Dual sport tire advice

[Bamagator]

Read the DS tire thread and did some research but wanted to toss it out to the board here.  My new DRZ400S has trail wings and I would like something different at some point.  I am truly wishing to be a 50/50 rider but I admit I don't get that aggressive on the dirt like some of you wild dawgs here do.  I do ride more back roads and 2 lanes than dirt at this time but I'm trying to change that and have confidence in the woods as I build skills.

Shinko 244's have caught my eye.  I've run Kendra 270s before on my old xr650l and they were meh.  Pirelli 21s look ok but I have no idea how they will do on the road. 

Thoughts or recommendations for here?  Thx!

[kdtrull]

The Shinko 244 is not near as mushy as the Kenda.  They look a lot alike but that's where the similarity stops.

[sctparker]

Heidenau K60 Scout front and rear  seem to work  on my KLR

[Jwwr]

It's hard to beat a 244 for 50/50 riding. That's what I run on a wr250r. If I was trying to build woods skills I wood run the best woods tire I could find that was street legal and give up some on road performance. You can move back to a more street tire, later when you gain confidence. The pirelli xcmh front and rear are good in the woods and on dirt roads.

[amchev]

It's hard to beat a 244 for 50/50 riding. That's what I run on a wr250r. If I was trying to build woods skills I wood run the best woods tire I could find that was street legal and give up some on road performance. You can move back to a more street tire, later when you gain confidence. The pirelli xcmh front and rear are good in the woods and on dirt roads.

Exactly this.  The Pirelli XCMH is outstanding on my DRZ.  I've got just about 3000 dual sport miles on a set.  The rear is toast and I flipped the front around to get a few more.  I admit that I have run them on the street too much for what they are but for a knobby dual DOT tire, they are outstanding in the dirt.  Another vote for the Shinko 244 for a true 50/50 tire.  They are cheap, and easy to mount.  Work well everywhere except mud... they suck in mud.

[Nice Goat]

I'm running Geomax AT81s on my KTM.  They are sticky like boogers in the woods.  On pavement, all I have to do is think about the rear brake and they start sliding.

[KevinB]

I used AT81's and loved em, and had the same experience as Glenn. Then I tried Motoz Tractionator I/T's...best tire I've ever used in the dirt, and I can ride it like a motard on pavement.  Only downside is that the rear howls like a banshee when riding straight up on the center knobs.

[Bamagator]

I'm running Geomax AT81s on my KTM.  They are sticky like boogers in the woods.  On pavement, all I have to do is think about the rear brake and they start sliding.

Yikes!  This is the Intel I want to prevent unneeded user error.

Thx to all. I know there is a trade off to be had however you go.  I'll prob get the shinkos since they are reasonable $$$ and better than what I have for trails and dirt but dang, I am tempted to go aggressive with 606s or the at81s to make the DRZ do what it can (modestly) as I build dirt skills.  I just don't want to piss money away burning up 20/80 tires while I do pavement runs to get to Talladega or cahaba.  Tires are my next mod, hence the post. 

[Buzz]

Shinto 244..... +1

My current dr650 dual sport set up is 244 on rear, and Pirelli mt on the front.

As Kyle would say.... a mullet.

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[Buzz]

Mullet, noun- steetable rear tire, and a knobby front tire.

Usage:

I run a mullet for better off road grip in the front, but a smoother ride on the rear.

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[Bamagator]

Great tip for sure.  I took your comments about the kenda 270 and shinko 244 frt tires to heart in the tire thread. 

[bblass]

I've been running the Dunlop D606 on the rear for a little over a year and have been very satisfied with it. It hooks up well and has good on road grip for a knobby with reasonable tread life.

If you're planning to become more aggressive with your dirt riding but still want a good DOT tire the D606's or Motoz Tractionators are two of the best on the market. I've heard lots of good things about the shinko 244s and their longevity but I don't think they're quite as grippy as the 606's.  However, if you're mostly riding the forest service roads and not getting into single track you may not need the more aggressive tread.

[Fencejumper09]

Ran the Shinko 244 on the front for a while. It is a very easy tire to install! It had decent grip offroad until things got wet. Luckily with the 690 the front is always at least 2 inches off the ground.

Currently running the Pirelli Scorpion Rally on the front and it has much better off road traction but I haven't really tested it on-road.

I love my Motoz Tractionator H/T for off road, great traction for any conditions I have come across. They grip well on the road but they make a racket!