Trials Australia Forums

Hi Everyone,

The Hell Team wrote:If you take a close look at the MAXXIS tyre it has more open blocks compared to a true trials Universal tyre. Even though they look roughly like a Trials pattern they have bigger gaps, so are not technically a legal Trials tyre. I had a quick look at the FIM regulations and couldn't quickly find the chapter, but I am sure I have seen somewhere the measurements a Trials pattern must fit. I'll try and dig it up when I have a few minutes.

Thank you for your input Paul but i am a little confused. As I said earlier, I have been riding on MAXXIS for years as they are readily available locally and I don't need to pay postage for something that is sizeable. They do the job on most surfaces although I have not tried them in sand but can not see a problem.

When you say....not technically a legal Trials tyre.... What exactly do you mean and not legal with who and or whom?

There has been no issue at Open, interclub and State Title level on multiple bikes as it seems no one gives a Rats that I am riding on MAXXIS. Scrutineers are sometimes curious but don't have a problem, well not in my experience anyway.....

Rules are what is killing our great sport, too many of them.... My way of looking at it is simple:

RULES is merely short for RidicULES and therefore are all derived from RIDICULOUS!

Also for the record, the precedence has already been set at Australian Titles level on MAXXIS TRIALMAXX MORE than 5 years ago

There's a bloke in (not new) South Wales making nice aftermarket air cleaners for twinshock TYs.
I've bought a couple to try out.
The bigger one is for Godden 250/320 frames and the other one is for standard TY175 frames.
My Godden has been running with a pod filter for years because a TY250 airbox sits too high.
I've been intending to make a decent air cleaner for it for years, half-hoping someone would start making them commercially so when Eirian Davies started making them I couldn't resist.
I bought the TY175 air filter to use on my Hotrod 210cc TY175 as part of improving the intake breathing

I stripped off as much of the flaking paint from 2005 with paint remover as I could first then it was off to the local vapour blaster.
No painting this time.

Hi Greg
The Trials tyre rules have been in place for at least 30 or 40 years. It is an FIM rule adopted by MA and the SCB's. I didn't make it, and because someone may have entered and competed on non conforming tyres and nothing happened, doesn't change the fact that this is the rule.
I think it is a good rule personally, then we are all on the same general type of tyre, and it keeps costs down. No disadvantage for anyone not being able to keep up with prototypes, or new tyre types coming out. You can spend $60 on a cheap trials tyre, or $200 on a Michelin X-Lite but they all have the same block pattern, only difference then is compound, and construction.

An excerpt from the FIM Technical Rules for Trials Tyres Rule 1.49
49.1 - The overall width of the tyre when fitted must not exceed 115mm.
49.2 - The tread depth (A( must not exceed 13mm measured at right angles to the face of the tread. All blocks in the same circumference must be of the same depth (see diagram D bis).
49.3 - The space between the blocks must not exceed 9.5mm across the tyre (B) or 13mm in a circumferential direction ©
49.4 - The space between shoulder blocks (D Bis) must not exceed 22mm.
49.5 - The space across the tread (E) cannot extend completely across the tyre measured at right angles to the wall of the tyre, unless broken by a block.
49.6 - All tread blocks (shoulder blocks accepted) must be nominally rectangular with sides parallel with or at right angles to the tyre axis (tyre must have the same appearance when reverse and conform, in principle, with Diagram D Bis).

It goes on some more, but that is the jist of it. You can read it in the FIM Technical Rules that can be downloaded from the FIM website.

Hi Everyone,

The Hell Team wrote:Hi Greg
The Trials tyre rules have been in place for at least 30 or 40 years. It is an FIM rule adopted by MA and the SCB's. I didn't make it, and because someone may have entered and competed on non conforming tyres and nothing happened, doesn't change the fact that this is the rule.
I think it is a good rule personally, then we are all on the same general type of tyre, and it keeps costs down. No disadvantage for anyone not being able to keep up with prototypes, or new tyre types coming out. You can spend $60 on a cheap trials tyre, or $200 on a Michelin X-Lite but they all have the same block pattern, only difference then is compound, and construction.

An excerpt from the FIM Technical Rules for Trials Tyres Rule 1.49
49.1 - The overall width of the tyre when fitted must not exceed 115mm.
49.2 - The tread depth (A( must not exceed 13mm measured at right angles to the face of the tread. All blocks in the same circumference must be of the same depth (see diagram D bis).
49.3 - The space between the blocks must not exceed 9.5mm across the tyre (B) or 13mm in a circumferential direction ©
49.4 - The space between shoulder blocks (D Bis) must not exceed 22mm.
49.5 - The space across the tread (E) cannot extend completely across the tyre measured at right angles to the wall of the tyre, unless broken by a block.
49.6 - All tread blocks (shoulder blocks accepted) must be nominally rectangular with sides parallel with or at right angles to the tyre axis (tyre must have the same appearance when reverse and conform, in principle, with Diagram D Bis).

It goes on some more, but that is the jist of it. You can read it in the FIM Technical Rules that can be downloaded from the FIM website.

Thank you Paul for explaining your views. Also for sharing exactly who's rules you were referring too that I may not have been complying with, even though the MAXXIS Tyres passed scrutineering on multiple occasions.

The bit that I don't understand is:

Why are you pushing such a petty little rule when no one else seems to care?
Why do you think that MAXXIS are selling prototypes?
Why after all of these years?
What has changed?
What am I missing?

For example: At the Logan River Trial on the weekend, I counted 5 other MAXXIS TRIALMAXX tyres without even trying on multiple makes of bikes. Mine was the only one mounted on a Twinshock,

2016 SQTA end of year Gate Trial, 172 fitted with MAXXIS TRIALMAXX on both ends:

I thought the standard for a trials tyres was adopted internationally 50 or more years ago.
The reason for the ruling was, to satisfy landholders that generously allowed trials to be held on their properties, that ground disturbance would be kept to a minimum.
That’s why the trials universal tyre measurements became a standard. The line had to be drawn somewhere.
That’s why Maxxis sell their tyre as a Hybrid trials/enduro tyre not as a Trials tyre
Cheers Ross

Hi Greg
I am just trying to inform you and the forum readers of the rules that exist. No other agenda.
Please read my comment, i did not say MAXXIS was selling "prototypes", I used the word prototype in a sentence to talk about new tyre designs being kept in check.
And you say "why after all these years". Well you made the original comments about the Maxxis, Betaman commented that it was a hybrid, and I clarified that was true with the FIM, MA, and associated SCB rules that exist and have existed for a very long time. You know in any court of law ignorance is not a defence, and it it is the same with the rules that govern our sport.

I am not a scrutineer, I am not a rule maker, I am just a participant in a forum and we are sharing experiences and knowledge I thought.

You can ride on whatever tyres you want Greg, and if you compete on them and the scrutineer either doesn't know the rules, or chooses to turn a blind eye, so be it. But at least now you know what the rule is, and as Brownie explained why the rule was put in place, so isn't that a better situation for all of us. I thought that was what these forums are for - the spreading of knowledge between participants.

Hi Everyone,

OK so I think I see more clearly now......

Obviously it is a long time since I have bought Michelin tyres, what is the current price for an X lite front and rear Paul? Are they readily available?

Thanks 8n advance
Edit, Thanks in advance

Greg there is a big selection of "legal" trials tyres out there. Of the ones I know of (and I am sure that is not all of them) you can have these with Universal Trials pattern.
Shinko SR 241 Trial: Rear - $88
Shinko Trial Pro: Rear - $134
Mitas ET01: Rear - $150, Front $105
Vee Rubber VRM308R: Rear $159, Front $101
Pirelli MT 43: Rear -$175, Front $119
Dunlop 803GP: Rear - $191, front $123
Michelin X-Lite - Rear - $259, Front $176
Michelin X11: Rear - $259, Front $176

Sorry I dont have some of the front prices listed, but most are about 2/3rds the price of the rear. Most motorcycle shops should be able to order any of the above from the Australian importers.
As far as readily available, I know Michelins are currently OK, but there was shortages last year. But I think that is across the board with parts at the moment. I know the local NGK Spark Plug importer has no BPR5ES until May, and that is the most common spark plug size on trials bikes, so definitely some areas of "difficulty" in regards general parts and sundries!

Are yu sure about the MT43 as they don't have '' square '' center knob
Guy