Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > - Maxxis Tyre Test -

[ChrisBushell]

Having had to put two tyres on our Polo last week for the MOT and being offered "budget" tyres at my local tyre fitters - it was pointed out that you get what you pay for with tyres!

So the Polo got a pair of Firestones for £10 more than the "budget" ones - it is after all just that patch of black stuff that keeps me in contact with the road.

When it comes to a high performace machine like a Ducati - then quite frankly fit the best - you never know when it might make the difference!

[Womble247]

Originally Posted by ChrisBushell

When it comes to a high performace machine like a Ducati - then quite frankly fit the best - you never know when it might make the difference!

by best do you mean more expensive tyres or more grippy in wet or more grippy in dry or faster warm up times or more feel?

I preferred the Maxxis Supermax Sports to Michelin Pilot Power 2CTs on my gixer, got better mileage, they were almost half the price at the time, had better dry grip and as good wet grip.

I have not tried the Diamonds as my bike only has 1000ish miles so still on std rubber. I am happy to try them if no one has actually fitted them to their bike but was wondering if anyone had actually tried them on a Ducati yet?

[ChrisBushell]

To answer your question of "best" I was meaning quality.

Every comparative test I have seen in the last 10 years on tyres, be it cars or bikes, has never seen a "budget" tyre come out near the top. Yes you might get good milage, but there will be a trade off elsewhere and on a thing like a Ducati grip is more important than milage.

[Womble247]

Oh I 100% agree mate about grip being more important than mileage on a sportsbike, my Streetfighter has a lot of power 155bhp ish, but then my GSX-R750 was no slouch as that had a 35mph higher top speed and had around 140bhp to boot, I wasn't trying to sound argumentative.

The Maxxis tyres imo are not budget tyres, they are just cheaper in price than the brands most people use. I believe the inflated price lulls some people into a false sense of security as to how much better one brand is over another.

You say a trade off if a tyre has better mileage but I said in my previous post that they offered better dry grip and as good wet grip as the Pilot Power 2CTs on the same bike back to back with the same rider.

I know the tyres I used on my gixer worked with the bike, its why I am asking if anyone has actually tried them on a Ducati rather than having read a report on a tyre test that probably was carried out on an inline 4 rather than an L twin.

I am sure something like a Supercorser would offer even better dry grip but I ride all year round so need a tyre that wont spit me off the moment it rains, I also do a higher than average mileage (have already covered over 1000 miles on the Ducati in a little over this last month) so mileage and cost do come into the equation even if they sit lower on priority than wet/dry grip.