Front tire questions for 250es Big Red?

[patblkwell]

Well it's about that time for me to do something else to my bike...been a while since I restored it and all. Right now, I have the stock Ohtsu tires on my '87 big red which really give it a great, cushony ride...but do not handle some types of terrain very good. The tires seem to be a more tall than wide 25X12X9 tire than other ones out there. I have noticed that I have to really do some leaning when trail riding to keep the trike from tipping over sometimes. I am thinking about going with the 25X12.5X9 Kenda Bear Claws all around which are wider and would prob. give it more stability.

I heard that it may not be a good idea to run a Bear Claw as the front tire and that the stock tire would be better...any advice on this?? I think it would look awesome with Bear Claws all around. Also, will the 12.5" wide Bear Claw tire rub the front forks on the big red? I heard that a wide tire will rub on some trikes...

[patblkwell]

And also, which would you go with?> Bear Claws or Mudlites??

[Maine_Triker]

I'd go with the mudlights Pat. I think thety look more "Big Redish". I've seen one with them and it looks pretty good. I have a pic of it in my other computer but I don't have access to it right now....

Hey... you're not actually riding that Big Red are you?.... hahaha

Phil

[patblkwell]

Hey Phil, I only ride it sometimes in certain conditions lol. Yeah, a friend of mine has the bear claws on his SX and they work great for him...that's why I was considering them. They are a little wider than the mudlites though, which is what I was looking for...but yeah I will prob. make a decision sometime this week on what to get..

[bigredhead]

For the front.

Kenda Front Max !

a V patern tire on the front of a trike is a bad idea.. i had a Mud-Devil on my SX before and it was no good in snow. mud.. or any terrain.

The Bear Claws however.. are an awsome tire for the rear.. plenty of grip, and they clean themselves out in mud very well. word of caution on my SX the 22x11x12 rub the pipe a little bit. nothing major but they rub !

[broook]

Hi Pat, we had a "V" tire on the front of one of our 86`s and just couldn`t steer the thing at any kind of speed or a bit of snow. We find a "Block" type is the best. Also the cheapest. :)

[patblkwell]

Hey bigredhead, that Front Max tire looks like it would work good but they don't make a 25x12x9 version of it.....I remember seeing a post before where Edog stated that he ran Mudlites on all 3 wheels of his tri-moto and that they worked great...may have to p.m. him to make sure.

[bigredhead]

There must be a similar pattern tire of different name out there... but i really don't suggest a V pattern on the front at all.

When you turn the V becomes a flat bar in front and does very little for the side to side push of a solid rear axle.

Find a good open spaced knoby or block pattern as said above..

The bear claws on the rear.. HEAVY 6 ply tho. so if you like driving over nails for fun.. they hold up really well. but they are hard and heavy. .. and i have 22's.. you want to go with 25 on your ES !!!!

[edog]

ITP Mudlites 22-11-8 all around and proud of it. :)

[Huffa]

My suggestion is to go with your basic knobby up front OR go with this AMS Fox A/T which is what I picked for my SX front. Really nice tire for the $$.
Mine are 22X11X8 but they do have them in your size also.

http://www.cyclepages.com/ProductGroupDisp.aspx?ProductGroupID=5501411

Size: 25x12R9 $47.95

[bigredhead]

The Mud-Lite would do ok for the front as the V is not as angled as the bear claws, but i have a feeling E-Dog don't play in the mud much with his sky blue yamie !

[patblkwell]

That tire doesn't look too bad Huffa....good price too. I saw somewhere that the mudlites were just a little bit lighter than the bearclaws in my size. Choices choices...lol

[edog]

Ya, the Mudlites are the lightest 6 ply ratted tire on the market.

[patblkwell]

Here's what I'm thinkin now lol...putting a set of 25x12.5x9 Bear Claws on the rear(wide and stable) and a 25x12x9 mudlite on the front(for good steering)! What do yall think?? lol

[edog]

There is nothing wrong with a Mudlite on the front.I was sceptical at first as well.YOu won't be sorry with mudlites all around.

[bigredhead]

Hey E-dog.

What else have you tried on the front to compare to ?

I still disagree with a v on the front given the choice.

[Huffa]

Hey E-dog.

What else have you tried on the front to compare to ?

I still disagree with a v on the front given the choice.

I absolutely agree too! Anytime you have tread going across the tire instead of going with the tire is not good at all. It just does nothing for steering response.

If you want a excellent tire for the rear for all around performance my suggestion are the Maxxis All Traks. It's a 2 ply that thinks it's a 6 ply!! Used in desert races alot. Meaty as heck tread but give a decent ride. Can reverse them too. I'm on my 3rd set. I like the way it has big beefy side knobs and
they protrud out a bit from tire helping to protect the rim.

http://www.tiresunlimited.com/images/Maxxis%20tires/Maxxis%20All%20Trak.jpg

All Traks in the rear - Fox A/T in the front..........that's my vote :beer

[patblkwell]

Those Maxxis tires are nice but fairly expensive too lol. I can't find them for under $80 a tire!

[Maine_Triker]

Here's that pic I was talking about...

[edog]

If i owned a Big Red it would look just like that.

[conig]

I run a v tread on the front of my red. its an ams swamp fox 24-8-12 I haven;t noticed any stearing problems I had prior just your basic knobbie by chen sheing 25-12-9 on factory wheels.

I trust these guys opinions as to what is better but I like the set up I have. I think dirt devils look good on a big red as well.

[conig]

oh and Pat rockymountainatv.com has the altracks for 57.00 or 59.00 but there presently out of stock I was just on there website.

sorry I can;t remeber exactly.

[patblkwell]

Hey thanks for the pic Phil, that does look pretty good. I found some other ones online too that are 13.5" wide called Trail Breakers...they look cool but not sure what ply they are, they do only weigh 27 lbs which is a lot less than some others I've looked at though...Here is a pic of them.

[Maine_Triker]

I found some other ones online too that are 13.5" wide called Trail Breakers...they look cool but not sure what ply they are, they do only weigh 27 lbs which is a lot less than some others I've looked at though...Here is a pic of them.
Now THAT would rip up some turf! :naughty:

[LaDano]

Hey Pat I'd stick to the mud lites. They pull great and you can't beat the price. Give my buddy Corey a call at La cycles, he's in Central across from the Super walley world. Don't throw those originals away, I'm looking for 1 for the front of my big red. Let me know, later.

[conig]

that trail breaker looks pretty good. Have you thought about the wooley boogers? its a nice throw back mud tire from back in the days.

they could look almost original on yours.

[patblkwell]

Hey Dano, I do like the mudlites a lot and the bear claws, but I was able to track down a pair of 25x13.5x9 Spider Tracs for a good price which are the widest ones ever made-I think lol. I know I will be selling at least 1 of my original Ohstu tires..I'll let you know.

[patblkwell]

Yeah I've looked at several different tires, it basically comes down to me wanting the widest tire I can get for stablitity purposes and one that can also handle some light mud.

[bigredhead]

Wider is not always better.....

Get the tape measure out and check for clearance to frame , pipe, plastics, etc.... just in case !

[patblkwell]

Well I've checked it out just to make sure, it looks like it shouldn't be a problem with the big red...plus I have an aftermarket pipe which has a smaller diameter than the stock one..I think they will fit on there just fine.

[conig]

pat if you don;t mind can you tell me were you found these tires? did they have anything for a ten inch rim? Im looking to get some better mudders on my big red.

[patblkwell]

Hey, which tires are you referring to?

[Huffa]

Well I've checked it out just to make sure, it looks like it shouldn't be a problem with the big red...plus I have an aftermarket pipe which has a smaller diameter than the stock one..I think they will fit on there just fine.

You go to watch though that you don't over tire the machine! There is such a thing as too much grip and a 13.5 just might cause it.

Just letting you know the drawbacks of bigger tires.

[bigredhead]

Harder on bearings and axles.. and swingarm too !

[patblkwell]

Yeah, that is true...do you think the weight of the tires or just the size in general can over-tire a bike? These ones I'm looking at actually weigh the same or less than some of the other smaller tires...

[bigredhead]

I bet they are awsome in a straight line ! turning might not be too easy !

[patblkwell]

They will prob. do good since more of the tire will actually be in contact with the ground...especially compared to the balloons I have on there right now lol.

[LaDano]

Pat you'll be disappointed with the spider tracs. I've had them on a 200x and a blaster when I 1st got them. They where the 1st thing taken off. The mud lites will give you alittle more stability than the ohtsu's plus there easier on the rear end. Or you can never go wrong with raw hides, very agressive in the mud. Let me know when you get rid of 1, I'm putting together another big red, just waiting on a new bore.

[patblkwell]

Dano, how come you didn't like the spider tracs? I read some reviews on here about them and most people say they are an awesome trail riding tire....which is mainly what I do. I prob. wouldn't want them on any other bike except the big red or a 4x4 since they are both are low geared and torquey. I was looking at the mudlites pretty hard until I talked to a few people who said that the tread on them wears down very fast with any concrete or gravel riding....which I try to avoid but have to do sometimes to get where I need to go riding at. I'll let you know about that stock tire on the big red fairly soon.

[conig]

pat- I meant the spider tracks Im thinking dirt devils simply beacuse there cheap I may even get some at 489's like I have I just want a larger size then 22-11-10 it does wonders for handling and trial riding but the lack of ground clearance can get problamatic in the mud.

[patblkwell]

Hey Conig, yeah I picked up a set of them spider tracs off ebay for a good price. Most tire vendors don't carry them anymore because they were replaced by the mudlites..

[edog]

Mudlites,Mudlites,Mudlites. :Bounce :Bounce :Bounce :Bounce :Bounce