Trials bikes might only be tiddlers but you’d be surprised how much abuse the tyres get (especially the rears). By their very nature, motorcycle trials tyres are super soft, to give you the best-possible grip.
However riding motorcycle trials in the UK is not all about outright grip. Most of the trials riding I have done has been in freezing cold conditions or it’s been hammering it down with rain. Therefore the mud-clearing ability of a trials tyre is as important as outright grip.
Tyre wear can be counted in terms of hours and not miles. Expect to get less than 50 hours from a set of tyres if you’re riding them hard in dry conditions. For most UK riders you’ll get 100 hours from your tyres before they’re past best.
Of course, there will always be someone on a forum somewhere who’s had their bike since 1994 and has never had to replace the tyres. Yes, the tyres might still be round (just) and hold air (mostly) but in terms of the grip they offer, they will have seen their best days a long time ago.Â
If you want to climb up it, you need grip!
Best Trials Motorcycle Tyres
Listed below are all the different trials tyres you can fit to your bike.
Dunlop D803 GP
Using lots of silica, the Dunlop D803GP trials tyre is fantastic on wet rocks, it also turns incredibly well due to the improved (over the D803) carcass construction. It’s road legal and its supple casing and advanced rubber compounds deliver better shock absorption and traction. A firm favourite with amateur trials riders.
IRC TR11
A popular trials tyre that’s good in muddy conditions. The radial design has a dual-rubber compound, softer rubber for the tread and harder rubber for stronger sidewalls, giving incredible grip and handling.
Maxxis Trial Maxx
It’s a road-legal trials tyre that works well on a wide range of surfaces. The tread blocks are spaced wider than the typical trials tyre, making it great for boggy ground. However they’re not allowed at most competitive trials in the UK. These are OEM on the KTM Freeride.
Michelin Trial Competition X11
The leading trials tyre. The Michelin Trial Competition is the front and the X11 is the rear tyre. As used by world championship winning professionals like Toni Bou. The suppleness, grip and strength make the Trial Competition X11 a firm favourite.
Pirelli MT43 Professional
The MT43 from Pirelli is a road legal Trial tyre, designed to work across a huge range of conditions. Reinforced carcass to provide high resistance combined with a long life. High performance on hard, dry and damp surfaces, plus excellent for indoor competition use.
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Classic Trials Tyre Options
The tyres below are ideal for your twin-shock classic trials bike:
Recommended Trials Bike Tyre Pressures
Different riders like to set different pressures depending on feel and the type of terrain they’re riding on.
However as a good base setting to start from, we recommend you run:
Front 0.4-0.5 bar (6-7 psi) (min 5 psi)
Rear 0.3 bar (5 psi) (min 4 psi)
Trials Bike Inner Tubes
Don’t forget your inner tubes!
Michelin make quality trials tubes that are hard-wearing and resist punctures well. However there are lots of other great options out there form the likes of Continental and Avon. Check out our range of motorcycle inner tubes.
If you’re going for the Michelin tubes, you want to fit the 21″ trials front and then an 18MG rear inner tube.
About Two Tyres
Our mission is to ensure we listen to every customer’s needs and ensure they’re riding on the right tyre. Out of the showroom, your motorbike is a compromise, designed to suit a huge range of riders and riding conditions. To get the best out of your bike in terms of handling, performance and safety, tyres make all the difference. In fact we think it’s the most cost-effective performance enhancement you can make!
We are based in London where we supply and fit motorcycle tyres and consumables in our workshop. We also mail order motorcycle tyres around the UK, across Europe and even to places as far-flung as the USA, Canada and Japan.
Need help choosing the best tyres?
Choosing tyres can be tricky. We’re here to help. We hold direct accounts with every motorcycle tyre manufacturer, so we’re well placed to give comprehensive and honest advice to help you choose the best tyres. If you can’t quite make your mind up, give us a call on 0207 205 2205 and we’ll help you narrow down your choices.
We are motorcycle and scooter tyre specialists, with over 25 years in the trade. Between us we fit 10 pairs of tyres a day in our workshop, so we have good real-world experience of what works and what doesn’t.
We ride to work, we ride for fun, we race and ride off-road. If it’s got two wheels, we’re into it.
Give us a call or drop into our London motorcycle workshop and we’ll do our best to help you.
Are your tyre pressures letting you down?
We couldn’t find a tyre pressure gauge that was well-built, easy to get on-and-off the valve without pressure loss and could stand up to day-to-day abuse in our workshop. So we found a manufacturer to build one to our exacting standards.
We’re confident this is the best motorcycle pressure gauge out there. That’s why it comes with a 3-year, no-nonsense, money back guarantee.
Whether you want a digital tyre pressure gauge or a good old-fashioned analogue pressure gauge, we’ve got a gauge for you. Now you can quickly and easily check your pressures, to keep your bike handling well and to ensure you stay safe.
Here at Two Tyres, we stock more than just tyres. Take a look at some of our essentials for any biker.
Motorcycle puncture repair kit – Our top-rated kit includes everything you need to carry out a roadside repair and get back up and running.
Motorcycle tyre pressure gauge – Our tyre pressure gauge has been rated in RiDE magazine and features a clever design to make it easy to get accurate readings.
Motorcycle first aid kit – a DIN-rated first aid kit that’s compact and also includes extras that are handy for any biker. A must-carry in some EU countries.
HyperCharge battery charger – The HyperCharge is a smart charger that can charge lead-acid and lithium batteries and it’ll charge bike and car batteries too.
Cordless tyre pump – Small enough to fit in your luggage, this tyre pump doubles as a powerbank, so you’ll never have a flat tyre or phone battery again!
All of these products have been well tested and are top-rated by our customers.
