Knobby Warfare!
KNOBBY WARFARE!
HIDE THE WOMEN AND children. knobbies are on the attack! Dunlop and Pirelli have all-new rubber at each end of the off-road spectrum, from sand to baked hardpack.
Pirelli struck first with the introduction of its MT 450 hard-terrain tire. Available in 20and 21-inch fronts and three 19-inch rears, specifically for motocross. It’s constructed from a proprietary high modulus polyester three-layer diagonal carcass, said to make for a lighter, more durable tire. We found the tires’ performance
inspiring on hard surfaces, with good performance in the looser stuff, as well.
Pirelli is really pushing the 20-inch front, and for good reason. Bump absorption, especially on more rigidly framed/suspended machines such as Honda CRs and Yamaha YZs, is especially noteworthy.
We also tested the 20-inch MT 32A front, a new intermediate that offers similar bump absorption and better traction as the terrain turns loamy.
Dunlop, meanwhile, is targeting the other side of the soil with its new D773, a soft-ter-
rain tire designed to replace the popular D752 and D755.
Compared to its predecessors, the D773 has taller, w'ider-spaced knobs and a very light carcass for improvements in wearability and traction.
At Southern California’s sandy MX Compound, the D773 pulled harder than an intermediate tire, while providing outstanding durability for a tire ith such tall knobs. Same for d. The biggest gain, however, ajíle in cornering grip, especially under braking. The D773 is available in 20and 21-inch fronts, plus two 18-inch and ree 19-inch rears. Roost on!
Jimmy Lewis
