Jumping on the trials tire bandwagon

I just ordered 3 for $66 each, including shipping. See my earlier post above for details....

No experience other than that they come on this bike and there is a comment about them not being near as sticky as the "true" competition trials tires. Probably something similar to the IRC TR-1 Trials tires that go for 1/2 the price of the IRC TR11 Trial Winner competition tires.
Terry

http://www.dirtrider.com/reviews/dirt_bike/141_0810_scorpa_t_ride_250f_trial_bike/index.html

http://www.veerubber.co.th/home/index.asp

http://www.dirtrider.com/features/141_0705_trials_tire_comparison/index.html

Vee rubber, "The pride of Thailand", probably makes a decent tire for all the scooters and small motorcycles that are used by the millions for transportation in the asian countries. Not necisarily utter crap, just lower end stuff meeting a price point. My wife's former 2006 Kawasaki KLX250S ( traded it for the husky) was made in Thailand.

I have bought from here before, they ship quick and the prices seem decent.

http://www.americanmototire.com/catalog/index.php

Dont quote me but i think you'll find the reason for this is AGE. tyre has a short shelf life, app. 6yrs . As some shops cant shift some items they just sit about till some one comes along and buys it. Old ruber cracks like this. Good to keep this in mind for your cars too. In the USA with all the massives utes(trucks) you lot get around in, it can result in shredding and roll overs. there is a dating sytem on tyres. Check em out. 4 no.s on side wall. week of yr manufactured..

Just ordered the TR-1s for the 510
Might be a little silly on the bigger bike but I will give it a go!

I dont have a 250 or 310

Saw trials on a Tennere today, loaded for travel..looked a tad tiny? but looked to be wearing well? Sorry couldnt tell the makers name..BIG BIKE but.

I can't say enough good things about a trials tire, front and back! My only suggestion is to take the time to get to know them by taking them to an area where you can practice brake sliding, corner with aggression and play with different air pressures. There is such a place close to my parent's house where I set up throw away car tires in a row for weaving, figure eights and power circles in both directions. Also, I was practicing wide birth corners while breaking loose on the tires at higher speeds. I can't believe how learning these simple basics on a trials tire will help increase your speed and learning curve out in some gnarly technical areas, tight single track and especially fast flowing stuff! As a beginner, I improved my ability to ride gnarly stuff 10 fold overnight...no kidding! My friend Greg (ioneater) did 2 exact rides...one without a trials tire and the same route with a trials and all I can say is that he was grinning ear to ear. Hill climbs that were extremely challenging to him the first time were simple the next time with a trials tire...Pirelli MT43!

1. They can last 1000+ miles.
2. There is no better traction when it comes to roots, logs and boulders.
3. Adds to the plushness of your suspension.

You've convinced me

Not sure if it's been covered in the thread but what PSI do you run at ?

If the conditions are really slick and it's a tight technical trail that slows me down, I'll go as low as 8 PSI in the back and 9 - 10 in the front. In the snow, I would go 6 in the back and 8 in the front Normal everyday riding...10 in the back and 10 - 11 in front. In fast stuff, I go as high as 12 on both the front and back. Anything higher and you lose the benefits of a trials tire.

what brand front are you using?? I am getting a d803 tommorow and will be getting an pirelli mt43 front sometime from England in the next week or two. The dunlop will probably go on for my new years day ride.

I've heard great things about the Dunlop D803 except that they wear pretty fast especially on the road. I have a Mitas front/rear and a Pirelli MT 43 rear waiting in the wings! The Mitas is a great trials tire and the front barely looks like it is wearing at all! When I tried out the Pirelli, I noticed that it is much more stable on the road and I can't say that I notice any deficiencies on the trail either.

The Mitas and the Pirrelli are very similar in dirt performance,but the Mitas is horible on bitumen,way too much sidewall flex.

I got both the pirelli mt43 and dunlop 803 fronts today, even through the MT43 came from England and was ordered a 8 days later than the dunlop from motorcycle-super store. The MT43 front (made in Brazil, just like the rears) ordered from England has the DOT markings and a "DP for US only" marking makes me wonder even more why no one sells them in the US.

Terry

Shipping that fast from over the pond, make me wonder if it did not actually ship from here in the states.
If you check the Pirelli site, the MT-43 is no longer listed.
Anyone here have contacts with someone at Pirelli that could find out why the front is not for sale in the states and also find out if the MT-43 is getting the axe.
Does the MT-43 front look larger than the Dunlop? Back in the day when I ran these on SWM and Cota, the Pirelli front was huge.

Definitely from overseas, custom forms, some international shipper I never heard of to get it to the US and the USPS to my door, UK address on all the labels and so on. The guy I was dealing with from the UK shop did quote 3-5 days total to Nebraska for the £36.02 shipping on a £31.95 tire, basically doubling the cost. Motorcycle-superstores actual shipping time for std UPS was the normal 3-5 days, they just took forever to actually ship it. I'll post a side by side photo when I get home from work tonight.

Terry

Pirelli MT43 front trials tire photos

Compared to the 803, the MT43 front is more rounded with taller knobs making the tire nearly as big around as the 80/100 MT44 knobbie, despite having technically the same tire size designation.

The MT43 front knobs are pretty soft, softer than the MT43 rear and have a springy feel compared to the 803's, which feel very very soft and gooey. The 803 gives me the impression it would simply just melt riding it all on hot pavement, even if the pressure is high. The Dunlop has much squishier sidewalls than the Pirelli. My impression is that the MT43 will survive pavement use a lot better and last longer. The knobs and sidewall squishyness on the MT44 feel like rocks in comparson to either of the trials tires.

Now, I have to decide which one to put on for my ride at Brock Creek on new years day. http://www.cafehusky.com/forums/showthread.php?t=868
I am leaning towards the D803 because its going to be cold with no pavement and slow, narly, and tight single track, and saving the MT43 for later in spring and summer when the riding will be faster and have pavement sections.


Pirelli MT44 knobbie 80/100-21, Pirelli MT43 trial 2.75-21, and Dunlop D803 2.75-21 front tires


Side view showing different heights


Detail of MT43


Detail of D803


Detail of MT44

It looks very wimpy

The D803 front looks very wimpy on the bike.




The MT43 rear on the bike

I noticed a seat height increase when I went to the MT43 that I wasn't anticipating. Am touching with toes only on level ground now where I used to be able to touch the balls of the feet. Not a big deal now that I've learned how to use the clutch the way it's supposed to be used. LOVE THE TRACTION! Hope yours works out for you as well