Story: Phil Gielis
Photography: Clubby
It’s been a real case of David versus Goliath in the dirt bike tyre world in recent years. Aussie tyre brand Motoz is the David, taking on the might of the biggest tyre brands in the world. But if there’s one thing Motoz boss Rick Atkinson is up for, it’s a fight – he’s been biting off plenty and chewing like crazy! Headlined by the original Tractionator Xcircuit, Tractionator Enduro and Tractionator Desert H/T series tyres that featured a natural rubber compound, Motoz gained a name as tyres that were as tough as teak and lasted ages, even when punished on the hard ground conditions where the tyres worked best. But on soft and wet ground, they didn’t deliver the grip of tyres designed specically for such conditions.
So this year Motoz unleashed a second generation of tyres, featuring new rubber compounds, carcass construction and tread patterns, kicking off with a revised Tracula front tyre and all-new Terrapactor S/T rear tyre. We promptly fitted a set of these Motoz hoops to our ’09 Yamaha WR250F Project Bike, which Reeksy climbed aboard and went within a whisker of scoring a Gold medal finish in the hotly contested Vets clas at the Yamaha A4DE at Orange. Sure, there wasn’t much moisture or mud at the Four Day, but on the soft and sandy, rutted special tests and loamy grass-track final moto, Reeksy gave the new Motoz tyres a solid two-thumbs-up on performance and price.
Now Motoz has unveiled the latest addition to its armoury: the Tractionator Enduro S/T, which is a broad market appeal tyre that Motoz claims offers MX grip with enduro strength. So when Motoz offered us a set of the new tyres to try, we slapped them on our ever-faithful KLX450R Project Bike and went for it!
Installation: Compared to the original Tractionators, these new tyres are light! You can feel it when you pick them up and t them, and they’re certainly an easier t over the rim. Motoz supplied 80/100 x 21 front and 130/90 x 18 rear tyres for the KLX and they slipped on like a glove. We set the pressures at 14psi and then took aim on the DSMRA’s Canberra to Tumut ride that will be featured in the mag next issue.
Features: Both Motoz Enduro S/T tyres feature an open tread pattern with deep knobs that are clearly aimed at getting bite and thus traction in soft terrain conditions.While the front Enduro S/T offers more than a passing resemblance to the popular Motoz Tracula front, the Enduro S/T rear is a new design with sharp square-edged centre knobs positioned at 90 degrees to the direction of travel for maximum bite, with equally deep side knobs for maximum adhesion when cornering. The rear tyre is directional, with the tread design offering riders the choice to suit mostly wet or mostly dry ground conditions. However Motoz suggests best traction is achieved when the new tyre is mounted in wet rotation and changed to dry rotation halfway through the tyre’s life. That’s a feature that will appeal to budget conscious riders wanting maximum wear from their tyres.
Performance: If ever there was a ride that dished up softterrainriding,it was the DSMRA ride.For most of the first day of the ride it snowed! Seriously. So ground conditions were soft and gloopy the whole way. In these slippery conditions the new tyres never failed to hook up and drive and delivered traction precisely when you needed it. The front was sure- footed and confidence inspiring, while the rear tyre just kept getting bite, no matter how skatey it got or how delicate you had to be with the throttle. Just riding in the prolonged snow falls was testing enough, so it was reassuring not to have to worry about tyre grip letting you down.
Wear: After just on 260km of gloop, the front tyre had barely raised a sweat, while the rear had just taken the edge off. There’s plenty more rides left in these tyres.
Price: Front $99, rear $129 to $149
Contact: See your local motorcycle dealership, or get more details at www.motoz.com.au
Original scan of the review:
Is the Motoz Tractionator Adventure the best adv motorcycle tire that you can get? We think so.
Five reasons we use Motoz knobbies on our bike fleet.
We see if the 80/20 rubber both performs and goes the distance.
Fitments mentioned on our guide are strictly a guide only according to OEM rim sizes and ETRTO standards. Motoz does not take responsibility for incorrect fitments. Please note a this is not a definitive fitment guide, if your bike is not listed search by tyre size and construction (TT or TL).
