The next test venue was a farmland trail ride
with grass, hard dirt and a shower of rain the
night before. Experience would tell me to let
air out of the rear for traction but that’s where
the yellow C18 isn’t at its best. Farmland XC is
hard and fast and with lower pressures in the
rear to gain traction the tyre has a rolling flat
feel to it. I kept stopping and checking the rear
tyre as it felt flat. After the first lap I pumped
it back up to 13 psi and it stopped the flat feel
but traction was hard to obtain. The C19 front
again felt great and I had no problems with it –
a positive feel and excellent under heavy front
braking.
The last test venue was a dry, hard clay MX
track where I was not sure how the rear would
perform, but I was pleasantly surprised with
15 psi – which is about the most I ever run,
grip was positive cornering and in a straight
line. Not bad for a tyre that’s done about 30
hours on a 300 two-stroke! The front wasn’t
perfect on the hard clay base but certainly did
a good job of keeping things in order. There
was a bit of front wheel drift now and then,
but it was predictable.
Overall, the Mitas C18 rear (120-90/18) and
the C19 front (90-90/21) in yellow stripe form
make a great package for most NZ conditions,
they last very well and hook up where it’s
needed. Certainly playing around with air
pressures is a must to get the best out of
them in different situations. The combo still
has plenty of trail miles left in them and,
interestingly, the front looks sharp and the
rear – while losing some knob height – still has
a reasonable edge to it. It’s well worth using
this setupfor grip and longevity.
DENE HUMPHREY (former NZ Enduro
Champion... and long time has-been)
Model: Mitas C18 & C19
Info: https://www.dold.co.nz/products/Mitas_Tyres/Cross_Country--Enduro_Tyres/Cross_Country--Enduro_Tyres.aspx
Price: C18 $150, C19 $120