Are Maxxis tires any good?

[mountain]

I'm not a dirt snob, so NOT having Dunlops or Michelins does not really bother me....
I saw a pic of the Maxxis Maxx Cross Intermediate Terrain rear tire on rockymountainmc.com, and it looks pretty good. Big lugs, and lots of em.
I ride 60% rocks, and 40% hardpack.
I've never heard anything bout Maxxis, so I wanted some input from you guys...
Is this tire any good? Do they fall apart/ chunk up? How do they wear? I am looking for a tire that will hold up pretty good on all of the rocks that I am constantly roosting/ braking on.
Can some one please share your experiences with this tire?
ESPECIALLY if you ride on hard terrain, as this is what I am mostly on. No soft dirt here in San Antonio...
Thanks.

 

[angry jim]

Get the Maxx Cross IT rear. It will last.
I use a Sur Cross front all year, but I will try the new IT front soon. I ride on lots of hardpack by the way.

 

[Hogwylde]

Nikki likes them. In fact they sponsor her. I've seen a thread about Maxxis tires somewhere else in here too.

 

[Okiewan]

I'm not a dirt snob, so NOT having Dunlops or Michelins does not really bother me....

Is that to say anyone with Dunlops or Michelins IS a snob?:silly:

 

[mountain]

No, that was to say that I really don't care bout name brands, unless it really makes a diff in performance/ tread life.
Sorry if anyone takes it that way though.
I ride Dunlops right now. The XR4 that I bought used came w/ a pretty good condition K695. This is for Hard/ Intermediate, but it seemed to wear pretty fast.
Has any one ever ridden BOTH of these? If so, would you please tell me which one was better, and why you thought so?
It's actually between the Maxxis, the D739, or another K695 for my next tire. I pretty much want to try something other than the 695 again though.
Any input on these tires (especially the Maxxis, which I kinda want to try) is really appreciated, as I need one soon....

 

[nikki]

The new Maxx Cross I/T is awesome! The just came out with it in 2001. And for the price, you definately can't beat it ($40-$50 on www.rockymountainmc.com ) The tread pattern is really aggressive and the tire is very durable. The I/T has a much stiffer sidewall compared to the other two Maxxis MX tires (Sur Cross-soft and Maxx Cross HT-hard) which means that the tire won't wash out on you and will last a little longer. The reason that it has such a stiffer sidewall is that Maxxis polled a large group and asked them what they wanted in a tire and that was the response. BUT the downfall to the super stiff sidewall is that it's not the easiest tire to manually mount on a rim. The fronts are easy - but the rears take a lot of time and patience.

Just a few mounting tips - if you get an I/T - use BIG tire irons (like 18in. ones if you have them), use a solvent on the tire (WD-40), and go in very small bites at a time (like inch-by-inch). You might want to get a friend to help too. And to get the bead lock stem to pop out - pump up the PSI and then let it back out.

I plan on running I/T's for the whole season. It's a great all around tire (most of the tracks here in IL are pretty hard packed, too). Red (rides a 426F) is running the Maxx Cross HT (hard) right now. It's great on hard packed and is also very agressive and durable (and a little easier to mount) ;) Neither one of us have had problems with chunking or excessive wear (but we mostly ride motocross tracks, too). The tires are top of the line quality, in our opinions. That's why we chose to go with Maxxis.

Another cool thing about the Maxxis tires is that the newer I/T's (and soon to be all of their tires) come with an orange "Maxxis" on the tire. Maxxis is the only tire company to offer hot patch (I think that's what it's called) in production. So you get that factory look :confused: I'll post some pictures up next week. Looks pretty cool! If you need more info check out www.maxxis.com Their new web site goes live this afternoon (I haven't seen it yet).

 

[nikki]

If the Dunlop 739 is what comes stock on Yamaha's (which I think it is) I would NOT recommend that tire. They wear way too fast in my opinion. And especially for the price of Dunlops. I have ran a few Dunlops in the past and have NOT been satisfied with the tire life and have experienced problems with the tire washing out. The sidewalls are not strong and the knobs round off after a few rides. Yeah a few pros run them, but they put on a new tire every moto too. But I have heard good things about the 756 (but it's a soft-to-intermediate tire).

 

[mountain]

Thanks Nikki.
I ride mostly in the woods. Hardly any MX on my XR4...
I have (2) 8" motion pro tire irons and C02 when I'm out there. That's it when I'm on the trail. Should I be concerned about changing a flat I/T Cross out in the woods w/ only this setup (by myself sometimes w/ out 18 inch irons)? I know you are sponsored by Maxxis, but are the 739's maybe a little easier to change on the trail? I really DO appreciate your info though...

 

[nikki]

Mountain,

Honestly, in your situation maybe the I/T wouldn't be the best tire. But maybe consider the Maxx Cross H/T among your choices. My fiancé runs this tire on his YZ 426F and really likes it. The sidewall is still strong to avoid washing out and puncturing the tire, but it's not near as stiff as the I/T. As you can see - it has lots of nice, tall, and agressive knobs. The H/T also lasts a long time on harder terrain. I think you run a 110/100-18? If so - Rocky Mountain has the H/T for $43.

 

[mountain]

Beautiful....
Nothing better than a nice, new, knobby.
I told you I'm obsessed!!!
Thanks Nikki. I think I'm gonna give the H/T a try.

 

[Mudrider]

I just tried the Maxx cross IT rear and the sur cross front for the first time in a Hare Scramble and they worked very well in the hard pack sections. In the muddy sections , the traction wasn't so good.

I'm going to stick with the Michelin S-12's in the soft to intermediate terrain
and use the Maxx cross it for the harder terrain.

The Maxxis are a very good value.

 

[angry jim]

Mountain, I've had the Maxxis IT rear on since just before Christmas. I have put 300 miles on that tire and it still looks pretty good. It is the only intermediate tire I've ever really liked. I've used it in sand,snow,mud and hardpack so far. I like it MUCH better than the HT in ALL conditions. I like the SurCross better for deep sand and mud. I've tried tons of tires, and the only others I will still use are some Michelins (S-12 rear/M-12 front).

 

[dirt bike dave]

Mountain,
FWIW, riding on the flat tire will usually cause the tire to heat up, making it much softer and easier to work with on the trail. Plus with the stiff sidewall, maybe it won't get flat so often. Sounds like the Maxxis is worth a try, and I'm a Michelin & Dunlop snob. :)

 

[BEEF706]

Mountain,
My brother-in-law runs the Maxxis in Co, and whan he is here to visit in N.M.
Pretty much all hard pack around here plus dusty kalichi (kinda like cement with talcum powder on top) he really likes them and gets good wear from them on a YZ 426 which is notoriously hard on tires, My favorite combo is the Michelin,M-12 up front with an S-12 in back. works good in everything I have tried from kalichi to sanwashes.:cool:

 

[mountain]

OK, all of you that said you liked the Maxxis also said you liked the Michelins still too....
I really hear a lot about Michelin, but rockymountainmc.com does not carry Michelin's in my size (110/100 X 18).
Can any of you tell me where I could get a good price on Michelin's in this size? Mail order/ website is what I am looking for....
Thanks again.

 

[dirt bike dave]

Michelin sizes their rear tires differently than other makers. A Michelin 130 width is equivalent to most makers 110's.

 

[mountain]

Thanks DBD,
The closest thing I see to my Dunlop size 110/100 X 18 is Michelin's 130/80 X 18.
How will these compare, size-wise?
Wider? Shorter rubber? Will the Michelin's in this size fit/ look the same?
Thanks again.

 

[Smitty]

They look the same and are the same size. I think it's a matter of how they measure them. Great tire.

 

[sparkycr250]

I've ran the D 739 on all my bikes. I use them in the desert where there are alot of rocks, they really hold up well. The D739 wear like iron and never seem to chunk out like other tires have over sharp rocks. Plus they provide great side wall support and are really puncture resiliant.

 

[NO HAND]

Nikki, I would like to know how another tire fares against the Maxxis Maxxcross IT. How about the older M6001? I can get them for a very good price at my dealer. Are they any good? (M6001 Link) Thanks!

 

[mountain]

To anyone that has replied to this post....
I bought the MaxxCrossIT, rear tire about 1 month ago, and I am in LOVE with it!!! It holds up so darn good on the rocks and hard dirt roads that I ride on in Texas. It has tons of tall tread too, so it hooks up big time. Real good traction. The best part is that I ordered it from RockyMountainmc for $42!!!! Try getting a Dunlop for that price.....
I hightly recommend this tire.
Regards,
Josh

 

[nikki]

NO HAND - I don't have any experience with the M6001 tire - so I can't be of much help there... but in general Maxxis tires are very durable, long lasting, and affordable, too - so why not give one a try!

mountain - Great review! Glad you like the IT. They have been showing up everywhere around here. Awesome all around tire! Yes - the life of Maxxis tires is great! I've had my IT through about 10-12 MX hours and Red's HT (on a 426) has been through 12-15 hours and they both still look new!! And they hook up great, too.

 

[kevinkdx]

has anyone tried the surcross by maxxis? i was wondering cuz i live her in lots of sand and i am curently runing a Dulop 752 ST and was wondering if the maxxis is better than that for my sand soil?

 

[dave186]

I have had a Surcross rear for about a month now. I ride in mostly soft terrain but a little hard pack and its wearing pretty good and always has plenty of traction. I got a 120 and its a bit big and rubs my fender when I bottom.

 

[kevinkdx]

does it seem to handle pretty well in sand? how abou tin things like grass or dirt? the only reason i was wondering is because i can get this tire much cheaper than a dulop, and was wondering if it was a good soft terrain tire. thanks for the help