studedd winter tires

[Lonewolf]

i have been thinking about putting studded tires on my bike during the winter, a lot of people tell me it is the best time to ride. i checked out the telleborg studded winter tires and i just about crapped my pants when i saw the price, almost $400! anyway, are there any cheaper ones out there? can i stud them myself? or do you think studded tires are even worth it?

 

[Rooster]

If your ground freezes solid there, (I'm sure it does) you will want studs. You can do it yourself with a stud kit. Guys around here use regular sheet metal scres for studs to save money instead of buying a kit. You can get stainless hex head sheet metal screws at most any fastener dealer. Just make sure the screw length isn't too long or you'll end up with a flat :eek: :)

 

[WoodsRider]

Around here most of the guys that ride in winter use Trelly's. They hold up to the abuse and punishment of rocks. There are other tires available Friction Spikes is a name that comes to mind. Try checking out winterstuds.com for other choices. Keep in mind that studded tires will last several seasons. It's not uncommon to get 10 years out of a rear tire. If you decide to go the cheap route, use 5/8" long screws in the rear tire and 1/2" long screws in the front. A better option is to use a liner and run 1" long Kold Kutter ice screws. Fredette Racing Products is one place to get them, 708-946-0999. Eric Gorr's book has some good information on building tire liners for use with screws.

 

[Lonewolf]

thanks for responding. unfortunately the ground does freeze here, i hate winter! but i didnt get to ride a lot this year, i had alot of bike problems and with work and going back to school i didnt have a lot of time to ride that is why i would like to ride in the winter. how well does sheet metal screw idea work, i might try this first before actually buy winter tires, or i might buy a studded rear and do the homemade thing for the front.

 

[WoodsRider]

Personally I've never tried sheetmetal screws. BRush did for a while last winter until Trelleborg decided to replace his defective tire under warranty. I use Kold Kutters, but ride on the ice. Might try the sheetmetal screw trick in an old set of tires if this winter is anything like the last one. As long as you're just trail riding and don't ride through rock gardens the screws will provide traction in frozen ground.

 

[Lonewolf]

where i ride at is an old strip mine, it is hard packed dirt and coal, not too rocky. i might try the sheet metal screw thing.

 

[Rooster]

That's the same stuff we ride in here, coal mine, lot's of shale and clay. We keep our old worn out tires just for studding with sheet metal screws. You'll tear a few out, but you're really not out anything more than the cost of the screws = cheap.

 

[EK]

If you want good traction on slippery stuff, here are some options consider a Michelin X-11 trials tire - they stick like glue, on greasy clay, roots, wet rocks, snow covered rocks - anything slippery and slimey. The only downside is that they don't work so well in deep snow.

As a reference I had a regular knobby tire studded by a tire shop. I was underwhelmed. The trials tire outperformed it everywhere.

For my winter riding, light snow (<4 inches), ice, rocks, greasy mud, slime and slop the Michelin X-11 trials tire absolutely BLOWS everything else away (including Dunlop 756 & 739, Michelin S-12 & H-12, Bridgestone ED-78 and the IRC iX05H knobbies). It sticks so well you will not believe it.

Here is more info on the tirals tire: http://dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?threadid=32600


Eric K
'01 GasGas 300XC
'00 Sherco 290

 

[MONKEYMOUSE]

Originally posted by Lonewolf
But I didnt get to ride a lot this year, I had alot of bike problems . . .

You didnt get to ride alot this year. . .? lucky you, at least you got to ride at all! My dirtbike is still messed up, BUT I'm finaly rebuilding top and bottem end this winter(YEAH!), So I didn't ride my dirtbike at all this year :(. I DID ride my mine bike for about 2Hr.'s :thumb:, but then it started running realy rich fowled the plugh a bunch and woundet start for the life of me :debil: (gunna also tear that down this winter put in a new piston and/or rings. Also am gunna rebulid my friends dirtbike, just needs the carb re-built. . . as you can see I have a lot of work for this winter but its work I love!) :yeehaw:

 

[JUSTRIDE415]

I am considering studding my bike... actually i am studding my bike. anybody know how to lower a cr 80? i was told just removing one fork spring would work i also wonder if i need to lower the back

 

[Moto Squid]

A friend of mine on his 80 last year just took a whole bunch of sheetmetal screws and went nuts. He only rode on the ice but said it was absolutely amazing...more traction than dirt!! This year I'm going to be joining him :)

 

[Lonewolf]

thank you all for responding, im gonna go the cheap way it think.

 

[TransAm77]

Me and my friends use sheet metal screws in old tires. The only advice I can give is don't follow too close to anyone, the will come out. i had one hit the visor on my helmet and chip it.

 

[pyromaniac]

I love to see you are interested in winter riding!

Its so much fun if you have good tires. Even more fun when you make them yourself, its way cheaper to! I make my tires by screwing charpened bolts M6 or M8 (6mm/8mm in diamater) straigh throu the tire. Last year and the year before i have put the screws between the knobbies. For this year im putting them in the knobbies more like a ordinary icetire. I will also ride on the MX track instead of on lakes. This will put my tires for a new challange, stones! I think it will work really well. I let you know how it works and take pics how you can do it yourself!

 

[slojo]

It sounds like you get frozen ground but not much snow. If that is the case, buy a car studding gun, they cost about $100 and run off your compressor. Then buy the same kind of studs they put in car tires. You drill the holes and pop them in, you only need them to stick out 1/8" if you don't have deep snow(<4"). The sheet metal screws will work but they fall/rip out very fast if your on frozen dirt & rocks. And you will be littering YOUR riding area with hundreds of sharp screws to possible give you a flat next spring. If you have snow cover all winter there is just no beating the Trellborg.

 

[Lonewolf]

we do get a good bit of snow. i will not ride in the snow though, temps usually go up and down average temp in the winter is in the 30's. the last few winters havent been as bad, there has been snow but not as much as we have got in the past. usually when it snows it will melt within a few days due to sun or temp increase, its hard to say. im still gonna go with the sheet metal screw idea. as far a littering our riding area, it is already littered, there are abondoned cars, beer cans, bottles, shot gun shells, etc... it really doesnt bother me though its a cool place to ride.

 

[Lonewolf]

i just thought of something, why dont i just take the tires to a shop and have them studded? my dad had some winter tires studded for his car last year and it was fairly cheap dont remember exactly what he paid but im sure they can stud motorcycle tires.