Winter Off-Road Traction - Tyres for Mud & Rain
As we enter the winters months with clouded skies and relentless rain your summer tyres aren’t going to make the cut in the mud. Fortunately, available at Bits4Bikes are the Bridgestone BattleCross X10 and Shinko 540 series tyres, two excellent tyre options for winter riding both boasting their own benefits granted from their unique construction.
Often referred to as mud/sand tyres due to the similarity of the soft terrain, mud tyres significantly differentiate in design when compared to intermediate and hard terrain tyres. Mud tyres will have more spread-out knobs that allow for sand and mud to evacuate from the tread faster preventing the tyre from clogging up and providing the grip of a road slick. They will also typically have knobs on the very edge of the tyre allowing them to grip in soft ground through turns and have a harder compound keeping the tyre rigid as it scoops away mud or sand. The rear tyres have a U-shaped paddle-like design that propels the bike through soft terrain where the front will have a spiky appearance that enables the tyre to dig in when cornering, improving stability.
Bridgestone’s BattleCross X10 tyres are high-performance mud/sand tyres designed specifically for off-road competition use. Like all other soft terrain tyres, the X10 has widely spaced knobs for mud clearing with a U-shaped paddle-like rear tyre and spiked front. However, Bridgestone has taken their design one step further by creating an optimised profile that enhances stability when braking and cornering enabling you to maintain a high-speed and control throughout turns. Because of Bridgestone’s competition off-road focus, the BattleCross X10 is only available in a 110/90-19 (for 2.15” rims) or a 100/90-19 (for 1.85” rims) for the rear with an 80/100-21 matching front.
On the other side of the fence is Shinko’s 540 series mud/sand tyres. Similar in construction to the X10 the Shinko 540 series have extra wide knob spacing, a firmer rubber compound to maintain rigidity and additional knobs towards the edge of the tyre for cornering traction. However, the Shinko 540 has a taller knob design than that of the X10 which in-turn sacrifices stability for additional traction. The Shinko 540 series also has a wider focus and therefore is available in 8 different rear sizes and 3 front sizes for 21/19” motocross bikes, 21/18” enduro/cross-country bikes along with 19/16” and 17/14” tyres for junior motorcycles.
If you’re an intermediate to advanced motocross racer the Bridgestone BattleCross X10 mud/sand tyres are purpose-built for you to maintain excellent stability and speed throughout the track. Alternatively, if you’re a weekend warrior seeking better traction throughout the winter months, an enduro/cross-country rider or a rookie-novice motocross racer the Shinko 540 series tyres are going to provide you with excellent traction in the worst conditions.
Bridgestone Battlecross X10 Available Sizes:
Front:
Rear:
Shinko 540 Available Sizes:
Front:
Rear:
