find a softer tyre comes into its element . So , with this in mind , I was very eager to get the new hoops on my bike .
FIRST IMPRESSIONS To set the scene for this test , think mid-winter with lots of recent rain so the soil conditions on my tracks in the pine blocks at home were well and truly on the wet side ( identical conditions as Riverhead Forest at its best ...). For me , this provided the perfect testing ground for the new tyres . The tall centre tread on the rear provided good drive in a straight line in soft conditions , chucking plenty of roost out the back . One area I struggled with rear wheel traction were flat hard pack corners with no berms or anything to turn off , in these situations the back would step out with little real control . SG-1 shares a lot of similarities in pattern with Dunlop ’ s Geomax MX33 tyre and , having spent time on them as well , I can say Dunlop also struggles in this area as it ’ s an MX tyre designed for berms . The soft carcass and rubbery knobs provide excellent grip on roots , which is good on slippery uphills where any extra grip is very welcome .
RACE TESTED After a few hours on the new tyres I was pretty impressed , so I thought what better test than to put them into a race situation at Round 1 of the Dirt Guide series in Tokoroa , with the tracks being mostly bulldozed soft pumice . I found they worked well , again , where they could dig in but , on the hard pack . it was tricky to get a positive feeling with the tall knobs on the front causing it to wander and feel vague , while the rear lacked a bit of drive . The rear tyre looked rather shredded by the end , but was still giving good traction in most places . However , I could see how much the knobs had been flexing ; it looked as if they been laid right over against the tyre , which I think reduced braking where there was grip and acceleration on hard pack . Whilst the front still looked new , I felt as if the tyre was used , the more the performance was decreased ( as the carcass was getting softer and flexing more ).
EXTREME RUBBER I don ’ t think there is a perfect tyre for everywhere and every condition , but each
KIWI RIDER 31