TOPIC: Running A Tyre Mullet

Is anyone running a tyre mullet?

Definition of mullet: All business up front. All party at the rear.

In the context of adventure riding: An aggressive dirt orientated DOT tyre up front (80:20) and a longer wearing dual purpose DOT tyre at the back.

It could mean mixed brands or mixed models within a brand.

It has a significant following here, and I'd be interested to hear some opinions.

I have never done it myself, but the concept makes sense to me. Your front keeps tracking and the rear can be forced into a slide easier, which improves handling if you have an aggressive riding style.

I have always felt that these aggressive knobblies are overkill for the majority of dirt riding I (we?) do. They look good, but they are horrible on the road and are really only justified if you do mud and thick sand...

(I love the descriptive mullet-metaphor! )

My favorite "new" mix tyre combo is , Pirelli MT21 front and Michelin T63 rear.
The only reason is , both is very affordable and they capable of doing most jobs ...

also said .... I've got them new Dunlop Trail-Max currently on my bike , and I still need to find their boundaries or limitations , so I'm going to Lesotho soon , to see what they really made of !!

The reason I raise it, the more frequently travelled dirt roads are maintained with a thick layer of grey gravel. In this part of the world, that means dumping loads of this stuff onto the road every other week.

It is helluva treacherous and akin to riding on marbles. If there's been rain it beds down a little better, but otherwise it is very loose and the bike moves a lot. This isn't a big deal over short stretches but when you're looking at hundreds of kilos it's hard to remain focused. There is nothing worse than belting down a dirt road at speed only to see a fresh patch of thick grey gravel. It grabs your front wheel and it's a job keeping things together.

It's similar to your grey building gravel only rounder pebbles. If you feel the front wheel slip invariably you give a little gas and hope for the best. Nerve wracking when you're in a corner. This got me thinking about tyre combinations when someone remarked that I should dump the OEM tyres fast and look at a tyre mullet to help the front wheel track better. Turns out a lot of guys do it if they travel on a lot of gravel or are aggressive dirt bike riders.

SafferCA wrote: For me it is difficult. People like to rave about tires, but if have to be completely honest I cannot say that I feel more comfortable on a Mitas CO2 when compared to a Michelin Anakee 2 on dirt highways with loose sand on top. And those are on opposite ends of the tire spectrum!

To me it is much more about technique.

This is a highly discussed, very opinionated topic, with complete polarising testimonies…
Once again, you have to go with what works for you personally…

Because I am a maniac on tar, scraping my pegs at every opportunity, I tend to lean (no pun intended...) towards road-biased tyes, which won’t spit me off when hunting down supers on Clarence Drive.
I have ridden over Paarl mountain (and beyond) with a 100% road going Harley Davidson Bridgestone racing slick… - with no issues - so I don’t care what I have on the rear, as tyre make/brand/style/orientation doesn’t affect my off road riding whatsoever.

What I am picky about, however, is what I have on the front, as it needs to endure low lean angles and aggressive braking – losing grip on the rear (which happens far too often lately… ), is not an issue when sliding out your ass – but you don’t want your front emulating Tonya Harding on a good day… I currently run a Mitas E08 on the front, which has only impressed me thus far (all terrain).

Also, considering that I get most of my tyres in second hand guise, for about 50 bucks a pop, I cannot be too choosy about what I slap on the rear…

To answer your question, I gooi mullet style all the time, mainly due to me being prisoner to my surroundings.
IF (and that day will probably come at some stage) I had to pay full price for a rear – my considerations would definitely alter.

It greatly depends on where/how you ride most of the time and of course factors like bank balance, rider skill and sanity levels all play their part.

As with all things in life - like the type of woman you date, what type of food you prefer, or which photos you send to specific whatsapp groups… - this is greatly a personal choice, dictated by your application, skill, experience and what type of relationship you have with Atul Gupta…

Pannas wrote:
Pannas with this front you will not be able to out-lean it



Currently running a Kenda K761 (130x80x18) in front and a Bridgestone TW152 (130x80x17) at the back

Is dit jou fiets (Engela)?
Hoe, en Hoekom sit jy 'n klein, dik voorwiel op 'n offroad? (waar kry jy die rim?)
Jou wiel se tread pattern loop verkeerd om... shouldn't the V grooves face the other way? (alhoewel, ek moet se, toe ek my nuwe E08 voor op gesit het, het ek dieselfde vraag gevra, aangesien die directional arrow op die kant andersom gewys het {against conventional fitment...})

I guess I have a "wannabee"mullet on my 'favourite 650..

Got maxxi's enduro knobblie up front and a Michelin Desert Race on rear... grip with this combo is very good off road... sand, marbles, you name it.. I dont do much in line of tar on this bike

As Pannas says.. this is all about what works for you... riding style and application... trial and error to find your specific solution..

Front..



Rear...




Cheers,

Pete