What type of tire do you use on your enduro bike

[Pepperami]

Maxxis FIM

[jgas]

On page 1 someone said they get a year out of S12 Michelins? What? They must ride in sand with no hardpack or rocks! I love S12s, they work pretty well everywhere, but I only get 100-150 miles from a rear! Arkansas rocks eat them up quick. I have trashed one in one 80 mile Enduro. I still used it for a practice tire but it was worn and had several knobs missing. And I only get maybe 200-250 from an S12 front. I much prefer the Starcross intermediate Michelin here. I can sometimes get about 350-400 on a light bike and less on a DRZ or any bike over 275lbs.

A little known Trials tire is the Mitas. It has a slightly heavier sidewall and slightly firmer knobs than most other Trials tires, but still works well in all the places that any Trials tire does. It flexes less in hard turns when leaned over and feels a little more like a knobby when brake sliding. The only place it gives up a bit is on wet roots or crossing wet slick trees with no bark, but it is still at least as good in any of those spots any knobby. Mitas rear Trials will last a verrrry long time! I have over 600 miles on one and it is still working well, they don't seem to ever lose knobs like some Trials tires, especially Dunlops. Sharp rocks trash any Trials tire that has too much knob and sidewall flex, rips the knobs off under acceleration and brake sliding.

Most guys around here use some type of IT, various prerferences, or some Desert type tire. Many use Trials on rear but I've never seen anyone use a Trials on front. On my DRZ which is heavy I like any type of front Desert IT tire with tall and fairly large knobs. With the heavier, usually 6 ply sidewalls I get few flats and can go down to 11 lbs of air with heavy tubes. Around here most tires need to be run at least 14 lbs with aggressive riding, front tires I mean. Rears can go from 9-13 depending on the tire and tube combo.

A tire that I never see anyone use is an IRC M5B soft rear. It is almost as good as an S12 and lasts longer. There are few better tires for soft terrain/mud/sand, and it even works ok in other terrain. Decent flat protection too. Scott Summers used various IRCs until Pirelli paid him more to switch.

What I see most guys around here use are Pirellis and Bridgestones, various styles. Quite a few Maxxis also.

For dual sport most seem to use Dunlop 606, although they don't really hook great anywhere, but they aren't terrible anywhere, and they last ok.

[Nick]

Dunlop 739 desert at with heavy tube in rear with 5-6lbs and mx51 front with bib mousse

[SGM]

I tend to go for a Michelin AC10 in the rear (works really well in all conditions, and it's cheap over here), and whatever takes my fancy up front, as long as the knobbies are in good nick.

Heavy duty tube all around.

[Cruiser]

I used to get a year out of s12's, the newer ones I cant get more than a few rides out of. I have one on my 97 gg that has 80% life left and its half a season old. It is also from 2003. The maxxis IT worked great down in S Jersey sand.. actually outstanding. I could just rail into the berms confidant of it just hooking up.. Front let me down a few times and I'm still favoring some tender ribs from the bike pushing out of a nice berm..

[GMP]

Yeah, I had an SI front and thought it sucked, took it off after a few rides. I really like the Pirelli XCMS front, for mixed terrain, despite it being a soft sidewall tire. I run it Tubliss but keep the presssure at 12 PSI. One has been on my OEM front wheel as my race only tire since August and has held up great. For the real rocky stuff I'll run an M59, but I need to find a replacement for that. I hear good things about the Kenda Washougal Sticky. Tried a Millville once and hated it.

[jgas]

I'm looking for a good front tire for a heavy DRZ with a big tank and sometimes loaded with camping gear. All the usual tires that work well on lighter bikes shed side knobs in rocks on the DRZ. It weighs about 310lbs full of gas with an extra heavy tube and tire tools on the front fender and a tool bag on back. And my fat butt weighs 220 or so. Most tires I've used keep the middle knobs ok but the side ones tear off in just a few rides. High air pressure helps but doesn't stop the problem, and the front won't stick.

I've tried all of the following: Michelin S and M 12s, and Starcross. Dunlop soft and intermediates. Sakura Dirt Shark, (which actually lasted the longest, but still chunked). Maxxis IT. Bridgestone intermediates. Probably a few others I've forgotten.

Pretty much ANY tire with small widely spaced knobs goes quick. One that lasts pretty good is a cheap old Cheng Shin! But it can't chunk knobs because it never hooks up! It's always sliding and skipping around so there is no chance for it to tear a knob.

I wonder what the GasGas Rally guys use?

[Cruiser]

Ok,, bringing this thread back for a hiatus. The maxis rear is still going strong! Does rather well in the rocks if dropped down to 9-10 psi. I have a decent amount of use and it's going good for a rear on a 450 in the rocks. Only one side knob chunked off. But the m59 front didn't last very long at all. Must be bad rubber? After a few rides the knobs were rounded bad and early in the season the knobs started to tear off. Now thee sidewalks are like a soft cloth and side knobs are a distant memory. The rear, which I usually go through 2 per front can make it several more rides and I'm even thinking about leaving it on for the hammer run-south jersey sand. So anybody have a new tire they like for rocks and sand. Heavier bike. Ktm 450 and I'm a leaner. I lean a lot in the corners which is why I don't run trials tires. Just can't seam to break the habit.

[djroggen]

Check out Motoz tires. Seriously the best range of tires out there. I run their intermediate enduro thick sidewall tires and could not be happier. They don't get slippery as they wear, they start to grip more as they wear. GoFasters will ship them anywhere, but there are other dealers out there. They lasted 60 hours in the last set and they finally started to chunk, I only replaced them because the guys I ride started to think I was a dirty hobo who couldn't afford new tires. They gripped the same if not better than the day I installed them.

[nambo-trev]

Originally Posted by djroggen

Check out Motoz tires. Seriously the best range of tires out there. I run their intermediate enduro thick sidewall tires and could not be happier. They don't get slippery as they wear, they start to grip more as they wear. GoFasters will ship them anywhere, but there are other dealers out there. They lasted 60 hours in the last set and they finally started to chunk, I only replaced them because the guys I ride started to think I was a dirty hobo who couldn't afford new tires. They gripped the same if not better than the day I installed them.

60hrs!!!!! Holy sh..t, I doesn't matter who makes the tire I'd be lucky to get 15hrs of usefulness out them. I'm still 100% on mitas sport extremes best rear tire I've ever used and now our whole crew is on them, I just placed an order for 15 fresh ones. Can't wait!!!