Two weeks ago, I mounted a Bridgestone M401 front tire on my bike. I was curious to try Bridgestone's new line and replaced the versatile Dunlop 756. Of couse my RM came w/ a Bridgestone 601/602 combo, but there really are no tracks around me that are pure hard-pack and, as expected, they didn't work as well as the 756's I was used to. Well, I've ridden at two different tracks w/ this tire and am very impressed.
I raced it at Swan MX during the Pro Challenge in Tyler, TX. That track is an awesome mixture of clay and sand. The terrain varies from deep sand, deep clay loam to hard pack. The tire provided a noticeable improvement in braking performance over the 756 and stuck like glue in the good dirt. It handled the sand pretty well, but really shined on the hardpack and loamy parts of the track.
I practiced yesterday at San Jac MX in Splendora, TX. It's mostly light sand and hard clay. Again, I came away impressed. There was one thing that this tire did not handle as well as the Dunlop 756. That was mud. In the beginning of practice, there are always a few corners that have a little extra water. When it mixes w/ the relatively thick clay, it creates some pretty slimy stuff. The 401 had quite a bit less traction through the mud than the Dunlop did. But the puddles are usually gone after the firsts few laps anyway.
All in all, I'm definitely going to try the Bridgestone M402 rear when it comes time to replace the 756. The front is a keeper! :thumb:
I raced it at Swan MX during the Pro Challenge in Tyler, TX. That track is an awesome mixture of clay and sand. The terrain varies from deep sand, deep clay loam to hard pack. The tire provided a noticeable improvement in braking performance over the 756 and stuck like glue in the good dirt. It handled the sand pretty well, but really shined on the hardpack and loamy parts of the track.
I practiced yesterday at San Jac MX in Splendora, TX. It's mostly light sand and hard clay. Again, I came away impressed. There was one thing that this tire did not handle as well as the Dunlop 756. That was mud. In the beginning of practice, there are always a few corners that have a little extra water. When it mixes w/ the relatively thick clay, it creates some pretty slimy stuff. The 401 had quite a bit less traction through the mud than the Dunlop did. But the puddles are usually gone after the firsts few laps anyway.
All in all, I'm definitely going to try the Bridgestone M402 rear when it comes time to replace the 756. The front is a keeper! :thumb:
