Best Street-Legal Off-Road and Motocross Tires of 2016
In this video/article :
- Michelin AC-10
- Kenda K760 Trakmaster II
- Dunlop D606
- Pirelli MT 21
- Pirelli’s Scorpion Pro
- Michelin T63
- Michelin Desert Race
First up – Michelin AC-10.
This is my favourite tire for multipurpose off-roading. As in, spend all day bombing the trails, climbing sand dunes, jumping MX courses, ripping fire service roads … then maybe a spot of pavement on the way home.
See Michelin made the AC-10 very progressive. Look at the edge knobs here. There are two staggered layers, so as I lay my bike into a berm, I feel the tire grip here first, then slide, then hook up again here. And even on the outer knobs, there are two different reinforcement patterns. These knobs are connected horizontally, so they’ll fold more easily. While this knob has a vertical element to its reinforcement, so it’ll hold out a little longer.
We get a similar deal on the centre belt. Most tires have two alternating middle treads, but the AC-10 has three. This knob is a classic standalone paddle – excellent for pushing in the soft stuff and evacuating mud. Then we get a smaller tread block flanked by two edge blocks – more surface area, good on intermediate terrain. And if we skip ahead, we see another configuration – three individual blocks flanked by two edges for a total of five. Maximum surface area, great for old rail beds, pavement – any kind of hard terrain.
So the AC-10 is a solid multipurpose tire. I think it excels most in intermediate terrain, simply because it wears fast on the hard stuff. Maybe 1000 clicks or less if you really pound the pavement, up to 5000 clicks if you do the proper 90% off-road, 10% on-road split.
Now , we’re all familiar with cupping, scalloping, feathering – whatever you want to call it – the knobs on an off-road tire get dull on one side first, right? So Michelin designed the AC-10 with a reversible tread pattern. See how these M’s are all mirror images of each other? Well when the M’s disappear, I’m supposed to flip the tire around. That way I’ll have sharp leading edges again and – because the tire is mirrored – it will behave exactly the same as it did before.
The AC-10 is R-rated by the way, so those of you with massive kahunas can take it up to 170km/h. Not sure why you’d want to with a dirt tire, though. The AC-10 might be predictable on the pavement but, to be honest, it’s predictably bad.
Kenda K760 Trakmaster II
Now, that Michelin will run me 100 bucks for a rear … which ain’t exactly expensive. But hell, why not save another 30 bucks and get the Kenda K760 Trakmaster II!
Well, two reasons. It wears about 30% quicker, so that negates my savings. And the knobs tend to chunk off a lot more than on the AC-10.
But I still think the Trakmaster could be a better choice! See the tread on this tire is super high. So while it wears down faster, it also tends to hook up better during the first half of the tire’s lifespan.
I also find that the Trakmaster II has slightly better edge grip. This thing side-hills like its on rails and when I lay it down into a corner, I trust the Trakmaster a smidge more than the AC-10.
Another thing is the sidewall. The thing is ridiculously soft and I know this brings us to a matter of preference. On the one hand, the AC-10 is less likely to give you a puncture and – if it does – you’ll have an easier time riding home on the flat.
But with the Trakmaster II – yes, the rubber compound is more prone to punctures – but changing this tire is also a breeze. You could wedge this thing off a rim using popsicle sticks and fix the flat in no time. That makes the difference between tearing onwards and tiptoeing home.
Now , when it comes to pavement I shouldn’t be too hard on the Kenda, because this is a 90/10 tire and it’s just not built for the road. But since they chucked a DOT stamp on here, I have to throw a few punches.
For one, these edge knobs are dangerous. They have almost no lateral support so they’re super prone to folding under. Of course you shouldn’t be riding this tire all the way out here anyway, but if you do, there’s a good chance you’ll low side.
The other thing is the speed rating. I haven’t seen an M in so long that I had to go look it up and as it turns out, 130km/h is all this tire will do. That’s public pace on the Trans-Canada highway so … yikes. Now, what if I want a little more mileage out of my tire? What if I do an 80/20 split, even pushing to 70/30?
Dunlop D606 or Pirelli MT 21
Then it better be the Dunlop D606 or Pirelli MT 21.
Both tires are reasonably well-behaved on the roads. They’re stable on the highway, even beyond our highest speed limits (so I’m told). And both of them grip surprisingly well in the twisties. Of course it gets really impressive when you take the pair off-road. They’re no AC-10s or Trakmaster IIs, but they’re damn close. Each tire hooks up well in hard and soft terrain, sand and mud, rock and roots.
So how do I choose between them? Well, I play top trumps.
The D606 lasts longer. Actual numbers depend entirely on your bike’s weight, power and terrain split. But no matter what, expect this to outlast the Pirelli.
But , the MT-21 has always been stickier for me on the pavement. So that’s nice.
Oddly enough though, I find that the D606 corners slightly better on the road. It’s just a bit more rigid in the way it holds a line.
But , the MT-21 corners better in the dirt. By a mile rather than an inch, too.
The D606 is a sturdier tire though. Less punctures, stiffer sidewall … all that jazz. I put a 3-inch nail through one of these and didn’t notice for an embarrassingly long amount of time.
But on the other hand, when I do get a flat, the MT 21 is easier to change.
And both tires will hit similar speeds. The D606 is R-rated across the board for 170km/h cruisin’. And the MT 21 will be either R or P rated depending on the size, so you might have to stop the madness at 150.
It’s a tie between these two tires and lucky for me, there’s an easy way to break it. See the D606 front tire is notoriously sketchy. People say it washes out on hard surfaces, chases ruts all over the trail and on wet pavement, it wanders like a drunk uncle.
To be honest, my experience has never been quite that bad. But I do prefer the MT 21 front tire, just like I prefer the D606 rear.
Et voila – the perfect couple.
Now , I’m going to end with terrain options.
Pirelli’s Scorpion Pro & Michelin T63 / Michelin Desert Race
For the soft stuff it’s easy. Pirelli’s Scorpion Pro is simply the best soft-terrain, street-legal option. It’s bumpy and loud on the street, it’s only rated to slow speeds and if you try to take it over shale rock, the thing will chunk itself to bits. But in the slop and sand there’s nothing better.
For hard terrain – or if you’re contemplating a 50-50 split of pavement and dirt – there are a few good choices. Michelin makes the T63, which I love, and the Desert Race, which is kinda like a professional version of the T63. There’s also the Mitas E-09, which I don’t like as much, but it is better if you ride a heavier bike since the Michelins are more suiter to smaller-displacement machines.
I have the Desert Race with me here, and the T63 has a very similar tread pattern. Low, thick, wide blocks that are perfect for making a large contact patch against a hard surface and eating up the miles. Both the Desert Race and the T63 will last longer than everything else on my list.
There’s a slight difference between the compounds, though. This Desert Race version uses the same rubber that you’ll find in the Dakar Rally. To put it bluntly, it’s built like a brick shithouse. The tire weighs a metric tonne and if you gave me a hammer and nail, I’d have a hard time putting a hole in here. This rubber is also specially designed to stay sturdy at extreme temperatures, which comes in handy when you’re racing across the Sahara.
The regular T63 has a more average rubber, which is why it’ll cost you 100 bucks rather than the $230 for this beast.
Now I ordered the Desert Race for this video because it’s freaking cool and I wanted to play with it. But to be honest, I’d buy the regular T63 if I were to do it again. They perform equally well on- and off-road and the mileage gains from the Desert Race are not reflective of the 130% jump in price. It’s more like a 30% mileage increase, actually.
The only reason I’d buy a Desert Race is if I was doing something like the Dempster Highway. Consistently hard terrain, covering a massive distance, and a very inconvenient place to get a flat. Then the added puncture protection of the Desert Race might be worth it.
And that’s it for my favourite street-legal off-road tires. Thank you very much for watching.