KIWI RIDER 07 2018 VOL.2 | Page 28

TYRE SWAP WORDS: Jock McLauchlan / Ben Wilkins PHOTOS: Geoff Osborne Our quick guide to changing your own dirt bike tyres... s our long term 300EXC was in need of new boots, we thought we’d use the opportunity to take you through the basic process of changing your own tyres. It’s a skill that everyone who rides a dirt bike should know – especially on a trail ride. The 300EXC TPI came with Metzeler MC4 tyres fitted as standard and they weren’t bad at all. They’ve done a couple of photo shoots, a trail ride, the Tussock Buster and 28 KIWI RIDER an extreme enduro, and their best days are behind them. That said, the MC4 isn’t a directional tyre, so swapping the rear around would give it a few more months of life. We’re swapping the Metzelers out for a set of Mitas rubber – a C-18 and C-19, which we’ll review in a coming issue once we’ve had some time on them. This is for a rear tyre change but the principle is the same for a front too. >