Yes it's time for another review of ebike crap!!
70/100x19 Bridgestone M403
This tire is a bad bitch! Rick you were correct.. I like this tire a lot better. For mostly off road riding this tire is the one.
First impressions:
The tire went on to the rim quite easily and compared to the VRM021 the carcass is more compliant. I set it up with my usual 15 psi, Running a moto tube and mr tuffy strips. riding out of the driveway I instantly felt the difference between the 2 tires. the M403 has a bit softer feel on pavement. It as a squishy character on pavement especially on higher speed turns. While I never thought that the tire was going to buckle or break loose it just doesn't feel as connected at the VRM did on tarmac which makes sense seeing as how this is an off road tire. If I added a bit more tire pressure I am sure that the feeling of riding on a jello pudding pop would be greatly reduced.
Off road the grip levels are night and day. This tire likes to be ridden aggressively. Mid corner body position adjustments are telepathic. The VRM would defiantly slide or grip depending on body position but the M403 is the VRM on crack. It's very specific to input and will react to more granular body, throttle and braking adjustments esp mid turn. In a high speed flat turn I can break the rear loose on throttle consistently. I can carry more speed in turns with this tire as well. I would consider the M403 a more advanced tire off road with much higher capabilities but it must be ridden hard to get all of the benefits. Of course the higher the speed the smaller the level of forgiveness but If you are on top of it this tire will give back in spades..
As far as climbing goes, while on the bike the tires have about the same level of grip which is because the motor does not have enough power to break them loose while climbing a hill. On the other hand when pushing the bike up hill, the 403's make the bomber into a little chugging tractor. Just lug it with a touch of throttle and it will climb anything.
On loose sandy down hills the grip levels esp when braking are fantastic. Braking modulation is a bit more specific but the braking limits are defiantly higher.
I have not had a chance to run the tire through muddy sections but I'm betting that the knobbies will clean themselves out better and have more overall grip in the mucky muck.
The years that I had the VRM on I never had a flat and I was running at 15psi (I weight 165lbs) I feel confident that this tire will be much the same.
I'm not sure about longevity, but even if its less than the VRM the trade off is worth it.
To wrap it up,
If you ride offroad this is the tire for you. If your riding 50% off road maybe not. Overall I dig it and am willing to give up some on pavement performance and feel for what it delivers off road...
70/100x19 Bridgestone M403
This tire is a bad bitch! Rick you were correct.. I like this tire a lot better. For mostly off road riding this tire is the one.
First impressions:
The tire went on to the rim quite easily and compared to the VRM021 the carcass is more compliant. I set it up with my usual 15 psi, Running a moto tube and mr tuffy strips. riding out of the driveway I instantly felt the difference between the 2 tires. the M403 has a bit softer feel on pavement. It as a squishy character on pavement especially on higher speed turns. While I never thought that the tire was going to buckle or break loose it just doesn't feel as connected at the VRM did on tarmac which makes sense seeing as how this is an off road tire. If I added a bit more tire pressure I am sure that the feeling of riding on a jello pudding pop would be greatly reduced.
Off road the grip levels are night and day. This tire likes to be ridden aggressively. Mid corner body position adjustments are telepathic. The VRM would defiantly slide or grip depending on body position but the M403 is the VRM on crack. It's very specific to input and will react to more granular body, throttle and braking adjustments esp mid turn. In a high speed flat turn I can break the rear loose on throttle consistently. I can carry more speed in turns with this tire as well. I would consider the M403 a more advanced tire off road with much higher capabilities but it must be ridden hard to get all of the benefits. Of course the higher the speed the smaller the level of forgiveness but If you are on top of it this tire will give back in spades..
As far as climbing goes, while on the bike the tires have about the same level of grip which is because the motor does not have enough power to break them loose while climbing a hill. On the other hand when pushing the bike up hill, the 403's make the bomber into a little chugging tractor. Just lug it with a touch of throttle and it will climb anything.
On loose sandy down hills the grip levels esp when braking are fantastic. Braking modulation is a bit more specific but the braking limits are defiantly higher.
I have not had a chance to run the tire through muddy sections but I'm betting that the knobbies will clean themselves out better and have more overall grip in the mucky muck.
The years that I had the VRM on I never had a flat and I was running at 15psi (I weight 165lbs) I feel confident that this tire will be much the same.
I'm not sure about longevity, but even if its less than the VRM the trade off is worth it.
To wrap it up,
If you ride offroad this is the tire for you. If your riding 50% off road maybe not. Overall I dig it and am willing to give up some on pavement performance and feel for what it delivers off road...