Review: Dunlop Trailmax Mission

[@1001CP]

WAIT! WHAT??? You bought these tires to test them for the rest of us?? Out of all the tires you know well and could have gotten you bought them with your own money. What mainstream tester does that, besides Ryan F9?? Apparently YOU! Another respect factor notch my friend. I was looking at these for my bike but got a great deal on a Mitas E10 $90, too good to pass (90 bananas) for a rear, but these may be next. It looks like according to your testing, these just may be the next evolution on ADV tires that really blur that line between on/off road riding "percentages"! As always my friend, thank you for great reviews, testing, training and honesty. Be safe in your travels.

[@jan_the1667]

Bret does this often thats why he is realistic and precise in his reviews. Thanks to him I just selected my 2022 tyres for my KTM - excellent unbiased review - keep up the good work!

[@MrNicklasson87]

Pssst, Ryan works for fortnine which is the canadian eqvivalant of revzilla. Fortnine, the company, buys the stuff to test and does not get them for free from manufacturers. Still, I trust Ryan wholeheartedly and if he says something is good, it’s good.

[@butcherknife59knife46]

Just bought a 2015 F800GSA and it came with a brand new set mounted and so far I have road 75 miles on the street and I like them very much. More riding and some dirt riding coming up around Sisters Out!

[@625Joe]

Straight to the point and from plenty of experience. No banging noisy music and delivered with balanced fact. Succinct. Very helpful.Love it!

[@MrJoeMoreton]

Appreciate your commitment to unbiased reviewing Brett. Also for getting down on the ground to show us these tyres. No one else has your dedication!

[@BretTkacs]

😁

[@slavetotheroad]

Another very well rounded, objective review. No drama, no gushing, no BS. Thanks for the excellent video as always.

[@mreed1870]

Mounted a set of Trailmax Mission tires on my Tenere 700. Big difference between the stock Pitelli tires and the Dunlop’s. On the highway I didn’t see much difference, but on gravel, night and day difference. Rock solid performance. Very happy with the Dunlop’s

[@DorkintheRoad]

Thanks for the review, Bret. Your opinion carries a lot of weight and I really appreciate you taking the time to do these videos.

[@juro6]

After running TKC 80s and 70s on my 1200 gsa and 1250 gs hp, then EO7+s, I put a set of these on. They are significantly cheaper her in South Africa than the others and the mileage appears to be about double. Very happy with these.

[@markjacobs3956]

I've been running these on my tiger rally Pro for 7500 miles on all surfaces in Colorado. I have at least another four thousand miles left in them . They have worn better than any other Tire I have ever owned . My bike is tubeless so I do not worry so much about the sidewall changing the tire on a trail. I agree with all of your points.

[@kee7678]

good to hear. I just got a set put on today. Looking forward to using them here in SoCal and Baja etc. How many miles did you get and still like them??

[@johnw4781]

I spooned a set of Mission tires onto my R1200GS-LC, and loved the front in all on- and off-road conditions but found the rear sketchy in any wet off-road including light/surface mud. When half worn at 6,700 miles, the rear repeatedly slid on gentle paved corners and traction control kept activating under normal acceleration during a cold and rainy road ride. Tires came off after that ride due to zero confidence now in the rear tire in cold, wet conditions. It would be great to read tire reviews done under similar/varied conditions, as reviews seem to only cover riding on warm, sunny days and not in real world, year round conditions that many of us ride in.

[@Chris.Mechanic]

Same here: I miss covering wet and cold conditions... Am in EU, Poland and I ride from 8°C wet to 36°C dry... Need something reliable on wet and cold plus I'm on 1150GS with no electronics, not even ABS, so need good rubber. My best was Anakee2, now I'm thinking back about Tourance...

[@samsgarage3540]

I have had the same experience in cold and wet conditions. Not my favorite tire at all in those conditions. I would give up some longevity in this tire by 3,000 miles for better wet and cold performance.

[@RobvanDutch]

How do the Mitas eo7 stack up in the wet?

[@paulsmith3019]

@@RobvanDutch have run the 07's on my gs1200 for 3 years now, love them. However they do take some getting used to in the wet. you can feel them falling off the blocks, as you transition from upright to turning into the corner, you feel them hook up on the next block of tread and then they are fairly stable, unless you create more turn in, and again the same feeling as the tyre moves onto the next set of tread blocks. once your used to it, and expect it, its fine. having said that I certainly back off in my riding style substantially in the wet, particularly if its wet and the really smooth ashpalt rather than stone chip road surface. but overall still the best tyre i have ever put on the bike for all round on and off road use. definetly a fan

[@The_real_McDave]

Have the same experience with the rear that suddenly slide, but on dry tarmac with mild to hot weather! I ride an R1250 GS, got the Karoo 3 on first equipment, they worked great off-road and incredibly well also on road, I was amazed on how much grip they had! Crazy lean angle and a lot of confidence, front and rear on tarmac, considering the type of tyre! Big downs: noisy as hell, and wear pretty fast (4.000 Km). Then put the Pirellis Scorpion STR. A good overall tire, can’t say nothing bad, but also nothing great. I suppose it could be a big quality, in some sense. Big pro: pretty much noiseless (I always use earplug) With the Dunlop, I lost a bit of confidence on tarmac, honestly, but I haven’t had any problem in off-road. Big down: it’s like having a pack of wolf howling on the front tyre below 80Km/h, especially during braking!

[@got_to_roll]

Great review, very fair. I rode 7,500 miles in the PNW October 2020 - July 2021 on a Trailmax Mission rear on my 2013 V-strom650. I found it to be quiet enough, great longevity, great on gravel, dirt and pavement when dry. It wasn't good on wet surfaces overall. Wet pavement, dirt, grass, mud etc. were all not pleasant for me on this rear tire. No traction control on my V-strom650 and it would spin easily and unexpectedly, even on wet pavement. I'm happy to slide around a bit on my terms, but not unexpectedly. I'd recommend for dry climates, not for cold, wet pavement without traction control.

[@kirbybradley8734]

I have a set on my 2020 R1250GSA and have about 14,000 km (8500 miles) on therm. I too an starting to get the scalping on the front tire. I don't think they are noisy, I previously had a set of AX41 Adventure Cross tires and those are by far the noisiest tires I have ever ridden on. I agree the tires are great on the pavement, I have done a little gravel roads but not much with them but they did feel Ok on the gravel. Great review and keep them coming!

[@arthurhughes8659]

I fitted the Dunlop Trailmax Mission tires on my 2020 Triumph Tiger 900 (GT-Pro), and they’re perfect for the “type of roads” that I ride. I think this is the key to success with these tires. - Most of my rides are on rural backroads, glorified goat trails, and fire roads running through National Parks. The Trailmax performs superbly on these types of surfaces - even at higher speeds. - On nicer roads, I find them to be reasonably smooth with superb cornering ability. And if I come across gravel on a curve, I find that they stick really well. - My Tiger came with Metzeler Tourance NEXT tires, and while the Metzeler's were great on nice smooth roads, they were terrible on poor road surfaces, and nearly useless on gravel (unless you enjoy ice skating). - I chose the Trailmax over the Anakee Adventure and Scorpion Trail II - despite the fact that I had to drop to a lower speed rating. My dealership approved - and performed - the swap. - Some of my friends have fitted the Trailmax on their bikes (mostly BMW GS) and they love them, as well. A few others are planning the swap on the next tire change. - All said, these are great tires if you want to feel safe on dirt and gravel and/or ride the back roads.

[@philsince59]

I love my Dunlop Trailmax Missions on my 2020 Wee xt adv! When I go out on my bike with these tires and all the rest of my farkles, in my delusional mind I'm king of the world! LOL Your videos have helped me a lot, and having you talk up my tires is a bonus, and I'll never be able to ride like you, but I'm the most badass 62-year-old adv rider poser out there!

[@indifrunfenisheguen]

Thank you for the review. I was offered today these and I had them on hold to buy and this just made me decide to get them. Thanks!!! Oh! and they are giving a $60 rebate!!!

[@lapinecommunitychurchorego5102]

Bret, I have a set on my 790S with 11,000 miles on them so far. I believe I can get a few thousand more out of them. I'd share a photos of the tires, but currently the bike is in for service. Great tires, no regrets. Pastor Don

[@gudgengrebe]

I hate people that video something straight out of the box, so I trust your opinion. I watch loads of videos and I’m confident that you will be riding on much harder terrain than I’m able to ride myself, so I’m looking to someone like you for expertise and informed opinion. I’m grateful to you for this. Happy riding 😎

[@40spokes99]

Great Review. I switched to Missions from Anakees about 4500 miles ago, I got them for $350 installed at the MOA Rally in Great Falls this year and so far I'm very happy with the way they perform on my r1250 GSA. It's kind of a swiss army knife type of tire inasmuch as it does everything very well but nothing perfectly, and that's OK. It's interesting but I don't find them particularly noisy, especially compared to the Anakees.

[@kiwiadventurer]

I loved how you fitted the tyres in the car park.... you're the man. Thanks for sharing

[@gregc6661]

I’m running these on my 2019 AT and I’m really impressed. In AZ we don’t see that much challenging mud so haven’t had issues there yet. Your comments about grip on pavement and lack of tracking on rain grooves are spot on. As for the noise, I find them very quiet coming off of Anakee Wilds. Looking forward to more than 3,000 miles on a rear tire although grip wise, I’m sure they’ll never match the level of the Wild’s. Thanks for another useful review Bret

[@indifrunfenisheguen]

I got the same 2019. And planning on getting these tires. How many miles did you get?

[@andy.m7274]

@@indifrunfenisheguen these are also my next tires for my Twin, I’ve read a lot of reviews and guys are getting on average 8-10k miles which is impressive

[@kee7678]

I almost got the Wilds but ended up today getting the Trailmaxs...

[@gregc6661]

@@indifrunfenisheguen 7,000 miles so far and looks like I’ll get a couple thousand more. Will probably replace them with another set when the time comes

[@baldandbiking]

For my 2020 ATAS DCT I had a set of these put on early in the season and have been riding about 80% pavement and 20% gravel roads all summer. I've taken them on long multi day trips and also through long rides in the heavy rain. No complaints at all, they have served me well. Price isn't really an issue for me and I don't worry about the difficulty of installing as I get the dealer to do it. Even as someone that doesn't go offroad very much, I think they are a great tire for all round purposes, and really help out with confidence when you hit those long construction zones. When these finally wear out, I can see myself getting another set.

[@MichaelTrotman]

I’m on my second set. I put 8,000 miles on the first set, and I believe I could’ve easily run them another 4,000 miles but had a major unrepairable puncture. Nothing to add to Brett’s review because I agree with everything he said except the part about the noise. They are marketed as 50/50 tires so by design they are going to be noisier than a street tire. But I wear earplugs so that helps.

[@SwabbyG]

currently running both front and rear Dunlop TMM tires on my Honda AT/AS and the on road performance and wear is outstanding. Low wear rate, fairly quiet, little to no tracking as you said in rain grooves or metal grated bridges. Off road they do great in gravel and "DRY" hard packed dirt, however as you stated once there's water involved offroad the tire gives up quite a bit to it's competition as the tread doesn't clear/clean itself well until you return to a hard packed or asphalt surface. As always thank you so much for informed bike products and knowledge.

[@Rick92040]

I did a 10,000 mile 5 week trip from San Diego to the Yukon and Alaska and back. I went on just about every road I could find on my 2018 BMW R1200GS. Left in May of 22 and went through rain, snow, hail, lots of dirt and mud. I had no issues with the tires and had 7/32 left on the back when I got home. If your wondering what tire to put on your bike for your once in a lifetime ride up north you have your answer..

[@Spoonboy79]

I have about 5000km on these now myself. I am very impressed with them and they seem good at everything. They are so confidence inspiring in the twisties that I am regularly dragging footpegs on my KTM 1290.

[@fasfan]

I have been looking at these. I've seen a lot of reviews. Most say they act like a 50/50 off road but an 80/20 on road. It sounds like Dunlop nailed it with these. Thanks for a simple but honest review, not that we would expect anything less, Bret.

[@ScrambleNorth]

You won't regret them

[@AnyMotoUSA]

I had these on my AT. Group of guys I was with were convinced they were street tires, until I got fed up and took it down a muddy trail, through a stream, up on the gravel bar, did a few donuts, went back across the stream, and went up the muddy trail to give them shit for doubting me. Granted, they are kinda street tires but thats besides the point. Fun times.

[@cottageadvlife]

Put a set on my GSA. These tires an are awesome! I am new to off-roading, and these tires are confidence inspiring off-road, with incredible on-road performance. Only downside is the noise. Not a big deal, not a deal breaker, but just something worth noting. Will be buying a set for my new Africa Twin.

[@archermoody9746]

Running these on my 2018 vstrom. Really love them. Longevity has been great. Oem rear lasted around 6.5k miles, put these on. Now sitting at 10k with plenty of life left still. Bret is definitely right about road noise. Didn't notice the rear, but the front is LOUD!! All in all great tires and will continue getting these. With the lifespan of these tires in getting and confidence inspiring, worth the price in my books

[@Rmachine429]

I'm curious if you ever considered the MotoZ GPS Tractionator Tires, comparing with these Dunlops? I have a 2018 Vstrom 650, about 2k left on OEM tires.

[@mattmccourt3591]

I’m on my second set and love them…I had the Anakee Adventure stock and thought those were louder…great review…thanks for the review and keep the videos coming!!!

[@mikewoodall1599]

Your right Bret these tires are great👍. Have a set on my R1250GS with alloy wheels and go off-road with it. They certainly protect the rims. Thanks for honest review🖐.

[@pauljordan6016]

Hey Matt, thanks for the comments. How do you find them in the wet - on the road in corners and on wet gravel?

[@lifesjourneyat50]

@@pauljordan6016 sorry for delay - didn’t catch this…I rode for 12Pro to Sturgis on them and 8 hrs to Bar Harbor and not a worry…fantastic

[@lifesjourneyat50]

@@pauljordan6016 sorry for delay Paul...they are fantastic...no issues...only thing with these they are not great in medium to heavy mud....outside of that they are fantastic

[@lifesjourneyat50]

@OB I found the Anakee's to be loud...no issues with these...two set and they averaged around 8K - Great tire for everything but medium to heavy mud...then not so much...highly recommend!!!...good luck!!!

[@busabobsgarage9876]

I installed these by myself on my GS. The front tire was a bear to get on, but i got it done. I recently took these on a 2500 mi round trip, running many miles on BDR and forest roads and they did great. The thing that really impressed me was the handling in the twisties, as well as wet road grip. I was super confident with these tires, I put more than 7500 miles on them so far and it looks like they could run another 7500 mi. Great tires!

[@roymcdowell7621]

I had been looking for tires to replace the Shinko 804/805s that came mounted on my used 2012 Tiger 800XC. It was this very video that pushed me over to the Trailmax Missions. 2000 miles later and I have no regrets. The front sticks amazingly well in pretty much anything and the rear hooks up great. The only time I had any pucker-factor go up was when I hit a glossy patch of asphalt in the rain and the rear decided it wanted to get there first. Thankfully I managed to get it behind me without any mishap, but it definitely raised my heat rate. To be fair, the tires were still pretty new and may not have been fully scrubbed in. Other than that one instance, these tires have not disappointed. I just did a few hundred miles on street, NFS roads, and a small section of WABDR and I had no problems at all. They handled the rocky PNW fire roads like a champ. Thanks for your unsolicited review. I always enjoy your videos.

[@advmotorcycletravel]

I’m running that on my front and 3400 miles later, still very happy with the tire! You nailed my thoughts exactly. 👍

[@thetessellater9163]

Talk of tyres (UK)/tires and nails seems inappropriate!

[@78Yamaha750]

I had a set spooned onto my KTM 890 Adventure before it left the showroom. I have about an hour of tar to ride before I get to any dirt so I had to compromise my selection. Thses were teriffic on pavement, and as you said, I thought I had a 19" wheel on the front. The bike handled like a street bike. The tires wrer great on the dirt roads, but terrible in any mud or grass. i am looking at the new Dunlop Trail Mission Raids next.

[@DuaneBentleyKelowna]

Totally agree. Love these on my Honda Africa Twin 2018 Adventure Sport... ridden off-road on the same conditions Bret describes in BC, Canada.

[@zyonsdream]

I’m just wrapping up my second set of these tires on my 2017 Africa Twin. I got 9,000 out of the first, should get around 11,000 out of the second set. The tires are heavy and you can feel the increase in rotational mass when you accelerate. They are also tall. At around 6,000 miles the front becomes buzzy with vibration. Both fronts did this. It’s not horrible but it’s noticeable. It’s a great rain tire front and back. I ride in all kinds of weather. The tires are stiff in freezing weather but they still warm up nicely. I’ll be sticking with these tires going forward.

[@DeweyRides]

Agree with you. I have 9K miles on a set on my F800 , still going strong, still have life left. I am very impressed with how good they are. Wouldn't want to take them in Sandy or soft terrain, but I wouldn't want to take a K60 in that stuff either. Those are WAY better in the cold and wet roads that a K60, I have never felt anything but confident pushing these tires.

[@scudrunneradv3269]

I love these tires. My nephew and I did the TAT this summer. Started by my home in eastern NC and rode all the way to port orford OR. We did 5300 miles or so off road and anothe 4800 on road on our return ride. My nephew rode his Tenere 700 and I on my F 800 GS. We rode some of the red trails and did a few side trails off the TAT exploring. Did several of the passes in Colorado. We both rode on the Dunlop trailmax mission tire. I had several thousand miles on mine before starting the trip. We mounted my nephews tires the night before we left. He is still riding on that original set. I had mine changed in Eugene OR at the BMW dealership. I put the same tire back on. We rode through everything. Sand, mud gravel big rocks etc. never aired them down at all. Not so great in the mud and deep sand but everywhere else they were great. I got a flat on my rear tire about 40 miles from the Idaho border headed back east. The mechanic who mounted my tire had twisted my tube and after 6 hours of riding and high temps it gave out. Took us less than an hour to pull the tire replace the tube and remount. I got to use my Baja no pinch tool for the first time and I have to say it was well worth the money and the weight. All in all it’s a great tire.

[@rallye81]

I rode the TAT in Sept ‘21. Took off my Missions and put on MotoZ Adventure tires on my Tiger 900 RP. Granted, I had 18,500 miles on my Missions, but glad to hear a good review of them after completing the TAT. I’ll be putting Missions on my T7 in a month or so.

[@scudrunneradv3269]

@@rallye81 Love the tires. Until something better is developed these will be my go to tires.

[@7M43XT]

Have just over 13,000 km or about 8,000 miles on my set mounted on a 2019 Honda ATAS. I think you have nailed most of the points I would make. Most of my riding would be tarmac or forestry trunk roads (gravel and dirt) and these tires have been great for that. Smooth on the highway and all the traction I need on the loose stuff. I have also been in some heavy rain on tarmac and they were confidence inspiring. You never know how much is the tire or the bike as my ATAS is loaded with all the tech but the combination of electronic nannies and the tires have never made me feel unsure I had the bike under control. I would say my tires still look at least 5,000 km from worrying about wear. I can't say I noticed any road noise though. I am wearing ear plugs in a Arai XD4 so maybe that is blocking some of that? Anyway when this set is done I'll buy another and when my wife gets her middle weight adventure bike I'll suggest she do the same. Thanks for the review, sensible and honest as always.

[@AlanNorman]

I've tried at least 4-5 different sets of tires on my F800GSA, and these are my favorites.

[@louiebodenstaff6772]

Hi Brett, been running a set of these for around 4 months now, even did that ride along the Kruger Park fence in South Africa which we saw in one of your earlier videos ... the Dunlops are great all-rounders. Expect a bit of slip before they grip in very thick sand, they are not the best in mud, but a very solid all-rounder that will keep 80% of us happy ... thanks for another awesome video, greetings from South Africa!

[@michaelklappa8492]

I have these on my BMW R1200GS and they work amazingly well on regular paved roads, gravel roads and in the gravel mud in Kansas. Great tire, highly recommend.

[@Azzurro650]

I have been driving this tire for 3000 miles on my V-Strom 650 XT to be prepared for gravel roads in the French and Italian Alps. They have excellent straight ahead and also do well on the road. Yesterday and the day before yesterday on the worst off-road slopes, they had more and more traction, so I got there with them perfectly. And they are a little bit noisy, the front tire is easy to hear. 👍🏻😉 All in all, it’s a great tire!

[@Azzurro650]

Half a year and 3000 mils more: I’m not driving one gravel roads at the moment, so noise is a pain without having advantage. Next week I’ll change to an Continental Trail Attack 3. Expecting less noise and weight.

[@patrickcurran5821]

Very nice review. Short, to the point and complete. Thanks

[@bradmaurer2776]

I have the mission mounted on my 2017 AT. Mounting by hand was a bit tough but only a bit worse than a Shinko 705 rear. I wish I had known before I bought them, that the 150/70-18 has a center rib. It's subset when new, kinda of shaped like a flattened "U" but you can tell it's there in gravel and mud. It made the rear tire less predictable (for me) than my last set of tires, which were 705's and definitely not as good as knobbies I have ran in past. Great road handling (peg scrapers)! Over all, it is a tough tire that will save me from spooning tires every 3,000 miles. Almost 2000 miles on my set and have to agree overall they are a good choice for the heavier bikes and I won't have to change them soon! Bret , great review and thank you for what you do!!!!!

[@aslamsalie6099]

Using them on my 2018 Suzuki VStrom 1000XT and found them great on road (especially in twisties thru mountain roads) and on my limited Offroad use (planning much more Offroad). I didn’t find the noise level to much of an issue. Thanks for a great review and confirming my choice of tyre🙏🏼

[@mikef3300]

I have a set on my Ktm 690 enduro r. I use it to commute to work and quick trips to the shops more often than hitting the trails so once my knobby tires wore out I chose the mission’s to replace them. They definitely gave the bike a smoother ride but man were they slippery until they got scrubbed in. I’m looking forward to seeing how many miles I can get out of them

[@radd6564]

I have been watching all the reviews on this tire for quite sometime. I just ordered a set for my F800 GS, they will be taking me to Alaska and Prudhoe Bay / Deadhorse and the Artic ocean in July. Round trip back to Idaho, wanted a tire that can do the miles and handle the terrain . With all I've seen and the testing you and others have done, I appreciate all of the input others have made to make my decision sound. Always great vids !

[@BretTkacs]

It has fantastic mileage too... Good choice for your trip

[@mikemaners4411]

I love them on my Triumph Tiger Rally 900! Thank you again Sir from Montreal!

[@NorthernADV]

Excellent review! I totally agree. After using the Trailmax Mission on a 13,000km tour to the Yukon, Canada, they will now be my "go to" tire on my V-Strom.

[@Holmaaron]

I tossed a rear on my T7 and I’ve been super happy with it. It has handled everything I’ve thrown at with more grace and composure than it has any business offering.

[@exparrot9074]

I have about 3,000 miles on them mounted on my 1290 SAR. You hit the nail on the head, it's a great tire for hard packed two track roads, pavement, transitioning in between, as well as rocky sections with loose baby heads - take it slow and the whole machine is like a tractor through that stuff. Soft muddy conditions, not so much, but then if I'm going into that stuff I'm on the wrong tire, if not the wrong machine entirely. My favorite thing about these tires though is how progressive they are when they do break loose; I've had the front wheel slide out mid corner when hitting patches of softer clay/sandy conditions and it has just been super easy to recover - relax pressure on the handlebars and they regain traction and away you go. Only complaint I have is actually a feature that looks to be limited to my specific tire size as your tires don't appear to have it: the center section of the rear tire has a stiffening bar that connects the large tread blocks, so even though there is still plenty of tread left, when the bike is stood up now, there is basically a smooth center stripe that has resulted in degraded straight line traction.

[@highwayman1218]

Spot on review. 👍 Ive been very happy with these on my Super Tenere. Usually run Pirelli Scorpions and will admit they can be sketchy / scary with my on road riding. I have a few bikes and the S10 is my interstate tourer, foul weather commuter, mild offroad. They handle the 90% use of high speed commute / touring and playing on the twisties. For a 600 lb plus ADV to have no chicken strips on the tires and humble crotchrocketeers with no issues is impressive. You can really push these hard on the street. They work great for the offroad I do mainly jeep trail stuff. Theyre expensive but wear has been good (yes they do cup). Ill be throwing on a 2nd set soon and theyre keepers on my S10 for now.

[@OFFroadOFFcourse]

Good review Bret. Always a pleasure to hear your technical insight

[@garthtohms5489]

Hey Bret, I agree, great tires! I am in Northern BC, Canada, and they are great on the FSRs and the tarmac. I love the front on gravel, best grip of any tire I have ever had on my 1200GSA. That confidence they give me is a big help on trying new terrain. I am at about 10,000Km on them and am about to head East on a 10,000 km round trip, so I will be swapping for new ones soon. I don't find them loud, but my earplugs could be very good. I find them a bit sketchy on cold wet tarmac though. It's funny, you posted a video a while ago about riding over steel grate bridges, and I wondered why it was such a big issue for people because my bike doesn't even wiggle a bit; I thought I was just awesome, but maybe it is actually the tires! Now that I think about it, other bridges that I have been on had much more movement.

[@edwardwinkler7257]

I have a set, but only 500 miles so far. I figured my Anakee 2 worked okay on my 1200 GSA, but felt a bit scary when in loose gravel or on unimproved backroads. These were perfect for my type of riding. Good to hear that my research and choice is now backed up by Brett.

[@sonajuma]

Put them on my Tenere 700 2000kms ago. Staggering improvement over the stock Perelli's. Very good in loose sand and rocks, found them more than manageable in mud and slippery trails too. Highly recommended.

[@SupRBeeADV]

i had just the opposite in loose sand & thin rocks. front wanted to wash out a lot

[@sharplanceforge1898]

@@SupRBeeADV Hey there. Are you also riding a Tenere 700, or different bike? Questioning because of the difference in what you and @Wayne Bartlett state on performance.... apples to apples you know! :-) I am still riding my stock Perelli's at 4000 miles on my '21 T7, and looking for an above average tire.

[@richardthomas2095]

I have this Dunlop TM on my my T7 front rim. I'm running it on tubeless Alipna T7 wheel sets. It recently replaced the Mitas E-10 front I had on, which I only got 3,100 miles on it. The Dunlop TM front did well on hard pack dirt and rocky desert roads. I mounted it myself. Just as hard to install as the Mitas stiff tires. It seated well on the first try. It would break a little loose earlier than the Mitas E-10 on some the loose turns, but I could feel the tire doing so and responded in kind, very predictable no surprises. Never washed out on me on my Labor day ADV trip. I did not hit long stretches of deep sand yet, it did well in the sandy sections I rode on thus far near Mammoth Lake/ Lone Pine/ Bishop. I really like how they handle the SOCAL grooved highways. Perfect! Concerned with the same Dunlop TM tire for the rear to replace the Mitas E-07+. Doing the rest of the CABDR in Oct, and some of the earlier CABDR sections having miles and miles of deep sand. I was thinking a tire with more aggressive rear tire tread pattern. I'll shall see if I put the Dunlop TM on the rear for the CABDR.

[@sonajuma]

Heading to Labrador next week to travel the Muskrat Falls transmission line, 620kms of mixed terrain from Taylor’s Brook to Muskrat Falls Hydro-project. Will give the Dunlop TMs a good run on the Tenere and also on my buddys big GS.

[@markthomas2166]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS BRET! As a daily rider back and forth to work - at a motorsports dealership! What I love about my Missions the most is the wear! I'm pushing 14,000 miles on my '21 V-Strom 650 XT! Been riding for 30 years but new to the ADV scene so I'm mainly riding on gravel and part of the KAT a few times a year. I CAN'T WAIT to ride it in the PNW! I want to RIDE through some of the national forests I've been through in my Tacoma! 😎

[@davebrown3957]

Thanks for the excellent video Bret. I put a set of these on a few months ago and just completed a coast to coast Canadian ride on my GSA. Although up there in terms of cost, these tires performed beyond my expectations and I’m a huge fan. To echo a few of your comments, I found the front tire tracked well through all off road conditions and in particular, over grated bridges and groved highway sections. The front tire is a bit noisy but no more so than other similar tires at this level. Overall, I recommend these as a top choice for long distance travelling both on and off road.

[@paul.vanhout57]

My observations are similar other than the noise you mentioned and the fact you work them harder than I do🙂

[@kevink6021]

I have these on my 2015 Tiger 800XCx and have over 3k miles on them. I live in east TN so lots of access to twisties and off-road rides. These are definitely the best adventure tires I have ridden on giving me what I need where I ride. Off-road they perform as needed giving stability and traction. Only once did they surprise on a wet hard packed dirt trail when the back end slide out from underneath me resulting in a spinout and fall. Maybe too much throttle on my part. In the twisties I have learned that if I am riding hard and leaned over the rear slips but recovers quickly. On the road I can definitely tell the front is a knobby. I am guessing they will last at least 2-3 times more than any other adventure tire I have had based on where they are at. Despite these nits, these are great! I recommend these to my fellow adventure riders.

[@rallye81]

I swapped my stock tires out on my 20 Tiger 900 RP as soon as I bought it with Dunlop Trailmax Missions. I ran them over the last year primarily on pavement with one-up with luggage and heavy two-up. I did get them off road several times and was impressed with their handling at everything I threw at them. I just started the TAT today and swapped them out for MotoZ Adventures. I got over 18,500 miles on the Dunlops, with probably near 2,000 left on the tires. I very likely will be going back to them after I complete the TAT.

[@bradleynelson3571]

I did notice the noise on my 850GSA but they were quiet on the 700GS, so could be the 21” tire. Very happy with them so far. But still run Shinko 804/805 on the tube tire bike due to the near run flat capability of this tire stiffness.

[@craigroberts7037]

Put Trailmax Missions on my Triumph GT Pro at 4000 miles. They are a bit noisy, but I can't tell the difference from the stock in the twisties. So far I love these tires. Only have about 1000 on them and now recovering from shoulder surgery but can't wait to put some more gravel in my travel. 70yo retired FF enjoying the ride!

[@ShutterRev]

Agree with your comments Bret, I ran these basically on a dare in the Geico Rally two years back and anything we rode I ended up being genuinely surprised at how good these are for not being knobby tires. Handily the best 50/50 tire for adv's out there, their handling and grip far exceeds expectations on and off road, relatively high mileage to boot. They are easy to mount on tube type rims, I have also mounted them for friends with the tubeless wheels, its a little extra effort but not terrible. Great set of tires.

[@BretTkacs]

Perfect summary

[@darrylcombe2469]

Massive respect for you installing these yourself at the dealership parking lot.

[@jeffowens2608]

Thanks!

[@michaeleuzent745]

I'm a Seattle ferry commuter during the week, moto-hooligan by weekend, using one bike to do it all. I've been running these tires since they started selling them. I have them on my KTM 990. They're great until it rains, then the back tire's rubber is too hard to grip well. I take them off all winter because the rain performance is borderline unacceptable.

[@MWitt-wl7ob]

Well that's disappointing to hear... I'm north of you on Vancouver Island and commute all year round on my KLR, exploring offroad on weekends. It's hard to find ADV tires that are still good for cold weather rain performance

[@Chris.Mechanic]

@@MWitt-wl7ob Agree... What is your best option so far?

[@elitekingcobra]

@@Chris.Mechanic You can try Karoo Street

[@afryftw]

I went through nasty red deep sand in southern Utah, if you know you know, fully loaded Africa twin and these did phenomenal . Riding hot hot hot sw USA pavement and the tread ware is very minimal . These tires are awesome

[@ParkerHale06]

Thank you very much Bret. I am actually installing my second set of TrailMax Mission on my Tiger 800 XcX after a bit over 14 291 miles (23 000 km), so ... I love them. I could have easily done 15 000 but a 1/4 inch hole in the front tire forced me to replace them. By the way the rear (17 inch) was a bit less worn than the front (21 inch) for the same mileage. Yes in mud and soft sand they are trickier than full knobbies but nevertheless manageable, at least in my experience. Regarding the noise I found 2 steps, the first 160 miles or so, and after. After this first 160, the tire was less noisy and less harsh on irregularities in pavement, rather close to a not too bad street tire, same thing for corner abilities. Another trick I discovered, they don't need stock air pressure. For me they ran better with 15% less pressure than stock ; I ran the rear at 36 instead of 42 and the front at 30 instead of 36, even loaded with luggage. This way they were still quiter, more comfortable and off-roading is improved. I began running those pressures probably at around 600 - 700 miles and kept it that way until the end ; doesn't seem to impair longevity. On accasions I also ran much lower pressures depending on conditions but almost never on pavement. But ... the rear tire is definitely a pain to install and especially even more to remove after 14 000 miles of heating. If I remember correctly my old set was a bit easier to install when new than my new set. I had a flat in front and found it manageable to repair "on the go". I never experienced a flat repair on the go with the rear one but if this happens I expect a hard time, somehow like many things ... doable. Bottom line as long as I will ride like I do ( around 50%, maybe a bit more, of my bike time on pavement) I won't look anywhere else ; I don't like knobbies at all on the road. Last thing, here in Canada (Québec) they are much more affordable than Motoz and Michelin, another plus. Keep on your excellent work Bret and again thank you for your professionnalism !

[@ParkerHale06]

May 25th 2023: After having manually installed 3 sets (front and rear) of these tires, I must retract a bit from what I already said. The new generation of these tires is not anymore for the do-it-yourselfer, they almost have to be installed with a tire machine. Dunlop has changed something and now the rear tire is way too stiff for a straightforward manual installation, the front one is still "doable" though. Of course ... with a lot of cursing and some scratches on the rim... you will get the job done on the rear tire, but much harder than many other good brands. So on the trail, I hope I will never face a problem with the rear tire. The first set I got 2 years ago and of which I previously spoke 1 month ago, was stiffer than most, but still manually doable. In the last 4 weeks I installed 2 other sets and man were the rear tires tougher to install than anything else I have ever installed, to the point I swore I won't buy another set of these tires. As the dust is now settling down, I still praise them for their riding qualities, like I previously wrote a month ago but for me now ... I will seriously and objectively evaluate switching to something else after my present set. I hope Dunlop will read this.

[@billyhume59]

Your review for this tire was bang on the money . I have a set on my T7 and really loved them so much so have just ordered a set for my Pan America .. From a safety stand point . I had a picked up a nail at 130kph + rode for a further 50kms at at least 100kph and the tire handled it like a champ. Put in a new tube and the tire was still like new . This is a very good 50/50 Tire . Properly because I live in New Zealand a very long way from where the tire was made . The cost including tax and fitting for the T7 was $700NZ$ and for the Pan America $900NZ$ . Expansive yes . But with more than twice the life span of most other main brands . ... Thank you for your content I have learned a grate deal from your Chanel . Cheers Billy

[@robertcabot7466]

Great review Bret! These tires are way better than stock Avons on my 790 S. Quite impressive on dual riding with full load. Longevity is amazing but careful on a cold rainy day with the rear.

[@MarcSherwood]

I've had them on for about 1500KM so far and quite like them. We did a 500KM FSR and some trails recently and I had no complaints at all. They are work well on the twists.

[@FloridaDualSport]

Dunlop is my go to tire! Why? I run D606 on my KTM 500, And found out after the ride I had been riding on a tire that had no air. That stiff sidewall saved me from a tire repair in the woods. So the Trailmax sounds like a great tire too. Thx Keith!!

[@robertkelsow-geall7395]

Big fan of these. On my 2nd set now. First set I got 16,000klms. This tire seems to find traction in the dirt more than others that I've used. Tractionator GPS and E07

[@TheBudor]

Had my eyes on these ever since they came out. Appreciate your review on them Bret. I’m almost done with my stock tires & I’ll surely get this set next.

[@johnhoaglun1]

I am riding a 790 Adventure S. I recently switched from the Trailmax Mission over to K60 Scout on the front and rear for riding the Continental Divide trail and then slab back to Texas. Both are long mileage tires that are very good mixed use tires as long as you are not in the mud. I will probably put new Trailmax Mission on the bike at the next tire change. I ride 10 to 12 thousand miles a year so the long life is a plus. A once a year tire change is ok in my book. Keep up the great work, I love the videos and podcast.

[@garyswanson5312]

excellent review Bret all your videos are educational and professional. I would like to see you make a video on changing and balancing the stiff type of tires in the field like the Mitas Eo7+ ,TrailMaxMission, k-60s keep up the great work very much appreciated!!

[@badbruise]

Just put a set on my Africa twin……..love em!

[@RonConsumer]

Thanks, Bret... a good thing I have my No-Mar tire changer to break that bead but it's good to know I could change them out with spoons out in the middle of nowhere.

[@PBS19]

I have these on my 2020 Africa Twin and I’m really happy with them so far. I’ve put more than 7,000kms on them and they still look brand new. A good buy and I would get them again.

[@jasonseigfried8941]

i am currently on some shinko e700 on my 08 klr650. when they wear out i am most certainly going for the mission. ive heard nothing but good things about them and they seem to fit the bill for my riding to a T. thank you!

[@stoney3398]

I'm currently on a road trip on my 2020 Tiger 900 Rally Pro, from So Cal to Northern Oregon, and now have about 9,000 total miles on my set. Unbelievably, they look like they still have about half their tread life left. I'm guessing that I'll probably need to replace the front one first due to the uneven wear that is slowly forming, but the rear is wearing incredibly well. There's no question that I'll replace these (eventually?) with another set of Dunlops. They hit a home run with this tire!

[@rallye81]

I got 18,500 miles out of my set of Missions, on my ‘20 Tiger 900 RP. I am guessing I still had 2,500+ miles left when I swapped them out. Super impressed with them.

[@davidpoffenbarger3686]

Another great and well timed video Brett. Due for a set of tires on my AT and still somewhat new to big bikes, wasn't sure what to choose. Been reasonably happy with the Heidenau scouts but have had really good luck with Dunlops on my off road MCs. Based on your recommendation and comments below, I'll give these a try. Thanks and appreciate the information!

[@99len]

Great timing - I have a set waiting to go onto my S10 next week 😎 thank you for the review..

[@ltchobs1]

Have a set on my Tiger 1200, about 4K miles so far, very solid tires, good traction and ride both on and off road. Like / enjoy them much more than the annikee adventure I had a while back. I didn't notice as much initial noise, then again the annikee's squealed for the first 1000 miles so anything would be an improvement.

[@scotttownsend4405]

How did this work in lose gravel roads? I ride on the forest service roads and the Green Diamond logging roads on the Olympic Peninsula and a lot of those dirt roads are maintained with gravel and there is often a layer of 1 to 2 inches of gravel on top of the hard pack. The Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR's I Have on my ATAS do good in most places but on that surface. There they feel like they are floating and I really have to be careful to be able to corner without drifting way off my intended line. Other than that surface I like those tires.

[@Anatoli50]

I installed a set on my Africa Twin a couple months ago. A great 50/50 tire. The predictability when pushed hard on the pavement is perhaps the best attribute. Off road is fair to good , depending on air pressure. Similar to the Heideneau K 60 Scout but quieter up front, and more traction out back. I expect similar mileage too, 6-9000 miles per set. You get what you pay for with these tires.

[@markthomas2166]

Bret - you're on an ADV bike! I'm surprised you're complaining about the noise they make. I have oversize aggressive tires on my 4WD Tacoma. I love the sound it makes going down the road. It's no different on my '21 V-Strom 650XT Adventure! I love the Mission's on it. 😎

[@techdragn]

I put a set of these on last year, in preparation for my first long solo trip. I put 2500 miles on in 8 days. Overall, a good tire. Off road is good, pavement was good. They handled well at 80 mph. Sand is their kryptonite. The one time I went down all year, was in sand. Utah sand. Deep mud is also not a strong point. I still prefer the E07s, but I could be convinced to put these back on

[@jan_the1667]

Thanks to your realistic and unbiased review I just selected my 2022 tyres. Keep up the good work!

[@NativeOfTheLand97]

Ive been running the Dunlop rear with an anakee wild up front on my KTM 690 for about 7000 miles coming off a TKC 80. First off its noticeably heavier. So much so i actually noticed less agressive acceleration. It grips on the road in any condition and corners well in any condition. It makes noise but isnt loud. It still has atleast half the original tread depth after some hard riding. When the tire was new i took it on a 250 miles section of SOAL ( southren ohio adventure loop) it catches decent in mud but it makes a huuuuge mess. The most impressive thing i can say about it is it made it up a sheer incline of wet shale with about a foot deep zig zag rain wash out no problem where the dude i was riding with looped out on a more aggressive knobby. This tire is pricey but worth every cent. It is more capable than i am as a rider.

[@randythorson820]

I've been running them on my 1290 SAS. I did a 4600 mile ride, mostly paved, from NM through Northern Idaho, to the coast, down to Cali, and back home. Great tire, and hardly even showed any wear. It even does well in the rain. Currently I'm doing a lot of desert sand and dirt riding on it. It hooks up surprisingly well out here in NM. Very happy with the Dunlops.

[@billcag]

I’ve been running a set on my Ténéré 700 (covered 11,000km) and agree with everything you mentioned. Great large Adv bike tyres. I would certainly fit another set to the T7. Thanks for the review.

[@andreasgtech]

Thinking of getting a set for my T7 as well, how are they holding up at 11,000 km?

[@billcag]

@@andreasgtech The tyres are wearing very well. I’d say they are about 50% worn. After 11,000km. Bret’s comments regarding weight and sidewall stiffness is VERY true.

[@rallye81]

I am going to need a set of new tires for my T7 this summer. Did you stick with the 150 rear tire width or drop to a 140?

[@billcag]

@@rallye81 Hi, I stayed with the 150 for the T7 as that was the size recommended for the bike and am very happy with that size Cheers

[@josersofia9194]

Hi! Also riding a T7, considering swapping to TM from OEM Pirellis, front tire is annoyingly too loud for me at my usual cruising speed (~110km/h)... How do you compare both on this regard? Cheers!

[@enduromotorradtouren]

Thanks for your clear words on the Mission tire. And all of your hard work going into this channel. Günter from Nürnberg/Germany

[@DanielA25584]

I used a rear Trailmax and front tkc 80 from Colorado to Oregon on the TAT. Great all around. Not very confident once I hit the sand in MOAB. I’m very happy with them.

[@davereinhart9933]

I love mine and will probably replace with the exact tire. The one negative I have noticed is they do not like tar snakes. They are the best tire I have found for the terrain I find on the high desert trails of SW Idaho and commuting. Good job Dunlop. Do not change a thing! I can put up with tar snakes.

[@davidryall1082]

I've heard others say the same thing but I've never had any issue with tar snakes... quite the opposite in fact.

[@chriswildt3101]

I have had a similar experience with tar snakes with the Dunlops. Especially in very hot weather. The rest of the time they are excellent though. Riding up in the mountains on pavement or up to up the backside into trinity lakes in the dirt-awesome! My 09 BMW R1200gsa loves them

[@richardthomas2095]

So far no problems with tar snakes in hot August SOCAL roads and fwy on ramps leaned over.

[@johnbredenkamp3805]

I fitted these tyres to my Truimph Tiger 900 and doing an extensive trip in 2 days . At the outset I did NOT find them noisy as you claimed especially against Mitas 7 plus . . I will however provide an independant view after this trip which will cover app 2000 km of which 70% will be dirt ( Namibia) . The stiff sidewall you complained about is actually an advantage as the sidewalls are reinforced hence minimizes potetial sidewall cuts

[@RugerM77]

I had these on my Africa Twin. Great tires. I didn’t think they were any louder than other tired I’ve used. Great everywhere except deep mud but that’s not what they were made for.

[@tacohofkamp]

Thanks for this video and your insight. I really like your perspective around adventure riding. I have these tires on my '11 Triumph Tiger 800Xc. I really love them, but still changed the rear tire for the Bridgeston AX41 for a trip to Sweden. Because the Missions do no perform very well in the wet grass en mud. And I didn't know what to expect in Sweden. Turned out it was a great combination, the Mission in the front and the AX41 in the rear. because

[@spokewanderer]

Great review! Have em on my Multi 950 and happy with them. Unfortunately here in Europe off pavement riding is in almost all places not allowed. To bad....