Rear Tires

[Big Yac]

I know this has been posted many times over but I couldnt find the answer I was looking for.  A while back I tried one of the Continental Gelande Sport tires, 110/90-19.  Its an intermediate terrain tire and it worked great here in the eastern woods and strip mines of Ohio.  I still think part of my being 300lbs has to help with traction too.  Anyways, I was riding about a month ago on a cousins farm, was headed up a long hill with the bike pinned in 4th gear, I just clicked into 5th (which you Ohioans know there arent many chances to do that with) and I hit a square ledged rock, kind of like a stair step looking thing.  Long story short I ended up with a hole in my inner tube and tear in the sidewall of the tire, so now its time for another rear.  My bike always has a Michelin M-12 front, its simply the best that I've found.  As much as I liked the Continental I was thinking of trying a Metzler MC-4 or MC-5, they both looked like nice tires and were priced well at around $65.00.  Has anyone used either of these Metzler tires?  They both look to be nice for the terrain they are intended for but I hear the MC-4 is really light, could that allow the 500 to spin it easier and spit knobs off quicker?  I've been leaning more towards the MC-5 because of this.  Any opinions?  Thanks.

[royceymon@hotmail.co.uk]

 i love pirelli scorpions !! made the mistake of getting a load of dunlops cos they were a few quid cheaper..... regreted it should have stayed with the pirellis!!

[kxpegger]

I've been buying up the discontinued Dunlop 745"s. I run them here in the Nevada desert. I've never chunked a knob on the rear and it can get very brutal out here. The fronts hold up pretty good but eventually the side knobs will start to crack at the carcass and fall off. CycleGear had them on sale for $45 rear 120/80-19 and fronts 90/100-21 for $29.00. The MX71 is the replacement but I'm not paying anything close to $80 for a friggin dirt bike tire. When the 745's are gone...?

[royceymon@hotmail.co.uk]

yeah second you on that the older style dunlops are the nuts the new geomax ones ive got are not up to the task , luckily ive a friend in the tyre market ,but its still silly money for something that shreds.
our local track is hardpack and mullers tyres whatever the make to be honest, i find the second row out from the centre rip!!

[BDI]

Tioga comp three work great.

[kxraptor]

Maxxi desert intermediate is the best tire i've found for the rear of my kx500

[littlewing78]

Anybody ever tried these?  Great price right now.
http://www.chaparral-racing.com/Product/mx887it_hard-intermediate_rear_tire/369-8701004.aspx

[kxpegger]

Maxxi desert intermediate is the best tire i've found for the rear of my kx500

I've tried the Desert Maxxis more than once on my 500AF and 450's. No good for me... worse than Dunlops for handling and don't last as long. Maxxis made it about 6 rides on my son's CRF250R and were chunked up. My big bores maybe five if I'm lucky before they were roached... no good for me. Dunlops maybe up to eight rides depending on where I ride. Could be my riding style though, WFO!

[Big Yac]

I agree on the comment about the new Dunlops, they just don't seem to work.  I miss the 752, worked very well on both my KX 500 and KDX 200.  The Michelin S-12 (which I somehow shoehorned on a 125 sized S-12 and got incredible traction) and M-12 both were sweet rear tires but didn't last too awful long, the IRC M5B was nice too with decent life.  I may try the desert intermediate, do you think it would be ok in soft stuff too?  Nobody has any experience with the Metzler MC-4 or MC-5? 

[kxpegger]

Anybody ever tried these?  Great price right now.
http://www.chaparral-racing.com/Product/mx887it_hard-intermediate_rear_tire/369-8701004.aspx

My riding partner tried them. Tires were out of spec and the bead would not seat on the rim no matter how much air pressure and lube. The rubber compound was so stiff and hard the tires almost didn't need air. They lasted about 4 rides before the rear shredded and the front knobs chunked and broke off with the same amount of rides. They might last longer on a track but for the desert they're almost worthless. He rides a new Yamaha YZ450F. He's running an ARTRAX on the rear right now and it seems to be holding up so far with about 5 rides. May turn out to be a decent tire for offroad. Said he got them on sale as a set (front & rear) for $79.00 somewhere online.

[royceymon@hotmail.co.uk]

dunlop geomax ripped , no match for the pimped kxf , alot of money for not much wear

[kxpegger]

Don't know about the MX31 and MX51 rears but the MX71's are directional. Do not mean to insult but if those tires in the picture are MX71's were they mounted for the correct tire rotation direction? I've never had a Dunlop hard terrain tire chunk like those in the picture. I wonder if Dunlop may have temporarily had a bad run. I'm still running the obsolete 745's though. One of my riding partners has been running the new MX71's on his KX450F with good results in the Nevada desert. 

[royceymon@hotmail.co.uk]

hi kxpegger there mx51 geomax ( an anagram of rubbish) no directional on those i usualy do a race then turn them for practice ,there made in indonesia dont know if thats the problem?? i might contact dulop and see what they have to say but im probably wasting a bit of my life cos im sure they will have a good reason not to help me out... still love my pirellis

[streetsweeper]

hi bigyak, im no pro but when i ride off road in so cal or baja i prefer 18 psi in rear. also 19in rear wheels are riskier then 18 in. 120 90 19 dunlop desert 739 at. i would rather run higher air preasure and loose some kush than to have plenty kush and get flats. i also hate trashing rims with hidden rocks in sand washes. in front i use matching tire from rear with 21 psi. dont matter where im riding.  unless im on a buddies loamy track close to my truck. my kx 500 dont know the difference.  sometimes i might slow down a pick smoother lines than to barrell through and risk a snake bite. the desert tires have stiffer side walls that help out when you smack something at speed. 

whatever tire you choose a least make sure your runninga higher psi in tires when off roadinng if you want to save your rims and avoid flats.

hope i didnt confuse you.

Ruben C.

[Polar-Bus]

Maxxi desert intermediate is the best tire i've found for the rear of my kx500

I've tried the Desert Maxxis more than once on my 500AF and 450's. No good for me... worse than Dunlops for handling and don't last as long. Maxxis made it about 6 rides on my son's CRF250R and were chunked up. My big bores maybe five if I'm lucky before they were roached... no good for me. Dunlops maybe up to eight rides depending on where I ride. Could be my riding style though, WFO!

You must have got a bad cast, because i've been running Desert IT's for almost 7 years now on both my KX500, and my YZ450F with nothing but awesome results..... never chunked any knobs (and I run Desert IT studded in the winter )
For overall excellent value you can't beat the IT's they are an excellent "do all" generall purpose tire.