MT43 for long dual sport?

[DirtClunker]

*groan* another tire thread.


On my the 690 I run a MT43 on the rear, just because I had one. It seemed fine. Because its harder compound (and higher pressure for DS use), I did not see all the benefits of a trials tire on the technical stuff. I seemed to spin where I expected it to grip.

I have a Pirelli rallycross up front. Seems OK, but did wash out on me once. Not sure if this really was the tire's fault.

This year I will be doing a lot of dualsporting with the 690 with up to 30% pavement. And when I am on the pavement I will be riding fast. Most of the offroad will be gravel road/FSR - but there will be "B' to "B+" tech sections where I expect the tires to really do their job. The terrain will vary from wet west coast to the dry rocky interior.

I know this is lot to ask of a tire - any recommendations?

 

[offworlder]

MT43 will not cut it on the 690 (madness IMHO).
I'm running Mitas C17 StoneEater front, Dunlop 606 rear with reasonable performance/wear.
While the 606 is decent, the 690 chews through rear tires regardless. I'm gonna try the Pirelli Rally rear out of curiosity, but likely grab another C17 front.

 

[DirtClunker]

So why do you think the MT43 is madness on a 690? Did you try it and have a bad experience? I did a couple thousand k with it last year an did not seem to have too much of a problem.

The 606 seems to pop up a lot. I had it for a while and it was fine for a knobby. Did well on the street and wet street as well.

 

[offworlder]

The MT43 is Ok on a smaller bike, when run at lower pressures (but not great in mud due to the tight tread pattern).
I rode the Beta (450) to the Loose Screw (95%) off road there, rode the B loop, then took tarmac back, and the tire was done. Thats under 500Km, so on a 690, it would be toast even sooner.

Just took off a 606 from the 690, got 2200km out of it.

 

[Island Hopper]

So why do you think the MT43 is madness on a 690? Did you try it and have a bad experience? I did a couple thousand k with it last year an did not seem to have too much of a problem.

The 606 seems to pop up a lot. I had it for a while and it was fine for a knobby. Did well on the street and wet street as well.

If you plan on long tripping it and carrying a bit of luggage then the MT 43 is a poor choice in tires... Being similar to a trials design means this is a conformist type tire that is designed to fold and indent around rocks and such to get traction ... The sidewalls on a conformist tire usually are pretty soft and the heat generated from high speed riding with a load may be enough to kill the tire in short order... Re-enforced tires like the D 908 rr , Mitas EO9, Pirelli Scorpion Rally and such are better choices for out back.. Like offworlder, I also like the C17 up front, the only drawback is that it is a 1to1 tire meaning that it wears at the same rate as the back mostly due to cupping and will need to be changed more often... Another front I like is the Motoz tractionator in the 90/100 size, but it also is prone to cupping similar to the C-17...
Motoz cupping:

The strange wear pattern on the Motoz gives an annoying low speed cavitation that shakes the fillings... The C-17 does similar...

 

[Bora20]

The MT43 is a speedway tire. It will do just fine but will look like it is wearing hard for the first 1000km. BTW, my first one lasted over 3,000km, through Moab, then some mud, the some dirt. You just have to learn how to ride with it. Don't spin it and it hooks up great.

I am on my second on the 530 and I rev it just fine. I run 10-12 psi EVERYWHERE, including pavement and highway up to 140 km/h.

I say give it a shot. At $80 what do you have to lose?

 

[Mad Max]

My experience was being shot with flying knobbie chunks off an MT 43 as soon as we got going at a good clip on asphalt! The tire I speak of had only done the Dead Zone and the dirt road way to Harrison but on every highway blast it literally flew apart.

 

[Bora20]

That means that it had too much air in it. Don't go over 15psi and it won't chunk off.

 

[DirtClunker]

Yeah I had a pretty good last year with my MT43 on the 690 - at least a couple of 1000 kms. Mind you - I ride like Dan - I don't spin it. I learned to ride with a trials tire from riding a trials bike.

What's funny is a lot of people say trials tires dont work in mud. Well they dont work in clay mud, but regular mud, even deep mud pits I have never had an issue. I think people who have problems with trials tires ride them like a knobby with lots of gas and spinning. They dont work that way.

Also like Dan, I ran mine at 10PSI all the time. I was a little nervous that they'd overheat or explode on long highway runs, but they seemed to work just fine.

Anyhoo - thanks for all the feedback. I think I will try a D606 this season and give it a fair shot as an 90% offroad DS tire for the 690. If I dont seem to "connect" with it, I have a couple of new MT43 (tear offs) in the basement.

 

[Knight-Rider]

Hello everyone. I also run an MT43 on my 690. 12 psi pavement, dirt, trail, whatever. I've got about 2000km on my current tire, and I expect to get at least another 1000km out of it. Like others have said above, Your riding style has to change a bit to get the most out of a trials tire. They also really benefit from a lower geared drivetrain.

 

[Island Hopper]

That means that it had too much air in it. Don't go over 15psi and it won't chunk off.

These tires are not speedway tires, their design points more towards observed trials... Like Jay, I also witnessed one come apart on an extended hwy ride on a DR 400 and this was on a non loaded up bike... If you plan to do extended hwy jaunts between off road sections there are better tires out there, more so if you plan on packing any kind of luggage compliment... Because of what I witnessed I will not use trials tires for the type of riding I do, it just adds to the risk of being stranded...

For you the tires work so what it comes down to is personal choice, I don't suppose you rode your 530 to Moab on them?

 

[Bora20]

For you the tires work so what it comes down to is personal choice, I don't suppose you rode your 530 to Moab on them?

That would be ridiculous. Where would I carry my flip flops??

The MT43 is a bias ply tire, true trials tires are radial. The MT43 has a stiff sidewall and when flat does not compress much like a radial. Like you said, ride what you want

 

[brooking10]

I'm riding a FE390 and am interested in forestry road riding, single track and encounter the typical Vancouver Island rock, crush, dirt mix roads/trails. I would like to work on my slow technical riding as well as longer 2 or 3 day camping rides via logging road... Right now I have a Maxxis Desert on the back, which, even aired down, is great on FSR, but doesn't like roots, steep inclines or mud too much. Am thinking of a MT43 for the rear with a Pirelli XCMH front. Both are DOT as I need to get to the trails via tarmac ~4-5km (insured and legal for road use). I'm not a rooster or wheelie merchant, but do like to go at a clip on the forestry roads.
Would a MT43 rear work for me at 12-15lbs?

 

[Bora20]

It will work. I wouldn't run it over 12 lbs. I also use a more aggressive tire than the xcmh. I have used it but it wasn't pokey enough. Now on a metzeler 6 days extreme hard. I will try a golden tyre 216 next.

 

[Knight-Rider]

I run my tire at 12 psi.
It took a bit to get used to it on the road, but we humans are an adaptable bunch. I am biased as I have trials tires on my other bikes, but I prefer them off road. If you are a rider that likes his corners a bit drifty, the trials tire isn't for you. They also work better with lower sprocket gearing.

I've had one flat and it was on the S2S. I've since replaced the tube with one of those super thick tubes. I am going to monitor it and see how it works out. I use them on my dirt bike and I never get flats.

I am about to replace mine with another mt43. I've got just over 4000km on it. I am happy with that. They are a cheap tire.

 

[DirtClunker]

Well after a couple thousand KM on the D606, I am going back to the MT43 on my 690. I am just too used to getting grip, rather than spinning. D606 is predictably squirley, whereas the MT43 just grips.

Now if I just figure out a good compliment for the front...

 

[brooking10]

Thanks, Guys. I have a Bridgestone Motorcross M59 on the front (non DOT) and it is OK on road and great aired down on dirt, but wears like butter particularly on tarmac. 15 hours...and the centre nubs are all but gone - it's the tarmac that knocks the stuffing out of them...Not legal either which the other motivation to changing to a DOT front end. I have already ordered the XCMH front so I'll give it a go, and if it's too squirelly then it's off.

I think I'll stick an MT43 on the rear seeing as many of you are going that way and I want more grip on the tight stuff. I notice the caution about 15lbs...I'm new at this, so just wondering why that would be too high (I do understand the trials idea of 3-8lbs etc for grip) but wondered if for faster stuff and tarmac if 15lbs would be more prudent given sidewall flex and associated excessive wear...?

Cheers Paul

 

[Bora20]

High pressures won't allow the tire to flex and wrap around the obstacles. The high pressure will also make the tire hard and it will burn off the centre knobs before the rest of the tire is even close to gone.

Click on this for the screen image and look at the back tire wrapping around the rocks. This is at 12psi, lower would have given more wrap of course.
http://bora20.smugmug.com/Vacation/Moab-2012/i-tM9rW8z/0/O/DSCN0365.jpg

 

[skidmark43]

+1 for keeping the pressure at 12 or less.
On a Routledge Run back in 2012, I aired-up to 18 or 20 for a lengthy stretch of asphalt, thinking the lower trail pressure would be detrimental (as it would be with a soft offroad tire), but it destroyed the MT43... Three+ rows of the knobs got 'obviously' overheated & blistered.
Have followed Dan's guidance ever since and the tire wears / performs very well. But don't let him know - he's kind of a smart-mouth.

 

[Bora20]

Quick with the quips they call me