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Studded Tires - what works, what doesn't
- Thread starter MVI
- Start date
I have no experience with cold cutters, I know the ice racers like them. But for woods with up to a couple of inches snow I find Grip Studs work very well.
www.gripstuds.com
Factory installed studs found in Trelleborg tires work well, but the casings are very stiff and a very heavy tire some people don't like that. Also a pain to install if a second set of wheels can be acquired that is the easy button.
Winter Dirt Bike Studs
Grip Studs® durable motorcycle tire studs deliver unbelievable traction, allowing you to ride in even the nastiest weather. This hefty tire stud with its unique wide–auger design installs easily with a cordless drill and stays put like no other screw–in stud. Its solid tungsten carbide shaft has...
www.gripstuds.com
Factory installed studs found in Trelleborg tires work well, but the casings are very stiff and a very heavy tire some people don't like that. Also a pain to install if a second set of wheels can be acquired that is the easy button.
Mitas (Trelleborg) still makes "winter friction" tires which have added silica in the mixture. They stay elastic in the cold. Normal tires with added studs usually start to disintegrate when it's cold enough.
The winter friction models also have markings in the mold (small indents in each knob) which help when drilling the holes for the studs.
The car tire studding is all fully automated nowadays but AFAIK all studded enduro and motocross tires are still made with semi-automated machines or manual stud guns. Also the holes need to be drilled manually.
Studs with hard metal peak:
Proper glue:
Stud gun:
With those you get tires which will last a long time.
The winter friction models also have markings in the mold (small indents in each knob) which help when drilling the holes for the studs.
The car tire studding is all fully automated nowadays but AFAIK all studded enduro and motocross tires are still made with semi-automated machines or manual stud guns. Also the holes need to be drilled manually.
Studs with hard metal peak:
Proper glue:
Stud gun:
With those you get tires which will last a long time.
Studs will depend on terrain. Cold cutters are for ice only. Such as lakes, if they hit dirt and rocks, they will quickly dull. Carbide tipped are better for trail riding in shallow snow (People use them on ice too). The carbide is harder than anything you will ride over, and will not wear out unless the stud breaks off or rips out of the tire. I have been running Grip Studs for about 10 years. They screw in with a drill. Grip Studs has recommended studs for dirtbikes on their site. One size is good for the front and the other size is for the rear.
SVTRIDE
Member
I use the 1-1/4" Kold Kutter's in a Kenda and IRC...Amazing grip on frozen lakes, really rail especially when no or little snow present. When I get to be a better rider, I'll move to a more knobby Motoz to loosen the back end up more. My 500 set up. I don't winter trail ride, just on water.Let's talk Sno & Ice studs.. What works ?
- Dirt Bike (500cc and less)
- ADV (T700, 790R, Tiger 800, etc)
- Sleds
Not me nor my vid but this is one of my favorite vids motivated me to get into ice riding..a few miles from my house...typically how we ride winter weekends...
This is how the non-silica tires break in cold temperatures. That front tire went bad in a single session in -15 C.
What brand and model of tire?
Some version of Bridgestone Battlecross, I’ll have to check the exact model.
300man
Well-known member
The tire missing knobs in the picture looks like a Bridgestone M59.
I have used many different winter stud setups over the years. Raced in the NETRA Snow Run Enduro a few times with different setups.
Here is what worked for me and other MC club members:
Frozen trail with frozen puddles no snow: Car studs work excellent for frozen trail with no snow and up to about 1 inch of snow. Drilled my own tires and studded them with single shot stud gun. With car studs it's important to only leave a max of 2mm of the stud exposed. When I say that I mean the body of the stud before it tappers to the carbon steel tit. The tit is about 2mm tall as well. So if studding your own measure and set your depth stop carefully, If more than 2mm of the stud body is exposed they will tend to lean and split the tire and or pull out. Choose a softer compound tire to help avoid splitting the knobs while riding.
Frozen Trail with ice and up to 3 inches of dry/crusty or powder snow: Shorter MC specific carbon tipped rally studs or shorter grip studs. Be sure to get the gripstud brand and not the cheap knock offs. Most of the cheap knock offs do not have carbon steel tips/tits. Again if drilling your own tires and using shorter 6 to 8mm MC rally studs set the depth of the hole so that only the tapered end of the stud is exposed.
Frozen trail with up to 3 inches of heavy wet snow (Mashed Potatoes) or deeper powder: Pre made winter friction tires Trellis or Mitas IMO are the only way to go.
I have attempted to use longer then 13mm total length MC specific studs but they are extremely difficult to install yourself. The longer the stud the more difficult it is to get them deep enough in the tire. There are tricks like cutting the proper length 4x4 board and inserting that inside your rear tire across the diameter. So that you push down on the end. But most stud guns don't do a good job even with higher air pressure from the compressor.
As others said screws are for pure ice only. On pure ice the Canadian type work excellent! the more screws per tire the better. Using a 50/50 tire for screws is better than a knobby.
Just make sure you have enough rubber so that the ends of the screws don't puncture your tube if running tubes. You can run them off road and they help until they go dull which happens in the first half hour. Don't waste your time, you are basically throwing your money away.
I have used many different winter stud setups over the years. Raced in the NETRA Snow Run Enduro a few times with different setups.
Here is what worked for me and other MC club members:
Frozen trail with frozen puddles no snow: Car studs work excellent for frozen trail with no snow and up to about 1 inch of snow. Drilled my own tires and studded them with single shot stud gun. With car studs it's important to only leave a max of 2mm of the stud exposed. When I say that I mean the body of the stud before it tappers to the carbon steel tit. The tit is about 2mm tall as well. So if studding your own measure and set your depth stop carefully, If more than 2mm of the stud body is exposed they will tend to lean and split the tire and or pull out. Choose a softer compound tire to help avoid splitting the knobs while riding.
Frozen Trail with ice and up to 3 inches of dry/crusty or powder snow: Shorter MC specific carbon tipped rally studs or shorter grip studs. Be sure to get the gripstud brand and not the cheap knock offs. Most of the cheap knock offs do not have carbon steel tips/tits. Again if drilling your own tires and using shorter 6 to 8mm MC rally studs set the depth of the hole so that only the tapered end of the stud is exposed.
Frozen trail with up to 3 inches of heavy wet snow (Mashed Potatoes) or deeper powder: Pre made winter friction tires Trellis or Mitas IMO are the only way to go.
I have attempted to use longer then 13mm total length MC specific studs but they are extremely difficult to install yourself. The longer the stud the more difficult it is to get them deep enough in the tire. There are tricks like cutting the proper length 4x4 board and inserting that inside your rear tire across the diameter. So that you push down on the end. But most stud guns don't do a good job even with higher air pressure from the compressor.
As others said screws are for pure ice only. On pure ice the Canadian type work excellent! the more screws per tire the better. Using a 50/50 tire for screws is better than a knobby.
Just make sure you have enough rubber so that the ends of the screws don't puncture your tube if running tubes. You can run them off road and they help until they go dull which happens in the first half hour. Don't waste your time, you are basically throwing your money away.
Turns out the model was Bridgestone ED663
Have the same OKU gun and few bags of studs but still I buy my tires as newer have time to make my own..Mitas (Trelleborg) still makes "winter friction" tires which have added silica in the mixture. They stay elastic in the cold. Normal tires with added studs usually start to disintegrate when it's cold enough.
The winter friction models also have markings in the mold (small indents in each knob) which help when drilling the holes for the studs.
The car tire studding is all fully automated nowadays but AFAIK all studded enduro and motocross tires are still made with semi-automated machines or manual stud guns. Also the holes need to be drilled manually.
Studs with hard metal peak:
Proper glue:
Stud gun:
With those you get tires which will last a long time.