I've found the Pirelli MT-44 front knobby an all purpose tire. on the rear I've used the Pirelli MT-32 with some success, but when I put on the Dunlop 803 trials tire (tubeless) I was hooked. for trail riding I'll never use a knobby again. For MX knobby rules, but for trail riding trials tire is KING!!! :D

I have used Michelin S 12 tires front and rear here in the sands of the Gulf Coast and really liked them. The last set I bought was made in Thialand. They came apart in a hurry. They were made in Spain before and worked great and lasted well. Now they are garbage!
I'll probably try the Pirellis now that I have to switch brands.
I run around 10 lbs in the rear and around 8 in the front depending on conditions. I had to add a second rim lock on the 300EC's rear wheel to keep from pulling the Moose tube's stem out. Oh yeah, nothing but Moose tubes. Good stuff!
On the Wild HP quad, I've found the ITP tires to be unbelievably tough. I've smashed aluminum rims to trash and the ITP tires still are unhurt. Hiper wheels now adorn the quad and they are superb!

I've run the Michelin and Mitas trials tires and currently run a Dunlop since I got it for $50. Trials tires are pretty much my rear tire of choice for most of the rocky trail conditions in New England. However, in winter, I switch over to Trelleborg friction spikes. There are a few places/conditions where I won't run a rear trials tire simply because, even with 6psi in the tire, I could not get traction in bottomless ruts.

Using a rear trials tire does require some adjustments in riding style. Turning without a berm requires you to square off the corner before getting on the gas. Otherwise laying it over and twisting the throttle results in a low-side. A guy I ride with broke his collarbone because of this. If you rely heavily on the rear brake, you will overshoot turns. I've learned to use a lot more front brake than I used to which is a good thing. Last, but not least, since a trials tire finds traction where a knobby normally spins you need to excercise throttle control. The first few times I rode with a rear trials tire the bike shot out from underneath me when I, accidentally, grabbed a handful of throttle.

I've done extensive testing with the trials tires and Rekluse auto-clutch over the the last four years.

I've found that they are the best overall combination for all around trail riding. As long as the trail isn't covered with half a foot of leaves, it seems to always get forward drive. I can dirt track on hard dirt or gravel better with the trials tire than with any other tire I've ever used.
I can also easily do a "doughnut wheelie turnaround" on an extremely narrow single track trail with this combination.

I've also found that, when the rocky hill climbs get really gnarly, unless I am geared pretty low (12/50), I can climb better with the manual clutch than with the auto clutch. (using the clutch to modulate traction)
With the auto clutch, especially using a sticky trials tire, if I have to take off on the side of a steep hill, the higher gearing makes me very wheelie prone.
With the manual clutch, I can use higher gearing (13/49 or 13/50) everywhere, and just slip the clutch to keep from wheelie-ing in the afore mentioned situation.

I have also found that, in most race situations, I can go faster with the manual clutch and a knobby rear tire (chosen to fit the terrain situation) than with the Rekluse and a trials rear. This is especially true in super tight twisty sections, which is really about the only place I will ride at 110% anymore. (The knobby tire, because of braking and "transitional" predictability, and the manual clutch because of the ability to modulate drive and traction with the clutch, which lets me push things right to the edge with a lot of throttle.)

My favorite knobby tires were:
soft terrain (Breezy Hills or anywhere in Louisiana): S12 front and rear
intermediate terrain (TrainRobbers): Bridgestone M401/M402 combo

Now, with the S-12 no longer being the same quality, and Bridgestone discontinuing the 401/402, I am going to have to experiment with some of your suggestions. However, when I found out about the Bridgestone situation, I looked around and bought two 401s and four 402s on sale; so I am probably fixed up for intermediate knobbies for a couple of years.

It's the soft terrain tires that I am going to have to test.
I am leaning toward the Maxxis SI tires as a first test subject.
Anyone have specific suggestions for Pirelli soft terrain (loam and deep sand) situations?

Those are just MY results and impressions, and are heavily influenced by my old, fat, and lazy riding style. :D

Speedy,

Basically you have to show up with two wheels and make a decision. I do this and I'm sure you are a lot faster than me. Its a compromise, you have to consider the range of terrain and overall advantage/disadvantage. I've been running these tires for years now, well before LMS and the fad that caught on. If the terrain is such that, you can use above third gear speed much of the time, you have to think about the knobby. I run the trials exclusively trail riding, because our stuff is very technical and rocky. Also if the race is the same, mostly technical. If its a fast course don't bother, the trials tire is not a knobby replacement, its just another option (a good one).

For now I've gone back to a knobby on the rear for all of my riding as it's a lot more predictable on the fast stuff (which is what I'm riding to prep for Greece - doesn't look like the riding will be super technical like a lot of the stuff up here in BC). For technical rocky riding the trials tire is absolutely amazing and the best choice out there. I agree with the 3rd gear and up trails a knobby is much better.

I'm thinking about giving the Last Man Standing a go this year (if they ever announce a time/place for it - I've heard it may be in Utah...) and will probably use a trials tire at that.

As far as the Rekluse goes, I highly recommend it. The clutch override is good and I find a ride the bike the same that I do with a manual clutch (well, almost, I don't fan as much in some cases) and it makes me faster. I'm ordering 5 more tungsten balls to try out and see if I can get harder engagement when I pin the throttle (it's fine now, but I'd prefer it to hit a little harder).

Hi!

I use the Pirelli MT 32 MidSoft 80/100 front tyre and the new Dunlop Geomax MX 51 110/100 rear tyre. Works very well for me! Riding terrain is mostly sand, and.. well all kinds of sand and some rocks and roots, gravel and hardpacked mud.

Unfortunately, to get to our riding places require a bit of tarmac driving so the tires don't last very long. But otherwise, these are my tires of choice.

But these tires seem to last longer than most other MX tires I've used.

Yet to try a trials tire, but I am likely to do that this fall when my current knob is totally done and it finally dries up around here.

Right now I am running an M59 front, like it a lot.

i've run the mitas et-01 on the rear of my ec200 - but i've converted back to knobby for it (the geomax mx-51 is amazing...my favorite tire yet...very predictable..) i've found the 200 to be much more of a wheel spinner than a trials tire typa ride.. (i have 2 trials bikes, so if i want traction i just ride one of them....) i run a dunlop 756 front, and have also run a s12 (xc? with the rotated side knobs) - both of which i like.

i ride primarily hard/intermediate (wv is all rock and roots..) - trials tires have their plusses for sure, but it sure is nice to blast around and spin/slide tires all day on a little bike... the 200 isn't really a grunty hill climber, so i think it's quite nice with knobbies. now if i had a 300, i think i'd be all over a trials tire...

What type of tire
 

I run s12 front and rear, still have the good ones as I don't ride much anymore. I thought I heard Michelin got the message and the s12 tires
are better now, anyone know about this? Trials tires don't work for me, slick red clay like grease and deep soft sand where I ride.
Someone mentioned the MT16 was closest to a trials tire. I doubt that, it is a copy of the Metzeler MX tire from the early 1970s, that was the top of the line MX tire back then and is still used on vintage bikes for the period look. They also have a very high profile compared to others.
It is the same 3 4 3 pattern as seen on cheap Chen Shin and Kenda tires.
I constantly hear about chunking knobs on s12s, they are a soft terrain tire, if you ride on hard terrain or rocks any soft terrain tire will throw knobs, I never see this mentioned. If you are running s12s on hard terrain you have the wrong tire.
Trailrider
2001 XC300
1974 TM125 Suzukis x 3
1978 RM250C2