Recommend me someRoad Legal tires for a Gas Gas EC250 (2007)

[ajag]

Hello all,

I need to get a new set of tires for the bike since the ones on it are not road legal so can't pass the MOT.

I know that I should be telling you what I want the tires for, but can't really say just yet as I don't have much experience in the arts of off roading. I guess a tired that offers as much possible grip off-road while barely staying legal

Edit to add the tire sizes...

Front: 90/90-21
Rear: 140/80-18

I guess I also need a lift for the bike and a set of tire levers. Any recommendations on those? I guess the levers are straight forwards, more worried about the lift.

Thank you!
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Street Triple

[G]

Tyre levers are probably the hardest choice, actually .

Personally, I like 'spoon' type tyre levers.
Something like this: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201070179745 .

Bike lift - an old milk crate will do it.
If you go for a cheap lift, make sure it's propally cheap as often they're not great at actually 'lifting' anyway.

For tyres - it will depend the terrain you're riding, but any enduro tyres are a good start - enduros tyres should be road legal (as enduro competitions have routes in road legality.)

[ajag]

As usual very helpful G!

How many tire levers do you normally use? I assume it is just about the same as changing a bicycle tire with a lot more cursing involved

If that is the case I would say 2 are required but I rather ask people who know
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Street Triple

[G]

Most push bike tyre can be changed by hand, or possibly with the use of an old spoon for the hard ones.

Motorcycle tyres are a LOT more hassle.
I'd suggest looking for a guide on these interwebs (the one that google will turn up for advrider is decent enough).

Three levers. Two to hold either edge of the bead you've got in/out and the third to get the next bit out (often I'll flip back one of the two with the third next to it on harder sections).

You really need to be careful to make sure the bead on the opposite side is pushed into the dip in the rim - the tyre is stronger than your rim and your rim will bend first!
Stick some air into the inner tube when reinstalling to help avoid pinch flats and also consider some lube on the innertube it's self (so the lever is more likely to swish over it than pinch it.)
I've used various things as well as proper tyre soap - just some normal soap mixed to a lather with a little water seems to do ok (also useful for shaving when living out of bike panniers!)

[stuartt]

6 days came on my bike & there road legal but only last for about 600 miles .
I bought sm wheels & just swap the wheels over when going off road .

[ajag]

thank you Stuartt. I don't think mileage should be a problem as I have a trailer to take the bike on. I just have to confirm the size of the wheels when I get home tonight.

G, I was sure changing the bike tires is a lot more complicated which is why I mentioned more swearing. I ordered the levers but I might not have enough time to change the tires myself as I got 9 days left to get a free retest on the MOT.
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Street Triple

[stinkwheel]

The single best thing I bought for changing tubed tyres was a valve pulling tool.

Saves on both knuckles and swearing.

https://www.adventure-spec.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/400x400/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/n/e/neri-01-july-12-1-33.jpg

I've got some levers that came with my old Jawa which hook onto a spoke once you've popped the bead over the rim, leaving both hands free for the next lever. They are great. I have two of those to hold the bead over the rim and one big long one for popping it over in the first place.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[nowhere.elysium]

I have a cheapie bike lift you can have for a couple of beer tokens, if you can come and collect it. I'm near Stratford, so definitely within reach of you, if your profile info is correct.
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[ajag]

[ajag]

[yen_powell]

I always used Pirelli MT21 tyres, totally road legal, worked fine on road, decent in the clag of Essex clay too.
https://shop.hgs-racing.de/bilder/shop1/reifen%20und%20zubehoer/PIRELLI%2080x90%2021%20Zoll%20MC%2048%20P%20TT%20Profilbezeichnung%20MT%2021%20HGS-Racing.jpg
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Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[nowhere.elysium]

[ajag]

[ajag]

first of all, big thank you to nowhere.elysium for the bike lift. Much appreciated!


Now I am a bit confused about this tyres situation. The bike currently has a Mitas c19 on the front and a Mitas c02 on the rear. I am looking on-line and they are advertised everywhere as road legal yet, the MOT tester failed me because apparently the mark he was looking for it not on them.

I just checked the tyres and they have the E marking on them so I might not have to spend on tyres just yet. Printing the following from the MOT site and taking it with me:

"Item 2: Motorcycle Tyres - Motocross or Similar (SN 4 - 2008)
There is a number of Motocross or similar type tyres on the market with the spacing between the block
treads greater than the block width and that have been approved for road use. According to the MOT
Inspection Manual guidance these tyres should be failed unless they have an approval marking and MST
(Multi Service Tyre) moulded into the sidewall of the tyre.
If a machine is presented for MOT test fitted with any of these types of tyres, you should not fail them just
because they do not display MST. If the tyre is marked with an ‘E’ in a circle, or an ‘e’ in a rectangle,
moulded in to the tyre wall, this shows that the tyre has been type approved for road use. Similarly if a tyre
is permanently marked with the letters JIS (Japanese Industry Standard) or DOE (American Standard)
then the tyre is also approved for road use. These tyres may not necessarily be marked MST as set out in
the information column in Section 4.1 page 1 (‘Examples of unsuitable tyres’ paragraph b.) of the MOT
Inspection Manual.
Therefore principal reason for failure 1, ‘an unsuitable tyre’ in the Motor Bicycle and Side Car Testing
Manual section 4.1 page 1 does not apply to these tyres providing they permanently display on a sidewall
any of the approval markings mentioned in the above paragraph."

From: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/211998/SN_4-2013.pdf
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Street Triple

[G]

Yep; as I understand it, they should pass.

While I like the MT21, I would consider it a 80/20 bias in favour of dirt.

It won't give you all out traction. I was happy with them on heavier trail bikes on green lanes, but given the choice, a proper enduro tyre or similar will perform better.

[ajag]

I was just about to buy the Mitchellin competition 4s, until I came up with the article explaining that my current tyres are road legal. I will be changing tyres at some point but no need to do it in a rush before the MOT.

Just need to go there tomorrow and explain this to them.
____________________
Street Triple

[ajag]

ok, so I went to the MOT place again today and talking to the tester (who got very defensive about it), he showed me the MOT test manual that says this:

"Motocross or similar tyres, i.e. tyres where the space between tread blocks is substantially greater than the size of the blocks themselves; which do not have MST (multi service tyre) with an ‘E’ in a circle or an ‘e’ in a rectangle moulded into or on to the tyre wall"

So, my tyres have the E in a circle, but not the MST which according to the above makes them not road legal unlike what I found on the other document.

Does anyone know which tyres would have the appropriate codes? This should be a much easier process...

Other than that, the current rear tyre is 120/90 as opposed to the 140/80 that apparently comes with the machine. Any recommendations on the size? I doubt I would notice it but might as well ask.
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Street Triple

[G]

https://www.motuk.co.uk/images/SpecialNotice01-06.pdf

Item 2.

[ajag]

[G]

, didn't read, obviously - I'd check the original publishing date of the '2014 manual' - I would expect the special notice still applies.

[stevo as b4]

Agree with G, the MT21 is pretty off road biased, just it's road legal. My KMX200 had these on when I got it, and it was horrible to ride on the road, and sounded like a bloody tractor. The handling is crap on any tyre with big tread blocks too.

If your doing a lot of road work, I'd want nothing more off road than an MT60 or similar. But it's best to have 2sets of wheels for the optimum for each surface. The Conti radial trail attack's are a brilliant smooth road tyre and make a trail bike so much better to ride on road it's night and day!

[Dischord]

Michelin AC10 is perfectly good on the rear, cheap and cheerful, just don't get one for the front.

Tyre choice all depends on what type of riding you will be doing, if it's anything serious you won't get much better than Michelin Comp 4's
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2012 KTM EXC 250

Check out my vids - https://www.youtube.com/user/KTMSparky/videos

[G]

The MT21 is still noticeably less grippy off road than a pure off road tyre, I should note.

[Fowlersrs]

Mitas Co2 on the rear and C19 on the front, seriously chunky road legal off road tyre, very popular with the laners!

[P.addy]

My tester would not have failed them, he sounds rather strict