Jeff, good to hear that you have made the shift towards riding more and working less. Over the years I have sacrificed the mainstream desires of having more money, bigger house, etc., etc, and have instead enjoyed a more fulfilling life of riding with my son and friends, as well as other outdoor activities. Sometimes life can shake us up and reveal what's really of value. Thanks for this and all the other great reviews over the years.
I've been running a VE33s for about a year now in Southern Utah and it shines here in the desert and up North in the mountains. That being said, I've got a brand new JX08 in the garage just waiting for a Colorado trip at the end of August. So glad you think it's a home run! P.S. Don't be too hard on Rich, he's a genuinely great guy.
@OldManEnduro Have you had a chance to put some hours on it yet? Im in So Utah too, been looking at this tire. I've been running a 525 and really enjoyed it.
@@anarchyrun8253 yep, I put it on for a trip to Idaho and it was absolutely amazing in all conditions. I got a flat on it because I was running Tubliss and ripped a knob. I've now put a moose in my rear tire as well and I'll be slapping it back on when the VE33s I'm currently running wears out. I'd say I'll probably get about 20 hrs on it by the time it's completely toast. It's truly like cheating with that tire.
I used the VE33S all last year. Switched to this in February. Like both. The JX8 is better innawoods. PA forests. I got to use on some snow, slush, mud , dead leaves, and then into spring and summer. Very sure footed.
I am just finishing up a trip to Taylor Park Colorado. Jeff is 100% right on when it comes to this tire. IMO it is the best rear tire I’ve ever used for rocky, rooty, gnarly trails. Fossil ridge, timberline, Dr. park, etc. if you’re familiar with these trails especially fossil ridge you will know that they are relatively expert level and very difficult. I ran this tire on my 2020 500 EXC-F. Probably not the perfect bike for this type of riding but with the changes I made to it it’s pretty darn good. This tire never let me down. I was able to get up and over really difficult obstacles and surprised myself how well I was able to ride with the JX8. You need to absolutely listen to Jeff on this one. It is a stellar tire for difficult terrain. Yes it’s probably a one trip tire maybe two. But if you think about the investment you make to come to a place like Taylor Park for a week of riding I think it makes great sense. I can’t say enough great things about this tire…amazing traction for tough train conditions!
@@slaverace1 It was so good that it got me over literally every obstacle on the trail. With my 500 times I could sit down and just tractor through stuff using my feet to pick my way forward. Even when it was wet it still gripped and went over everything. Epic rear tire for any Colorado type conditions!
@@BraaapoholicBobexcellent review Bob. Going riding in the Taylor Park area again this year and have been trying to determine if I’m gonna take the JX8, AT81ex, Shinko525 (my current go-to) or the IRC VE33s
I ride a lot of Colorado single track, you can get good performance out of the semi gummies. 505, 525, Equilibrium, Arena Hybrid, Ve33S, and still get decent mileage. Gummies are amazing, but running them really takes a toll on the wallet, when I can save on the semi gummies and spend that money on gas and parts to keep me riding.
The VE33S works great for loose dirt, sand, and trail building. It will dig a trail in after 5 laps. It has half the traction of the JX8 on steep slippery surfaces though. The AT81EX has 50% more traction again, but is a horrible marshmallow that takes all the fun out of carving turns and is always full of holes. IMO the Red Bull Outliers course was halfway between the two, JX8 doesn't push hard enough in the loose at the bottom and the VE33S doesn't grip the hard clay enough at the top. If IRC made it I would order a VE33S with the JX8 compounds and carcass.
Really good tire that hooks up great is the very hard rocky switch backs, boulders, walls, to the flowy faster trail days. I am sitting at 315 miles on mine today and plan to try and take it to 400 miles this weekend to see if I can use it on longer riding camping trips. I will say that the side lugs really start to break down and tear after 200 miles with 4-6 psi and at 300 miles they are down right sketchy on a dirt road or trail at speed with the way they will fold over. Many have looked at it and asked me why I am still running and shaking their head. BUT......it is a monster climbing rocks, logs of all sizes, and loose stuff climbs no matter wet or dry even at 300 miles! I bought a couple from Slavens on a walk in visit and will mount up another when I take this one off.
I found the stability was excellent with Tubliss on the JX8. I had just removed a 33S, I found the traction much much better with the JX8. Really grippy tire! Actually the best bite I’ve ever had with my TPI…
Did you rip knobs on either? I'm trying to choose between say the 33S and JX8 (have an IBEX but haven't run high speed with it yet). Looking for a gummy that can take speed and dry hard too for MN Harescrambles.
@@1MarkBevans just received my 33s and I love everything about it... at least before riding it. We don't really have sharp rocks but I just hope fast Harescrambles doesn't rip knobs.
Would an IRCTR8BATTLERALLY (front/rear@about 12PSI XR650R/andL) be sufficient stiffy enough ta work well with the Tubliss 2.0 system I generally always run the mix of asphalt gravel en tend to cut loose Baja style on the Rocky hilly pipeline service trails
33s kicks serious butt in Ohio, and lasts , even with organized dual sport and a couple of enduro abuse, still going strong. Cant wait to try one of these.
Jeff as always you provide an unbiased excellent review that we can all count on! Is there any reason I should worry about putting only a 110 size on my 500 EXC? I try to stick with the bigger 120 size tires as I feel they better suit the bike. Thank you again!!!
Right on Jeff! Love the honest reviews! Glad It's still working! Thanks for the channel shout out! As for the bone to pick, hopefully I get out to CO soon and have an opportunity to meet with you! Thanks again! Rich L "The IRC Tire Guy"
Get your ass out here. I'm old and can't ride at your level but I still ride and like the xtreme stuff and have a bunch of it in my back yard. You're always welcome here.
I’d pay to see that meeting Really enjoying both of these channels. Two vastly different styles, each delivering the highest quality content for those getting into the sport.
The VE33S works great for loose dirt, sand, and trail building. It will dig a trail in after 5 laps. It has half the traction of the JX8 on steep slippery surfaces though. IMO the Red Bull Outliers course was halfway between the two, JX8 doesn't push hard enough in the loose at the bottom and the VE33S doesn't grip the hard clay enough at the top. If IRC made it I would order a VE33S with the JX8 compounds and carcass.
Hey Jeff, Have you tested the Shinko 520DC yet? I would really like to hear your thoughts on it. I just received one from you but haven't mounted it yet.
I'm getting back to riding after a stroke(lost my balance), LAB2V 2022 is my goal, and I'm training up. I really need help in rocks, JX8 wow, but I need a tire for 550 miles in 2 days, but one that can help in the rocks, and handle some sand. If it rains, I'll M5b it up(when you need an M5b, you need an M5b) Will test another ve33s, 505 cheater I like, but sand rocks my world with that tire(if I add to much power, and my wheel tracks left or right, wrecks my mind, and ends the riding). I don't abuse tires, wondering if a jx8 will complete a LAB2v, with a soft nitro mousse. Testing a arena hybrid gummy now, and can ride 48 miles a day now!! VE33s, I think will make it. What would make a good front tire to companion with a jx8? I train on rocky jeep roads American fork canyon(single track there still to narrow for me, I don't do straight well, lol), even if the jx8 won't work for the ride, I can train with it, the traction won't hurt.
Brad: I'm truly sorry to hear about your stroke but I'm glad to hear you're on the mend and back on your scooter. My wife and I have been on the mend for 2 years from a head-on collision. The JX8 is not a good choice for that ride but the VE33s should work. You should do some testing in those conditions to make sure. For the front I would use a MotoZ slavensracing.com/shop/tractionator-enduro-st-tires-by-motoz/. Keep riding. Never give up. You will get better each day. JS
What size of mousse do you recommend for this tire ? (Nitromousse recommends different mousses for the VE33s and the IX09 that have the same size so I can't really know)
We would recommend the platinum NM18-305 or soft NMS18-305. You can find them in the drop downs on these pages: slavensracing.com/shop/nitromousse-by-nuetech/ slavensracing.com/shop/soft-nitro-mousse-by-nuetech/
I am not impressed with this tire, I love the Ve33,Ve33s, and ix09, but this tire did nothing the others didn’t and it was no better at all. My opinion of course. Midwest region.
Hello: Perhaps in your terrain the tires you mentioned work just as well for you but in the Rocky Mountains, the JX8 has a distinct edge over the others.
@@slaverace1 copy that. For the loamier conditions and massive roots the Ve33 series seem to have an edge in all conditions except for extremely dry. Dry hard pack the ix09 gekkota and jx8 may be better.
Got 250 miles on mine before it was shedding center knobs. Great traction and no squirminess detected at all. However, longevity is poor since only 250 miles in my harsh Summer mountain riding conditions. By comparison I get almost 350 miles on Ibex before it sheds knobs and it is at least 20% cheaper. Traction is about the same from what I can tell so the Ibex is by far the better bargain. That being said, the VE33S Gekotta is the best bargain of the 3 in costing somewhere between the two but last twice as long as Ibex and about 3X as long as JX08. The traction of the VE33S is a little less but enough to make it my go to in the future....
@@slaverace1 Just watched the video, and I may have missed it, but what pressure did you like on the JX8? Just ordered one from you. Have been running Arena Hybrid Gummy for years 4-6psi. Also, having a hard time finding a frt tire. Been running 90/90 Tractionator st. Can't get. Any recommendations? Getting ready to head to Taylor. Thanks in advance!!!
Jeff, good to hear that you have made the shift towards riding more and working less. Over the years I have sacrificed the mainstream desires of having more money, bigger house, etc., etc, and have instead enjoyed a more fulfilling life of riding with my son and friends, as well as other outdoor activities. Sometimes life can shake us up and reveal what's really of value.
Thanks for this and all the other great reviews over the years.
Thanks Wayne. Hope to see you on the trail.
I've been running a VE33s for about a year now in Southern Utah and it shines here in the desert and up North in the mountains. That being said, I've got a brand new JX08 in the garage just waiting for a Colorado trip at the end of August.
So glad you think it's a home run! P.S. Don't be too hard on Rich, he's a genuinely great guy.
I won't be hard on Rich. Just a little ball busting.
@OldManEnduro Have you had a chance to put some hours on it yet? Im in So Utah too, been looking at this tire. I've been running a 525 and really enjoyed it.
@@anarchyrun8253 yep, I put it on for a trip to Idaho and it was absolutely amazing in all conditions. I got a flat on it because I was running Tubliss and ripped a knob. I've now put a moose in my rear tire as well and I'll be slapping it back on when the VE33s I'm currently running wears out. I'd say I'll probably get about 20 hrs on it by the time it's completely toast. It's truly like cheating with that tire.
@@OldManEnduro Right on thanks for the info, I'm gonna have to give it a try
What front tire would match up with the JX8?
I used the VE33S all last year. Switched to this in February. Like both. The JX8 is better innawoods. PA forests. I got to use on some snow, slush, mud , dead leaves, and then into spring and summer. Very sure footed.
I get such good traction and longevity out of the Arena Hybrid Gummy, hard to try any of these others! Appreciate the info on good tires!
I am just finishing up a trip to Taylor Park Colorado. Jeff is 100% right on when it comes to this tire. IMO it is the best rear tire I’ve ever used for rocky, rooty, gnarly trails. Fossil ridge, timberline, Dr. park, etc. if you’re familiar with these trails especially fossil ridge you will know that they are relatively expert level and very difficult. I ran this tire on my 2020 500 EXC-F. Probably not the perfect bike for this type of riding but with the changes I made to it it’s pretty darn good. This tire never let me down. I was able to get up and over really difficult obstacles and surprised myself how well I was able to ride with the JX8. You need to absolutely listen to Jeff on this one. It is a stellar tire for difficult terrain. Yes it’s probably a one trip tire maybe two. But if you think about the investment you make to come to a place like Taylor Park for a week of riding I think it makes great sense. I can’t say enough great things about this tire…amazing traction for tough train conditions!
Thank you for your review. Agreed, the JX8 is the best tire for those conditions.
@@slaverace1 It was so good that it got me over literally every obstacle on the trail. With my 500 times I could sit down and just tractor through stuff using my feet to pick my way forward. Even when it was wet it still gripped and went over everything. Epic rear tire for any Colorado type conditions!
@@BraaapoholicBobexcellent review Bob. Going riding in the Taylor Park area again this year and have been trying to determine if I’m gonna take the JX8, AT81ex, Shinko525 (my current go-to) or the IRC VE33s
Thanks for testing and giving it to us straight. Difficult to find unbiased opinions these days.
Thanks for the info. I'll be keeping it in mind when buying the next back tire for my bike.
I've been running the VE33S for the last year. My JX8 will be here today 👍
I ride a lot of Colorado single track, you can get good performance out of the semi gummies. 505, 525, Equilibrium, Arena Hybrid, Ve33S, and still get decent mileage. Gummies are amazing, but running them really takes a toll on the wallet, when I can save on the semi gummies and spend that money on gas and parts to keep me riding.
The VE33S works great for loose dirt, sand, and trail building. It will dig a trail in after 5 laps. It has half the traction of the JX8 on steep slippery surfaces though. The AT81EX has 50% more traction again, but is a horrible marshmallow that takes all the fun out of carving turns and is always full of holes. IMO the Red Bull Outliers course was halfway between the two, JX8 doesn't push hard enough in the loose at the bottom and the VE33S doesn't grip the hard clay enough at the top. If IRC made it I would order a VE33S with the JX8 compounds and carcass.
Really good tire that hooks up great is the very hard rocky switch backs, boulders, walls, to the flowy faster trail days. I am sitting at 315 miles on mine today and plan to try and take it to 400 miles this weekend to see if I can use it on longer riding camping trips. I will say that the side lugs really start to break down and tear after 200 miles with 4-6 psi and at 300 miles they are down right sketchy on a dirt road or trail at speed with the way they will fold over. Many have looked at it and asked me why I am still running and shaking their head. BUT......it is a monster climbing rocks, logs of all sizes, and loose stuff climbs no matter wet or dry even at 300 miles! I bought a couple from Slavens on a walk in visit and will mount up another when I take this one off.
I found the stability was excellent with Tubliss on the JX8. I had just removed a 33S, I found the traction much much better with the JX8. Really grippy tire! Actually the best bite I’ve ever had with my TPI…
Did you rip knobs on either?
I'm trying to choose between say the 33S and JX8 (have an IBEX but haven't run high speed with it yet).
Looking for a gummy that can take speed and dry hard too for MN Harescrambles.
@@my-max-media7621 I ripped knobs on the 33s after 10-12 hours messing with some really sharp rocks!
@@1MarkBevans just received my 33s and I love everything about it... at least before riding it.
We don't really have sharp rocks but I just hope fast Harescrambles doesn't rip knobs.
Back east where we have rocks. Most of new England at least. I'll definitely say even just hiking on the decomposed granite is extreme.
Would an IRCTR8BATTLERALLY (front/rear@about 12PSI XR650R/andL) be sufficient stiffy enough ta work well with the Tubliss 2.0 system I generally always run the mix of asphalt gravel en tend to cut loose Baja style on the Rocky hilly pipeline service trails
I Love the VE33S it work great in the midwest as well
33s kicks serious butt in Ohio, and lasts , even with organized dual sport and a couple of enduro abuse, still going strong. Cant wait to try one of these.
Jeff as always you provide an unbiased excellent review that we can all count on! Is there any reason I should worry about putting only a 110 size on my 500 EXC? I try to stick with the bigger 120 size tires as I feel they better suit the bike. Thank you again!!!
Hello: Two of my riding buddies have them on their 501s and are blown away by the traction. You'll love the JX8 110/100-18.
Who else is very interested in which of Rich’s videos Jeff has a bone to pick with?
✋
What to try this tire but it’s 18inch my rear is 120/80-19 anything for that keep the good content love the videos 🙏
Right on Jeff! Love the honest reviews! Glad It's still working! Thanks for the channel shout out! As for the bone to pick, hopefully I get out to CO soon and have an opportunity to meet with you!
Thanks again!
Rich L
"The IRC Tire Guy"
I've been running the VE33S for the last year. My JX8 will be here today 👍
Get your ass out here. I'm old and can't ride at your level but I still ride and like the xtreme stuff and have a bunch of it in my back yard. You're always welcome here.
I’d pay to see that meeting
Really enjoying both of these channels. Two vastly different styles, each delivering the highest quality content for those getting into the sport.
The VE33S works great for loose dirt, sand, and trail building. It will dig a trail in after 5 laps. It has half the traction of the JX8 on steep slippery surfaces though. IMO the Red Bull Outliers course was halfway between the two, JX8 doesn't push hard enough in the loose at the bottom and the VE33S doesn't grip the hard clay enough at the top. If IRC made it I would order a VE33S with the JX8 compounds and carcass.
I'm with you on throttle therapy and working less hrs.
Is the jx8 derrrectional
Hey Jeff,
Have you tested the Shinko 520DC yet? I would really like to hear your thoughts on it. I just received one from you but haven't mounted it yet.
Yes. A video will be out soon. Stay tuned.
What pressure are you running with your JX8, IN know it depends on the terrain, but does it perform well at Lowe pressure?
All tires have improved performance for gnarly conditions when running lower pressures. I typically run 6psi in the JX8.
I'm getting back to riding after a stroke(lost my balance), LAB2V 2022 is my goal, and I'm training up. I really need help in rocks, JX8 wow, but I need a tire for 550 miles in 2 days, but one that can help in the rocks, and handle some sand. If it rains, I'll M5b it up(when you need an M5b, you need an M5b)
Will test another ve33s, 505 cheater I like, but sand rocks my world with that tire(if I add to much power, and my wheel tracks left or right, wrecks my mind, and ends the riding).
I don't abuse tires, wondering if a jx8 will complete a LAB2v, with a soft nitro mousse. Testing a arena hybrid gummy now, and can ride 48 miles a day now!! VE33s, I think will make it.
What would make a good front tire to companion with a jx8? I train on rocky jeep roads American fork canyon(single track there still to narrow for me, I don't do straight well, lol), even if the jx8 won't work for the ride, I can train with it, the traction won't hurt.
Brad:
I'm truly sorry to hear about your stroke but I'm glad to hear you're on the mend and back on your scooter. My wife and I have been on the mend for 2 years from a head-on collision.
The JX8 is not a good choice for that ride but the VE33s should work. You should do some testing in those conditions to make sure.
For the front I would use a MotoZ slavensracing.com/shop/tractionator-enduro-st-tires-by-motoz/.
Keep riding. Never give up. You will get better each day.
JS
@@slaverace1 Thanks Jeff
that front tire wasn't on my radar!
head on crash 😥 fingers crossed you both heal up 100%
Thank you for the tire videos!!!!!
Great review. Thanks.
What size of mousse do you recommend for this tire ? (Nitromousse recommends different mousses for the VE33s and the IX09 that have the same size so I can't really know)
We would recommend the platinum NM18-305 or soft NMS18-305. You can find them in the drop downs on these pages:
slavensracing.com/shop/nitromousse-by-nuetech/
slavensracing.com/shop/soft-nitro-mousse-by-nuetech/
I am not impressed with this tire, I love the Ve33,Ve33s, and ix09, but this tire did nothing the others didn’t and it was no better at all. My opinion of course. Midwest region.
Hello: Perhaps in your terrain the tires you mentioned work just as well for you but in the Rocky Mountains, the JX8 has a distinct edge over the others.
@@slaverace1 copy that. For the loamier conditions and massive roots the Ve33 series seem to have an edge in all conditions except for extremely dry. Dry hard pack the ix09 gekkota and jx8 may be better.
Got 250 miles on mine before it was shedding center knobs. Great traction and no squirminess detected at all. However, longevity is poor since only 250 miles in my harsh Summer mountain riding conditions. By comparison I get almost 350 miles on Ibex before it sheds knobs and it is at least 20% cheaper. Traction is about the same from what I can tell so the Ibex is by far the better bargain. That being said, the VE33S Gekotta is the best bargain of the 3 in costing somewhere between the two but last twice as long as Ibex and about 3X as long as JX08. The traction of the VE33S is a little less but enough to make it my go to in the future....
What tire pressure were you running?
@@slaverace1 Just watched the video, and I may have missed it, but what pressure did you like on the JX8? Just ordered one from you. Have been running Arena Hybrid Gummy for years 4-6psi. Also, having a hard time finding a frt tire. Been running 90/90 Tractionator st. Can't get. Any recommendations? Getting ready to head to Taylor. Thanks in advance!!!