Tusk DSport Tires -- A New Dual Sport Benchmark?

[@BigRockMoto]

Order your parts and riding gear using this link to support Big Rock Moto. Please bookmark it! While there is zero cost to you and nothing will be visible on your end, my channel receives a small commission from each sale which I invest back into content creation. www.rockymountainatvmc.com/?ref=1053&BigRockMoto&

[@take5th]

Drz400S, second set of DSports. First set lasted 5000 miles with 80% on road and 20% actually on dirt. They are excellent on and off road, and last forever. Great value. They are really stiff so i run them 18R and 22F, just a Suzuki recommends and find it perfect most of the time. The only rear I found near as good off road is Pirelli scorpion pro, but cost twice as much, last half as long, and traction falls off quick at the margins.

[@johnebinger3324]

Have these on my Husaberg FE450, it has slowly become a dual sport bike. I have probably 500 miles on these tires and absolutely love them, 400ish miles has been on the road. The rest of the miles is two track type trails and they do great on and off the road.

[@seanoleary1979]

I know this is an old thread, but I tried the Tusk D Sport rear and love it! I run a Michelin Anakee Wild up front as friends who used the Tusk front tire said that the Anakee is unequivocally more stable in turns.

[@edfeten4724]

I have been running the Kenda K270 front and rear. I have 5k miles on them. The rear still has tread but I will be replacing soon. I am happy with them for all around use. I have a spare back wheel with a D606 for rides that involve more off road.

[@danmanthe9335]

Thanks for the review. I think once the tires are near the end of their life s follow up review would be helpful. Miles. Continuing impressions, damage etc.

[@CrawdaddyChris]

I was going to mention balancing the front wheel but you addressed that near the end of the video. I’ll have to give them a shot. Thanks Ian!

[@PennsylvaniaDualSport]

The front end wobble.. not sure what your street pressure usually is but I’ve found around 22 psi is more stable than 25 psi with that tire 👍. 10 rear 12 front for trail

[@SnowAviation]

The Kenda 270's are still available but I don't think they are as popular as they once were. I still run'em, but I'm old and don't ever change anything...

[@efrey614]

I run them as well on 2 different bikes a plated Wr250f and a crf250l. I have 2 sets of wheels for each bike but I have K270's mounted up on one set of wheels for each bike, and can say for sure that I would choose the k270 over everything else if I could only choose one type of tire. Performs well 90% of conditions for me, and if it was in a dry environment they would perform well 100% of the time. Thick sticky mud that wont clear out of the closer knob pattern is the only time I have any trouble with them and I rip on them on the wr250f just like I would on a mx tire back when I raced Mx. The Track master 2 tires I also run on the wr250f are better off road in Pennsylvania for sure but they wear out too fast for me on the road traveling 8 miles to get to where I ride the bike off road, so most of the time I leave the k270's on my off road leaning bike. I am not Old yet but I see no need in changing tires when the tire performs well.

[@KLRmurdercycle]

The k270 rear is my go to tire. I experiment with the front. I really like the D605 on the front. Seems less washy than the k270 in trails but still gets the mileage. The Tusk looks like a good option but shipping to Canada isn't worth it. The k270 aren't as popular, but the places I get them from seems to always carry them😌 More for me.

[@martychin9496]

We balance all tires helps with stability and longevity. We noticed with the 606 the front end wobble with bike manufacturers higher front tire pressure, drop down to 20 or 19 eliminated the wobble.

[@conawayjb]

I've had mine on the KLR for 1500 miles and yes mine are balanced and still had a bit of wobble that got better as they wear but they are wayyy better than the tkc80's I had on, I had to get rid of them after 500 miles because of the death wobble on the street above 60mph. They were extremely dangerous so I'm very happy with the dsports so far especially considering the price, you can't go wrong

[@petezny4343]

Well based on Ian's review I spooned these on my KLX300 to replace the stock Dunlop D605s. Off road it's night and day. I ran these up to a great enduro loop with rocky climbs (tons of baby heads), rock ledges, mud. water and damp sand. And they performed great, much better than the D605s as should be expected. However I hate them on the street. I have lost all confidence at highway speeds, these tires wooble and hunt all over and they grab seams and groves. With the D605s I would run at 70 and feel totally confident, one these I'm on edge. On the twisties they are worse; weird turn in, strange transition at about 10 degrees of lean and occasionally when leaned over they push you to a deeper lean. Very unnerving. I did balance the tires and they are mounted straight. So I would highly recommend these tires but only to those who are running them almost entirely off road. If you don't live anywhere near the good trails and use your bike onroad a lot I would skip these.

[@Daltonleach11]

I wonder if the rear with a different front might make a good combo? I've heard the front has more issues than the rear.

[@z33tanner]

This review has me sold putting these on my DRZ400S. I ride on MX tracks, trails, but also commute so i want a knobby and deal with less performance on road.

[@FlyingMonkeyAdventureRiders]

I have gone through two sets and the front end wobble does decrease as the tires wear.

[@drrider1658]

For what they cost they seem to be the best deal in the market for a more off road biased dual sport tire. If they are Chicom made I would not buy them though no matter how good of a deal.

[@bradsanders6954]

The shinko big block I tried,the front was about the size tire for a 125. Wasnt supposed to be but thats what it looked like.........real low profile. I bought it,and I sold it. I will try some of these Tusk Tires. Balance can make a huge difference.

[@osimnod]

Heard about these in an email from RMATVMC. They look like a serious off-road biased DS tire. Depending on your riding, I'd rather have good traction in the dirt and sacrifice on-road durability, especially at that price point. Hope they have sizing for 2003 KTM 640 ADV.

[@quintanakoiponds]

I had the d606 on my drz 400 and got 2000 miles on those I’m 120 pounds I ride 7 Miles to the trails then I just got the motoz Ht and I’m at 600 miles at 50% tread left

[@sandorsamitches1623]

Update?

[@dk.650]

Front does look narrow innyoir video. Balance your wheels on a dual sport, it helps. Not needed on a plastic.

[@ethanlancaster76]

A narrow front tire is actually better at tracking and keeping your line straight letting the rear tire push the bike forward. The fatty front tires were terrible at tracking off-road for me at least.

[@orangelion03]

Thanks! Didnt know these existed. Currently run 606 on my XRL and need to replace them soon. Was considering a 606/MT21 combo but will check these out. The prices are ridiculous...buy a set for the price of a 606 rear.

[@TheMotivationFallacy]

So you still feel the same about the D Sport 3 years later? Looking g to make a purchase for my XR600R. Need a street tire that does well on loose/wet/and hardpack. As well as short street miles.

[@ShabbernigdoXingjian]

My klr feels the same after i went to the shinko 244's any little disturbance makes it want to wobble on the highway.

[@rojodogg]

Agree with you about the 805 rear on my KLR gen 1.

[@lol123321123321]

That comment you made about freeway speeds and the light front end sensation and/or wobble is 100% the front tire. They are dang near an exact copy cat of the dunlop d-606 and that is a known issue of the front tire. This is why most people recommend a d-606 rear but a different front. For example the d-606 rear and pirelli mt-21 front were a super common combination years ago. Decent street wear without compromising offroad capability. However, For the price, the tusk D/S tires are excellent lol.. Half the price for the front than enduro motoz

[@toddkroll321]

Hello, I have I have d606/21 on my drz and it wobbles like mad in the sand and loose terrain. To the point of ridiculous. I was here looking for a new front tire. M21 wants to washout all over the place. Kinda hate that tire really.

[@toddkroll321]

That's Dunlop d606 rear perelli m21 front. Can not recommend the Perelli. That tire is garbage.

[@GiorgosC-rp5ms]

i do the d sport in rear and 606 in front for all my duel sports

[@screaminsal]

This is my second set of tusk tires..... Maybe I'll try some Shinkos next.....😝

[@jinxie1979]

Just wondering what your final impressions are, do you still recommend these tires? Cheers!

[@jcf6597]

I'm looking at buying a new CRF 300 Rally and it seems that the factory tires aren't great so I was considering switching out the tires right away. What would be your 2 recommendations for the CRF 300 Rally in a 60 dirt/40 highway scenario? Do you find that tires act differently on different bikes, ie. the best performing tires on one bike may not be the best on another bike? Thanks in advance.

[@huntoutwest6091]

So how many miles do you have on them now?

[@240adam]

I've been running these on my wr450. They are my favorite DS tire, they hookup good in everything especially the street and they last a long time too. I've ran every DS tire you can think of, but I would pick these over all the rest.

[@josephwinkler4863]

Adam are they noisy on the street?

[@huntoutwest6091]

How many miles are on the set now?

[@djwilson48625]

I'm not impressed with them on my 09 KLR. Too loose on all terrain. It's like riding on marbles.... Feels like it wants to just slip out from under me, even on gravel roads.

[@2wheels836]

I agree with this comment. That is how I would describe the feel of these on my WR250R. I ride about 90% dirt. I dropped tire pressure down to 15psi, it helped a lot but should have gone with the MT21s that I have run on a DR before and loved them. My brother has the same bike with 606s on it and the tusk look like a copy but do not feel the same at all. I do like the rear tire, I will post up a review of them when I get about a 1000 miles of dirt on them.

[@IAmYourReflection]

Weird how reviews vary so much

[@djwilson48625]

@@IAmYourReflection I tried these on my XT350 as well. Same result. I just don't understand how these knobby tires feel like bald street tires on a dirt road, but my old tires (1 deathwing and I forget what rear tire I had) felt so connected. Those old tires were worn down and closer to 50/50 kind of tread.

[@djwilson48625]

@@2wheels836 I rode today. God I hate these tires! Over 1000 miles on them. Seem great on pavement tho!

[@IAmYourReflection]

@@djwilson48625 what tire pressure are you running?

[@PALMER84ONE]

T63 are still available, and I prefer AC10 on my 4 stroke 520RS, Need to balance if you have any shake on the road. I have one of these on the shelf but it will go on a DS YZ325X.

[@Max-ik9qb]

WHERE are T63s "still available"

[@jimstenlund6017]

T63 was a really tough tire, but hard to mount/dismount for me. 130-80-18.

[@john_anders]

thanks for the eloquent review. will take these into high consideration for my next set of tires.

[@d3vlau]

Did you put the 130/90-17 on your KLR? that's the only one on the page rockymountain that can fit the KLR even though isn't the OEM size

[@BigRockMoto]

yes and it fit fine for me

[@kyjelly5524]

I just got these. The dealer put 36psi in them. Sketchy as fuck. Seems like they are dancing under me. I lowered them to 25 and it’s still sketch. What do you guys run pressure wise? I’m 220 lbs in a drz. I also had them balanced.

[@IAmYourReflection]

That's what another guy said above Yet others have said then complete opposite Weird eh? I think I'll pass for now

[@IAmYourReflection]

Any better yet??

[@kyjelly5524]

@@IAmYourReflection I rode about 300 miles on them. They got much better on the street. Still kinda sketchy in the dirt. I’m still running 19 psi. I know that’s a lot for dirt but I like to ride on and off toad multiple times per ride. And I always bash into rocks lol. I’m riding tomorrow and I’m planning on mostly dirt. I’ll drop them to 15 and see how it does. They definitely grip better than stock going up and down steep hills. It’s just turning on dirt that scares me. It’s so dry here in the desert I bet they will be better once we get the first rain. It went from 90s to 50s Fahrenheit in 2 weeks. But no rain or now yet. Send me a message tomorrow about the ride so I remember to update you.

[@IAmYourReflection]

I thought they might be a good replacement for the d606, or that's what I had read anyways.. But it doesnt sound like they're as good off road? I also run 20psi since I have to travel tarmac to get to the trails, and for maximum tire life Thanks!

[@kyjelly5524]

@@IAmYourReflection I’ve never tried the d606. I hear the rear is awesome but the front sucks. Idk.

[@edfeten4724]

I just ordered a front. We'll see how it goes. I'm curious as to why you don't run rim locks? I don't either on my KLR but was curious to see why you don't. I know you have done lots of off road miles on your KLRs.

[@IAmYourReflection]

I've read the front doesnt grip as well in the dirt and wears quick?

[@edfeten4724]

@@IAmYourReflection Okay I just got done installing the front tire. It was a lot more work than installing the Kenda 270. But also I just installed a larger rotor on the wheel so I felt a little more restricted with the tire irons.

[@IAmYourReflection]

@@edfeten4724 what's your opinion of these tires.on and off road so far?

[@edfeten4724]

@@IAmYourReflection I've only ridden a few times since installed. I feel more vibration on the street, but pretty good on fire roads.

[@adventurewellcoachingforhe3443]

How is the road noise with these on the KLR? One thing I like about the 805 is that it’s quiet on road on my KLR. I would try these but I don’t want a loud tire.

[@djwilson48625]

LOUD

[@josephwinkler4863]

Are they noisy on the street?

[@BigRockMoto]

yes, like all knobbies, but not too bad

[@spacetruckin6555]

Where are they made? Thanks for the info, much appreciated!

[@BigRockMoto]

I believe China but I could be wrong

[@ferkuzuel]

I have the same issue of wobbling at over 60mph on my drz400

[@mt1885]

Does it make it run all over the road or just poor tire quality?

[@ferkuzuel]

@@mt1885 It ended up being the rim that was a little bent, but I went a head and got a 50/50 tire instead anyway

[@mt1885]

@@ferkuzuel You get the TUSK or another one want to get rid of the original tires on the DRZ400S the stock ones are horrible

[@ferkuzuel]

I went and got the continental tkc80, they are a little more expensive, but they are worth it

[@ferkuzuel]

Update ! My drz400 is back on the road,I still have tusk tire on the back wheel, tkc80 in the front, the tusk tire feels unstable after 65 MPH it wants to follow the cracks and imperfections of the road, but after all it is a 20 % on road and 80% off-road so for that purpose it does it's job I guess

[@edfeten4724]

How do you like the LEX exhaust on your KLR?

[@DirtRider22a]

I ran one on my KLR and loved it!!

[@ethanlancaster76]

Thanks for this video, I’m sub’d!

[@DarrellMayhem74]

Dsport 90/90 ❓❓❓

[@RadioReprised]

This is a stiff tire.......you need 14 or 15 pounds. 20+ is just too much if you want grip.

[@tivowillieb]

Update?