GoldenTyres

[Johnno]

I tried several front and rear. The best rear ( for my area and style such that it is ) was the 333 and friends who also ride 300's ( all brands ) agreed.

The 216AA normal sized front was just okay. Just. The Fatty was better but the Michelin Starcross Five Medium 90/100 I have now is night and day better. I love it.

Always wanted to try a 233 front as I surmised it would work. My main riding friend has one on his KTM 300, I rode it and it is pretty good. His bike has probably the best front end I've ridden on so I wonder how it would be fitted to mine compared to the Michelin. He actually has a 500 4T KTM as well and rotates tyres as required. He had the same Michelin I now have on his 300 ( it's on his 500 now ) and it was on the strength of riding his 300 fitted with the Michelin that I bought one. He says the 233 GT is good but will go back to the Michelin when the time comes. But may stick with the 333 rear, probably subject to how my rear Michelin wears. He's a thrifty bugger.

I had a 216 rear, pretty sure it was a 216 and it was awful. Mr Sherco fitted one and said word for word including the swearing every single thing I said about it.

Last weekend Mr KTM 300 and I were riding together, his 333 and my Michelin seemed almost identical in wear, we went off piste exploring what we thought could be an old trail and climbing out we were side by side. We both could plainly see I had superior traction.

So, farewell Senor GoldenTyre. I gave you a fair go. Herr Michelin welcomed me back with open arms. I should never have strayed.

[aj_mariner]

The 216 and 523 rears look too close to the stock Michelin for me to even want to try. I’ve wondered if it was the tread pattern or size...since the 140/80 rear is just such a beef cake that the knobbies look already worn. I’ll have to try the Michelin fatty front, that sounds interesting. You riding mostly hard pack?

[Johnno]

it's very fine dirt and sand, some of it hard packed some not but with lot's of sand stone. Some hills have faces of sand stone and there are rocks littered everywhere. At times it will be a covering of fine dirt hiding a mix of very dry fine dirt with grape fruit to coconut sized fairly round rocks. So basically if you lose momentum on a hill and go to take off again, the tyre will auger in quickly and then you'll start rolling over these round rocks. Which you couldn't dream up as a punishment.

I'm finding the Starcross 5 mediums to be working for everything I do, some times I ride where there is a mix of the above but also damp loamy soil through pine trees with pine needles everywhere. Which is heaven...

However, a lot of us run Tubliss. They recommend these Michelin don't get too low in pressure. You can see they're a soft carcass when you fit them. A mate rode somewhere we don't normally where there was sharp blue metal style rock. He poked a hole in his front a few times. Plugged it twice and then it tore.

I wonder if he had it a bit low and had the misfortune to get a sharp rock push in where the Tubliss valve has that big plate.

We're not sure because it's easy to mark a tyre where we ride normally. I know the S12's I used to run used to get pretty battered looking but I never broke one.

My Starcross 5 looks mint and it's been there a while, I am heavier than he is and tend to hit things a bit more.

The 90/100 front I have isn't as goofy looking big as my 216AA Fatty.

This Michelin the best tyre I've had on my Beta thus far and I've had a few.

Tyre's aren't cheap and I am on a budget. I will stick with what I know is working. If someone wanted to give me tyres to try I would certainly but on my dime I'm not going out on a limb.

[aj_mariner]

Shit, yeah, forgot about the Michelin’s having a softer carcass. Maybe I’ll just stick with the GT’s. Haven’t tried the tubliss yet. Just kick HD tubes at 12-13psi...seems to do ok in my mix of trails.

[Johnno]

I had to run about 13ish psi with my GT fatty front or it felt like a flipper.

Which sort of negates the need for Tubliss. Everyone says you have better flat protection but A: I think I've had 1 or 2 flat fronts in over 40 years of riding. Also, look at that plate a Tubliss has. With a soft carcass tyre running say 10psi and a sharp rock, it's not gonna be hard to tear the tyre. I reckon that's what's happened to my friend with his Michelin.

I'm running 12 or 13 with mine. it'd be irony if it was the Tubliss that caused the flat albeit with a soft carcass tyre.

Finally stuff does happen at times. I don't know anyone else who's running these tyres having the same issue. I'm not concerned as I said i ride Rock City and mine looks great, been on their a while too.

Bottom line is that Michelin is working better than anything I've had ( so does the rear ) I don't wanna give that up.

[Darkside]

I tried the 216 fatty on front back when everyone was raving about them. I did'nt care for it. Wound up going back to the pirelli scorpion pro. Now I have that fatty on my dualsport

[dirtbird]

As far as I know is messier Michelin, Herr Metzeler and Signor Golden Tyre (the latter with a deep far east accent)...

Personally not very happy with the medium Star cross but I need to ride them more.
Then there is a set from Herr X-GRIP waiting...

[Johnno]

As far as I know is messier Michelin, Herr Metzeler and Signor Golden Tyre (the latter with a deep far east accent)...

Personally not very happy with the medium Star cross but I need to ride them more.
Then there is a set from Herr X-GRIP waiting...

You are correct. I confused France with Germany for Michelin. It's an easy enough mistake