I work at the factory that makes these tires. Im the millwright that actually works on these curing presses that cook the tires. Let me tell you. They do not fuck around with quality control. Im constantly monitoring pressures and temperatures. The slightest issue that press is shut down and it will not run again until it is back in spec. Preventive maintenance is top notch calibration. Then it goes through 4 different inspection processes. Including xray and an outsider that also checks all our tires. Everyday we are doing cure studies and compound tests. Not because I work there. But If even i was fired. Id still ride Dunlop. I didnt before. I bought my speed triple with Bridgestone. And switched to a Dunlop. And wow cornering was soooooo much better. Thats its Dunlop for life. I was a union steamfitter that was tired of working the winters in cold buildings. Dunlop took my application and the rest is history. Great paying job they treat us good. We have 1500 people working non stop. Most of us are motorcycle riders. So we care we also make the tires that we run on our bikes. Plus our AT3 truck and race tires tires are fantastic. And thank you to everyone who buys Dunlop. Youre supporting 1500 hard working people that are also enthusiasts of performance cars and motorcycles. Thank you for your support. I, we, appreciate all of you who support our products that we care so much about. And run on our machines of our own as well.
I had the Dunlop Trailmax Mission tires on my 2018 R1200 GS for my Alaskan trip last year. 5 weeks and 10,000 miles and those tires were the perfect tire for that trip. People were getting flats, some were swapping out tires in Whitehorse or Fairbanks and others were complaining about the gravel but the ones who had the Dunlop Mission tires had no issues. If your planning a trip to Alaska those are the tires to install.
Here in interior Alaska I run Dunlop D606’s front and rear on my dual sport (Suzuki DRZ400S) and they are a great aggressive 10/90 tire that is street legal in the US. They are not much fun above 60mph on tarmac, but are awesome on the dirt, rocky and slippery trails, and generally off road fun.
I've got a pair of Mutants on my MT10SP, and they're phenomenal. It's solid and well controlled on dirt roads (important on a *very* high powered bike for dirt) but what really shocked me is that they are absolutely smooth and quiet on road, and can keep up with the MT10 being ridden hard. 80:20 is fair, but it kind of understates just how great they are as a sport touring tire as well. I used to run Road 6's (and 5's and 4's before then) and they are 100% as good on the road as Michelin Roads are, and that's high praise. I don't even particularly like Dunlop tires as a general rule. But the Mutants are MUCH better than you'd expect.
Had TrailMax mission, had on them over 8K miles on 50/50 terrain in Colorado, aggressive riding on sharp rocks, gravel over high elevation passes without problems, the more aggressive tires in line up just came to States .... cool overview, cheers V!
I have a Ktm 690 and don’t get off-road very often but I do use it to commute to work as much as possible. I got “tired” of replacing rear knobby tires every 2000 miles or less so I went with the Dunlop Missions and they’ve been fantastic.
Been riding Trailmax Missions for about 7k mikes on my ‘21 Rally Pro. Tremendous wear, I will probably do over 10k on them. A little rumbly during a hard lean. But excellent feel and outstanding off road performance. Handled hub deep muck/mud with ease. Actually everything I threw at it, the tire handled it. I’ll be going to the Raid on my next set for more extended off piste time.
Had Mutants on my 990 supermoto for about 6 months and they are fantastic. High speed stability is improved, cornering grip is more confidence inspiring and they look great.
I was under the impression the mission tires are 50/50 Anywho worked well for me, Van BC to Dempster TuK, Tow to Tok, Denali, Anchorage, ALaska HWY Jasper and Back to Van. Still going strong.
The US marketed the Mission as “50/50” so the new Raid is now called 60/40 dirt/street. Also, the D908RR comes in tube type only I believe. All great tires!
I fit the Trailmax Meridians to my Triumph Street Scrambler, as I only ever used it on the road. The grip is immense. The footpegs were the only limitation on corners, and not even a hint of tramlining. Total confidence in the wet too. Superb tyres. I never really got on with the stock Metzeler Tourances, so the Dunlops were transformational.
Currently have the Trailmax Mixtour which seems to be the OEM version of the Mission and like those although I think with a few more green lanes I'm riding when I swap the tyres I'm going to go for the Raid which seems absolutely exactly what I'm looking for. Brilliant video, totally to the point and full of amazing detail which has been a massive help, thank you!
Thanks, Tony. Having had scary times on wet roads with the OE Dunlop tyres on an Africa Twin DCT in 2016, I swore off of the brand for evermore. However, my recently purchased Transalp came with OE Trailmax Mixtour and, over 2500kms, I've been pleasantly surprised; although have not yet encountered wet bitumen. Living in rural Australia, my present usage is 60% bitumen and 40% gravel roads. Having been impressed by Pirelli Scorpion STRs on my recently traded Yamaha T7, I had intended replacing the Mixtours with STRs as soon as the wallet allows. Now you've given me food for thought! Probably, I'll pension off the Mixtours at 5000km and then choose between STRs, Bridgestone AX41s, Metzeler Karoo 4s, and (thanks to you) Trailmax Missions. First world problems?
😎👍🇺🇲 Just got a 2021 KTM SMCR. It had a set of Mutants. The rear was worn thin so I replaced it with the same. Due to weather conditions. I haven't had a chance to completely scrub it in. First time in rode it on the practically bald tire in heavy cold rain. It worked will. So I can attest to it's worn out wet traction 😏 Cheers from the PNW Seattle WA area.
I've been very pleased with the Mutants on my R1250GS. The rear is squaring off after 7,500 miles, still some tread remaining but they 'white line' now and tend to follow contours a bit. I replaced the OA A41's with the Mutants, Could not put my finger on it but I was not a fan of the A41's replacing them early at 3,500 miles. Still deciding what tyre to go for now but it will probably be the Mutant's again as I found them very secure in the wet and on dry roads. I do a lot of single track lanes with gravel, mud and moss down the centre and ride all year round.
In the last year I put 8K miles on a set of TMM on my Tiger 1200 XC. Excellent 70/30 tire. Just upgraded to the Raids. Looking forward to a little more traction in the off road sections. I will say that I was able to push the Missions as hard as any pure street tire on the twisties with no problems. Hard packed dirt was a blast, but sand/mud was sketchy.
Nice overview of the Dunlop adventure spectrum. Looking at the Trailmax Raids for my KTM 690. Seems to get good reviews in the twisties as well as off road.
Appreciate the tires description…direct and to the point, bought a set of Trailmax missions, ‘18 R1200 GSA…loved the road manners, dirt and gravel…but greasy clay dirt on the Off-road where I live or sand was disappointing performance TBH, as was very tail happy, a 250 dirt bike great fun, a 600 pound ADV lots of extra work…replaced honestly with Anakee wilds, loud as heck on road, but great off road on dirt/sand…noise or heavy rain riding never an issue on the missions overall liked them -mounting though is a bugger, and now the raid comes out :) maybe add another set to the tire rack. Thx again…look forward to more of your reviews!
Earlier, I believe Dunlop was calling the Trailmax Mission a 50/50 tire. Did they back off of that. I’d agree though, that it is more 70/30 or at best 60/40. I had those on a BMW F850 GSA I owned and ran them 4000 miles before Imtraded the bike in on a R1250 GS. I rode the F850 on plenty of dirt and rock crumble/small gravels roads in Wyoming and an BLM 2 tracks. Never any issues. That is why I had dealer change out the Bridgestone Battlax 41’s on the new R1250 GS to Dunlop Trailmax Missions.
Thanks for the nice tire review. I'm currently a couple sets into the Mission on my R1250GS. You note that the side knobs on the mission can help pull you out of a rut. Is the same true on the Trailmax Raid? (The back tire gets you into trouble, the front tire gets you out.) Interesting that you mention the good looks (and good performance) of the Mutant. Good looks is important in tires designed for stylized "scrambler" bikes. They do have a nice flat-track look.
I had Trail Mission on my Super Tener and also in my GS 1250. I have mixed feelings about it. Yes they offer great grip but they are very noisy on the tarmac. I don't think I will install them again. Thanks as always for your very informative video. Ride safe Damian
Thanks for the review. Just put a new Battlax Adventure A41 on my GSA to use up the long remaining life on the rear tire, then switching the pair - was thinking Missions but since my riding is almost all road, the Meridians or even Mutants may be a better choice for me.
I did a lot of mileage on Meridians on my KTM and they were great. As are the Mutants I have on an Interceptor 650. The latter won't offer quite the mileage of the meridians, but they are lovely riding tyres
Fitted the Mutant tyres on my Duke 390 (naked bike) , very happy about them. No issues with gravel and wet and they went fine on a track (went on track twice, once in the rain). They look awesome but I don"t think I'll take them adventuring (never mind the bike isn't really suited for it either)
I know this is 8 months old , I’m on my second set of Trailmax missions, I’m in Australia and the rear is probably the longest mileage iv ever got on a tyre . Around 12000km “ a fantastic all around tyre and works well on and off road in everything “ including wet asphalt in twisties “ BUT I think the rearing at the same time is a cop out from Dunlop. The rear Mission is 11.5mm tread and front 8.5mm ( so they wear at same time . I would rather a front last twice as long as the rear . I will put another Trailmax mission on again - rear only and put put the raid on the front . Hopefully will last twice as long .
This may be the answer I’m looking for to replace the OEM Bridgestone Battleax Adventure A41 on the Tiger 900 RP, no confidence cornering in the rain with them
Thanks for making the effort creating this video! Had a Mutant on a modified Speed Triple 1050, what a blast!! Hammering the corners, cold, wet and even better in the dry. Can you say something sensible about one of these on a bike like KTM 990 Adventure, I want better asphalt corner grip then a Heidenau and more off road fun, I totally do NOT care about millage, more grip, more fun and happily stay somewhere an extra night enjoying a beer while mounting a new set of tires on my journey :)) Your advice/50ct doesn't have to be limited to Dunlop btw ;) Thanks and highly appreciated, cheers
Thanks for your kind words, I’m running the Trailmax Raids on my Africa Twin and love them. Good on the tarmac for a 50/50 and copes with offrad with the exception of thick mud.
@@mancavemoto how hard can you push them in the dry through the corners on asphalt? I did a couple trips through Pico de Europa in northern Spain and I had Heidenau K60 Scout tires, those are not the best in the world in respects to cornering, but I was able to push them controllable hard on the mountain passes/twisties, especially they would give good feedback when starting to slide so I was able to save the moment. Can you say something about that with these Dunlop's? On the other hand I should just try them
I dont feel they hold me back, I'll push them as hard as i would in normal riding on dry tarmac. Obviously i'm more cautious on wet tarmac, but they are still confidence inspiring
i have the Mission on my tiger 1200. They're a bit noisy on the highway - as to be expected. I'm not doing as much off-road as I thought so I think I'll try the Mutant next. The previous owner had RoadSmart III on the bike - I didn't like they way it handled with those. My Royal Enfield Bullet 500 looks the business with Dunlop K70 Vintage.
Funny how I end up following you with tyres Tony, - and other stuff as well to be honest - not least of which is due to your sterling advice. I have Conti Trail Attack 3's on my Africa Twin. I just re-watched your vid from about the time I put 'em on, and it was your vid that convinced me to try them. They were brilliant on road, but I have around a mile of gravel from leaving home, to the main road, and the Attack 3's are not the best. They have also squared off quite badly at around 5,500 - 6,000 miles too, so I am thinking to follow you again, with "Missions". Sanity check please mate ☺. Cheers
I ran a set of missions on my 21 Africa twin. Great street tires, good on hard packed but sketchy as hell on loose marble sized stuff. Won’t run them again. Maybe try the raids though.
The difference between the Mission and Raid is the one that confused me tbh. The Mutant really appeals to me though as something mildly adventure-y that will fit on more road-focused bikes too.
never tried a dunlop always off the list immedietly due to cost they seem uncompetively priced from my experience, used Mich, Conti, Mitas, wilds, Karoo 3 and T and TkC80 E0 7, 9, 10. would be great if a manufacturer was able use the dual compound process over a wider range of trail tyres, perhaps its impractical for knobblier types. Thanks for the info.
I just put a set of dunlop trailmax raid tires on my 2023 ktm 890 adventure base model and they are great on road but i have noticed in a straight line they seem to be sensitive to steering input a little but still stable in the curves. Did you notice that too on your africa twin also?
That's how they are on my CB500X. Definitely wouldn't want to take these much over 120 km/h as the front doesn't feel very stable. They're also really loud and whine like a siren between 50-75 km/h.
I am thinking of going with Dunlop Meridians on my Africa Twin which never goes off road. I note they are only shown as TL (tubeless) and I need TT (tubed). Where can make some technical enquiries to Dunlop. I've checked their website and can't see a link. Motorcycle tyres being the subject they are, I might just go with your recommendation. Thanks Tony
Ah good question, I assume you can run tubes inside them, but i'm not sure what the tyre bead is set up for. I'll see if I can find out, or you can always e-mail tyre_doctor@dunloptyres.com
Great overview thanks. If you were taking a summer road trip with the first 1250km on motorways / tolls through England and France, followed by the Pyrenees ACT (1000km on and off road) and then roads including the route de grand alps back north. Would you choose the Raids or the Missions ? Thanks!
@@mancavemoto Thanks a lot. I'm worried about squaring them off before I get there but no one else seems to think that's something to worry about 🙂 I'm likely over thinking it!
@cpuuk I saw a harley with them or something similar fitted last night at a meet. I don't get it, people think they look cool but must handle like a sack of shite.
only ones ive run are the trailmax missions , good on pavement tire but not good enough for my wants off and not that long of life was my impression , wish i could see the new more off road version to check tread depth against Motoz
i could be mistaken some on that but i did not like them enough to buy another set , as i recall a good on road tire but not good off road @@divebobber
Not sure what to get as I really could use something of a Jack of all trades. 120/70 17 and 180/55 17. Running in wet snow and chill summers with plenty of rain. I think the mutants aren't cutting it on snow, so I guess it will need to be a courser thread. But, it must have the speed rating of a Yamaha fz6n. I guess I am asking the impossible.
Sir, I own a GS 1250(550 pounds), would you recommend the mutant and/or meridian for my bike? Are the sidewalls firm enough for my beast? Thanks, Marc Quebec, Canada 🇨🇦😉🏍
What else would you say when you are a partner for Dunlop ! I had them on my PA long lasting not much grip now Metzler karroo street more grip looks like less kilometers, perhaps about 1,000 klicks less than the Dunlops.
I bet Dunlop has suffered with tyre sales following the problems with race bike tyres. I've never used Dunlop but would be interested in trying them if there was a good deal to be had.
The Mission is a more road focused than the Raid. I’ve been running a set of Raids on my Africa Twin and they’ve been much better on the road, wet & dry than I expected.
@@mancavemoto But you would still prefer the Missions on the road (just focusing on the road part). My point is, that many reviewers state that de Mission can sometimes feel a little bit wooden due to the durabilitiy / hardness of the tire and i can't quite see a good reason for de Mission despite the longevity. Thank you for your answer!
@toby-wanakyras4125 yes the missions have stiff sidewalls and are built for longevity. If you are only doing the occasional bit of gravel and dry dirt then the Meridians are worth looking at. Very good on dry roads and exceptional in the wet. I had them on a ktm 790 adventure and did lots of reassuring miles in all weathers
I plan to have two sets of tyres, one 90:10 set like the Meridians for most of the riding and occasional gravelroads. For the second set something like the Mission or the Raid for going offroad and a bit of traveling. The tours i did and plan to do aren’t very long. So i can‘t see a valid point for the Missions when the offroad performance of the Raid is better and they‘re nearly the same onroad
Actually there are plenty of dual sport tyres available in an 18 inch. The reason I changed the wheel size was because I wanted to fit a wider tyre and going smaller meant I could retain the same overall diameter and thus not affect the gearing. I did also want to fit the Mutants, but they don’t offer an 18 rear, but they do in all the others in this video
A quick trip to Dunlop's website shows G91YS actually is correct. Click on the adventure category and you will not find the Mutants. They are under the sport/sport touring category.
Was hoping a "Range Guide" would be expected longevity. Not a description of the type of terrain they are good for. I guess range could mean the landscape. FYI, never aired down, on 70% highway, 30% gravel, dirt, imbedded rocks, my missions rear looks to go 12k miles and, at 8K miles, the front is pretty badly cupped. The Raid, I saw one review of someone who just thrashed it on dirt, his Raids, front and rear, are gone at 8k miles. There has to be someone who rides on the freeway long distances to get to where they ride off pavement, but haven't seen one where they wore the tire out and can give a real distance to expect the tire to survive.
Dunlop web sight says this is a 60/40 tire, on the info for the tire it also notes it as a 50/50. Very confusing with so many different conclusions as to what this tire actually is, even on the Dunlop Web sight overview of this tire. I have them on my 1290S and have been happy with there performance both on and off road.
Yep there also seems some variance between the US and EU too. I asked Dunlop UK to clarify their ‘real’ ratings for the tyres before I made the video, and those are the rating ls I used. Mind you the difference between 60/40 and 50/50 would be hard to notice in use
The Mission tyres are definitely NOT a 50:50. They DO NOT handle mud or sand. I would say they are 80:20 road biased. Two bad off-road accidents on the Missions, once surprise sand and the other wet red clay (broken leg).
@@mancavemoto thx I will try 908s. I have used D606 and I like it, but you barely get 3k miles out of the front. Sharp and precise handling, love them. How about 908 with respect to mileage and handling? Thx
I found the missions a bit unforgiving and stiff. Really poor performance in sand and wet. I’d like to try the mutants but not available in my country.
OEM bridgestones on my honda CRF1100 ATAS were horrible. The MERIDIANS are better on gravelroads, and have me keeping up with sportsbikes on asphalt in the curvy roads in the hills. EXCELENT
Aprilia Pegaso Strada 650, two tyres to every rear. Narrow secton and, one side of the Tuono Brembo brakes set up. Bridgestone Battleaxes, switch to Dunlop tyre with rounder profile and increased life span slightly.
I didnt want to go too deeply into the actual construction of the tyres as that would have made the video too long and its no so relevant. Adv tyres tend to be a mix of bias and radial construction depending on size and what they are used for. For example, the Raid 90/90-21 front is bias, but the 19” fronts are radial. With the rears the 130 & 140 width are bias, 150 and above are radial. So its a real mix through the adventure range.
@@mancavemoto Dunlop Sportmax 300 (I think) on my Z900RS (I took them off after 1000 kms) and the Dunlops on my car squealed on nearly every corner - both were replaced with Michelins fairly quickly.
I was using a good quality Rode shotgun mic. I didn’t know what the acoustics were like until I got there and it was a high ceiling room with some echo. Sadly my wireless lav mic refused to connect, so I used the shotgun mic. You’re the first to mention it, and I don’t see it putting people off.
@mancavemoto stupid comment, nothing wrong with the audio. Great info thanks mate. Just researching a set of 50/50 for winter and a Scotland trip in January hopefully. Just ordered a set of Raid for my BMW R1250GS Trophy. Hope they do the job, not seen a negative comment about them yet so fingers crossed. Make a few vids for UA-cam myself so hoping to do one in January if I go. Cheers mate 👍 FB
Yep on adventure bikes ridden aggressively on road particularly, they eat front tyres. Confused me at first, then just accepted two front tyres to one rear is the norm.
I work at the factory that makes these tires. Im the millwright that actually works on these curing presses that cook the tires. Let me tell you. They do not fuck around with quality control. Im constantly monitoring pressures and temperatures. The slightest issue that press is shut down and it will not run again until it is back in spec. Preventive maintenance is top notch calibration. Then it goes through 4 different inspection processes. Including xray and an outsider that also checks all our tires.
Everyday we are doing cure studies and compound tests.
Not because I work there. But If even i was fired. Id still ride Dunlop. I didnt before. I bought my speed triple with Bridgestone. And switched to a Dunlop. And wow cornering was soooooo much better. Thats its Dunlop for life.
I was a union steamfitter that was tired of working the winters in cold buildings. Dunlop took my application and the rest is history. Great paying job they treat us good. We have 1500 people working non stop. Most of us are motorcycle riders. So we care we also make the tires that we run on our bikes. Plus our AT3 truck and race tires tires are fantastic.
And thank you to everyone who buys Dunlop. Youre supporting 1500 hard working people that are also enthusiasts of performance cars and motorcycles. Thank you for your support. I, we, appreciate all of you who support our products that we care so much about. And run on our machines of our own as well.
Thanks for sharing
I had the Dunlop Trailmax Mission tires on my 2018 R1200 GS for my Alaskan trip last year. 5 weeks and 10,000 miles and those tires were the perfect tire for that trip. People were getting flats, some were swapping out tires in Whitehorse or Fairbanks and others were complaining about the gravel but the ones who had the Dunlop Mission tires had no issues. If your planning a trip to Alaska those are the tires to install.
Thanks for sharing!
I used them on my Texas to Alaska and back trip last year. They lasted the whole trip and were flawless on my Moto Guzzi V85.
Here in interior Alaska I run Dunlop D606’s front and rear on my dual sport (Suzuki DRZ400S) and they are a great aggressive 10/90 tire that is street legal in the US. They are not much fun above 60mph on tarmac, but are awesome on the dirt, rocky and slippery trails, and generally off road fun.
Ditto on my Alaska trip last year from SoCal. 8000+ miles and the Missions still looked great when I got home.
What do you give up with such a rigid, stiff sidewall and hard compound of the Mission?
I've got a pair of Mutants on my MT10SP, and they're phenomenal. It's solid and well controlled on dirt roads (important on a *very* high powered bike for dirt) but what really shocked me is that they are absolutely smooth and quiet on road, and can keep up with the MT10 being ridden hard. 80:20 is fair, but it kind of understates just how great they are as a sport touring tire as well. I used to run Road 6's (and 5's and 4's before then) and they are 100% as good on the road as Michelin Roads are, and that's high praise.
I don't even particularly like Dunlop tires as a general rule. But the Mutants are MUCH better than you'd expect.
Really interesting to actually have details of the tyres explained, modern tyres have come on so much in the last few years.
Had TrailMax mission, had on them over 8K miles on 50/50 terrain in Colorado, aggressive riding on sharp rocks, gravel over high elevation passes without problems, the more aggressive tires in line up just came to States .... cool overview, cheers V!
I have a Ktm 690 and don’t get off-road very often but I do use it to commute to work as much as possible. I got “tired” of replacing rear knobby tires every 2000 miles or less so I went with the Dunlop Missions and they’ve been fantastic.
Been riding Trailmax Missions for about 7k mikes on my ‘21 Rally Pro. Tremendous wear, I will probably do over 10k on them. A little rumbly during a hard lean. But excellent feel and outstanding off road performance. Handled hub deep muck/mud with ease. Actually everything I threw at it, the tire handled it. I’ll be going to the Raid on my next set for more extended off piste time.
Had Mutants on my 990 supermoto for about 6 months and they are fantastic. High speed stability is improved, cornering grip is more confidence inspiring and they look great.
The Trailmax Raid's are definitely my choice when I'm due a change 😉👍🏻.
I was under the impression the mission tires are 50/50
Anywho worked well for me, Van BC to Dempster TuK, Tow to Tok, Denali, Anchorage, ALaska HWY Jasper and Back to Van. Still going strong.
The Trailmax mission sounds the go for me. Thanks.
no problem
The US marketed the Mission as “50/50” so the new Raid is now called 60/40 dirt/street. Also, the D908RR comes in tube type only I believe. All great tires!
And I’ve gotten about 10k miles off the Mission rears and about 4k from the D908RR. Trying the Raids on the 990 and too early to tell.
I fit the Trailmax Meridians to my Triumph Street Scrambler, as I only ever used it on the road. The grip is immense. The footpegs were the only limitation on corners, and not even a hint of tramlining. Total confidence in the wet too. Superb tyres. I never really got on with the stock Metzeler Tourances, so the Dunlops were transformational.
Mutant looks cool. Back in the 1980's I use to know the Dunlop tyre testers... mad, the lot of them.
Thanks MCM. Great job. Good info. God bless. Happy trails.
Thanks, you too!
Currently have the Trailmax Mixtour which seems to be the OEM version of the Mission and like those although I think with a few more green lanes I'm riding when I swap the tyres I'm going to go for the Raid which seems absolutely exactly what I'm looking for. Brilliant video, totally to the point and full of amazing detail which has been a massive help, thank you!
Thanks, Tony.
Having had scary times on wet roads with the OE Dunlop tyres on an Africa Twin DCT in 2016, I swore off of the brand for evermore.
However, my recently purchased Transalp came with OE Trailmax Mixtour and, over 2500kms, I've been pleasantly surprised; although have not yet encountered wet bitumen.
Living in rural Australia, my present usage is 60% bitumen and 40% gravel roads. Having been impressed by Pirelli Scorpion STRs on my recently traded Yamaha T7, I had intended replacing the Mixtours with STRs as soon as the wallet allows.
Now you've given me food for thought! Probably, I'll pension off the Mixtours at 5000km and then choose between STRs, Bridgestone AX41s, Metzeler Karoo 4s, and (thanks to you) Trailmax Missions.
First world problems?
As a wet (and dry) road tyre on my CB500X they are absolutely fantastic. I don't use the bike off road, so can't comment there.
😎👍🇺🇲
Just got a 2021 KTM SMCR.
It had a set of Mutants. The rear was worn thin so I replaced it with the same.
Due to weather conditions. I haven't had a chance to completely scrub it in.
First time in rode it on the practically bald tire in heavy cold rain. It worked will.
So I can attest to it's worn out wet traction 😏
Cheers from the PNW Seattle WA area.
I've been very pleased with the Mutants on my R1250GS. The rear is squaring off after 7,500 miles, still some tread remaining but they 'white line' now and tend to follow contours a bit. I replaced the OA A41's with the Mutants, Could not put my finger on it but I was not a fan of the A41's replacing them early at 3,500 miles. Still deciding what tyre to go for now but it will probably be the Mutant's again as I found them very secure in the wet and on dry roads. I do a lot of single track lanes with gravel, mud and moss down the centre and ride all year round.
In the last year I put 8K miles on a set of TMM on my Tiger 1200 XC. Excellent 70/30 tire. Just upgraded to the Raids. Looking forward to a little more traction in the off road sections. I will say that I was able to push the Missions as hard as any pure street tire on the twisties with no problems. Hard packed dirt was a blast, but sand/mud was sketchy.
Yep agree, I tested the Meridians on my 790 adventure, I can can vouch for the mud having binned it at the ABR festival 😂
Nice overview of the Dunlop adventure spectrum. Looking at the Trailmax Raids for my KTM 690. Seems to get good reviews in the twisties as well as off road.
Appreciate the tires description…direct and to the point, bought a set of Trailmax missions, ‘18 R1200 GSA…loved the road manners, dirt and gravel…but greasy clay dirt on the Off-road where I live or sand was disappointing performance TBH, as was very tail happy, a 250 dirt bike great fun, a 600 pound ADV lots of extra work…replaced honestly with Anakee wilds, loud as heck on road, but great off road on dirt/sand…noise or heavy rain riding never an issue on the missions overall liked them -mounting though is a bugger, and now the raid comes out :) maybe add another set to the tire rack. Thx again…look forward to more of your reviews!
Great video! The mission will be on my mind, down the road
Earlier, I believe Dunlop was calling the Trailmax Mission a 50/50 tire. Did they back off of that. I’d agree though, that it is more 70/30 or at best 60/40. I had those on a BMW F850 GSA I owned and ran them 4000 miles before Imtraded the bike in on a R1250 GS. I rode the F850 on plenty of dirt and rock crumble/small gravels roads in Wyoming and an BLM 2 tracks. Never any issues. That is why I had dealer change out the Bridgestone Battlax 41’s on the new R1250 GS to Dunlop Trailmax Missions.
I think they were marketing it as that in the US? maybe they've changed it, or it was never given that rating here in the UK
Thanks for the nice tire review.
I'm currently a couple sets into the Mission on my R1250GS. You note that the side knobs on the mission can help pull you out of a rut. Is the same true on the Trailmax Raid? (The back tire gets you into trouble, the front tire gets you out.) Interesting that you mention the good looks (and good performance) of the Mutant. Good looks is important in tires designed for stylized "scrambler" bikes. They do have a nice flat-track look.
Really enjoyed this one! Great presentation, very informative, well done tony
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you, sir, for the overview. My questions were answered!!
Glad to help!
Usefull, indeed. Maybe my next choice the D908RR😊
I had Trail Mission on my Super Tener and also in my GS 1250. I have mixed feelings about it.
Yes they offer great grip but they are very noisy on the tarmac. I don't think I will install them again.
Thanks as always for your very informative video.
Ride safe
Damian
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for the review. Just put a new Battlax Adventure A41 on my GSA to use up the long remaining life on the rear tire, then switching the pair - was thinking Missions but since my riding is almost all road, the Meridians or even Mutants may be a better choice for me.
I did a lot of mileage on Meridians on my KTM and they were great. As are the Mutants I have on an Interceptor 650. The latter won't offer quite the mileage of the meridians, but they are lovely riding tyres
Fitted the Mutant tyres on my Duke 390 (naked bike) , very happy about them. No issues with gravel and wet and they went fine on a track (went on track twice, once in the rain).
They look awesome but I don"t think I'll take them adventuring (never mind the bike isn't really suited for it either)
Really interesting vid Tony, great presentation as always. Cheers
Thanks 👍
I have a 22' mt07 and have to travel a mile or so on dirt roads before paved. Thinking those missions would help out a bit
I know this is 8 months old , I’m on my second set of Trailmax missions, I’m in Australia and the rear is probably the longest mileage iv ever got on a tyre . Around 12000km “ a fantastic all around tyre and works well on and off road in everything “ including wet asphalt in twisties “ BUT I think the rearing at the same time is a cop out from Dunlop. The rear Mission is 11.5mm tread and front 8.5mm ( so they wear at same time . I would rather a front last twice as long as the rear . I will put another Trailmax mission on again - rear only and put put the raid on the front . Hopefully will last twice as long .
This may be the answer I’m looking for to replace the OEM Bridgestone Battleax Adventure A41 on the Tiger 900 RP, no confidence cornering in the rain with them
Nice one Tony. Thank you.
Very welcome
Thanks for making the effort creating this video!
Had a Mutant on a modified Speed Triple 1050, what a blast!! Hammering the corners, cold, wet and even better in the dry.
Can you say something sensible about one of these on a bike like KTM 990 Adventure, I want better asphalt corner grip then a Heidenau and more off road fun, I totally do NOT care about millage, more grip, more fun and happily stay somewhere an extra night enjoying a beer while mounting a new set of tires on my journey :))
Your advice/50ct doesn't have to be limited to Dunlop btw ;)
Thanks and highly appreciated, cheers
Thanks for your kind words, I’m running the Trailmax Raids on my Africa Twin and love them. Good on the tarmac for a 50/50 and copes with offrad with the exception of thick mud.
@@mancavemoto how hard can you push them in the dry through the corners on asphalt?
I did a couple trips through Pico de Europa in northern Spain and I had Heidenau K60 Scout tires, those are not the best in the world in respects to cornering, but I was able to push them controllable hard on the mountain passes/twisties, especially they would give good feedback when starting to slide so I was able to save the moment.
Can you say something about that with these Dunlop's? On the other hand I should just try them
I dont feel they hold me back, I'll push them as hard as i would in normal riding on dry tarmac. Obviously i'm more cautious on wet tarmac, but they are still confidence inspiring
i have the Mission on my tiger 1200. They're a bit noisy on the highway - as to be expected. I'm not doing as much off-road as I thought so I think I'll try the Mutant next. The previous owner had RoadSmart III on the bike - I didn't like they way it handled with those. My Royal Enfield Bullet 500 looks the business with Dunlop K70 Vintage.
well put and succinct; well done, Lad!
Cheers
Sorry, I forgot to identify what tire I was referring too, the Trail Max Mission.
Nice one Tony. A really comprehensive and well explained review. A point of reference for the future when I look at replacing my tyres. Thank you 🙏🏻
Glad it was helpful Jamie
How do adventure tyres compare to sports bike tyres? Because their tyres on my 04 R6 have been my favourite tyres
Funny how I end up following you with tyres Tony, - and other stuff as well to be honest - not least of which is due to your sterling advice. I have Conti Trail Attack 3's on my Africa Twin. I just re-watched your vid from about the time I put 'em on, and it was your vid that convinced me to try them. They were brilliant on road, but I have around a mile of gravel from leaving home, to the main road, and the Attack 3's are not the best. They have also squared off quite badly at around 5,500 - 6,000 miles too, so I am thinking to follow you again, with "Missions". Sanity check please mate ☺. Cheers
Ha!, not sure if thats a good or bad thing! Worth checking out, but they are a heavy duty tyre
@@mancavemoto You’ve never led me astray so far mate 🤓. Just for info, what have you got on your Africa Twin Tony?. You didn’t say on the vid
I've got the Raids on the Africa Twin and i've been pretty impressed so far
What about the Dunlop Trailmax mixtours? What would you rate those as an adventure tyre?
They are more of an 80/20 tyre, a little more aggressive than the Mutants.
Thinking of the Mutants for my vstrom 650.
Great tyres, I fitted them to my Royal Enfield Interceptor
I ran a set of missions on my 21 Africa twin. Great street tires, good on hard packed but sketchy as hell on loose marble sized stuff. Won’t run them again. Maybe try the raids though.
Great review and insight into different tyres capabilities.
Thanks! 👍
Very nice - but where are the Mixtour??
They tend to be OEM fitment and Dunlop don’t include them in their ‘premium’ adventure range.
Great video and very informative!
Glad it was helpful!
You should reach out to us. And see if you can set up a tour of our plant. It would be so cool.
Will the meridian have the same grip as a Dunlop Roadsmart 4?Especially in the wet
Its not going to be much different, but the Roadsmart is a dedicated road tyre
Huge dunlop fan, all I ever used in the USA. Not 1 of these are sold here in Japan😂😢
Great video.. really useful.. thank you.
Didnt you forgotten the Trailmax Mixtour tire?
No, the tyres I looked at are what Dunlop call their 'Premium Range' the Mix Tours sit in their mid range nence it wasnt added to the video
The difference between the Mission and Raid is the one that confused me tbh. The Mutant really appeals to me though as something mildly adventure-y that will fit on more road-focused bikes too.
never tried a dunlop always off the list immedietly due to cost they seem uncompetively priced from my experience, used Mich, Conti, Mitas, wilds, Karoo 3 and T and TkC80 E0 7, 9, 10. would be great if a manufacturer was able use the dual compound process over a wider range of trail tyres, perhaps its impractical for knobblier types. Thanks for the info.
Weird I went for the meridian based off your last review and ordered them yesterday 😊
Good choice!
Hanging a set of missions on my gen3 KLR 650, tires should be here in two days.
I just put a set of dunlop trailmax raid tires on my 2023 ktm 890 adventure base model and they are great on road but i have noticed in a straight line they seem to be sensitive to steering input a little but still stable in the curves. Did you notice that too on your africa twin also?
That's how they are on my CB500X. Definitely wouldn't want to take these much over 120 km/h as the front doesn't feel very stable. They're also really loud and whine like a siren between 50-75 km/h.
I am thinking of going with Dunlop Meridians on my Africa Twin which never goes off road. I note they are only shown as TL (tubeless) and I need TT (tubed). Where can make some technical enquiries to Dunlop. I've checked their website and can't see a link. Motorcycle tyres being the subject they are, I might just go with your recommendation. Thanks Tony
Ah good question, I assume you can run tubes inside them, but i'm not sure what the tyre bead is set up for. I'll see if I can find out, or you can always e-mail tyre_doctor@dunloptyres.com
On my africa 1000 the meridians are great.
Great overview thanks. If you were taking a summer road trip with the first 1250km on motorways / tolls through England and France, followed by the Pyrenees ACT (1000km on and off road) and then roads including the route de grand alps back north. Would you choose the Raids or the Missions ?
Thanks!
The Raid would be my choice, it really is a very good 50/50 tyre.
@@mancavemoto Thanks a lot.
I'm worried about squaring them off before I get there but no one else seems to think that's something to worry about 🙂
I'm likely over thinking it!
You won’t aware them off in 1200km’s
@@mancavemoto Brilliant, thanks so much for replying.
What about the Mixtours?
Bit different to my old square Avon Soeedmasters on my first bike.
Tyres are brilliant now.
Ride safe, happy travels 👍
'Kin hate the old Speedmaster tyres, they had zero ability in the wet- it's a side-car tyre.
@cpuuk I saw a harley with them or something similar fitted last night at a meet. I don't get it, people think they look cool but must handle like a sack of shite.
This is super helpful! Thank you Tony 👍👍
No problem 👍
only ones ive run are the trailmax missions , good on pavement tire but not good enough for my wants off and not that long of life was my impression , wish i could see the new more off road version to check tread depth against Motoz
The Missions are the longest wearing tire I've ever had. I'm surprised you found differently.
i could be mistaken some on that but i did not like them enough to buy another set , as i recall a good on road tire but not good off road
@@divebobber
Not sure what to get as I really could use something of a Jack of all trades. 120/70 17 and 180/55 17. Running in wet snow and chill summers with plenty of rain. I think the mutants aren't cutting it on snow, so I guess it will need to be a courser thread. But, it must have the speed rating of a Yamaha fz6n. I guess I am asking the impossible.
Tricky, the Mutants might be better than you expect?
Sir, I own a GS 1250(550 pounds), would you recommend the mutant and/or meridian for my bike? Are the sidewalls firm enough for my beast? Thanks, Marc Quebec, Canada 🇨🇦😉🏍
Either would work, but the Meridians have got much stiffer sidewalls. They were essentially made for 'big' adventure bikes
What else would you say when you are a partner for Dunlop ! I had them on my PA long lasting not much grip now Metzler karroo street more grip looks like less kilometers, perhaps about 1,000 klicks less than the Dunlops.
Which tyres?
What about the D606 that is street legal? Are they still manufactured? They are what I have been using on our Yamaha with great success
The 606 and 908 are very similar, so I picked the one Dunlop aim more at adventure bikes. The 606 is I still
In production
Great info.
What size mutant did you put on the rear of your street twin,I'm thinking of putting a 160/60 .
I didn’t put mutants on my street twin, I have them on my Interceptor 650. But 160/60’s will go onto a street twin with no problem
Is there a tubeless version of the 908RR ?
There isn’t no
I bet Dunlop has suffered with tyre sales following the problems with race bike tyres. I've never used Dunlop but would be interested in trying them if there was a good deal to be had.
I don’t think they have to be honest, that was race specific tyres and a very small batch. Not sure that kicked into changing consumer purchases?
Were the Trailmax Meridians longer lasting on your 790 than the original Avons ? 😃
Yes they were
Which one is better on the road in terms of grip (dry and wet): the Mission or the Raid?
The Mission is a more road focused than the Raid. I’ve been running a set of Raids on my Africa Twin and they’ve been much better on the road, wet & dry than I expected.
@@mancavemoto But you would still prefer the Missions on the road (just focusing on the road part). My point is, that many reviewers state that de Mission can sometimes feel a little bit wooden due to the durabilitiy / hardness of the tire and i can't quite see a good reason for de Mission despite the longevity.
Thank you for your answer!
@toby-wanakyras4125 yes the missions have stiff sidewalls and are built for longevity. If you are only doing the occasional bit of gravel and dry dirt then the Meridians are worth looking at. Very good on dry roads and exceptional in the wet. I had them on a ktm 790 adventure and did lots of reassuring miles in all weathers
I plan to have two sets of tyres, one 90:10 set like the Meridians for most of the riding and occasional gravelroads.
For the second set something like the Mission or the Raid for going offroad and a bit of traveling. The tours i did and plan to do aren’t very long. So i can‘t see a valid point for the Missions when the offroad performance of the Raid is better and they‘re nearly the same onroad
@toby-wanakyras4125 Ok, in that case then definitely the Raids
Think i want to try the mutants on my Pan America.
What size Mutant tires did you fit on your 650 INT? I have been looking around for a good alternative from the OEM.
110/80-18 on the front, but I changed the rear wheel to a 17 inch so that I can run a 150/70-17 tyre. ua-cam.com/video/tDyreLeKMng/v-deo.html
@@mancavemoto Thanks for the info. Seems no Mfg. makes any dual sport tire that fits the rear OEM wheel. Maybe some day.
Actually there are plenty of dual sport tyres available in an 18 inch. The reason I changed the wheel size was because I wanted to fit a wider tyre and going smaller meant I could retain the same overall diameter and thus not affect the gearing. I did also want to fit the Mutants, but they don’t offer an 18 rear, but they do in all the others in this video
I've never ever never never never had a front tire wear before a rear. Ever....never ever.
It happens
Mutant are not for off road at all... It's for sport touring bikes, as an alternative to the RoadSmart 3 or 4 (GT or not)
Incorrect, it is part of the Adventure range. It is indeed an alternative to the RoadSmart, but it’s still a Dunlop Adventure tyre.
A quick trip to Dunlop's website shows G91YS actually is correct. Click on the adventure category and you will not find the Mutants. They are under the sport/sport touring category.
Appreciated, but I made this video in conjuction with Dunlop, who suggested the tyres they target at Adventure Bikes for me to cover.
Agreed there is no way Mutant are for ADV bikes. Dunlop are kidding themselves but won’t fool us.
Was hoping a "Range Guide" would be expected longevity. Not a description of the type of terrain they are good for. I guess range could mean the landscape.
FYI, never aired down, on 70% highway, 30% gravel, dirt, imbedded rocks, my missions rear looks to go 12k miles and, at 8K miles, the front is pretty badly cupped.
The Raid, I saw one review of someone who just thrashed it on dirt, his Raids, front and rear, are gone at 8k miles. There has to be someone who rides on the freeway long distances to get to where they ride off pavement, but haven't seen one where they wore the tire out and can give a real distance to expect the tire to survive.
Dunlop web sight says this is a 60/40 tire, on the info for the tire it also notes it as a 50/50. Very confusing with so many different conclusions as to what this tire actually is, even on the Dunlop Web sight overview of this tire. I have them on my 1290S and have been happy with there performance both on and off road.
Yep there also seems some variance between the US and EU too. I asked Dunlop UK to clarify their ‘real’ ratings for the tyres before I made the video, and those are the rating ls I used. Mind you the difference between 60/40 and 50/50 would be hard to notice in use
The Mission tyres are definitely NOT a 50:50. They DO NOT handle mud or sand. I would say they are 80:20 road biased. Two bad off-road accidents on the Missions, once surprise sand and the other wet red clay (broken leg).
How about D606?
Very similar to the D908RR, close enough not to include. The tyres I included are specifically targeted by Dunlop at Adventure bikes
@@mancavemoto thx I will try 908s. I have used D606 and I like it, but you barely get 3k miles out of the front. Sharp and precise handling, love them. How about 908 with respect to mileage and handling? Thx
@cyclopathic998 mileage should be better, from what I understand it’ll lAst longer with some road use that the 606
I found the missions a bit unforgiving and stiff. Really poor performance in sand and wet. I’d like to try the mutants but not available in my country.
OEM bridgestones on my honda CRF1100 ATAS were horrible.
The MERIDIANS are better on gravelroads, and have me keeping up with sportsbikes on asphalt in the curvy roads in the hills.
EXCELENT
Yes I was impressed with them, definitely a tyre i'll be looking at for other bikes going forward
OEM Tyres are always the same those you get from a tyre dealer, check fortnines take on manufacturers tricks to save miney
Oops I meant "aren't "
I was just going to say…..👍
Who ever wears out their front before the rear?!?
Happens more than you would imagine on big adventure bikes, but I should have added 'vice-versa' maybe.
Aprilia Pegaso Strada 650, two tyres to every rear. Narrow secton and, one side of the Tuono Brembo brakes set up. Bridgestone Battleaxes, switch to Dunlop tyre with rounder profile and increased life span slightly.
People heavy on the brakes and fast into corners
Every single...... Mixtour??
I only included what Dunlop refer to as their 'Premium' Range. Mixtour isnt in that range
The trailmax mission tires are horrible in the rain. It’s good otherwise though
i didnt ear good review about the D908RR
What tyres are radials or not, you’ve left a lot out.
I didnt want to go too deeply into the actual construction of the tyres as that would have made the video too long and its no so relevant. Adv tyres tend to be a mix of bias and radial construction depending on size and what they are used for. For example, the Raid 90/90-21 front is bias, but the 19” fronts are radial. With the rears the 130 & 140 width are bias, 150 and above are radial. So its a real mix through the adventure range.
there is another trailmax that is not like these and I'm fairly sure it has no other name other than trailmax
There’s the Trailmax Mix Tour, which is more often used as an OEM option for manufacturers.
After the dangerously poor Dunlop OEM tyres I've had on both bikes and cars, I refuse to buy Dunlop now.
What tyres were those?
@@mancavemoto Dunlop Sportmax 300 (I think) on my Z900RS (I took them off after 1000 kms) and the Dunlops on my car squealed on nearly every corner - both were replaced with Michelins fairly quickly.
@@classiarius I doubt Kawasaki mounted those tyres incorrectly on thousands of bikes - they're notorious for being unfit for purpose.
I recommend a better microphone and some echo dampers. Good info but many won’t listen
I was using a good quality Rode shotgun mic. I didn’t know what the acoustics were like until I got there and it was a high ceiling room with some echo. Sadly my wireless lav mic refused to connect, so I used the shotgun mic. You’re the first to mention it, and I don’t see it putting people off.
@@mancavemoto I had absolutely no issues. BTW... I wear hearing aids and I wasn't wearing them. The guy commenting is nuts. 🤪
@mancavemoto stupid comment, nothing wrong with the audio. Great info thanks mate. Just researching a set of 50/50 for winter and a Scotland trip in January hopefully. Just ordered a set of Raid for my BMW R1250GS Trophy. Hope they do the job, not seen a negative comment about them yet so fingers crossed. Make a few vids for UA-cam myself so hoping to do one in January if I go. Cheers mate 👍 FB
This guy thinks rear tires last more miles than front tires? That's the opposite of my experience.
It’s often the case with big adventure bikes, particularly with 21 inch front wheels.
Yep on adventure bikes ridden aggressively on road particularly, they eat front tyres. Confused me at first, then just accepted two front tyres to one rear is the norm.