Well, I've had my KLX 250 for about 6 months now with about 2000 Km on the clock and the one thing I've got to say is that I think the stock tyres/tires that come on it SUCK. I'm not sure about North America but down here (Australia) they come with Dunlop 603's front and rear, I really feel that they are completely crap, I get traction on the pavement but they feel 'slippery' like a little twist of the throttle is all I need to get them to losen traction.... The KLX is just not that powerful that I feel like it should be losing traction with a little twist of the throttle....

Off road it feels EVEN worse, the front seems to slide and not want to hold a line, the rear kicks out when I need the power to push up a hill... I can't remember how the tyres looked when it was new but I'm sure they are well worn now, probably have another 1000 km on them before I bin them...

Is this the normal sort of usage most people are getting from there tyres? Anyone else comment on the Dunlop 603's?? If this is normal usage then that probably explains the feeling that I have that these already poor performing tyres are even worse now.....

I don't do wheelies or burnout's probably about 80/20 for road / off road but it seems like these have worn quickly....

Even still I don't remember them being great in the off road, all the same problem as I have now with them not biting into the soft stuff....

 

the stock 603's suck.... period.... i would highly reccommend the kenda 760 trakmaster II.

 

I didn't mind the 603, after that first tire was wore out, I put on a Dunlop 606, and it was even better, and I really liked the traction. I still to this day have never slipped on the blacktop running either of those tires. After the 606 wore out, I decided to install front and back the Kenda K270 tires. They are more of a 50/50 tire, and it still gets me where I want to go off road, but feels even better on the blacktop. I might look into the tire that EMS is running next time. Oh by the way I had 5500 miles on the 603 front tire and it still had more to go, although it wanted to wash out when hitting the trails and gravel roads, so I knew it was time for a change.

Here is a comparison picture of the 606 and the Kenda treads.

 

kenda 760 trakmaster

 

I don't mind the 603 on the back, but the front in the sand is horrible. I rode a lot in the sand yesterday and I must have almost wrecked about 30 times from the front washing out. I only have 900 miles on it. I need to change it quick for my own safety.

 

Mrbones, I know the feeling, my KLX was very sleepy in NJ with the stock front tire. I'm a convert to running the most aggressive DOT ***** I can find now.

 

+1 on the Trakmaster rears 100/100 is what I'm running, but new tire will be 110/100, someone (maybe bryantjt) had a good thread on here in which he rated the tires he used..I believe the trakmaster rear and kenda 776 front rated quite well, once the 603 wears a bit more on the front, the kenda 776 will be ordered to replace it.

I agree going with an aggressive DOT tire, the trakmasters seem ok on road (once they are scuffed about 100km) and are great off road, but if you sacrifice comfort for traction, you are bound to get stuck in the trails.

 

Yep, it was me, not sure if I added my street tires to the mix or not.....I'll have to look it up.

 

I'm sticking with my Dunlop D606's, great tire both on the pavement (hard turns in the twisties) and in the dirt - that is sand and hard packed course gravel (decomposed granite shards) with wicked a*s cactus thorns and the occasional rattlesnake strike!

 

What would you guys recommend for a 90/10 offroad/road tire?