250-500cc Trials Tire - 1st Time

Well, I decided to make the leap. This weekend I mounted up a Pirelli MT43 Trials tire. I ride mostly Georgia/Tennessee single track full of hills, rocks, and roots. I'll report back in a few weeks with my first impressions.

Would be interesting to hear how the MT43 gets on, i currently use a michelain AC10 for enduro days and even with that you have to run low pressures to get it to work well on slippery slopes

I used a MT43 with the Tubliss set up and and ran it at 6 psi. it worked great and will outlast 3 knobby tires. Things you should know; They grow in height at high speed and will rub your mud flap if there isn't enough clearance and the lower pressures will work better, also it will feel like a ski if you lock up the brakes. Because they grow it will feel like it has an extra gear, kind of like a drag slick. Mine was stable with 6 psi all the way to 75mph with no problem, probably faster but 13:50 gearing was tapped out at 75mph.

I always run one. At my age I like the extra traction and not sliding up roots. I have a MT43 on my wr125 and a Vee Rubber VRM 308 on the KDX and have also run the Dunlop D803 all with good results.
What the guys who don't like the say is they don't like slime and most guys who berm shot don't like the flex in the tall side wall. Boy do they last unless you over air them, then they tend to melt the center.
The only thing I don't like is soft sand, other than that its all good. Just go easy in muck.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5X4Rl0_c4s
Got to say with the trail conditions like this I thought the MT43 was a poor choice then I got to this next section.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdqJQsDI-6Q
The trials tire saved me !

I've been running a trials tire a little over a month. It is truly magical on loose, rocky, rooted hills. On hills where I would be spinning a knobby, I lift the front wheel with the trials tire. However, I don't think I will get used to not having the rear braking in the slippery stuff and it's a little sketchy coming out of turns. I may go back to a knobby.

Trails tires are magical until you hit the sand. Then they magically come out from underneath you.

Lots of the boys here in Devon England swear by the MT43 hard wearing stiffer side walls than a standard trials tyre and last for ages. Good just about everywhere except deep mud.

im going down the trelleborg route this one looks mad grippy XT-644 Army Special
ive used ac 10's an rate them for road bias off road were capable but not my preferd choice.
running geomax by dunlop at moment and they are a good tyre.

I've found with the Tubliss I can rum an intermediate MX tire at 4-6 psi and get trials tire grip on the rocks and logs and still have the advantages of the knobby on downhill braking and traction in the mud and sand. My next tire will be one of these http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/29/391/37783/ITEM/Sedona-MX907HP-Hard-Pack-Rear-Tire.aspx

This is Golden Tyre's GT255 trials tire. It has those tall sidewalls and spongy rubber. It is designed for amateur and dual sport use, and provides better traction in muddy conditions without losing it's traction as a trials tire. Not sure on how it might react in the sand, but may prove better traction.





http://www.goldentyreusa.com/GT_255_256_TC_FR.html

Those rows of lugs are certainly spaced wide. Almost too wide for slickrock.
The creek at my place has solid rock bed and becomes real mossy and slicker than owl crap. I love riding up it but only trust a quad. My husky is running knobbies and the front washes out as soon as it hits the slick. I want to be able to cruise the creek on it but need some serious rubber to do it.

They hook up and just go UP nasty hills...but be prepared to banzai when you're going down the same, the skiing isn't a joke, it's down right dangerous they do not offer very good feel between traction and sliding...and watch yourself in grass track, you'll be pinning it, leaning into it, it's sticking, it's sticking it's sticking **boom** you're on your ass. It doesn't give the feel and warning a knobby does.

MX51's at 8 psi with the Tubliss set up I found to be BETTER traction than an 803. It doesn't last as long, but in race conditions it's a LOT more predictable in a wider range of trail conditions.

I'm thinking after I wear out my current set (MX51F, S12) and then test out a set off Kenda Washougals I have on standby, I'm going to try one of these http://www.kendatire.com/en/motorcycle/mx-off-road/triple/ not sure how sticky that rubber is, but I'm thinking that with low pressure, it might be an Endurocross/Hard Enduro king.

I am very tempted to try that GT256. Looks like a good compromise for rocky riding that may still have occasional mud, sand, etc.

Who is a dealer for Golden?

That Kenda does look nice and is advertised as having a sticky compound.
The thought of losing knobbies is my main concern when going with trials. When you need knobs nothing else will work, and some of the my creek banks are pure sugar sand.
I have just had the Kenda klever mt's put on an 84 toy p/u build. Cant wait to try them when I get home.

Thinking about a GT256 Trialera or a Vee Rubber VMR-140 Tackee next as I need something that clings like a trials and drives better as the race ruins the track.
What I don't like is most sticky tires are short lived. My trials tires run forever unlike my knobs.

I have recently been running a Shenko 19" trials tire on my TC250 and have been very impressed. Crazy traction, and the tall soft side wall improves the ride as well. Braking has been much better than advertised, front does most of the stopping anyway. Not as good in deep mud, but keeps digging. I did have some trouble on slick off camber, but so did everyone else.
One thing about the Shenko 19" is, it is crazy skinny, and I think that helps it in the mud.

I rode my WR250 today for the first time since mounting up the Trials tire. Wow! What a huge difference. Now I know why guys kept saying that it was like cheating. Awesome grip all the way around, even in some mud. So far I didn't get that 'ski' effect so we'll see if that comes about... I couldn't be more happy.

awesome glad those pirellis work for ya are you running std tubes?

Vee Rubber makes a wider 19 inch trials tire, its the same as the 18.
http://veerubberusa.com/motorcycle/viewsize.php?Pname=vrm308