Sticky rubber is the ultimate advantage for full on hard enduro trail riders and woods riders. Many people are scared off by sticky rubber tires because they think they will wear quicker and “chunk”. Well the Mototerre testers have actually found the opposite. The sticky rubber has a higher moisture content and seems to chunk less and the wear of center knobs is very close to that of a traditional rubber tire. We’ve had the chance to ride many different sticky tires in the past few months and here is our take on each one!
#1 Pick!
Shinko 525 Cheater 120/100/18 – So far this tire has stood out as the king for enduro riding among the Mototerre testers. The soft rubber combined with a classic style, big block knobby awards big traction in many different conditions and soul types. Exceptional wear with very little chunking and longer than expected tread life were some of the highlights of this tire…and EVERY tester agreed this is one tire you can’t go wrong with in nearly any situation.
Shinko 525
Kenda Ibex 120/80/18 – Awesome tire. Paddle like traction in sand and washes. Wide profile provides a wide footprint when aired down during Tubliss applications. That said, the soft side-wall may roll and feel washy at lower pressures.
Kenda Ibex
Kenda Equilibrium – Trials type Hybrid tire but with actual side wall lugs that give superior braking performance than a trials tire. Great grip in slickrock and mossy rock type situations. Typical trials type poor braking in hard pack and rock conditions.
Kenda Equilibrium
Shinko 525 Cheater 110/90/18 – Similiar traction as the 120 but built for smaller bore bikes. That said, the knobs are much smaller and tend to chunk and wear MUCH faster than its big brother. Still a great choice for technical riding situations.
Shinko 505 Cheater Tire
Shinko 505 Cheater 120/100/18 – Great traction in nearly all conditions EXCEPT mud…knobs too close and just wont clean mud out.
Goldentyre 216x Gummy – Good Traction. Amazing side knob grip. Excels in slippery roots and rocky conditions. Chunks and wears quickly.
Goldentyre 369x Gummy – The choice of Endurocross rider Teddy Blazusiak and many other Goldentyre riders. Good traction in loose conditions. Wears the quickest of any tire we have ever tested.
Motoz Enduro Cross Extreme – Coming soon
Shinko 505 Cheater 110/90/18 – A great option for smaller bore enduro bikes. Great traction in slick rock type terrain. Not the best in loose, sand or mud. Wears much quicker than its 120/100 big brother.
