From: bob@halfdome.sf.ca.us (bob pasker)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles.dirt
Subject: REPOST: Dirt Bike's review of DOT-legal knobbies
Date: 14 Oct 92 22:42:07 PDT
Organization: Disorganized Organization

for the guy who's interseted in tires, i'm reposting blaine (DWeeB)
gardner's summary.

In article <1992Jul14.154630.6816@javelin.sim.es.com>, blgardne@javelin.sim.es.com (Dances With Bikers) writes:
> 
> Here's a summary of Dirt Bike magazine's DOT approved knobby tire test.
> Each tire was run for 200/400 miles (the magazine used each figure once,
> I've no idea which one is correct) on a combination of street & dirt.
> The emphasis was on dirt performance. Each tire had a paragraph
> describing it, I've condensed that down to a sentence.
> 
> 
> Dirt Bike June 1992 "Traction Action" Street Legal Knobby Shootout
> 
> Front Tires
> 1) Pirelli MT21 Rallycross $55
> Most desirable, far better than Metzeler Unicross, secure, predictable
> feel on and off road.
> New Knob 11.6mm  Wear 1.2mm
> 
> 2) Metzeler Unicross $67
> Best soft terrain tire, impressive on and off road.
> New Knob 11.7mm  Wear 2.0mm
> 
> 3) Kenda Trakmaster $42
> Good soft terrain performance, respectable hard terrain grip.
> New Knob 14.7mm  Wear 1.6mm
> 
> 4) Bridgestone Gritty ED01 $55
> Very good street & hardpack grip, feels worn out in soft terrain.
> New Knob 9.2mm  Wear 1.0mm
> 
> 5) Michelin Desert $83
> Baja, ISDE & Paris-Dakar winner, very good sand tire, poorer hardpack
> grip.
> New Knob 11.6mm  Wear 0.7mm
> 
> 6) Grand Sport GS-10 $39
> Far behind 5th place, unpredictable dirt grip, wanders on the street.
> New Knob 9.2mm  Wear 1.0mm
> 
> 7) Yokohama 704 $59
> Off road performance far behind the leaders, better than D-P tires.
> New Knob 9.0mm  Wear 1.0mm
> 
> 8) Maxxis (Cheng Shin) N/A
> Looks good, performance is adequate, unpredictable dirt cornering, sad
> braking performance.
> New Knob 7.4mm  Wear 1.2mm
> 
> 9) IRC GP110 $42
> Wears well, truely poor braking, acceptable cornering.
> New Knob 7.0mm  Wear 0.5mm
> 
> 
> Rear Tires
> 1) Pirelli MT21 Ralleycross $64
> Does everything well, excellent braking, predictable cornering &
> sliding, "pretty good on the street for a knobby".
> New Knob 15.6mm  Wear 2.4mm
> 
> 2) Michelin Desert $117
> Very close to Pirelli, but sometimes washes out without warning, hardest
> tire ever to install.
> New Knob 13.0mm  Wear 1.1mm
> 
> 3) Kenda Trakmaster $60
> Better than most, especially in sand & loose soil.
> New Knob 17.2mm  Wear 3.3mm
> 
> 4) Bridgestone Gritty ED06 $79
> Decent dirt performer but poor braking, predictable street habits.
> New Knob 12.5mm  Wear 3.3mm
> 
> 5) Grand Sport GS-10 $51
> Good straight line grip, scary in corners, even on pavement.
> New Knob 12.0mm  Wear 0.8mm
> 
> 6) Yokohama 704 $80
> Didn't work exceptionally well anywhere, but better than stock, doesn't
> work in sand.
> New Knob 13.6mm  Wear 2.1mm
> 
> 7) Maxxis (Cheng Shin) N/A
> Never found terrain that the tire worked on, grip always unpredictable.
> New Knob 12.9mm  Wear 2.5mm
> 
> 8) IRC GP110 $68
> Never worked as well as the others, but somewhat better than stock D-P
> tires.
> New Knob 8.0mm  Wear 0.9mm
> -- 
> Blaine Gardner @ Evans & Sutherland        580 Arapeen Drive, SLC, Utah 84108
> blgardne@javelin.sim.es.com  uunet!javelin.sim.es.com!blgardne  BIX: blaine_g
> Dumper of Dirtbikes #46       My other motorcycle is a Quadracer.      FJ1200
-- 
-- bob pasker
-- bob@halfdome.sf.ca.us 
--