to try a different brand, I have been using the Dulop D803, but on my 525 that I D/S I have ruined 2 of them going over 50 down the highway, the center knobs peel off.....after about 10 miles....I know I shouldn't be using it there but.....anyway going to try a Perelli next

 

[GoFaster]

Pirelli MT 43 is rated DOT, at least most that I have found are.
I have also run a Dunlop Trials (803?) in the rear that says it can go up to 80mph, I pump it up to 20psi (on the street) and try not to exceed 65mph. In the dirt I run 12-14psi depending on how much crap I got on my back.

 

[Reddog]

I'm not a big fan of the Terraflex. Do you like it? What types of terrain do you ride with it? I'm not really sure what its intended purpose is. It's very heavy, wreaks havoc on trails, and is hard on the equipment (chain, sprockets, etc.)
WoodsChick

They work well in sand and mud with a high power bike like the 610.
The cases are about bullet proof, very hard to puncture.

As for the trials tires, how do they hold up on a 610 or 510?

 

[Motosportz]

They work well in sand and mud with a high power bike like the 610.
The cases are about bullet proof, very hard to puncture.

As for the trials tires, how do they hold up on a 610 or 510?

unfortunately i ripped the side wall out of my D803 after about 300 miles. Tore a big 2 inch gash in it. Sux as i LOVED it. I am going to try the pirelli next.

 

[Zim]

I have tried the Mitas and the Pirelli and the Pirelli is by far the better,all of the traction with no wollow on the black top.

 

[fitness2go]

You'll like the Pirelli "trails" tire. Kelly...would you please stop calling (typing) it a trails tire!

David

unfortunately i ripped the side wall out of my D803 after about 300 miles. Tore a big 2 inch gash in it. Sux as i LOVED it. I am going to try the pirelli next.

 

[CKPC]

Run an IRC in back and have never looked back after riding Coffee's bike to try it out. I did tear some of the center lugs on some 55mph plus sections last year but they never tore all the way and I am still using the tire with no performance issues. I think I was running too much pressure at the time(20psi plus). I have since kept it under 10psi on all rides. I do little to no pavement though.

 

[Motosportz]

You'll like the Pirelli "trails" tire. Kelly...would you please stop calling (typing) it a trails tire!

David

No.

 

[WoodsChick]

They work well in sand and mud with a high power bike like the 610.
The cases are about bullet proof, very hard to puncture.

As for the trials tires, how do they hold up on a 610 or 510?

Yeah, I would imagine the Terraflex would work well in sand and mud...scenarios where the surface would be deep enough for the gargantuan knobs to penetrate. Have you experienced any premature drivetrain wear or issues?

I don't run a trials tire on my 610. In fact, I'm not a huge fan of a trials tire on my 450. Kind of the flipside to the Terraflex working on the bigger more powerful 4-strokes, it seems to me that the bigger heavier 4-strokes don't/can't make use of the trials tire effectively...too much torque and weight. I don't like the squishy flex I get on the 450 if I'm trying to ride trails aggressively. If I'm plonking around in rock gardens or picking my way through nasty stuff it's ok. I dunno...most folks here seem to love them on their 4-strokes so take whatever I say with a grain of salt, but maybe my bias comes from using them on 2-strokes for the last 5 years or so? There is a marked difference between the two.


WoodsChick

 

[Reddog]

Have you experienced any premature drivetrain wear or issues?

No more so than I would expect from the amount of sand I ride in.
But I did switch to a steel sprocket from the start. I have about 1300 miles on the factory chain and it does not show much wear.

 

[PALMER84ONE]

What IRC tire are you running? TR-11

 

[SightedN2]

I use a trials on the 300 and 525 and like them both, the tourqe the 525 has and with a trials, is a hoot to ride...... to me it is a toss up on which one does best with the tire, if my CR had a 18 I would have one on it....
I wouldn't race with one though....