Crf 250 Rally Tyre Advice

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rockdodger
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Crf 250 Rally Tyre Advice

Post by rockdodger »

My recently acquired Crf 250 Rally is in need of some new tyres for 50/50 use. Any advice on what’s good and bad out there
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Richard Simpson Mark II
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Re: Crf 250 Rally Tyre Advice

Post by Richard Simpson Mark II »

Depending of where you are in the country, I'd look at Pirelli Trials tyres (if you ride on rocks), or Pirelli MT21 or Michelin Trakker if you want a knobbly that is also OK on the road.
rockdodger
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Re: Crf 250 Rally Tyre Advice

Post by rockdodger »

Thanks Mr Simpson much appreciated
minkyhead
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Re: Crf 250 Rally Tyre Advice

Post by minkyhead »

you can do a lot worse than m21s pretty good all rounders ...they dont last too well the fronts triangualate evry 2nd block and become pretty annoying after 2k miles
ive found the motoz rally z rears are pretty good and deffo wear a lot better ..the fronts motoz are not so good on or off .. i think when we did the northern trail evryone was on maxxis it fronts apart from dave
another nice combo for travel is mitas e09 rear and mitas e13 front decent on and off road
the maxxis it fronts are pretty aggressive off road but although not as good as the e13 or pirelli on they have knack of being acceotable and wearing well and offer more grip in muddy stuff than most out there
i always used the 644 army fronts before they sacked them and the e13s are similar to them
decent duel tyres that will last the longest over distance with reasonable road manners are the motoz rally z rears and the e13 fronts
,.....nice tyres with a relitivly shorter life theres nowt wrong with m21s and they are probably the best on the road overall
tyres are a very presonal thing one mans acceptable is another guys nighmare ...
one thing the crfs are good at is tyre wear i put a maxxis it rear on the ccm and toasted it in 900 miles ...where ont crf it went near 3000 ..im not too bad now i have a spare wheel with a enduro tyre on for winter snot but tbo i very rarely feel the need for putting it on ..places like shropshire have a lot of muddy lanes but not somuch up here as its mostly rocky so i guess where you want to ride may come into what you prefer in the end ..i wouldnt be worried running any of them tyres pretty much anywhere off road occasionally you may get a streach where a rear enduro tyre would be better but generally they all get you though stuff ok deffo the best wearing semi aggresive tyre is the motoz rally z rear rear and the e13 fronts overall .....................good luck
whats the wether forcast ..wheres me map
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Re: Crf 250 Rally Tyre Advice

Post by rockdodger »

Minkyhead you’ve given me a good amount of information there and it’s much appreciated.
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tuftywhite
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Re: Crf 250 Rally Tyre Advice

Post by tuftywhite »

I've found the MT21s really good off road, but not the most confidence inspiring on the road. Great especially in muddy conditions, I've found, gave me a lot of confidence in mud.

However, I prefer the TKC80s for general on/off road use. They're not as good in the mud, but for everything else they're just as good, and you forget you have off road tyres when you're on the road.

TCK80s will also last longer than the MT21s.

Currently I have a new set of TCK80s on my off road bike, and a new set of MT21s on spare wheels for the same bike. :D

I couldn't make my mind up. So when it gets wet and muddy, I'll change the wheels.
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Toe
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Re: Crf 250 Rally Tyre Advice

Post by Toe »

I've got Mitas E07 on my drz which have served well but feel like a big heavy tyre to me. Have been wearing very well.

For my next set I'll be looking at Motoz tyres. They do a great range and get some excellent reviews and seem reasonably priced.
A good guide for their range https://www.adventurespec.com/motoz
Some stories about their use and what and where they were used https://www.adventurespec.com/blog/trac ... g/tyres-24
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tuftywhite
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Re: Crf 250 Rally Tyre Advice

Post by tuftywhite »

Toe wrote: Mon May 16, 2022 9:30 am I've got Mitas E07 on my drz which have served well but feel like a big heavy tyre to me. Have been wearing very well.

For my next set I'll be looking at Motoz tyres. They do a great range and get some excellent reviews and seem reasonably priced.
A good guide for their range https://www.adventurespec.com/motoz
Some stories about their use and what and where they were used https://www.adventurespec.com/blog/trac ... g/tyres-24
I like the look of the Motoz tyres. They have a really good range unfortunately, they don't do them in my size. (4.00 x 18)

I've heard and read loads of good reviews about them and the only negative, is that a chap I know who fits bike tyres said they were hard to put on with the machine, so he wouldn't want to try to change a tube whilst out on a ride.

This may just be an indication of how robust they are and might be dependant on which type he was putting on.
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Re: Crf 250 Rally Tyre Advice

Post by Richard Simpson Mark II »

I think you can split the 'enduro' tyre sector into two.

At one extreme you've got the Vee Rubber Enduro, which is a fantastic tyre on a lightweight bike with low power and is cheap and very easy to change. Back in the days of TBM it won their 'blind' enduro tyre shootout, beating the big European names. It is very soft though.
Then there's the European true enduro tyres from Michelin, Metzler, etc, and also Maxxis, which are from Taiwan but seem to be very popular.
At the other end, you've got the 'travel enduro' tyres...Mitas E07+, Mefo Super Explorer, Motoz GPS, which have a long life, and also the Desert/Rally tyres which are designed for durability on hard surfaces at high temperatures.
Both of these categories have stiff, heavy carcasses, which make them difficult to change. However, if you get a puncture, you may hardly notice it, and they are so robust you are unlikely to get a puncture at all.
They are so heavy, I'm not sure they'd be right for a 250 trail bike.

Because of where I live and the fact that I do occasional trials, I run trials tyres on my small bikes. They are as good as anything, except in sticky mud.

I used to use Mefo Super Explorer/Explorers on my 950, but they have become increasingly difficult to source, so changed to Mitas E07/EO7+, which seem to grip better on and off road, but I don't think will last like the Mefo did on the rear.
Personally, I'd avoid any tyre with a continuous band of rubber down the middle if you ever want to ride on anything except dry tarmac. My experience of that type of tyre is they are a fishtailing nightmare off-tarmac, and horrible on wet roads, where they lock up without warning. Others will have different opinions, no doubt.
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Re: Crf 250 Rally Tyre Advice

Post by garyboy »

`Tyres` are probably the most asked question on Bike sites? .. and i can see why. Especially recently, there is a plethora of available tyres, and i must admit i am overwhelmed myself, by the choice. Seems the tyre manufacturers have recently become even more aware of us dirty b****rds lol. There seems to be a lot of new manufacturers too? ..or perhaps i need to get out more lol?

Personally, as well as acting on recommendations, i just go by knobs and size, though of course we all have personal preferences. (oo er). I tend to go for 50/50 knob to space .. slightly more space for the more aggressive tread, and slightly bigger knob for road use and rubber lasting. Smaller knobs, more like trials tyres, tend to be better overall grip, while more open spaced knobs tend to better for more extreme, especially mud, and probably sand. Generally, the local `off road`lads tend to go for maxxis IT, but i find them too aggressive looking? (not tried them) and more suited to a trailer or van type system, whereas the point of the 250 Rally is to ride to the lane, on tarmac first, and then back. .. but also including general use and commuting, which is where the relatively heavy and underpowered crf 250 excells, while not actually excelling at anything. A do it all, go anywhere work horse, with pretty decals and sex appeal lol.

Getting a tyre to match that is more a personal choice suited to your personal type of usage.. more so than if you had say a road bike or an enduro bike, as the small crf can slot in just about anywhere, after a fashion.

I bet not even Honda would have thought that their little cb250 engine would be transformed so effectively decades after they launched it. Even i considered it a slob of a machine back in those days, preferring the far more exciting Suzuki 250.


Then there is sizing ... not as easy as it sounds, as the more experienced on here will know. My brief sortie into tyre choice has taught me that all is not as it seems, especially with knobbly tyres. The same sized tyre can have taller knobs or be a lot wider, compared with a different manufacturer's version. For example, the Metzler rally? cross ( I think it was) is a lot bigger in circumference, and can actually affect your gearing .. and your seat height!! .. and might even rub your swing arm or rear fender. You may even have to change your chain length to get it in. (lesson learned).

Tyre width seems to generally work opposite to road tyre .. a narrower tyre seems to give more grip (off road) .. though wider rear road tyres are more a show thing than the oem rear. A fatter rear tyre on the trails tends to `float` more in mud, and spin more in loose gravel .. though that is where it interacts more with tyre pressure? ... all quite complicated really, compared with road tyre choice.
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