Tubliss with trials tire

[roostafish]

I have been running the Tubliss system for nearly a year now. I have said it before, and I'll say it again here. Tubliss is the most cost effective, best modification I've ever done on an off road motorcycle.
Many of us know a trials tyre is a good, long lasting tire with great traction in most places. I have found with the Tubliss that any knobby is fantastic because you can run such low tire pressures. In my experience, the Dunlop MX 31 is thet best tire for my conditions, and frankly makes the trials tire unnecessary. However, I am curious and there is a local riding spot that as much as requires a trials tire. So, I bought one and mounted it up on my Tubliss equipped wheel. So, to the point.

The trials tire with 6psi worked very very very well for me this week. I took it out Wednesday in a downpour, and showed that it still doesn't work in gooey conditions, and has absolutely no braking traction in the same . However, today I went to another local riding spot, and found that it worked very well. While the braking traction is nearly nonexistent, it can be overcome with a modification of riding technique, mostly just waiting for something the tire can grab onto. The beauty of the trials tire with the Tubliss is that it works exactly the same as on a real trials bike. Trials riders often ride with as little as 2psi in their rear tire, and they can do unreal things. I was able to do crazy stuff with this tire today. Mostly over some rocks and logs, but suffice it to say that it works far better without a tube. One can actually run a low enough pressure in the trials tire without fear of pinch flat to make it work like it was designed to work.

 

[Eric K]

What trials tire did you run?

I modified a trials tire by cutting out every third row of knobs. My intent was to improve snow traction. I have yet to test it in the snow. With 1 short ride on it I found it provides much better traction in the loose rocks/soil. Otherwise, it functions about the same.

 

[roostafish]

I am running the Dunlop D803.

We ran into some snow yesterday, and the snow is not where that tire shines, for sure. Though I didn't suffer any more than the other blokes in our crowd.

 

[stainlesscycle]

i ran mx31 rear, tubliss, 6lbs today and it was amazing. no traction issues anywhere. grippy as a trials tire.

 

[roostafish]

Agreed. The trials tire with no tube lets you play on rocks and logs like a trials rider would, but for trail riding, the MX 31 with 6 psi is truly better, mostly because it works EVERYWHERE.
I'll continue to run the trials tire because the private riding area I get to practice at nearby is a stickler for riders having them.

 

[GMP]

How technical a trail have you succesfully ran the knobby/Tubliss? How about wet uphill rock faces, off camber slabs, skinned logs, etc. The rains hear have put a hurtin on the trails and upped the level of difficulty on some hills. The trials tire still works great, I'll consider the Tubliss/knobby but do not want to give anything up.

 

[stainlesscycle]

i only ran the mx31/tubliss/6lbs on a fast harescramble course, lotsa rock, lotsa loose rock/root uphills, lotsa offcamber stuff. fast, but not particularly technical.. i was on the rear wheel up all hills. no spinning at all.. it felt like a trials tire on uphills for sure. this is on a 200 where there's not as much grunt.. i had to change technique a bit, as i'm used to the knobby spinning more.. i've run trials tires in the past, but cornering and wet stuff was just too unpredictable.


the knobby should be better in the wet at speed... i don't think anything is gonna replace a trials tire for dry log crossings or rocks.. but the knobby gives you so much more.. predictable turning, hooks up on the sidewall, doesn't swap in mud, slides predictably, etc...

 

[roostafish]

Amazingly, the Dunlop MX 31 with 6psi Tubliss grips and crawls logs and rocks. It's not quite the same as the trials tire, but it is better than the trials tire on everything that looks like dirt.

 

[stainlesscycle]

Amazingly, the Dunlop MX 31 with 6psi Tubliss grips and crawls logs and rocks. It's not quite the same as the trials tire, but it is better than the trials tire on everything that looks like dirt.

yep - i was totally unhappy with the mx51 (wore out really fast), i was ready to switch back to s12's (i switched because once s12's wear a bit, they loose so much traction.....)

i figured i'd try the mx31. at 10-12 lbs it was ok, similar to s12. at 6lbs, it grips like a trials tire. i'm sticking with mx31, traction was never an issue, it didn't wallow/sidewall flex at high speed. i'm sold on it.

have you had a chance to run the mx31 in really wet conditions?

now if i can just figure out a front. i'm running pirelli scorpion xc front, it's a nice tire but grabs the sides a bit too much in ruts, and climbs out/tracks up the side maybe more than i would like.

 

[roostafish]

I have used it in very wet conditions! Man, that's all we have had for the last few months. This is the best tire I've ever used, period.
I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ONLY TRIED THE REAR!!!!!!!

Dude, the MX 31 front is even more impressive than the rear. Run it at 6 psi, you'll never use another tire. The conditions here are just flat gnarly. We have sloppy mud, we have hawaiian ice (wet red clay with monkey snot on top), imbedded rocks, of course, slick logs. I also have tried it in the desert with equal results, though our desert has lava rock amongst the sand and is hard on soft terrain tires because the knobs are so far apart that they tend to tear. The MX 31 held up much better than S12's have.

 

[stainlesscycle]

i have been waiting for this dang pirelli to wear out. it appears to be indestructible...


6psi front really? no goofy sidewall issues or rolling over or anything?

 

[roostafish]

Your tire is worn out. It just doesn't seem like it. If that thing has 500 or more miles on it, I don't care what it is, it needs to be replaced.

6 psi works fantastic. I do bump it up to 8psi when we go to the dez, but I ran 6 psi last weekend in a high speed area, with great traction with no funny business. The tire squirms at less than 6psi, but 6 seems to be the magic number. At least on my guage. (I have a 0-30psi guage)

 

[stainlesscycle]

yeah it's got 12 hours on it or so. it's time to switch. i have a few friends that run my takeoffs..

any issues with rock garden stuff? i know the tubliss protects the rim more, but i pretty much attack the rocks, and switched to tubliss in front only at first just to stop flats from rock hits..

 

[roostafish]

I have had very few incidents where I felt a hard hit that seemed to smack the rim. I'm a "floater" and as such am pretty easy on bikes in general, but I know this: I have more confidence than ever in rock gardens, even with 6 psi.

 

[roostafish]

Today my family was all out celebrating earth day. With our throttle! My wife's idea. Gotta love it.
Anyway, more confirmation on the trials tire. There's one creek crossing with a particularly steep hill right out of it that climbs for quite a ways. Near the creek there are lots of rocks and tree roots, which the wet trials tire just grips and grabs. After grinding through that though, the hill is just perfect garden loam with seemingly no bottom. When the mud is soft, and there's no bottom, or anything substantial to grab on to. The trials tire, even with 6psi just isn't the ticket when compared to an MX 31. It's great in it's element, but I think the Tubliss system has pretty much rendered the trials tyre a thing of the past for me.

 

[Skidad]

Ok, you guys have really perked my interest for an MX31. My usual rear is a trusty Pirelli MT16 (with TuBliss currently) but the door is always open to try something else.

So how do you think it would work in New England? Rocks, rocks, and more rocks, plenty of roots and mud, plenty of scetchy technical stuff, fast rocky old washed out dirt roads and rocky power lines. Not much sand really.

So what do you think and what is the longevity of this beast?

 

[stainlesscycle]

i've got 12 hours on mine (race/flip/race/practice.) so 4.5 hours race time, 8 hours practice. i'm probably gonna replace it for next weeks race... but it still looks good..

 

[noobi]

Iv ordered a MX31 for what could be considered my home enduro.
Its a mostly clay, and im hoping it rains.
Im just slightly worried that the MX31 will chew out on the clay? Although from reading this it seems that it will be fine.
I wont be running it at 6psi with the tubliss because I havent got one yet

 

[roostafish]

Iv ordered a MX31 for what could be considered my home enduro.
Its a mostly clay, and im hoping it rains.
Im just slightly worried that the MX31 will chew out on the clay? Although from reading this it seems that it will be fine.
I wont be running it at 6psi with the tubliss because I havent got one yet

You'll be fine. The tire shines in the clay. At one time I used to put automotive type studs in IRC M5B rear tires for the winter around here. Not because of ice, but because of the red clay. The MX 31 works better, really.

 

[stainlesscycle]

no clay at alll here, but it does great in rocks, roots, loam, dry loose dirt, and dirt/gravel typa road....it works nice in wet grass too...

i've not had a chance to run it in mud - but i have feeling this weekend will be muddy and i'll have new mx31 front and rear..