Motoz Tractionators

We’ve just fitted a pair of Motoz Tractionators to the editor’s new KLR (it’s an old KLR, but he calls it, “My new bike”).

The bike was wearing newish Pirelli Scorpion Trails. They were good on the road but very short on traction on anything except bitumen. They were a fairground ride on wet grass or clay.

John Titman Racing volunteered a pair of the new Motoz Tractionators and we were straight away in awe of the tread depth.

There’s more to a good tyre than just tread depth, but we’ll update you on performance when we’ve had a chance to use them. The publisher’s had a pair for a while and reckons they’re the bee’s knees, so we’re looking forward to seeing how they hook up.

First thing’s first, though. We fitted them ourselves the old-fashioned way, and it brought a smile to our faces.

After all the big-bike tyres with impossible bead grip and humungous weight, it was a pleasure to be able to slip the front on with our fingers alone. No mallet or levers needed. With the tube in, we had the second side all but on the rim with our hands as well, then had to use our weight in a boot to pop the last little bit of the lip over.

We were grinning! It brought back memories of enduros where we used to practice tyre changes and make selections on how easy they were to change.

The rear dumped us back in the real world a little. We rolled the first side of the tyre on bare-handed, piece of cake, but getting the valve through the hole in the rim took some serious muscle work. The second side of the tyre went on about three-quarters of the way before we were forced to admit defeat and grab a lever. With a couple of flips of the lever the tyre was done.

It was awesome. Compared to the adventure tyres we’ve been dealing with on the big bikes, this was a dream. We’d definitely have no problem repairing a puncture with the gear in our tool roll out in the middle of nowhere.

That’s become a real concern lately. We’ve had tyres where would couldn’t break the bead, the tyre was so heavy we could hardly lift it, and where we just couldn’t get enough pressure in it to set the bead when the job was done. We’ve taken to carrying a bead breaker and compressor, and that’s bulk and weight we’d rather not have.

So at a first impression we’re very happy with the Tractionator Desert H/T for the rear and Mountain Hybrid on the front.

We’ll let you know how they perform when we’ve had a chance to give them a workout – hopefully in somewhere wet and sloppy, and then in some sand and bulldust.