Motocross tires

Buying Motocross Tires: The Key Points Covered

Here’s what you need to know before fitting a new set of tires to your rims:

Choose Your Terrain: Tune your tire profile to the track you ride on. For soft terrain (sand/mud), you need tall, widely spaced knobs; for hardpack terrain, opt for low, wide knobs that are close together.

The Golden Middle Ground: Riding on mixed tracks? An intermediate tire offers the safest all-around performance on both soft and hard tracks.

Inner Tube or Mousse: Avoid a flat tire during your race lap. Choose a heavy-duty binnenbanden inner tube that’s at least 4mm thick, or switch to a bib-mousse for 100% flat protection.

Rim Lock Required: Without a proper rim lock, your motorcycle’s power will pull the valve stem directly out of your inner tube. Always install and check this whenever you change a tire.

Use Tire Rotation Direction: Many rear tires can be flipped halfway through their lifespan to restore a sharp edge on the knobs for extra traction.

Soft, Mid or Hard Terrain: Which Tire Fits Your Track?

The secret to grip lies in the knobs and the rubber compound. A tire that excels in mud will slide hopelessly on a hard clay track, and vice versa.

Soft Terrain (Sand & Mud): Soft tires are designed for loose ground such as sand, mud and very soft tracks. They typically have tall, sharp knobs that are far apart. This allows the tire to dig deep into the ground for maximum forward traction. The large space between the knobs provides excellent self-cleaning action; mud or sand is immediately thrown off so the tread does not clog up.

Mid Terrain (Intermediate): The absolute favorite for many riders in the Netherlands and Belgium. These motocross tires are the golden middle ground. The knobs are slightly closer together than on pure sand tires, but offer enough grip in loose sand and stability on harder sections. Ideal if you train on multiple tracks and don’t want to swap your wheels for every track.

Hard Terrain (Hardpack): Made for dry, firm and compact tracks. The knobs are lower, wider and close together. This increases the contact area of the rubber with the ground. Because the knobs are shorter, they do not bend on hard ground. This provides stable, predictable steering behavior and prevents the knobs from quickly tearing off on hard stones.

Dunlop, Michelin or Pirelli: The Kings of the Paddock

In the paddock, you’ll consistently see a number of brands at the top of the result lists. Each brand has its own character and strengths:

Dunlop & Michelin: The Premium Racers Dunlop, with its Geomax series (such as the MX34 for sand and intermediate tracks), is the absolute benchmark in motocross. They offer unmatched lateral grip and feedback when leaning into turns. Michelin matches this with its Starcross line. These motocross tires are known for their long lifespan and consistent performance, even once the knobs start to round off slightly.

Pirelli: The Specialist Pirelli’s Scorpion MX line of tires looks like they come straight from MXGP. They are extremely supple and offer absurd amounts of grip right from the first meter. Perfect for riders chasing the fastest lap times and demanding maximum traction when leaned over.

Bridgestone, Metzeler & Maxxis: Reliable and Affordable Looking for a tire that simply does what it’s supposed to without paying premium prices? Bridgestone and Metzeler offer solid, predictable tires. Maxxis is the smart choice for hobby riders: long-wearing, affordably priced, and resistant to plenty of hours of abuse on local club tracks.

How Do You Read the Size of a Motocross Tire?

Don’t fixate solely on the look of the tread; the size must match exactly your rim and your motorcycle’s power. You’ll find a number combination on the sidewall of every outer tire, for example 120/80-19:

• 120: The width of the tire in millimeters.
• 80: The aspect ratio of the tire, shown as a percentage of the width (in this case, 80% of 120mm).
• 19: The rim diameter in inches.

For nearly all adult motocross bikes, a 21-inch front wheel (typically size 80/100-21) is standard. Lighter motorcycles such as a 125cc 2-stroke or 250cc 4-stroke typically run a 100/90-19 or 110/90-19 rear tire. Heavier 450cc motorcycles need more rubber to put their power to the ground and often run a wider 120/80-19 rear tire.

Want to be 100% sure you order the correct size? Use our our partsfinder Simply select the brand, model and manufacture year of your motocross bike and you’ll immediately see all compatible front and rear tires.

Mechanic’s Pro Tips: Installation, Mousse and Tire Pressure

A top-tier tire only performs at its best when the installation and setup are correct. As a mechanic, I see far too many avoidable mistakes in the workshop.

The Correct Tire Pressure Riding with inner tubes? Don’t inflate them too hard. A pressure between 0.8 and 1.0 bar is standard in motocross. In soft sand, you can drop to 0.8 bar for a larger contact patch and more grip. On a hard track with stones, aim for 1.0 bar to prevent pinch flats.

Inner Tube or Bib-Mousse? Standard inner tubes are too thin for the rough work on a motocross track. Choose at least a heavy-duty inner tube that’s 4mm thick. If you truly never want to deal with a flat tire on the side of the track again? Switch to a bib-mousse. This foam rubber replaces air and cannot go flat. It delivers the feel of a tire pressure of around 0.9 bar. Perfect for races.

Don’t Forget the Rim Lock The brute force of a modern motocross bike can cause the outer tire to spin on the rim. Without a rim lock, the outer tire will pull your inner tube along with it, causing the valve stem to tear off directly. Check every time you change a tire that your rim lock is still intact and tighten it properly.

Use Tire Rotation Direction A smart money-saving tip: the knobs on your rear tire wear down mainly on the leading edge from acceleration. If the sharp edge is gone? Flip the tire around. That way you’ll have a fresh, sharp edge again for maximum traction without having to buy a new tire right away.