Pirelli XCMH Dual Sport Tire
The Pirelli XCMH is my go to tire which gets its design from the older MT-18. With its R-rating it is designed for speeds up to 106 mph (Glad I didn't have to test this) on medium to hard terrain. Now that we have the specks out of the way let's get down to why I like this tire.
First of all, the main attraction to the Pirelli XCMH Dual Sport Tire is the DOT rating on the front tire which allows you to take it on the road legally.Second of all, this tire is one that you can use all season long (I don't but we will get to that later). By design it's made for medium to hard terrain, but performs well in soft muddy conditions also. The knobby patter throws mud as good as an S-12 in my opinion as long as you stay on the gas.
Finally, at a price around $70.99 and free shipping on Amazon (HERE
) the Pirelli XCMH is one of the cheaper DOT tires.Dunlop D-606
First of all, the Dunlop D-606 makes this list because it's not only DOT rated on both front and rear it also withstands lots of miles. With a rating of 10% road and 90% trail one might think they wear fast on pavement but as long as you take it easy on your route to find dirt these tires can go over 1500 miles.Second of all, keep in mind this tire is big in the KLR/DRZ
community due to is long wear life. If you enjoy exploring gravel road, fire roads, along with a little dirt then pick up a set of the D606's they won't disappoint.
Finally, lets say you get 1000 miles out of this tire that only 10 cents per mile at a price of $98.54 with free shipping found (HERE)
. You can't buy fun for that cheap.Pirelli Scorpion XCMS
First of all, the Pirelli XCMS is the softer brother of the XCMH. If you ride in sloppy wet conditions these are the tires I would use in early spring or late fall. The reason I mention changing your own tires is because when conditions dry out pick up a set of XCMH because the XCMS
will wear fast on hard terrain.Second of all, this tire is about as close to a sticky soft trials tire as you can get in a true knobby configuration. When you ride in wet, rooty, rocky terrain these tires grab like an Michelin S12
except it has a DOT rating.Finally, if you're looking for that perfect spring tire that helps keep you upright then this is your tire. My secret is grab a set of XCMS and only use them when the dirt is soft. When it starts to firm up put on a set of XCMH. Doing this will extend the life of your tires and you will get many more miles out of them. At a price of $76.88 and free shipping found (HERE
) this tire is cheaper than a 606.
