I'm curious about trying a trials tire on my KDX and wanted to know if any of you experienced guys have any input. I'm focusing on riding smarter and not faster these days so I'm not carrying a whole lot of speed and just want a bike that is easier to make laps on. There are lots of good write ups about trials tires on trails but I haven't read anything about what front tire to match with it. Have you had success with them and do I need to get a matched set or will the usual mixed surface MX front work well?

Thanks,
Victor

Victor.... may not be the best idea.
years ago, I did run a trials tire on the back for some of the tracks...but we never tried to run a trials tire up front. Maybe supper hard pack, but even flat tracking we ran knobbys up front on our MX bikes..

I guess I'm going to find out. Having one put on right now. There were too many videos and write ups about people who tried them for trail riding and never looked back. Thanks though.

I ran a MotoZ mountain hybrid on my 500exc for a while. On the rear only. Worked great on rocks and hard pack with low tire pressure but not very good any where else. Rode tons better on the road too. Terrible in mud and in sand and in really lose rock where you need spaced out deep knobs to dig in. They don't stop very well either. Went back to a pure knobby. Now only riding on the road sucks but everywhere else is great. Probably best for riding in Utah or Colorado. On the other hand I have a friend that loves the trials tire on the back of his 500exc. Different tires for different folks I guess.

Steve

Thanks for the input. I just can't find many complaints, in comparison to the advantages, and thought it would be good to at least try one. I especially like the reports that it is very stable under climbing conditions and when crossing from one rut to another. It doesn't kick sidways as much allowing you to focus more on line choice. Mud and sand seems to be the area where there is the least amount of agreement. Some say it's terrible, and others say it's better, depending on your choice of tire pressure and how you ride.

I gotta say I like it after riding at McMahan's today, the Dunlop D803 that is. It was stuck to the ground going up those little climbs in the creek bed section at the beginning of the loop, and it was good in the sand. Didn't notice any rolling of the sidewall in the higher speed sections but I don't ride at race pace either. Now I just need to try it when it's dry outside and see how it does in those conditions. If it stands up to the knobby as well as it did today, I'm sold.

If you tour the woods instead of race through them, and would like more traction with a super plush ride, I'd recommend trying one. You'll need an 18" rim for most trials tires but I ran across some article about one for a 19" rim somewhere. For the record, it was running at 5psi.