I've got these tires with about 8k miles on them, now. I'll give a few reasons i like them.
1. good knobbies, good traction. They handled as well for me as my full knobby pirelli mt 21's.
2. great in the paved twisties. No trouble at all, much faster than the pirelli's. I got scared before the tires did.
3. cheap. These are definitely the best bang for the buck in a dual sport tire. I paid ~ $80 shipped for both tires, & have 8k miles & counting. These will be my next set also.
4. improved suspension. These bigger tires will improve the bike's suspension. It is part of the air pressure management, but if you vary the pressures, the tire will respond differently.
5. rides flat. Ok, i've never had a flat in these, yet. But i've run 3-4 # of pressure in them & they hold up & preform well.
Here's some tips i have for these tires.
1. drop the pressures under 10# for gnarly off road conditions. You'll think you had a suspension job. It is a major improvement in soaking up the bumps.
2. Crank it up to 30# for highway riding. Your gas mileage will improve. I run ~ 20# or so most of the time, & drop it when getting into tougher rocky offroad conditions. I increase the pressure for long pavement rides.
I was a bit worried when i went with the X that the bigger front tire would be a problem. But now i think it is an asset. When mountain bikes came on the scene, it was the 'fat tire' that made them work. This 'fat tire' is also a big help with rough off road conditions. It is also better in mud & sand.. if anything can be better.. Real sticky mud is a nightmare with any tire. But in wet sloppy mud the fat tire rolls through it fine.
3. Slide forward in the twisties. This is true for any bike. Get the weight forward & off the rear wheel. The pegs will drag but the tires will hold. Be careful with new tires in corners.. need to wear them a bit & warm them up, first.
Don't be afraid to vary the air with these tires depending on conditions. They are stiff & need lower pressures to perform off road. I think people who have complained about them in gravel have had them aired up too much. Unless you have over 300# on the bike, 10# or less will be optimal. Try it. Let almost all the air out & push on the tire. It is still plenty stiff & will hold you up. Ride it around. It is like the old teraflex tires (which i also thought were great!). Too much air ruins them. Ride around on a parking lot & try to roll the tires with very little air in them.. 4# or so. If you put 28# in them, they will be fine on the street, but they will beat you up off road. Mine have had less than 10# in them for most of their life. I check them today, & they had 3# front, & 5# in the rear for the entire Grand Canyon ride we did a couple weeks back. I aired them up to 30# for an errand i had to run on pavement. They roll better, but make the suspension feel like it is frozen. These tires have been the best suspension 'upgrade' i've done with this bike.
Well, i better order me another set.. although i can probably get another 5k on the front, but the back is probably done. I'll ride it for another 1k or so, then change them out.
