verdict on mtb/moto tyres

ljbuzz

10 mW
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
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hi all im after the general thoughts on weather to get mtb or motorbike tires. as far as i can gather i really like the feel on my previous 24"x3" mtb tires they are light and nimble and look good. yet on my next build im very tempted to go with 19"rim on moto tires. mainly because DD motors at 72v seem to wear out the tires real quick.

so question is is the extra rim weight and tire weigh worth it for the harder wearing tires. or is the extra weight gain especially over the front a huge difference. my thinking is if i go up to moto tires im better off aiming for 5kw+ rather than the 3kw i had with norm tires to have the same speed and front wheel lifting power(childish i no but zombieland rule 32 enjoy the little things).
 
If i was you i would go for a 17" or 18" rim. If 18" you will get alot more tyre options. There is a weight penalty but you could try and source a 2 ply tyre which will be significantly lighter than a 4 ply which most moto tyres are. A 3" wide knobbled tyre for off roading is great fun.
 
Moto tyres in a heartbeat. Wouldnt even think twice. Unless you like spending your freetime changing tyres, fixing pinchflats and well... you get the picture
I got 550km out of set of hookworms and they were destroyed. I have had shinko 241's on for around 2000 km and they still have heaps of life in them. There are tyre options for 19's. Your moto shop will likely have to order them in. But the shinko 244 or 241 is my favourite.
 
I am willing to change my rear tire every month for the performance advantage of a lighter bike, so I build with maintenance in mind to make a tire change quick and easy. The front does pretty good anyway, and a rear wheel weight adding motorcycle rim and tire to a big hub is way too much for my handling requirements. I found a neat improvement using 65mm rims, in both puncture resistance and tire wear.

Off road, it is more of a problem for good dirt tires are expansive and wearing faster. Every dry period is making me think I would save lots of trouble and cash using a motorcycle tire. But then we have some rain making the trails softer and tire last longer... I can understand that a dirt rider in a dry rocky environment does turn to motorcycle tires.
 
Motorcycle rim/tires for me and will probably never go back to bicycle tires unless on an ultralight fat bike or stealthy Tangent full suspension build.

The small bit of weight penalty going to motorcycle rims/tires far outweighs (pun intended!) the pinch flats, short tire life and super expensive cost of bicycle tires. Freebies are confidence inspiring and solid feel added to the bike.

Tom
 

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I agree, except for the part where you consider the weight penalty as 'small bit'. :|
 
MadRhino said:
I agree, except for the part where you consider the weight penalty as 'small bit'. :|

As an example of this, i have just changed my rear tyre from a 17x3.0" 4 ply moped tyre to 3.50 radial construction trials bike tyre and the increase in weight is very noticable. I assume radial construction is used on soft compound tyres for extra strength compared to intermediate tyres which are 2 or 4 cross ply?? The slight increase in width has also created an outer diameter change from 23" to 25". I would say the weight difference is easily over 2kg's. However, the new tyre with 12mm of tread makes the older tyre look like its from a childs bike. It seems bomb proof from pinch flats or any thing else to be honest lol. Run at about 12-13psi.





 
Thanks, I have some ff ready, but only when i really need to crack open the motor, i am sure that day will come.


Overall, going to 3.50" maybe a step too far. Try and find a 3.00" 2 ply tyre would be my advicw :wink:
 
Right. The quest for reliability by all means is easy to be making a bike much heavier. Each new heavy component leads to another, and the "small bits" are adding to make a boat anchor.

I saw a friend adding more and more to his bike: MC tire led to MC rim, to bigger spokes, to bigger shock, to bigger battery, to adding ferroliquid in the motor, to match the front wheel, and a heavier fork to dampen it... We had the same motor-controller combo but his bike was not able to keep up anymore, slower to accelerate, slower top speed, longer braking distance, overheating prone to the point that he was finally shying to some trails steep climbing.

A hub build is always a compromise, and very weight sensitive, for there is a limit to the total power you can feed, and every bit of extra weight is eating some of your effective HP at the wheel.
 
When funds allow i will be looking into building a lmx mid drive with mtb rims and tyres for a different experience. That siad, i do love my current bike and it is still liftable when needed... just. How long i put up with the vee rubber 3.50" trial tyre... We shall see. Just fitted some new forks. Feels as smooth as butter. Also a new front tyre. I have found that veulta usa 24x3 mtb tyre is the widest 3" . I also have halo contra and duro wildlife leopard in my possession to compare.



 
It's all in what you want. Those are some awesome beefy bikes, and I love the idea of longer tire wear ratings and puncture resistance, but unless I can bump up my power to offset the additional rolling and rotational resistances (not to mention gvw), my bike will become to feel like cinderella's pumpkin coach.

100_2087.JPG

As it is I've always found decent knobby 24" tires for 20$/pc that last for about 500mi of mixed riding and very minimal punctures, and I want to keep the feeling of >6kw geared ~35mph w/ ~70lbs. Imo it's really all in what you want and what you're willing to compromise or sacrifice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuWZanNQS7M
[youtube]fuWZanNQS7M[/youtube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In52NPeGUOc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1bksa7LRZs
 
Lol thanks. I'd have trouble with a heavier bike, but it's true we gravitate towards riding our chosen bike shines in. For the record I'd love to make 'double' the bike, more like dirt bike/enduro, and of course there's all those shades/options inbetween. There's several reasons I haven't but they're not applicable here.

Madrhino offers evidence to the opposite, but I always thought I'd do moto tyres with a high powered hub build. Likely also a higher powered mid-build to make proper 'use' of the increased traction, and the dependability/durability more rubber affords to high speed and thrashing.

//PS brumbrum, about what does yours weigh, how fast, and how much AH and wattage does it have/use?
 
nutspecial said:
Lol thanks. I'd have trouble with a heavier bike, but it's true we gravitate towards riding our chosen bike shines in. For the record I'd love to make 'double' the bike, more like dirt bike/enduro, and of course there's all those shades/options inbetween. There's several reasons I haven't but they're not applicable here.

Madrhino offers evidence to the opposite, but I always thought I'd do moto tyres with a high powered hub build. Likely also a higher powered mid-build to make proper 'use' of the increased traction, and the dependability/durability more rubber affords to high speed and thrashing.

//PS brumbrum, about what does yours weigh, how fast, and how much AH and wattage does it have/use?

Not sure of weight, maybe i will dig out some bathroom scales, i am guessing 45kgs??
I limit my bike to 45mph , i only use off road, it never see tarmac. It will top out using ovs on the adaptto maxe at over 60mph.
I carry 84v (20s) multistar lipo, 30ah. Though i charge to about 82v. Potentially about 2500wh, realistically 2000wh of usful energy.
I run between 8kw and 10kw. 10kw is about 125amp peaks which is as far as i will push the multistars... About 4-5C over a few seconds of initial acceleration. More usual is about 80amp peak and cruise at around 50amp
 
Oh, just weighed the bugger, i underestimated lol.... 53kg / 117lbs.

I maybe swapping out rear tyre sometime soon... :lol:
 
MadRhino said:
eisiau newid eich fuwch ddu i ferlyn cob Cymreig ?

I dont speak my native tongue, it only went as far as my grand parents on my mothers side. I am a city boy not a woolly backed sheep :lol: I am guessing that is translated as somrething to do with cows and pit ponies? Or dare i ask? Lol
 
Quokka said:
Moto tyres in a heartbeat. Wouldnt even think twice. Unless you like spending your freetime changing tyres, fixing pinchflats and well... you get the picture
I got 550km out of set of hookworms and they were destroyed. I have had shinko 241's on for around 2000 km and they still have heaps of life in them. There are tyre options for 19's. Your moto shop will likely have to order them in. But the shinko 244 or 241 is my favourite.


I'll just say I've bought 4 rear tires in 18,700 miles. Only 2 front tires. All of them Hookworms. Bike is 115lbs I'm 155 to 160lbs. Hookworms run for a long time after the little nubbies have worn down. I've never had much issue with stopping due to sliding.

I used Moto type tire and rim on the 60mph + etrike I built on the rear, but 2 hookworm tires on the front. I've gotten over 7,000 miles on one of the rear hookworms, front 9,000. Front hardly wears at all and still got the first one and its still plenty useable , changed it more for the sun wear and fading than wear. Mainly back roads. Average rolling speed 25mph. I'm cool with either moto or hookworms. But I felt I should put my input in about them. If you want to keep the full nubby tread, then ya you'll go through a lot of them. 8)
 
brumbrum said:
MadRhino said:
eisiau newid eich fuwch ddu i ferlyn cob Cymreig ?

I dont speak my native tongue, it only went as far as my grand parents on my mothers side. I am a city boy not a woolly backed sheep :lol: I am guessing that is translated as somrething to do with cows and pit ponies? Or dare i ask? Lol
Yes of course. I had some Welsh ponies when I was young, and a Welsh girl for a while too. Funny that some old French horseman 5000 miles away can speak your grandmother's language. :wink:

The translation: You want your black cow turned to a Welsh cob pony ? :twisted:
 
MadRhino said:
brumbrum said:
MadRhino said:
eisiau newid eich fuwch ddu i ferlyn cob Cymreig ?

I dont speak my native tongue, it only went as far as my grand parents on my mothers side. I am a city boy not a woolly backed sheep :lol: I am guessing that is translated as somrething to do with cows and pit ponies? Or dare i ask? Lol
Yes of course. I had some Welsh ponies when I was young, and a Welsh girl for a while too. Funny that some old French horseman 5000 miles away can speak your grandmother's language. :wink:

The translation: You want your black cow turned to a Welsh cob pony ? :twisted:

Haah, wow i am impressed you know some welsh and are stationed so far away. You put me to shame. I was forced to learn in school but never took much interest. I now work in a school and am expected to use it on a daily basis. When my great grand parents were in school under english rule they were not allowed to speak a word of welsh while in school, but when they came home from school they were not allowed by their parents to speak a word of english... They were in a lose lose situation.

But to answer your statement, yes my bike is abit on the lardy side. Its not a bike that can be flicked about. Its more of a mud plugging tractor.
 
To avoid tire wear and pinch flats on mtb tires run higher psi. Running at 45 psi I have not had one pinch flat and with around 500 miles in so far my tires still look new. I am in buffalo ny and been running these tires since it has been snowing.

http://mikesbikes.com/product/specialized-hardrockr-tire-26-inch-212842-1.htm

I play on upgrading to Continental X-Kings

Hookworms are urban tires not designed for speed or tough terrain i have no clue how tires meant more so for bmx use are so popular among electric bike riders I would never get them.
 
I don't trail ride much. But they do fine when I have. They grip like nothing else I've had on pavement. Super low resistance at the same time. They roll so much better than knobbies thats for sure. Hookworms that is. My range increased a good amount when I first switched to them from knobby mtb tires. But if only using for trail they wouldn't suit well.
 
so far on my current and previos ebikes i have used the veulta usa 24x3" on the front and rear. never had any pich flat issues and they look and ride awsom and arnt to heavy. yet iv found since running a dd hub at 3000w they just dont stand up to wear like they have done on less powerd and lighter bikes. so i think on my next bike i will be going with a motorbike tyre. i best get looking ad decide on weather to order 18" or 19" rims.
 
ljbuzz said:
so far on my current and previos ebikes i have used the veulta usa 24x3" on the front and rear. never had any pich flat issues and they look and ride awsom and arnt to heavy. yet iv found since running a dd hub at 3000w they just dont stand up to wear like they have done on less powerd and lighter bikes. so i think on my next bike i will be going with a motorbike tyre. i best get looking ad decide on weather to order 18" or 19" rims.

I would suggest the smaller the rim the better. 17" or smaller
 
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