On My Own Dime: My Favorite MX Tires

To keep up with these ongoing “On My Own Dime” articles I thought it would be informative to write about a few of my favorite tires. I don’t use the same tires year round, because quite frankly some conditions/tracks suite different tires better. For example, I raced with a MX3S/33 combo at Loretta’s and then raced with the Pirelli MX32 mid-soft’s at the World Vet’s at Glen Helen. 

I don’t always get free tires, so when I have to go purchase tires for Aden and my own personal bikes, these are the tires that I purchase. These are strictly performance based tires and are not meant to be the most durable tire out on the market. I normally am looking for performance out of my tires and not as much longevity, but I do want it to last more than a couple weekends of racing. Just know this… It is tough to weave performance as well as durability in a tire. You need to know what type of rider/consumer you are. Are you looking for the most traction out of your rubber? Or are you the type of rider that doesn’t need all the traction in the world and is just fine with a tire that last longer with a harder carcass. Below are my top picks of tires when looking to go racing.  

Pirelli MX 32 Mid-Soft Front/Rear:

Pirelli may not be the most popular tire in the AMA Supercross/Motocross paddock, but one look around the MXGP circuit and you will see more Pirelli tires than any other brand. I tested the Pirelli MX32 MId-Soft back in early 2018, but since then, the MX32 Mid-Soft tires are said to have an improved spec and I have been circulating through them regularly o my test bikes. While I don’t have much information on what was improved or why (maybe a vendor change), I did get confirmation that all of the old MX32 Mid-Soft spec tires have been out of circulation for a while. This was a concern to me as I thought some may still be floating around, but I was reassured that if a consumer purchases any Pirelli MX32 Mid-Soft tires, you will in fact be getting the updated versions. Pirelli also noted that they have dropped their pricing down on all their motocross tires $5.00-$15.00. 

Once out on the track I quickly found out that one of the first things that impressed me the most was that the Pirelli Scorpion MX32 Mid Soft’s carcass gives the rider a blend of comfort and control on choppy/square edge terrain. I have more time on Dunlops than any other brand of tire around these Southern California test track, so I am very familiar on what these test bikes feel like when they get rough. When the track does get rougher, the Pirelli MX 32 Mid-Soft rear tire (120/80-19) gives more cushion than the Dunlop I have been riding on lately. The Pirelli carcass acts like another piece of your bike’s suspension and can really help a rigid feeling chassis become slightly better on choppy terrain. It impressed me so much that I tried it on a 2020-2021 Honda CRF450R and it gave me less of a harsh feel. To me that was impressive on this machine, because the Honda needs more comfort and the MX32’s carcass did just that.

Pirelli also offers a 120/90-19 size rear tire as well that was even better on square edge cushion feel, but the 120/90-19 also puts more weight on the front end of the machine, which increases front-end steering, but negatively affects the ride height. If you do decide to go with the 120/90-19 and feel like your rear end is too high after installation, I do recommend dropping your sag 1-2mm to prevent a high feeling rear end on de-cel (stink bug). 

The Pirelli MX32 Mid-Soft rear tire offers great traction on soft/intermediate terrain through ruts and coming out of soft corners. The MX32 works well under lean angle and that lean angle traction is one of Pirelli’s rear tire strong suits, as the rider is able to get on the throttle sooner (while leaning) without washing out. The contact patch that I get with a Pirelli at Glen Helen is unmatched. I feel like my lean angle is more controlled and that sudden line changes are easier with the Pirelli. When riding you want the largest “feeling” contact patchiest you can find from a tire and Pirelli has done this well with the MX 32 Mid-Soft. 

Not only do you have a more controlled lean angle, but you are also able to start your lean sooner (compared to a MX33). Braking predictability gives the rider confidence to pivot and throttle out of flat corners without much hesitation. If you’re a predominately front end steering rider the Scorpion MX32 rear tire will provide you with less sliding ability and let you steer with the front tire more than the rear. If you're a rear end steering rider that likes to drift the back end around, this tire may not suit you as much as a Dunlop MX33. The only complaint I had is when the track surface was on the harder side, I could feel the side of the tire carcass roll when accelerating from flat corners. This gives me a pushing or loose feeling rear end that caused me to be less aggressive with my throttle hand. To combat some of this it’s very important to run the correct air pressure (between 14-14.5 psi) for the Pirelli’s softer style carcass. I noticed that when the Pirelli tire gets half worn, the performance isn't as good as the Dunlop if you don't pay attention to the tire pressure. When the tire gets worn, going to 14.5-15 psi helps the structure of the carcass stay firmer on its sidewall when under lean angle. 

I ran 14 psi on a half worn rear Pirelli and it felt very “washy” or vague so going up to 14.5 psi helped this roll sensation. Remember that just because the actual knobby might not be worn down that doesn’t mean the integrity of the caracass isn’t worn. Chunking wasn't an issue with the set of Pirelli’s I had, as I got well over 10 hours on a rear tire. You will also have to understand that Southern California conditions are much harder than east coast conditions, so lifespan would most likely be better in softer east coast based dirt.  

I am a picky son of a bitch when it comes to front tires! The Pirelli MX32 front tire is great for front-end feel and lean angle traction especially in heavy dirt. The softer the dirt the more responsive this front tire is. I prefer a tire that really digs into the dirt and lets you carve underneath blown out berms or ruts (happens a lot here in Southern California). The Scorpion MX32 Mid-Soft front tire actually makes the steering feel heavy at times because the tire is at maximum grip under initial lean in corners. Like I mentioned above, the MX32 is tailor made for a front wheel steering rider and can be leaned into corners earlier than you would come to expect. It took me a couple rides to fully trust this tire, but it has treated me well once I began trust it more. The only other front tire that has as much front end lean angle traction is a Hoosier MX25. This Pirelli front tire does suffer from predictability when the track is freshly watered while broken in/slick on top (think 1PM at your local track). The MX32 would give the front end a vague/push feel as the bike would have a tendency to slide unexpectedly through flat corners. Again, adjusting the air pressure can remedy some of this, so going up to 14.5 psi helps the tire not to roll so much. 

To me this is a pure soft natured front tire and if the conditions are soft to loamy this tire works great, but if the track gets hard pack, you will get some uncertainty when pushing the front tire’s limits with 13.5 psi. The wear of the MX32 front tire is adequate and unlike most soft terrain tires, the Pirelli will NOT chunk from what I experienced. I typically get 9-11 hours on a MX32 front tire before I start to see some of the performance life start to dissipate. This is a performance based tire and should be purchased knowing this. 14 psi is a good baseline for this tire, but be sure to check the pressure after a couple motos. Tire pressure will rise with heat so make sure to have a good tire pressure gauge handy in the tool box. 

The updated Pirelli Scorpion MX32 Mid Soft is one of my favorite sets of tires to put on for Southern California tracks. The Pirelli tires will require more attention during the course of the day with your tire pressure gauge, but if you stay on top of the air pressure, you will be rewarded with a tire that rivals spec tire cushion feel.

Dunlop MX3S Front Tire: 

The MX3S directional front tire is great for front-end feel and lean angle traction, especially over the older MX33 front tire in all conditions. The MX3S front tire actually makes the steering feel “heavy” at times because the tire is at maximum grip under initial lean in corners. It can be somewhat grabby if you're not used to it and can cause some oversteer, but once used to the lean angle feel the MX3S becomes magical in soft to loamy conditions. The MX3S is tailor made for a front wheel steering rider and can be leaned into corners earlier than most other tires very easily. The only other front tire that has as much, if not more front end lean angle traction is a Pirelli MX32 mid-soft. I did have a problem with the MX3S when the track had just been freshly watered and was slick on top (think of the second moto at a Glen Helen-type track). This would give the front end a vague feel (un-predictable) as the bike would have a tendency to push the front-end through flat corners (the MX53 is better in these types of conditions). The wear of the MX3S front tire is not as friendly in hard pack terrain as you can feel the side knobs roll on the hard pack surfaces. The vague/pushing sensation is common once on hard pack so you may want to stick with more of an intermediate to hard terrain tire if your local track has a hard base. Again, just like a performance tire, the side knobs can chunk off rather quickly if you’re riding on intermediate terrain often. I typically get 7-10 hours on a MX3S front tire before I start to see chunking of the side knobs. This is a performance based tire and should be looked at accordingly.

Bridgestone M59 Front Tire:

The Bridgestone M59 tire has been in production for quite sometime, but for some weird reason I must have missed it while it was in circulation. I have tested the Battlecross tires, but never even knew about the M59 until Aaron Clout (Luke Clout’s brother spoke about it). Installing the Bridgestone M59 was the easiest tire I have literally ever put on. It has a soft carcass and the bead went into the rim nicely without any fuss. Once on the track, I knew I had to experiment with air pressure because I could feel the side of the M59 roll when pushing heavy into ruts (similar to the Pirelli). I started out with 13.5 psi, but finally settled on 14.5 psi as a setting that I would recommend when riding with this tire on a 450. The 450 comes with more weight and that means more roll of this soft sidewall when you’re pushing into corners. If you want to sacrifice some of that carcass cushion on square edge you could go up to 15 psi and get some added control on lean angle. The M59 wasn’t quite as good as the Pirelli on lean, but it did mimic the MX32’s comfort if there was some chop inside of ruts. I could feel more cushion through the front end and that gave my 43 year old hands a welcome sigh of relief. 

Once I decided that 14 psi was the happy medium, I still felt the lean angle traction that I got wasn’t quite as good as the Pirelli MX32 Mid Soft. I could set up for ruts or berms on terrain that varied from loamy to semi hard pack without getting a push or vague feel, similar to the Pirelli, but I could still feel the sidewall’s inconsistency with the Bridgestone when I tried to pivot on flat corners. With the weight of the 450 and the aggressive nature of my front end steering style, the Bridgestone just wasn’t a fan of being leaned over with nothing to bank off of. The overall straight line bump absorption of this front tire wasn’t quite as good as a Pirelli MX32 Mid Soft, but was better than a Dunlop MX3S. It almost felt like the side wall had a different softer flex character and the middle of the M59’s tire was made of some harder/different type of rubber compound. The Bridgestone did suffer from some slip in corners if it was freshly watered, as I couldn’t quite be as aggressive in that area like I could with the Dunlop MX3S. 

What’s odd to me is when I tested the same tire on a 250F, I got a completely different feel. The front end could be loaded and pivoted without getting a push or a vague feel. The straight line bump absorption was about the same as on the 450, but the lean angle traction was much better. I think this has something directly due to the M59’s carcass and how much of a load it can handle on lean angle. I don’t know what Bridgestone’s target was when making this front tire, but to me this M59 is tailor made for 14 psi on a 250F or smaller machine and maybe 14.5 on a heavier 450. I rode just as aggressive on the 250F as I did on the 450 and it had a consistent lean angle feel. I also feel like this could be a great off-road tire, especially if you ride a ton of rocks. The carcass feeling of the M59 could be a welcome feeling in extreme off-road conditions.

What About The Dunlop MX33 Rear? 

Yes, I do like the Dunlop MX33 rear tire way more than I do the 33 front, so when I go to a 3S front, I usually match it up with a 33 rear. The 33 rear is heavier than the Pirelli MX32 mid-soft and the carcass isn’t quite as comfortable as the 32, but the Dunlop MX33 rear does give you a solid/non-roll type of feel when under lean while accelerating. I also like that the 33 rear feels like it has more traction than the Pirelli when worn down. I run the 33 rear at 12.5 psi because the carcass is stiffer and that seems to get me the best forward bite. I normally get around 10-12 hours of life from this tire around Southern California, depending on track conditions.

Tire Pressure Settings Bible

Riding several tires as well as compounds over the years, I decided to write some of the optimal tire pressures that I felt worked the best in a variety of conditions. Here are five major brands and their pressures, that I thought could be some benefit to you. If you're wondering what PSI to run in your new tires, look no further than the tire pressure bible below. Yes, you will see that some soft terrain tires are still categorized under the “Intermediate/hard Terrain”. That is because some soft terrain tires have an optimal feel in intermediate conditions. These tire settings are for: 80/100-21, 120/80-19, 110/90-19, 100/90-19, 120/90-19.

Pirelli:

Soft Terrain:

MX32 Mid Soft Front/Rear: 13.5/14 PSI

MX 32 Mid Hard Front/Rear: 13.5/13 PSI

Intermediate/Hard Terrain:

MX32 Mid Soft Front/Rear: 14/14 PSI

MX 32 Mid Hard Front/Rear: 13.5/13 PSI

Dunlop:

Soft Terrain:

MX 33 Front/Rear: 12.5/12.5 PSI

MX53 Front/Rear: 13/13.5 PSI

MX3S Front: 13.5 PSI

Intermediate/Hard Terrain:

MX 33 Front/Rear: 12.5/12.5 PSI

MX53 Front/Rear: 13/13.5 PSI

MX3S Front: 13.5 PSI

Bridgestone: 

Soft Terrain:

X20 Front/Rear: 13/12.5 PSI

X30 Front/Rear: 13/12.5 PSI

Intermediate/Hard Terrain:

X20 Front/Rear: 13/12.5 PSI

X30 Front/Rear: 13/12.5 PSI



Michelin:

Soft Terrain:

Starcross 5 Soft Front/Rear: 13.5/13 PSI

Starcross 5 Medium  Front/Rear: 13.5/13 PSI

Intermediate/Hard Terrain:

Starcross 5 Soft Front/Rear: 13.5-14/13.5 PSI

Starcross 5 Medium  Front/Rear: 13.5/13 PSI

Hoosier: 

Soft Terrain:

MX25S Front/Rear: 13/14 PSI

MX30 Front/Rear: 13/13.5 PSI 

Intermediate/Hard Terrain:

MX25S Front/Rear: 14/14 PSI

MX30 Front/Rear: 14/13.5 PSI 

Pirelli MX32 Mid-Soft Re-Visit

Pirelli may not be the most popular tire in the AMA Supercross/Motocross paddock, but one look around the MXGP circuit and you will see more Pirelli tires than any other brand. I tested the Pirelli MX32 MId-Soft back in early 2018, but since then, the MX32 Mid-Soft tires are said to have an improved spec, so I grabbed a couple to test for a few weeks. While I don’t have much information on what was improved or why, I did get confirmation that all of the old MX32 Mid-Soft spec tires have been out of circulation for a while. This was a concern to me as I thought some may still be floating around, but I was reassured that if a consumer purchases any Pirelli MX32 Mid-Soft tires, you will in fact be getting the updated versions. Pirelli also noted that they have dropped their pricing down on all their motocross tires $5.00-$15.00. They even have a “MX Extra” tire that has a price reduction of $50.00 a set.

Once out on the track I quickly found out that one of the first things that impressed me the most was that the Pirelli Scorpion MX32 Mid Soft’s carcass gives the rider a blend of comfort and control on choppy/square edge terrain. I am usually on Dunlops around these Southern California test track, so I am very familiar on what these test bikes feel like when they get rough. When the track does get rougher, the Pirelli MX 32 Mid-Soft rear tire (120/80-19) gives more cushion than the Dunlop I have been riding on lately. The Pirelli carcass acts like another piece of your bike’s suspension and can really help a rigid feeling chassis become slightly better on choppy terrain. It impressed me so much that I tried it on a 2020 Honda CRF450R and it gave me less of a harsh feel. To me that was impressive on this machine, because the Honda needs more comfort and the MX32’s carcass did just that.

Pirelli also offers a 120/90-19 size rear tire as well that was even better on square edge cushion feel, but the 120/90-19 also puts more weight on the front end of the machine, which increases front-end steering, but negatively affects the ride height. If you do decide to go with the 120/90-19 and feel like your rear end is too high after installation, I do recommend dropping your sag 1-2mm to prevent a high feeling rear end on de-cel (stink bug). 

The Pirelli MX32 Mid-Soft rear tire offers great traction on soft/intermediate terrain through ruts and coming out of soft corners. The MX32 works well under lean angle and that lean angle traction is one of Pirelli’s rear tire strong suits, as the rider is able to get on the throttle sooner (while leaning) without washing out. The contact patch that I get with a Pirelli at Glen Helen is unmatched. I feel like my lean angle is more controlled and that sudden line changes are easier with the Pirelli. When riding you want the largest “feeling” contact patchiest you can find from a tire and Pirelli has done this well with the MX 32 Mid-Soft.

Not only do you have a more controlled lean angle, but you are also able to start your lean sooner (compared to a MX33). Braking predictability gives the rider confidence to pivot and throttle out of flat corners without much hesitation. If you’re a predominately front end steering rider the Scorpion MX32 rear tire will provide you with less sliding ability and let you steer with the front tire more than the rear. If you're a rear end steering rider that likes to drift the back end around, this tire may not suit you as much as a Dunlop MX33/53. The only complaint I had is when the track surface was on the harder side, I could feel the side of the tire carcass roll when accelerating from flat corners. This gives me a pushing or loose feeling rear end that caused me to be more less aggressive with my throttle hand. To combat some of this it’s very important to run the correct air pressure (between 13.5-14.5 psi) for the Pirelli’s softer style carcass. I noticed that when the Pirelli tire gets half worn, the performance isn't as good if you don't pay attention to the tire pressure. When the tire gets worn, going to 14.5-15 psi helps the structure of the carcass stay firmer on its sidewall when under lean angle. I ran 13.5 on a half worn rear Pirelli and it felt very “washy” or vague so going up to 14 psi helped this roll sensation. Chunking wasn't an issue with the set of Pirelli’s I had, as I got well over 10 hours on a rear tire. You will also have to understand that Southern California conditions are much harder than east coast conditions, so lifespan would dramatically be better in softer east coast based dirt.  

Attention! I am a picky son of a bitch when it comes to front tires! The Pirelli MX32 front tire is great for front-end feel and lean angle traction especially in heavy dirt. The softer the dirt the more responsive this front tire is. I prefer a tire that really digs into the dirt and lets you carve underneath blown out berms or ruts (happens a lot here in Southern California). The Scorpion MX32 Mid-Soft front tire actually makes the steering feel heavy at times because the tire is at maximum grip under initial lean in corners. Like I mentioned above, the MX32 is tailor made for a front wheel steering rider and can be leaned into corners earlier than you would come to expect. It took me a couple rides to fully trust this tire, but it has treated me well once I began trust it more. The only other front tire that has as much front end lean angle traction is a Hoosier MX25. This Pirelli front tire does suffer from predictability when the track is freshly watered while broken in/slick on top (think 1PM at your local track). The MX32 would give the front end a vague/push feel as the bike would have a tendency to slide unexpectedly through flat corners. Again, adjusting the air pressure can remedy some of this, so going up to 14 psi helps the tire not to roll so much. 

To me this is a pure soft natured front tire and if the conditions are soft to loamy this tire works great, but if the track gets hard pack, you will get some uncertainty when pushing the front tire’s limits with 13.5 psi. The wear of the MX32 front tire is superb and unlike most soft terrain tires, the Pirelli will NOT chunk. I typically get 10-12 hours on a MX32 front tire before I start to see some of the performance life start to dissipate. This is a performance based tire and should be purchased knowing this. 14 psi is a good baseline for this tire, but be sure to check the pressure after a couple motos. Tire pressure will rise with heat so make sure to have a good tire pressure gauge handy in the tool box. 

The updated Pirelli Scorpion MX32 Mid Soft is one of my favorite sets of tires to put on for Southern California tracks. The Pirelli tires will require more attention during the course of the day with your tire pressure gauge, but if you stay on top of the air pressure, you will be rewarded with a tire that rivals spec tire cushion feel. Look for a small tire shootout soon as we will take the top MX tires and put them to the test under a 10 hour evaluation soon!

If you have any questions about these tires please feel free to email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com.

Dunlop MX53 Tire Review

Dunlop recently introduced their new MX53 intermediate to hard terrain tires last week to the media at Perris Raceway. I was excited about the new tire from Dunlop because quite frankly there hasn't been an intermediate to hard terrain tire that I have been over the moon about in a very long time. I usually am stuck with running a soft to intermediate tire at most tracks, but that always isn't the best decision once second motos roll around. I have been able to ride with the new Dunlop MX53 tires at more than five different tracks, with several types of soil, over the span of seven days. I have put almost 10 engine hours on the tires as well as experimented with air pressure settings. Here is what I know about the new Dunlop MX53 tires.

Tread Pattern (From Dunlop):

Front Tire: Dunlop has introduced a horseshoe shaped cluster of knobs to the front tire of the MX53. This horseshoe pattern acts as a giant claw to dig into the ground in order to try and give the rider more traction on hard-packed terrain as well as maximize braking grip. This bold new pattern features hollowed out portions of the center of the tread. The hollow area of this horseshoe cluster results in less stiffness in the center of the tire, in order to give riders better feedback and more compliance. The MX53 also has a taller profile than the previous MX52, providing gentler handling, a higher lean angle and better maneuverability. Additionally, each of the blocks are 1 mm higher than the MX52. This extra height is crucial in allowing the MX53 to perform better in intermediate terrains than the MX52 ever did.

Rear Tire: The rear tire enhancements include a reemergence of Dunlop’s Tornado Wave block distribution. The staggered placement of the rear tire blocks provide a more linear land ratio for a better ride compliance. The consistent placement of knobs along the shoulder of the tire increases confidence at greater lean angles. However, the interior blocks have more separation, which allows loose soil from softer terrains to clear the spaces more easily, while also exposing more surface area of the knobs to the dirt when more traction is needed for harder surfaces 

Progressive Cornering Block Technology:

Dunlop’s patented Progressive Cornering Block Technology has become an industry standard. A smaller block within the traditional knob, commonly known as Block-In-A-Block, has been incorporated into Dunlop’s rear off-road tires for many generations of tire patterns. Dunlop continues to raise the bar by evolving this traditional block into altered shapes to increase durability and tire performance. 

Block-In-A-Block: The new Geomax MX53 now also features Dunlop’s patented Block-In-A-Block technology on the front tire, which allows enhanced flex on each knob resulting in ultimate grip and even more biting edges. The tie bars connecting the base of the knobs add heightened durability to enhance performance in harder terrains. The individual flex of each knob improves linear tracking and aids in steering, as the block can now flex around various terrain elements. 

The Block-In-A-Block technology in the rear tire incorporates the Diamond Block design that was introduced with great success on the MX33. The diamond shape of this altered knob increases the surface area of the block, enhancing stability and slide control. Two additional angles increase the number of biting edges to dig into the dirt. The updated Block-In-A-Block shape has also been added to the rear tire along the shoulder. This wider knob provides a steady base to maximize traction along the outer edge of the tire’s surface.The compound for the MX53 tires has a higher number of molecular polymer particles. This results in a higher fracture strength, meaning more durability. Dunlop has also added more fine carbon particles. The carbon par-ticles are responsible for grip.

Construction: In the construction process of the MX53, Dunlop has added Advanced Apex Design technology. This component of the tire’s construction is present in both the front and rear tire. The Apex of the tire previously consisted of a small strip of material wrapped around the apex of the bead. By extending this apex further into the tire’s natural construction, Dunlop is able to increase ride compliance by spreading the forces of weight on the tire across the breadth of the profile. Distributing the force in this manner increases bump absorption and allows more flex and better ride compliance. Incorporating this element strikes a perfect balance between a plush ride and a firm feel. 

On The Track: I managed to ride five different types of tracks and I will be completely honest here; I came away with a more positive outlook on these tires than after the first day of testing, at Perris Raceway. As you may or may not know I am a front end steering type of rider and I am not a fan of the Dunlop MX33 or MX52 front tires at alI. I am a picky SOB when it comes to front tires!! I was forced to purchase any remaining MX3S front tires that were available and mix matched my way around Southern California with different front to back tread patterns. 

The Dunlop MX53 front tire impressed me on the first day of testing, but it wasn't until after day two (at Glen Helen) that I realized that I could actually like an intermediate to hard terrain front tire better than a soft terrain front. The MX53 front tire lean angle traction inspires confidence in terrain that is anywhere between soft-hard pack. In pure sand conditions the front end is a little loose feeling on entrance of corners, but if the track is still fresh in the morning with tilled up loam, the front tire tracks very well. I can predict where the side of the MX53 will break loose, how much I am able to lean through corners, and that feeling never waivers throughout the course of any day. Unlike the other MX33/52 compounds where they washed unexpectedly on initial lean, the MX53 bites and give the rider predictability. Another positive aspect to the MX53 is lack of front tire sliding when braking. Grabbing a handful of front brake (lean angle or straight line) into a corner leaves the rider with a sensation of a more contact patch feel that is wider than any other Dunlop I have tried to date (especially on lean angle braking).

Flat corners (while on throttle) or medium lean angle sweepers gives me a more secure/planted feel than a MX33 or MX52 and doesn't leave me with a feel of washing the front end out. As much as I love the MX3S front tire, even that tire isn't as good in this area of the track. The carcass of the front MX53 tire also has enough cushion to where it doesn't make your front end feel harsh on braking bumps like the MX33 can do at times on intermediate/hard pack tracks. For as much time as I have on the front tire the reliability also seems to be better than the MX3S, but I will continue to put more time on the tire to see where its “breaking” point is. The overall integrity/feel of the tire still remains intact with almost 10 hours on it. The only real negative I have found to this tire is the air pressure setting is crucial, so running a 13.5 air pressure setting is the number you will need to achieve. Going higher in air pressure will leave you with less lean angle grip on dry/wet slick surfaces and going lower will leave you with a carcass that is extremely soft feeling on braking bumps. 

I am not as picky when it comes to a rear tire, but the MX53 rear tire has a narrower “terrain window” than the front tire. However, it’s still impressive on intermediate-hard terrain, it just doesn’t have much forward bite or tracking when the track has deep sand sections. If the track is softer in nature the rear tire doesn't bite into the ground as good as the front does, so if you're a rear end steering rider you may want to stick with a MX33 in softer stuff. The MX53 has a comfortable carcass feel on square edge and braking bumps, but just know 13.5 or even 14 psi is recommended. I tried Dunlop’s recommendation of 12.5, but found myself feeling the tire squish too much on the rim on acceleration bumps. When it comes to entering shallow hard pack ruts I have yet to feel anything better than a MX53 in this area of the track. The rear end tracks into the ruts superbly with a positive lean angle and lets you get on the gas earlier because the rear end of the bike feels planted sooner. Another area I gave the MX53 high marks was under braking. When braking into corners there was much less slide with the MX53 than the MX33 and that really helps when you’re asking your motorcycle for traction/bite when diving hard into a corner.

If you're a rear end steering rider, having a rear tire that slides a little more under braking might be better for you, so look into a MX33 if you’re that type of rider. Just like the front tire, being on the gas while under a medium lean angle suits the MX53 rear tire. The contact patch that the rear tire lays down for you is better than any other intermediate to hard pack terrain tire I have tried as well as allows for a more controlled scrub up faces of dry/hard pack jumps. The rear end will not want to wash as quickly up the faces of jump when leaning, which can allow for a lower trajectory. With almost 10 hours on the rear tire, its performance hasn't dwindled a huge amount and is consistent enough for me to continue to put time on it. 

On wet/slick track conditions (think hard pack with water on top) the MX53 front/rear tires fling sticky mud out from in between the knobs well enough for me to be fairly aggressive, but just note that I have yet to find a production tire that works extremely well in that type of condition. Overall, these Dunlop MX53 tires have changed my outlook on running an intermediate to hard terrain tire on a wide variety of tracks. Having a tire that is consistent enough to run in the early morning motos as well as the late afternoon motos is tough to do, but Dunlop has done a good job with providing us a tire that is capable of doing this. 

Forecasting Questions: Before my email inbox blows up with MX53 questions, let me answer some that may come through the pipeline. 

Kris, what do you like better? The MX3S or MX53? As of right now I can stand here and say for California tracks I would like to run the MX53 tires 9 months out of the year. If we get a lot of rain and the tracks are soft I will run a MX3S front and MX33 rear. If you’re an east coaster and ride soft conditions I would run a MX3S front and a MX11 rear. 

Kris, what about durability? Will these knobs chunk off? At the 10 hour mark these MX53 knobs haven't chunked off. The MX3S knobs have chunked on me around this time, but you have to know what type of tire buyer you are. Are you a performance or durability based tire purchaser? It is extremely difficult to get both of these into one tire. For me I would rather take a 10-12 hour tire that has excellent grip than a 20 hour tire that has low grip/high. However, not everyone is like me, so if you’re a weekend warrior and do not care about performance as much, but want more durability, then you might want to look into a cheaper tire manufacturer price bracket. 

Kris, what sizes do the MX53 tires come in? Dunlop offers the MX53 for all size bike ranging from 50cc-450cc including 18 inch sizes for you off-road guys. 

If you have any more questions about the Dunlop MX53 tires or even the MX3S front tire that is making its way back into production, please feel free to email at kris@keeferinctesting.com. 

Tusk Impact Wheelset (2019 Yamaha YZ450F)

Mounting up some hubs/wheels is one of the first aftermarket modifications riders do to their ride. Do all dirt bikes need aftermarket wheels/hubs? No they don’t, but some can benefit from a beefier wheelset (like the Honda CRF250/450R and Yamaha YZ250/450F), so we decided to try the Tusk Impact wheelset and put some abuse on them to see if they really are a great purchase for your used or new steed. 

Yes, this test took a while, but we have put numerous hours on these wheels to see how they would hold up, because quite frankly we don’t want to push something on you if it’s a P.O.S. Tusk’s aluminum hubs are forged from 6061 T-6 aluminum, not cast, and CNC-machined for a quality fit. The Tusk hubs come with high-quality bearings, seals and hard anodized wheel spacers. We have over power washed these areas to see how they have held up and we were surprised that we didn't encounter any issues while testing. The rims are anodized and made from 7075-T6 aluminum. They aren’t the more popular D.I.D. or Takasago rims, but come from a Tusk supplier. The spokes are 3024 stainless steel and are heavier than other spoke choices (more on that in a minute). Tusk wheels come completely assembled and will interchange with the stock OEM wheel components, which is very seamless and nice for the consumer. 

Tusk’s Yamaha hubs are anodized blue, but aren't quite that “deep blue” we see on other hubs, which isn't a bad thing, but took sometime to get used to. The hub color is more of a light baby blue that offsets the black rims nicely. Tusk offers all of the colors of the manufacturer carousel so DO NOT worry they have every color for your ride. Yes, the Tusk wheelset is heavier than the standard OEM wheelset on the YZ450F, but if you’re reading this test I assume that weight isn't an issue for you. If you’re looking for a lower cost hub/rim than you shouldn't be looking at weight numbers, but we will give you the difference anyway. The Tusk front wheelset weighs in at 7 pounds 14 ounces and the stock OEM front wheelset weighs in at 7 pounds 11 ounces. NOT A HUGE DIFFERENCE! The Tusk rear wheelset weighs in at 11 pounds 9 ounces and the stock OEM rear wheelset comes in at 10 pounds 10 ounces. NOT THAT HUGE OF A DIFFERENCE. 

So how do they work on the track? Installing aftermarket wheelsets can change a bike’s character on the track. Some wheelsets can make a bike feel rigid and stiff, especially on slap down landings and on braking bumps. I DO NOT use Excel A-60 rims/Talon hubs because of the rigidity on square edge and braking bumps. These hubs immediately change any bikes handing character. The Tusk hub/rims are only slightly more rigid feeling than that of the stock Yamaha hubs/rims and DO NOT give me that harsh feeling on the track. Yes, it’s slightly firmer than the OEM hub/rims, but they aren’t so stiff that I wanted to take them off ASAP. If you’re purchasing these, give yourself a couple rides to adjust to them, but I am sure you will get acquainted fairly quickly. If they do feel slightly harsher than your stock wheelset try speeding up your rebound on your fork and shock 1-2 clicks to see if that helps. Trust me, it helps in almost every condition with stiffer wheelsets. This allows the wheel to follow the ground better and absorb some of that new found firmness of the hub/rim. 

Rear.

Front.

So how did they hold up? Look… You can count on two things… I am a hard ass when it comes to wheels and clutches. These Tusk hubs/wheels have held up surprisingly well for a lower price point wheelset. The spokes needed to be checked after every ride for the first couple weeks of riding, but after that I didn't have to fuss with them that much. You especially need to keep an eye on the spokes closest to the rim lock, so if you’re lazy (which some of you are) and you don’t want to go around the complete wheel, use the first few spokes as a guide to judge if the others might be loose. In other words if the ones closest to the rim lock are loose then check the whole damn wheel! After almost 30 hours the rim did get a couple whoops in them, but nothing that warranted me to get a new wheel laced up. You know that feeling (when you’re in the air) and your wheel is bouncing around because it has a couple good whacks to it? Yeah, that feeling never happened to me over the course of this test. Good news! The anodizing will fade over time so be forewarned that if you use harsh chemicals like Simple Green or 409 to wash your machine, the hubs will discolor somewhat. I usually use Bike Wash from Blud Lubricants or Slick Products because they are less harsh on our bikes. 

So is the Tusk Wheelset worst it? If you’re looking for another set of wheels that you can take to the track (in case of a flat) for a spare, want a set of practice wheels, or just looking to freshen up your older machine with some bling, the Tusk Wheelset is a great choice. Are these the wheels that I would take to a Supercross? Not necessarily, but for 98% of us they are plenty strong enough. For $549.99 a set, this Tusk wheelset is a really good choice for the working man that loves to go rip on the weekends, wants to look cool, or maybe just wants a back up set so he doesn't have to change a tube/tire at the track between motos. 

I also understand that some people on my social media page say they have had bad luck with these wheels. I understand there is an exception to every evaluation, but I have put in a ton of hard hours on these and have seen zero failures on my end. This doesn't mean that this product is 100% bulletproof, but I would have zero issues riding with these wheels and or recommending these to all of you. If you have any questions about this test or product please feel free to email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com. You can order the Tusk wheelset at rockymountainatvmc.com and choose from an array of sizes and colors

Michelin Starcross 5 Soft First Impression

By Joe Oehlhof

Editors Note: I wanted to stay away from this impression as I had some help with the development process of these tires. Michelin sent Joe a set of Starcross 5 Soft tires for our 2019 Suzuki RM-Z450 and this is what he had to say after several hours on a set. I thought it would be cool to hear Joe’s thoughts since he used to race with Michelins back in the day (when they were involved with AMA Pro Racing).

I tested these tires on three different tracks with varying soil types and track designs to come up with a wide range of conditions. Sunrise MX park in Adleanto CA offers a track design on relatively flat ground with differing soil types ranging from hard pack to sandy loam. Milestone is flat as well with a bit tighter layout filled with fun jumps and soil types from hard pack to sticky rutted clay. LACR utilizes a sand quarry and has a layout with good elevation changes, high speeds and a soil type of hard base with loose sandy soil on top. So three different tracks with a broad spectrum of layouts and soils and the Starcross 5 performance was excellent on this wide variety. I also stuck with a tire pressure of 13.5 in both front/rear tires.

The front is now my favorite front tire, the stability on hard braking coupled with the grip and plush feel on initial turn in as well as the continued grip throughout flat or rutted corners is superb. The Starcross has decent durability (slightly better than a MX3S), great bump absorption, and consistent grip even with a little wear are just a few highlights of this excellent tire. I am a front end steering rider so these fit my riding style well for the conditions that I ride. I ran Michelin tires when I was racing professionally and when I look back at the tire I raced on back then, these Starcross tires are much better on initial lean and carcass feel.

The rear Starcross 5 is an excellent tire as well as offering great straight line traction along with excellent bump absorption and unbelievable side knob traction (when leaning into a rut or pushing those side knobs into a hard pack flat corner). Once the tire got a little wear the side knob traction was still pretty dang good, however the straight line traction decreased a little, but the bump absorption was still great. The tough choice for a tire manufacturer is finding the balance between traction, performance and durability. The ability to produce a tire that has great grip is there, just ask anyone who has been fortunate enough to ride a spec tire (like I did), but they only lasted literally one race. Michelin has done an excellent job of providing a lightweight, durable tire with excellent grip. This rear tire is so sticky on lean that it sometimes is tough to swing the rear end around on bowl type corners. It took me sometime to get used to that, but once I figured it out my confidence went up. The rear tire side knobs will chunk if you ride hardpack too much so be forewarned. Michelin makes a Starcross medium if you’re in need for some hard base dirt type of riding.

Well done fellas, stay tuned in upcoming weeks for an impression of the Michelin Starcross 5 medium compound as we get into warmer weather out here in California which means harder track surfaces. Yippee! UGH!

Hoosier MX Tire Test

The name Hoosier has been around four wheel racing for quite sometime, but only recently have we become to know Hoosier in the two-wheel motocross market. Hoosier was purchased by Continental Tire in 2016, but since has continued its racing heritage by manufacturing racing tires for many types of racing platforms. Since I have spent tons of time testing tires over my years, I was very intrigued by the tire and the brand’s willingness to enter into the motocross market. Hoosier has no problem claiming that their motocross tires are “racing” tires and should be looked at in that way. I got my hands on a couple sets of Hoosier tires to try, with different compounds, to see if in fact they were good enough for me to purchase some for myself. 

 Hoosier has three different compounds set up for the consumer (MX20, MX25, MX30). They also offer an 18 inch version for you off-roaders, but not a 100/90-19 version yet for you 125 two-stroke guys. Each compound has a different carcass stiffness/feel and is there for the consumer to customize their own set up for what type of conditions or feel he or she rides/wants. I tested the MX25 front/MX20 rear and a MX30 front/MX25 rear compound on a Husqvarna FC450 and Honda CRF450R. If you want to know more about these tires go check out the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Keefer Tested Podcast right here on keeferinctesting.com or Pulpmx.com to get even further analysis.

Tracks Tested At And Conditions: 

Sunrise Cycle Park = Soft to intermediate terrain.

Private Test Tracks = Hard to intermediate terrain.

Local Riverbed Sand Track = Sandy to soft. 

Mounting: There wasn't anything abnormal that stood out to us when mounting the Hoosier’s on several sets of rims. The Michelin and Pirelli tires go on a little easier, but for how hard the tire feels to your fingers (when pushing on the knobbies/side wall) it goes on relatively well.

Weight: The Hoosier tires are extremely lightweight coming in at 8.02 pounds for the 80/100-21 front tire and 10.1 pounds for the 120/90-19 rear tire. Compared to a Dunlop MX33 front tire at 9.01 pounds and 12.04 pounds for the MX33 rear tire. 

MX25/MX30 Front Tire Performance:   

I am super picky when it comes to front tires and to be completely honest I haven't had a front tire that I am completely happy with since the Dunlop 756RR. I do like a Michelin StarCross 5 Soft tire, but to me since the Dunlop MX3S is discontinued that’s all I have to choose from. That is until now… The Hoosier MX25 front tire has a carcass feel unlike any other tire on the market. It's soft playable nature is reminiscent of a factory spec tire that I have only had the pleasure to ride on a handful of times. It soaks up a lot of square edge and bumps on different types of soil and acts like a second set of suspension. The MX25 front tire adds front end chassis comfort to a Honda CRF450R, which is huge on this type of a more rigid feeling machine. The MX25 front tire has more lean angle bite (off-throttle) when starting your lean for corners than any other tire I have tested the past few years. As soon as you get off the throttle to enter a rut or berm, you will notice the tire pulls down the front end more while biting the ground (very grabby). This may take some time for some riders to get used to, but I like the fact that it doesn’t have that initial vague feel of a Dunlop MX33. Once the Hoosier MX25 gets into the corners its side knobs work well in a wide variety of terrain (from mild hard pack to soft terrain). I do notice that all Hoosier front tires look/feel wider and taller than other 80/100-21 tires, but in the world of tire sizing, I am told there is a spec range for each size tire to vary from (and the Hoosier MX25 is within spec of the 80/100-21 range). I do notice however once installed the MX25 front tire makes your front end ride a little taller (compared to other manufacturers front tires), which can lead you to adjusting your fork height. I ended up dropping my fork height 2mm’s on the Husqvarna to compensate for the taller front end feel and that helped with balancing the bike out coming into corners. However on the Honda, it actually helped the low front end/stinkbug feeling rear end somewhat. 

To me if you're an aggressive type of rider that pushes the boundaries of the side wall of the front tire you will like the Hoosier’s MX30 front tire’s compound a little more. I found when going to harder clay base types of tracks this tire didn't roll as much on lean angle and provided me with almost as much carcass comfort on square edge/braking bumps. I also liked cornering stability a little more with the MX30 front tire versus the MX25 due to its more predictable/less rolling nature. The MX30’s braking is not as grabby as the MX25, but I am highly sensitive to this (some of you less sensitive riders may not notice). I let my other novice test rider ride both front tires back to back and he couldn't tell any difference on straight/lean angle braking performance. 

MX20/MX25 Rear Performance:

The MX20 rear tire has incredible straight line traction (on-throttle) and gives the Husqvarna and Honda an amazing amount of traction coming out of corners. Lean angle traction was superb when the conditions were soft, but when the track hardened up this carcass felt like it rolled on the rim too much and had a tendency to wash out. Just like the front tire, the MX20 rear tire’s carcass feel has so much comfort, it really makes the suspension on the Husqvarna and Honda have an increased damping feeling that I haven't felt from a production tire. Inside shallow ruts the rear tire’s ability to drift is not as apparent and if you want to brake slide around corners this tire makes it tough to do so. For me I love that feeling because I steer with my front tire, but some of you rear end steering riders may not like this feel. To me this is a pure soft/sand type of rear tire that doesn't like too much sidewall pressure (on intermediate to hard terrain) for aggressive riders. 

The MX25’s tire cushion was just as friendly as the MX20, but also could be pushed harder on the sidewall under throttle. When hard on the gas (on fast sweeping corners) the MX25’s ability to not drift was a welcomed feeling. I could leave the throttle on under lean and not get a rear end wash feel like the MX20 had. Slap down landings on the rear tire was one of the first positives I noticed from the MX25, once I entered the track. Over jumping certain singles to flat didn't give me as much of a harsh feel as other production tires and that gave me less fatigue during a longer moto. Maneuverability or the ability to change directions of the MX25’a knobbies let you make quick line choice decisions without any rear end push. The MX25 just has a comfort level that most tires do not have when the track gets imperfections late in the day. 

How Does The Lack Of Weight Affect The Handling Of The Bike?:

The Hoosier tires are lightweight… Although Hoosier wouldn't indulge too much on how they achieved such a lightweight tire, I will give you some insight on what I feel when I slap a set of these Hoosier’s on (compared to a Dunlop MX33). The Hoosier tires feel unlike any other tire on the market. For how stiff they feel off the bike, they feel extremely soft and supple when riding with them. You really have to pay attention to the tire pressure (of the Hoosier’s) and forget about what pressures you’re running on other tires as well. When pushing into corners I can feel the initial part of the sidewall flex fairly easy, but then get progressively stiffer as more pressure is applied (front and rear). This is a unique feeling and took me a few added laps to get used to, but adjusting tire pressure helps dial in the firmness the initial part of the sidewall has.  

Positives Of The Hoosier Tires:

• Lean angle traction (MX25 front/rear)

• Rear tire straight line traction  

• Carcass feeling

• Lightweight 

Negatives Of The Hoosier Tires:

• Knob chunking on MX20 rear tire

• If worn down somewhat the excellent lean angle traction isn’t as apparent 

• Tire pressure is critical with these compounds (must check air pressure during the course of the day more)

Durability Of The Hoosier Tires: 

So if you're slapping down $125.00 per tire, I am sure you want to know about durability right? The Hoosier MX20 rear tire will chunk if using it on harder terrain (around the 4 hour mark). I put around almost 10 engine hours on the other compounds (MX 25 and MX30) and although worn, they didn't chunk. The downside to the Hoosier’s is that when the tire gets half worn, the performance drops a considerable amount (compared to a Dunlop MX33). To me the Hoosier is a pure racing tire and should be taken as such.  

Tire Pressures:   

MX20 Rear: 14-15 PSI

MX25 Rear: 13.5-14 PSI

MX25 Front: 13.5-14.5 PSI

MX30 Front: 13-13.5 PSI 

You can check out the Hoosier’s over at hoosierracing.com. 

Pirelli Scorpion MX32 Mid-Soft Tires

I have been on a Pirelli Scorpion MX32 Mid-Soft testing bender while riding my 2019 Yamaha YZ450F test machine for a few months now. I have ridden plenty of Southern California tracks along with some of the softest dirt I have ever ridden out on a Colorado farm field. If you haven't listened to my podcast on “Tires 101” do yourself a favor and go listen. In the meantime while you're here you might as well read about what Pirelli's soft motocross tire offering is all about. 

I found out quickly that one of the first things that impressed me the most was that the Pirelli Scorpion MX32 Mid Soft’s carcass gives the rider a ton of comfort on choppy/square edge terrain. When the track gets rougher the rear tire (120/80-19) gives more cushion than any other tire that I have tested lately. This carcass feel acts like another piece of your bike’s suspension and can really help a rigid feeling chassis become slightly better on choppy terrain. It impressed me so much that I tried it on a 2018 Honda CRF450R and it gave me slightly less of a harsh feeling that the chassis puts out on choppy/square edge tracks. Pirelli also offers a 120/90-19 size rear tire as well that I have tested, that was even better on square edge cushion feel. The 120/90-19 also puts more weight on the front end of the machine to help increase front-end steering. If you do decide to go with the 120/90-19 and feel like your rear end is too high after installation, I do recommend lowering your fork in the clamp by 1-2mm to prevent a high feeling rear end (stink bug). The Pirelli MX32 Mid-Soft rear tire offers great traction on soft/intermediate terrain through ruts and coming out of soft corners. The MX32 works well under lean angle and that lean angle traction is one of Pirelli’s rear tire strong suits, as the rider is able to get on the throttle sooner (while leaning) without washing out. You are also able to start your lean sooner (compared to a MX3S) coming into a corner and the Scorpion remains planted to the ground. Braking predictability gives the rider confidence to pivot and throttle out of flat corners without much hesitation. If you’re a predominately a front end steering rider the Scorpion MX32 rear tire will provide you with less sliding ability and let you steer with the front tire more. If you're a rear end steering rider that likes to drift the back end around this tire may not suit you as much as a Bridgestone X20. The only complaint I had is when the track surface was on the harder side, I could feel the side of the tire carcass roll when accelerating from flat corners. This gives me a pushing or loose feeling rear end that caused me to be more ginger with my throttle hand. To combat some of this it’s very important to run the correct air pressure (between 13-14 psi) for the Pirelli’s soft carcass. I do notice that when the Pirelli tire gets half worn the performance also doesn’t suffer as much as with a Dunlop MX3S rear tire. Chunking wasn't an issue with the set of Pirelli’s I had as I got well over 10 hours on a rear tire. You will also have to understand that Southern California conditions are much harder than east coast conditions so lifespan would dramatically go up in softer east coast based dirt.  

Farm Dirt Bros.

The Pirelli MX32 front tire is great for front-end feel and lean angle traction especially in heavy dirt. The softer the dirt the more responsive this front tire is. However, it can at times be almost too grabby, but for me, I prefer a tire that really digs into the dirt and lets you carve underneath blown out berms or ruts. The Scorpion MX32 Mid-Soft front tire actually makes the steering feel heavy at times because the tire is at maximum grip under initial lean in corners. Like I mentioned above, the MX32 is tailor made for a front wheel steering rider and can be leaned into corners earlier than you would come to expect. The only other front tire that has as much front end lean angle traction is a Michelin Starcross 5 Soft. This Pirelli front tire does suffer from predictability when the track is freshly watered and was broken in/slick on top. The MX32 would give the front end a vague feel (un-predictable) as the bike would have a tendency to push unexpectedly through flat corners. To me this is a pure soft natured front tire and if the conditions are soft to loamy this tire works great, but if the track gets hard pack, you will get some uncertainty when pushing the front tire’s limits. The wear of the MX32 front tire is superb and unlike most soft terrain tires the Pirelli will NOT chunk. I typically get 10-12 hours on a MX32 front tire before I start to see some of the performance life start to dissipate. This is a performance based tire and should be purchased knowing this. 13 psi is a good baseline for this tire, but be sure to check the pressure after a couple motos. Tire pressure will rise with heat so make sure to have a good tire pressure gauge handy in the tool box. 

Farm Dirt Bros.

The Pirelli Scorpion MX32 Mid Soft has quickly become one of my favorite sets of tires when I am going to a softer type of track. Just be forewarned that the MX32 front tire is more finicky in hard pack conditions than the rear, so I typically have a MX32 Mid-Hard front tire with me handy for late afternoon sessions. Pirelli is quoted by saying “we race what we sell” and although I am not completely buying in on that saying, I will say that the MX 32 Mid-Soft tires are one of the best at getting performance and durability/longevity weaved in together. 

Maxxis Maxxcross MX ST Tire Review

I am not going to sit here and blow smoke up your asses and tell you I was a big fan of the previous generation Maxxis Maxxcross tires. They didn't provide consistent lean angle grip and had problems with side knob chunking way too soon in my opinion. Fast forward to the summer of 2019 and Maxxis has introduced a brand new performance tire that was developed with “The King” Jeremy McGrath exclusively for us die hard moto guys called the Maxxcross MX ST. The ST features an all new tread pattern designed to optimize traction while giving the rider more confidence and predictability in intermediate to soft soil, an all new compound and a lighter pliable carcass. At first glance it almost looks like a Pirelli Scorpion MX32 tread pattern design with a slightly different side wall. I ran a set of 80/100-21 and 110/90-19’s MX ST’s for almost ten engine hours and wanted to compare these new MX ST’s with the older Maxxis Maxxcross design as well as sprinkle in some comparisons with other big name brands. We tested the Maxxis tire on our 2018 Honda CRF450R test bike and came away these findings: 

I found that the first thing that impressed me was that the Maxxis Maxxcross MX ST rear tire offers great forward bite (traction) under acceleration in intermediate/soft terrain through ruts and coming out of corners. The Maxxis side knob design works well under lean angle and traction is one of the MX ST’s (rear tire) strong suits, as the rider is able to get on the throttle sooner (while leaning) without washing out. You are also able to start your lean sooner (than any other Maxxis tire I have tried in the past) while coming into a corner and the MX ST remains planted to the ground. Braking predictability is also increased as it gives the rider confidence to pivot and throttle out of flat corners without much hesitation. Previous Maxxis tire compounds would step out (or wash out) on you once you completed your braking and were back on the throttle, but the MX ST lets you pivot/lean under throttle through flat corners adequately. One complaint I had is that when the track surface was freshly watered/slightly hard, I couldn’t get as much predicability from the rear tire as I wanted. It gave me a pushing or loose feeling rear end until the track tacked up somewhat. Running the correct air pressure in the MX ST tires is crucial as I found the happy setting at 13 psi for most conditions. The softer nature of the MX ST carcass flexes and absorbs bigger bumps/square edges much better than the previous generation tire, which is great news for us older riders out there. MORE COMFORT!  When you get a hard carcass feeling tire like the previous generation Maxxis Maxxcross you will notice your machine will deflect and feel harsh on braking bumps and acceleration chop, but the new design doesn’t feel anything like this. I did notice around the 8 hour mark that the Maxxis rear tire performance gets less predictable and feels much like a worn Dunlop MX3s tire, which to me is to be expected, but nonetheless needs to be noted. The Maxxis MX ST rear tire loses most of that “predictability” (when 8 hours old) on lean angle (coming into corners), which causes the rear end to wash out easier. Kudos to Maxxis for making a rear tire that doesn’t chunk before the 10 hour mark. I have chunked some Dunlop MX3S tires before the ten hour mark (under normal intermediate terrain), but as of right now the Maxxis rubber hasn’t broken apart . If you are using the MX ST rear tire on pure sand, the lifespan of the tire goes up exponentially, so just know this. Also note that if you’re using this tire in hard pack conditions the compound/knob will wear much sooner. This is by far the best rear tire Maxxis has put out to date and I assume we can thank Jeremy McGrath for some of that right? 

I am a picky SOB when it comes to front tires! The Maxxis MX ST directional front tire is so much better for front-end feel and lean angle traction, especially over the older Maxxcross versions in EVERY condition. The MX ST front tire actually can now bite not only in soft soil, but also in looser hard pack soil as well. The MX ST is not as grabby on lean angle as a Pirelli MX32 or Dunlop MX3S, but it can be somewhat grabby if you're not used to it and can cause some oversteer, in softer conditions (on de-cel). The MX ST front tire will accommodate the moderate front end steering rider and is able to be leaned into corners fairly aggressively. The contact patch feel on lean angle is much wider on the MX ST than a Bridgestone 403 and has enough lean angle performance to be compared to a Dunlop MX33. Did I ride them back to back? No, I didn't, but I have spent enough time on all kinds of tires to know that the MX ST is in the ballpark now at least. Previous generation Maxxis front tires were NOT even in the conversation, but now we can at least put them in the mix with the other “big four” (Dunlop, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Michelin). Acceleration on lean angle traction (on the MX ST) is not quite as predictable as it is on de-cel however. If accelerating on a fast sweeper, the front tire does want to “hunt and peck” somewhat. What is “hunt and peck”? Hunt and peck is a testing term we use when the tire feels like it is moving underneath you and doesn't feel planted. Off-throttle planted sensation is great, but on-throttle sensation, I notice the front tire moves around and deflects a little more than I would like. When the track had just been freshly watered (similar to the rear tire) and was slick on top (think of the second moto in late afternoon at a Southern California type of track) the MX ST also loses a little predictability. This kind of condition would give the front end a vague feel (pushing sensation) as the bike would have a tendency to slide the front-end through flat corners more. I found that going up slightly in air pressure helps this out tremendously and gives the front end less push. The best recommend air pressure is 13.5 psi as you can feel the tire roll if you get into the 12-13 psi range. Yes, going up 0.5 psi does help! The wear of the MX ST front tire is also much better and hasn't shown signs of chunking yet, which is also another improvement for the Maxxis brand. 

Maxxis has improved their premiere motocross tire exponentially! This is the most improved motocross tire for 2018 and can be a serious option for the motocross consumer. The MSRP on the front is $120.00 and the rear goes for $140.00 and comes in an 12,14,16,17,18,19,21 inch sizes. I will be continuing to put more time on these and will be doing a side by comparison on the Maxxis MX ST to the other “big four” in the coming weeks.

Dunlop MX33 First Impression

I have been through many tire tests in my day and I am aware of how much work goes into bringing a new tire design to market. Dunlop introduced their new MX33 yesterday at Zaca Station and I had the chance to test the MX3S and the new MX33 back to back. I wanted to see first hand if there were any performance advantages to the new MX33, compared to the 3S that I run on a lot on my test bikes. Now this isn't a durability review (we will do that at a later time), but this test is simply to give you some initial information before you may want to purchase a set of these come Monday when they arrive in North American dealers. Before we get to the findings on the track, let’s give you some information on the tire directly from Dunlop themselves: 

Multiple Block Distribution

In addition to creating an aggressive look, new Multiple Block Distribution technology increases the number of knobs on the shoulders and center of the tires, and also varies the height and angles of the knobs within the tread pattern. This translates to more biting edges and more traction, creating superior grip and increased handling performance.’

Block-In-A-Block Technology

After the great success of Dunlop’s patented Block-In-A-Block technology on the MX3S rear tire, Dunlop has improved this technology by altering the shape of the interior block. This new diamond-shaped block is larger, adding more surface area and two additional angles to improve traction.

Dunlop has also added Block-In-A-Block technology to the front tire for the first time, creating a new industry standard for handling and grip.

Advanced Apex Design

Not only does the Geomax MX33 look remarkably different than its predecessor, but the MX33 also has many new components under the tread. The new construction of the front and rear tire features a taller, thinner apex. Known as Advanced Apex Design, the same sidewall material used in the MX3S is now distributed in a slimmer, but taller apex. Without adding weight, this technology delivers superior shock absorption, uniform rigidity in the sidewall, and a smoother ride and firmer feel. (Applies to 18”, 19” and 21” sizes.)

Carcass Tension Control System

In this new design, Dunlop optimizes the distribution of tension of the components so the tire absorbs more shock, but flexes when necessary to smooth out ride characteristics, which allows the bike to track in a straighter line.

All-New Compound

The MX33 also incorporates a new rubber compound with a higher molecular weight polymer to improve durability and a carbon micro-particle to increase grip.

On The Track (Rear Tire 120/80-19):

Now for those of you asking, you will be able to get the MX3S for a little while longer, but just know that the MX33 is replacing the MX3S. 

Zaca Station’s soil is a mix of loose sand on top with a hard slippery base underneath. It's one of those tracks that looks like you can just hold it wide open and run it in deep, but in reality you have to be cautious about throttle delivery on lean angle at times or Zaca can bite you real quick (trust me, it’s bit me a time or two). The first positive that stood out to me was the MX33 rear tire’s ability to grip on lean angle. Usually I am a very sensitive front end feeling rider, but the MX33 rear tire was so much better than the 3S on lean angle, under acceleration, that it was easy for me to dissect rather quickly. Rolling out of corners while under throttle the MX33 bites and doesn't slide as much as the 3S when the the soil is slippery/wet. I was able to get on the throttle sooner out of slippery corners with the MX33 versus the 3S because of the positive connected feeling that I got from the 33. The MX33 rear tire also has a firmer feeling carcass than the 3S on square edge, which gave me slightly less comfort through choppy ruts and acceleration bumps. This was a very subtle feeling and some of you may or may not be sensitive to this, but this is something that I felt towards the end of our test day. Tire cushion is important when it comes to suspension feel and the 33 doesn't have as much plushness as the 3S does. Straight line traction was better on the MX33 as there is less side to side movement from the rear end under acceleration. Braking is something most do not talk about when comparing tires, but it’s a very important aspect when designing a tire for the public. The MX33 doesn't have as much ability as the 3S to drift (or slide) when brake sliding or pivoting around a corner. The 3S slides slightly better when on the rear brake and the rider is able to pivot the machine more quickly than the MX33. “Now is that a good thing or a bad thing Keefer”? The answer lies in your riding style…If you’re a rear end steering guy you may want that drifting/sliding ability in your rear tire tread design/compound, but if you’re a front end steering guy like me, then having the rear tire not slide as much is more up my alley. 

On The Track (Front Tire 80/100-21): 

I am super picky when it comes to front tires and noticed a few things from the new MX33 that differs from the MX3S. The MX33 has more lean angle bite (off-throttle) when starting your lean for corners. As soon as you get off the throttle to enter a rut or berm, you will notice the tire pulls down the front end more while biting the ground (very grabby). This may take some time for you all to get used to, but I like the fact that it doesn’t have that vague initial feeling like the 3S. Once the 3S gets into the corners its side knobs work well in soft-intermediate terrain, but I have always had a problem with that quick sudden “turn-in” with the 3S. The MX33 front tire lets you cut down from a blown out berm or make sudden line choices (with your front-end) easier due to some extra lean angle grip. Where I felt the MX33 could be lacking is on-throttle maneuverability. When finishing your corner and you start to roll the throttle on, the front MX33 has a slight “Hunt And Peck” feel to it. “What is hunt and peck Keefer”? “Hunt And Peck” to me is when the front tire has a slight wandering sensation and doesn't feel like the knobbies are dug into the terrafirma. I want to clarify that this feeling was only felt right out of a corner while under throttle. The MX3S never really feels like it has that “Hunt And Peck” feel to it under acceleration. Braking traction feel has improved on the MX33 over the 3S, as the tire doesn't slide as much as the MX3S does when the track is freshly watered or greasy on top. This is a nice feature because the MX3S front tire sometimes was a handful when tracks received some water in the middle of the day. The MX33 front tire is also more consistent when scrubbing up faces of jumps and will not slide away from you as easy as the 3S. When the track is nice and broke in and all of that good dirt has been pushed away, the MX33 was noticeably better than the 3S. The MX33 was more consistent in all “off-throttle” situations and provided more bite, especially on lean angle when the track gets hard pack.  

Conclusion/Sizing:  

The Dunlop MX33 is available in 10,12,14,16,17,18,19 and 21 inch sizing. A new 90/100-19 sizing is offered by Dunlop in the MX33 as well. My first impression of the MX33 was a good one, but I really want to dissect these tires some more at different tracks next week. It should be noted that the MX33 worked best at 13PSI instead of the normal 13.5 PSI of the MX3S. I will also be testing the durability of the 33, to see if the carcass is better (than the 3S), like Dunlop says it is when it comes to knob chunking. The MX33 should be available at your local dealer by Monday May 14th. 

Dunlop Geomax MX3S Tires

The Dunlop Geomax MX3S tires have been around for a while now, but I still seem to get quite a few questions about these tires in my email inbox. The MX3S tire is the most popular off-road tire Dunlop offers, so I wanted to break down what I thought of the soft to intermediate terrain offering. There will be a new Dunlop MX33 tire that is coming later this summer, which means be on the look out for a full review right here on keeferinctesting.com in May.  

The Dunlop Geomax MX3S Tires. 

 I found that the first thing that impressed me was that the Dunlop Geomax MX3S rear tire offers great forward bite (traction) in intermediate/soft terrain through ruts and coming out of corners. The “block within a block” side knob design works well under lean angle and traction is one of the MX3S rear tire strong suits, as the rider is able to get on the throttle sooner (while leaning) without washing out. You are also able to start your lean sooner (than most other brands of tires) coming into a corner and the MX3S remains planted to the ground. Braking predictability gives the rider confidence to pivot and throttle out of flat corners without much hesitation. Sometimes other rear tires can step out (or wash out) on you once you completed your braking and back on the throttle, but the MX3S lets you pivot/lean under throttle through flat corners nicely. The only complaint I had is that when the track surface was blue grooved, I could feel the side of the tire carcass roll when accelerating from flat corners. This gives the rider a pushing or loose feeling rear end. The key here is to run the correct air pressure at 13.5 psi for the Dunlop's soft carcass. The soft nature of the MX3S carcass flexes and absorbs bigger type bumps and square edge (similar to suspension), which actually gives added comfort when the track turns rough. When you get a hard carcass feeling tire you will notice your machine will deflect and feel harsh on braking bumps and acceleration chop. Lowering your air pressure will sometimes help this sensation, but with the casing that Dunlop provides with their MX3S line, the bump absorption is superb. I do notice that when the tire gets half worn the performance goes away sooner than a Michelin Starcross 5 Medium or Bridgestone 404. The MX3S rear tire loses its “predictability” when worn on lean angle (coming into corners), which causes the rear end to wash out or slip under load. It is not uncommon for the side knobs to chunk off when worn down as well. I can usually get close to 10 engine hours on a MX3S rear tire on intermediate terrain. If you are using the MX3S rear tire on pure sand, the lifespan of the tire goes up exponentially. The Dunlop MX3S is a pure performance tire and is one of the best available for maximum traction when fresh.  

Dunlop's Block Within A Block Technology. 

The MX3S directional front tire is great for front-end feel and lean angle traction, especially over the older MX31 and MX51 versions in all conditions. The MX3S front tire actually makes the steering feel “heavy” at times because the tire is at maximum grip under initial lean in corners. It can be somewhat grabby if you're not used to it and can cause some oversteer, but once used to the lean angle feel the MX3S becomes magical in soft to loamy conditions. The MX3S is tailor made for a front wheel steering rider and can be leaned into corners earlier than most other tires very easily. The only other front tire that has as much, if not more front end lean angle traction is a Michelin Starcross 5 Soft. I did have a problem with the MX3S when the track had just been freshly watered and was slick on top (think of the second moto at a Glen Helen-type track). This would give the front end a vague feel (un-predictable) as the bike would have a tendency to push the front-end through flat corners (the MX52 is better in these types of conditions). The wear of the MX3S front tire is not as friendly in hard pack terrain as you can feel the side knobs roll on the hard pack surfaces. The vague/pushing sensation is common once on hard pack so you may want to stick with more of an intermediate to hard terrain tire if your local track has a hard base. Again, like the rear tire, the side knobs can chunk off rather quickly if you’re riding on intermediate terrain often. I typically get 10-12 hours on a MX3S front tire before I start to see chunking of the side knobs. This is a performance based tire and should be looked at accordingly.

Watch for chunking on the side knobs of the MX3S front tire. 

“Hey Kris of course you’ll take the performance based tire because you don’t have to pay for them”. That is a statement I hear very often. My rebuttal is "No, I don’t always get tires for free so I spend my money on tires just like you". Yes, tires are expensive, but I am more performance based than a durability based kind of tire guy. That means I accept the fact that I may get 10-12 engine hours on these tires before I have to go purchase another set. I understand that some of you reading this can't do that. However, you have to consider riding conditions, how hard you ride and how often you ride. My 12 hour lifespan could mean 3-4 months of riding for you. Maybe longer? 

Are you looking for performance or durability/lifespan from your motocross tires? You will have to decide for yourself on that because it is tough for a tire manufacturer to give you both at a very high level. I ride hard and often, so I am constantly pushing the knobbies of a tire. Dunlop has created a great tire, but saying it is the most durable tire on the market would be comical. However, I know what I am getting when I purchase a Dunlop MX3S and I like that it is a predictable tire for the conditions we have in Southern California. Will a Bridgestone 403/404 last longer? Yes, and it is a pretty damn good tire, but I get more lean angle traction with a Dunlop, so I choose to run a tire that I am able to push on. Look for a Keefer Tested podcast on tires very soon as we will break down performance and durability.    

Notes:

Again.... Running 13.5 psi in the MX3S front and rear tires is crucial. As the soft carcass of the tire breaks down it tends to lead to pinch flats with 11-12 psi (even with heavy duty tubes). Not to mention the tires will roll on your rims more with 11-12 psi. 

I tested and installed both of these types of tires on a 250F (80/100-21 and 100/90-19) and a 450F (80/100-21 front and 120/80-19). Installation of both sets of tires didn’t feel any different as any other older style Dunlop's, but I will have to say that the Michelin Starcross 5 Soft tires are easier to put on. 

The Geomax MX3S front tire is available in the aforementioned 80/100-21 size for $127.51. For 19-inch rear wheels, MSRP ranges from $134.04-$149.25.