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Well in simple terms MotoX tyres dig big holes in the land and we don’t get invited back, Trials tyres rip off the surface but then consolidate the next layer down. We get invited back as the land erosion is minimal and recovery is quick. Now that is good news as finding suitable sites in the South East is difficult and any site we use must be preserved as much as possible.

OK that was the easy answer, now lets dispel a few myths and try and convert even the hardened MotoX tyre fan

Levels of grip are comparable even in muddy conditions. Consider where a genuine Trials bike goes, we wouldn’t even consider taking our Enduro bikes to some of the venues let alone some of the sections they encounter. Why do they grip even in these type of conditions when the tread is close and full of dirt, because they are soft ( typically I run mine at about 6 -8 PSI depending on the conditions, unlike the Enduro tyre which I run at about 12 PSI ) and sticky. Just look how much grip a Quad gets with its 3 PSI fat tyre.

What about the problem of the tyre feeling flat at speed then due to the low pressure? Well the Pirelli MT43 has a slightly thicker side wall next to the wheel rim than all others and acts as run flat /pinch barrier for the Trials bikes, great as it stops the flat tyre feel at speed as well.

Why then do we use big open block treads rather than close blocks on the current Enduro tyre. Well I think it is for historical reasons. The world was full of feisty heavy 2 stroke bikes which you had to drop the clutch on, wheel spin the tyre until the engine reached its power band and then hope the tyre would dig its way down to solid terra firma, to simply get under way. Now all modern Enduro bikes are real light weight puppies, we simply ease the throttle / clutch on and ease away, if its really slimy and muddy we drop the pressure a couple of pounds on the tyre, change up a gear and now use all that torque the modern bikes have. Now isn’t that just like the way you ride Trials bikes or am I riding my trials bike all wrong ? It may be a slightly different technique but its just as fast.

Can we compare tyres then in the real world as far as grip goes. Yes we can, we have now run 5 events with a mix of MX, Enduro and Trials tyres. Regardless of conditions, riders of equal ability on similar machinery are pretty much equal on lap times, in fact I am starting to think that statistically the trials tyre may even be faster. Interestingly without the penalty of 20% we as a club impose for the MX tyre, 3 of the 5 events were won outright with a rider on a trials tyres, the other 2 were won by a rider who could have fitted a road slick and still won ( he is a current British champion MXer just getting the taste for Enduro's ). Ignoring that 1 rider 4 of the events would have been won outright on a trials tyre.

What other advantages are there then. Safety, how often have you been hit in the face and hands by stones and mud tossed up from a rip roaring knobbly, it doesn’t happen with the trials tyre as the big clumps and stones can’t get into the tread to be lifted, instead those stones are used as grip. Cost is a major factor, I can destroy an Enduro tyre in 1 weekend, my trials tyre lasts all season, half way through I simply turn it around. Not good for the tyre companies but great for my pocket. They are great on the road as there is plenty of rubber contact. I can run them as a tubeless tyre. They don’t seem to puncture as often as there is more blocks of rubber in the way of any sharpies.

Disadvantages: At about 450cc ( 300cc 2 stroke ) the bikes produce enough torque to be able to break out the standard 4.00” trials tyre. The MotoX tyre will then dig its way down and find grip unlike the trials tyre which then fills the blocks and continue to spin. Probably a wider tyre with more blocks / area would solve this but no tyre company makes a wider trials tyre. But hey most clubman riders are now downsizing due to the power of the 450’s which can scare the hell out of the best of us. There are no 19” Trials tyres for the MotoX bikes 19” rim. When a bike gets in a real sideways slide, well leant over, the trial tyre doesn’t have the sharp side blocks of the MotoX tyre and will continue to slide. The tyre companies lose out, my bank manager complains I’m not spending enough at the weekends on tyres, just jesting or am I ?

Well then that’s my view, I’m sure there are lots of others with the opposite view, but at the end of the day if a trial tyre keeps us racing as the land owners are happy, then what more can we say. Don’t knock the trials tyres guys & girls, give them ago, by using slightly different riding techniques you will be just as fast, if not faster and you can say you are doing something for land conservation