Tyres Tyres Tyres

[FuzzyBallz]

I currently have Metzeler Extreme Enduro tyres on my CRF250L, but I am riding mostly on the tarmac.

I noticed that these tyres are 1 out of 5 star for road use.

I am getting better at cornering (only been riding it for a week), they are getting tighter but I am really conscious about the front tyre washing out.

Would I really feel much difference if I were to replace them with 50/50 tyres?

Will front wheel grip that much better, or will it only make a difference in the wet?

[Fladdem]

Yeah, front end will be better. I chewed through a Metzeler 6 days in 800 miles on my TTR 250, so it would be worthwhile changing for a more road biased knobblie anyway to save money on rubber.
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Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[thx1138]

I ride my CRF250L with mousses and AC10's, vague cornering at all times on the road

try Pirelli Scorpion mid-softs?

[Fladdem]

I'm a big fan of the AC10 on the rear. Not so much on the front, it lasts well though, I prefer the Michelin Enduro Comp 4 on the front hoop for mixed riding, I don't like the Comp 3 rear though, it's on my CRM and after about 300 miles needed rotating and now with about 900 it's coming close to the end of it's life, it lights up when I hit the power band in the first two gears, on tarmac, and will spin up in fourth if I try to pull a wheelie and dump the clutch, and it wobbles around a lot round corners.

A mate used to run TKC80's on a DT125R, they'd stick very well on tarmac, saw him get peg down round a roundabout once, I'm not sure if that's because he was a loon or because the tyres were good.

I like the Pirelli MT43 too, it's a bit soft for extended road use, I don't know how well it would last, but if you could get a slightly harder compound trials tyre, it would do well, no skitting at all and grips like road rubber, just don't point it at wet grass and gloopy mud.

I would avoid a Metzeler Unicross too, very skittish and very hard compound, great in mud though and for hooning round MX tracks. You've just reminded me how many part worn tyres I have to choose from in the garage.
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Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[FuzzyBallz]

A few tyres to think about, those Pirelli scorpions look scary for road use, probably worse than the ones I have now! Unless I found the wrong ones

I like the look of the michelins, good knobbles but they look nice and flat for road grip.

Would a more road friendly tyre also improve the handling at high speeds, when I hit 60+ the bike gets a bit wobbly, is that down the the tyre or just the fact that its a 250 dual sport?

[stuartt]

i've got a ac10 on the back at the moment , it seems to be lasting ok & i've got a few mefo sport stonemaster ordered to try next .

[Fladdem]

[FuzzyBallz]

Front tyre was brand new when I bought the bike, maybe it's just me being a wimp, and if I pushed it I could scrape the footpegs in the bends, just wouldn't like to try it with a tyre that gives a road rating of 1/5

What do you mean by set the suspension up?

Thanks

[Ste]

Have you ridden when its wet?

[Fladdem]

Setting the sag.

Before, the sag on my TTR was too soft, causing the rear to sit quite low and not much weight was over the front wheel, but I increased preload in the front, they are air assisted forks, I put 10PSI in and then set the rear preload, in all honesty, I could do with a tougher spring for my weight but I am making do with the standard. My theory is that by making it tougher, it pushes the wheels into the ground more and stops it from weaving about. It also puts my weight over the front more, again increasing traction. I don't know, it helped though.

I'd imagine a new CRF250L would be pretty close to set-up unless you weigh outside of the standard springs weight range, either more or less, probably less unless you're a 5'3", 7 stone Japanese guy that the bike was designed for. Have you ever had a bike with knobblies before? I've never had anything with road proper tyres, bar my pit bike, so I'm used to the weaving and don't notice it now, the closest I've ever been to roads before that is an Avon Distanzia, which I hate, it's always sliding around, any sort of damp and it starts to go, at least most knobblies are soft compound so tend to grip better.
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Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[FuzzyBallz]

No haven't ridden it in the wet yet, luckily everytime I seem to go for a ride I just get the bike in the conservatory and it starts peeing down.

It was raining a few times on my lessons tho, on a 750 road bike, didn't seem to affect much, tyres still gripped fine, is this the case with knobblies too?

Think I just need to man up and stop being a puff

My suspension is just a spring on one side and a damper on the other, there isn't anything I can adjust, seems ok tho, don't want to fiddle with it tbh, I'm 5'8" and 12st so neither end of the scale really

[stuartt]

its best to take your time with off road tyres in the rain especially on corners .

[Fizzer Thou]

I would suggest Pirelli MT21 tyres for the CRF250L.I used to use them on my XR400R for greenlaning and enduros.

Nowadays I use Pirelli MT83 Scorpian enduro tyres,which are the same as Metzeler Six Day Enduro tyres in everything except the price ie.cheaper
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[Ridersofthest...]

Continental have good tires, the TKC80 is really good on tarmac. I would say 70/30.