140/80 rear tire size - benefits?

CombatYoga

CombatYoga

Gold Level Site Supporter
What are the advantages/disadvantages of running the stock 140/80 (somewhat odd) tire size on the '14 XC300R?

140 means there is a sizable patch of meat on the ground, and 80% of 140 means 112mm of sidewall height. That's in the same league as a 120/90 or more common tire.

I replaced my rear with the same 140/80, but was wondering about it as I don't see this tire size that often.
Should I go to a more common 120 or 110?

I ride mostly technical trails - a good bit of rock here in central texas - and race
hare scrambles (C class).
 
This is a great question. I'd really like to know what people have to say about it too.

From what I know of riding a KX450 for years, the narrower tires handle quicker than the wider tires. A lot of guys would go from the stock 120 to a 110. But beyond that, I have no idea. Mostly contact patch I would guess?? Wouldn't more be better on the trails?
 
I always run a 120 or 130. I dont see a benefit of a 140, they will rob you of power. Unless you are running a big bore bike in the desert, I dont see a benefit of the larger patch.
 
The wider tire is much more difficult for some riders/styles to get the bike to turn. The following story is the result of a taking advantage of a "great sponsor deal" gone bad. I think we had switched him from a 110 to a 130 and it just didn't work for him ....

Years ago I found myself able to keep up with a friends brother [A/B rider, 10yrs younger] for the first time. I thought I had unknowingly found a new "groove" or something was wrong with him. When we completed the loop and returned to the trucks, he was just bitching and generally ticked off.

He brought out the "spare" rear wheel for his YZ400f and began to furiously change them out solving the mystery and my dream of having gotten faster. Either he pinched the tube when he put it on a few days earlier or the rock section did it in. I had noticed that his typical precise surgical riding style was just not with him as he repeatedly blew through turns and forged his own path in the tight stuff.

As he is buttoning up the wheel swap, his brother says "WTH dude, this tire is not flat and it's brand new. Why are you putting on that worn out one?" He started bitching about nearly hitting every tree in the woods because he couldn't get the bike to turn. He said that it was just "hooking up" too good and just wasn't working for him.

We all geared back up and headed back out to spend the rest of the day eating his dust.
 
CombatYoga said:
What are the advantages/disadvantages of running the stock 140/80 (somewhat odd) tire size on the '14 XC300R?

140 means there is a sizable patch of meat on the ground, and 80% of 140 means 112mm of sidewall height. That's in the same league as a 120/90 or more common tire.

I replaced my rear with the same 140/80, but was wondering about it as I don't see this tire size that often.
Should I go to a more common 120 or 110?

I ride mostly technical trails - a good bit of rock here in central texas - and race
hare scrambles (C class).
Click to expand...

I have used the 140 before on my 200....ONLY becuase it was given to me. I assume were talking about a Michelin?? I think that size their tires a little different than the others. It looked like a big ass tire, but it was really close to a 120 I think.

I have been using the Pirelli's the last few years now and really don't see any reason to go back to the over priced Dunlop MX series tires.

I've had outstanding luck with the Pirelli Scorpion XC Mid Hard rear, Scropion XC Mid Soft and the MX Soft (410). I use a Scorpion MX Extra X front for everything.... The price point is great, easy to change / swap out depending on where I'm riding / racing.

Give them a try, most of the major outlets have really good pricing as well. I have a local shop that carrys the Pirelli line at a great price.
 
I think FIM spec tires are measured differently to normal MX or other tires.

Its from the edge of the outer most knob instead of the base of the knob.
So they are effectively 20mm wider in the first number.

A 140/80 Michelin S12 is, as mentioned above, the same as a 120/90.
I know Michelin S12 and M12 tires, as well as some Metzelers are done this way.

My go to has been the 130 Michelins, or 110 Bridgestones. Saying a wider tire doesn't turn as easily is true, I hated the 140 S12 I tried.
 
120 lower profile tyres still turn, the Dunlop 120/90s are a really round shaped tyre with a small stiff sidewall, they are the supreme power slide tyre and grip at crazy lean angles. The negative is that unless you run crazy low pressures they don't deform as much as 110/100s around roots etc so can be a bit harder in real sloppy red clay situations. The mx31 has a very hard inflexible base on the knobs so it digs great and to an extent gets around this problem. The mx51 knobs are softer and more flexible and work awesome everywhere except red clay and roots. My two bobs.....
 
CombatYoga said:
What are the advantages/disadvantages of running the stock 140/80 (somewhat odd) tire size on the '14 XC300R?

140 means there is a sizable patch of meat on the ground, and 80% of 140 means 112mm of sidewall height. That's in the same league as a 120/90 or more common tire.

I replaced my rear with the same 140/80, but was wondering about it as I don't see this tire size that often.
Should I go to a more common 120 or 110?

I ride mostly technical trails - a good bit of rock here in central texas - and race
hare scrambles (C class).
Click to expand...


I just got this email

http://www.thumpertalk.com/wiki/_/g...t+the+Right+MX,+Off-road,+or+Dual-sport+Tires.
 
From what I can gather the 140/80 tires are measured in a different way (as others have said) and are FIM competition specification tires. I think the FIM spec is designed to produce a tire that has less flat contact area and therefore does not make ruts as easily as a normal spec tire.

That's how I understand it - I'm not going into the science of whether or not this is true, cause I've no idea about that.

What I do know from first hand experience, is that 140/80 tires look like a balloon when compared to an ordinary 110/100 tire. Looks like more 'roundy' sidewall and less contact area.

Definitely not a fan of how they work - I refer to the Michelin balloon that came stock on my Gasser. The tire just seemed to spin and wouldn't dig in and hook-up like a 'normal' spec size tire.

If you don't have to run FIM spec tires, I'd stay away from the 140/80 stuff.

But what do I know? I'm sure there is an expert with a better answer.

Jason
 
The question is what kind of tires you are talking about.
FIM tires, I would always use a 140/80-18 because the knobs are only 13mm high and the 120/80 is very small with less contact surface to the ground.
Motocross tires, I've used one them the Michelin S12 in 140/80 and this tire is a fat pig. I would never use it again. You always have to keep in mind the differences of tires. Also there is a different way to measure, FIM tires are measured all over on the outside of the knobs. Motocross tires are sometimes measured on the outer wall and not the knobs.
 
I know that the fim spec enduro tires have shorted knobs than the mx tires. I have only tried the 140/80 that came on my bike so cannot really make a comment on this, but have read that the general consensus is that the 140/80 suits a rider that spins the bike less. So if you ride like a trials rider (jarvis, birch) you will do better on the fim and if you are a more aggressive rider you will prefer the mx type
 
Not sure what terrain everyone is riding but where I am ( sandy SA), I have to say the Maxxis intermediate desert tyres are the longest wearing and best feeling tyre I have used so far.
I did a 4 hr enduro, Finke pre run(entire track one way), Finke race, Hattah race
,
two mx/ enduro weekends and various other riding and the tyre is still in great shape.
In fact I have just swapped it to the Cr 500 as it was the only 120 tyre I had.
Cheers MArk
 
The Metzeler Six Days tire came stock on my 2014 GG XC300R, in 140/80-18.
I just replaced it with a Maxxis Maxxcross EN in the same size.
 
iamovru said:
I am trying this next!

http://slavensracing.com/shop/mx907...-16-14&utm_campaign=No+Spill&utm_medium=email
Click to expand...
Stay far away from that tire. My buddy is riding on his last one now, he bought three and was attracted to them because of the price and those pretty little knobs. 1: they are a pain to mount, trust me, my buddy has asked me to mount and dismount two so far. 2: they wear ultra fast. One ride on them in hard pack and rocks you will see first hand.

The fronts by Sedona are great, but to make them work a tubliss @5psi is right around ideal for what I ride in.
 
Im going to run my half worn metz 6day extreme this weekend. . I think there's a rotation on these ..SO instead of cutting the knobs I was wondering would it be ok to turn the tyre instead? ??
 
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