Question on front tire size
 

I'm interested in putting Pirelli Scorpion MT 90 A/T tires on my bike. However, I'm a little uncertain on what size front tire to get. The stock tire is a 3.00-21 51P. When I use the online tire size converters it comes back in between a 80/90-21 and a 90/90-21. There is also a big price difference between the two. At Motorcycle Superstore the 80/90-21 is $61 but the 90/90-21 is $88. So I'd prefer to go with the 80/90-21 I just want to make sure it'll fit my rim before I order them.

http://static.chaparral-racing.com/p...329-MT9006.jpg

IIRC stock size is 80/100-21 so I say go with the 80. The 90 will be heavier and change your performance a bit (and probably not to your liking).

edit: I haven't had the stockers on for a while - didn't know they were 3.0s

I agree, I'd get the 80 too.

Look at the Shinko 705 while you're at it. GREAT all around tire that's very similar.

Rob

I was looking at the Shinko's too but have a preference towards Pirelli. Plus the Pirelli's are a few pounds lighter for both the front and back tires.

Cool, let us know how they perform and how well they last! They look a little beefier than the 705s, but I get 6000 miles out of the rear tire on my DR650 and they're surprisingly good offroad.

Rob

As I posted in your other post...
Those/that is the tire I'm running...great set-up..
90/90/21
140/80/18
get them spun balanced...you will love them
Like I said I paid 200 installed..OTD very happy
I think I picked up speed getting those nobs off....

Pirelli for the win

keep an eye on the heat i noticed my pirellis always were really hot after even a 15-20min ride and that was at road goin psi worse at a good dirt psi

let me know how the handling is at freeway speeds...more and more i want to play in the dirt...but, i still want it to handle 80 mph cruising speed on the freeway for long commutes...

Yeah, I always thought that was kinda funny. The Kawasaki site says the KLX250S comes with 80/100x21 front and 100/100x18 rear... but what comes on the bike? 3.00-21 front and 4.60-18 rear.

If you are looking for good quality low priced tires, try out the Duro Median HF903/904 (frt/rr). I have 30,000 miles running them on a KLX650 with exellent results, running with my friends on their SMs (one was an Aprilia, and another a converted XR650R, both could smoke me on the straights, but I could hang real close in corners). I have also had decent results off road, but there is no replacement for a good knobby there. About $120 or less a pair.

I came across them years back when I was unemployed and needed tires for the bike. I was working part time in a bike shop perusing the tire choices and took a chance. I've never run anything else since. I could buy whatever I want, but I won't change, they do the job at 20 off road and at 80 on road. I mostly do dirt/gravel back roads, occasionally single tracking, but when on the road it is about 70% harder riding on winding back roads of eastern Ohio. Lots of tight corners and I've never had any issues with grip.

The tread has a trick I like. Side to side the knobs have a kind of web added to stablize them a bit when leaning into a turn. Around the circumference the tread is full depth to dig in as deep as possible, paddle like. Apparently works well for me. I've never had any problem compared to my friends on their dual sports when single tracking, except for the time when I didn't reduce pressure from the street going 32 psi to about 20 or so.

Not sure if they do the 120 for the rear, but if they do, take a look. Odds are you won't be sorry.

They wear about 4000 miles for me when the front is pretty well cupped and the rear only has maybe 1/4" or less of tread in the center and pretty flat too. They still could have some more miles squeezed out, but it just spins too much on gravel. So I usually order a set and put them on when I have time.