Tire choice for 250SX

[JFortner5]

I’ve got an 85 ATC 250SX that needs new tires. It’s bone stock. I’ve never ridden a 3 wheeler before so I’m not really sure if they will slide in turns like a sport quad but that’s what I want. I’ve read some threads about running a narrow front tire and I think I’d like to do that for the handling improvements. I’m not looking to make a mud machine so I’m thinking of maybe dropping down to a 20” tire in the rear with a square profile. Will that help me get what I’m after? I just want it to be fun to ride in the trails.

[350for350]

I would suggest Kenda Scorpions. I haven't run any, but I've seen a lot of people who are very happy with them. They say that those tires slide pretty well and give pretty good straight line drive. If you're going to use your stock or other 8" diameter rims, buy some in 22x11-8. They are about 20.5" tall when installed.

[ATC King]

You should remeber that 'sliding' in turns requires momentum or power.

If you want to do that on a 250sx you need a tire that'll break loose with the power at hand. Something square with stiff sidewalls and shallow tread would work. The bad part about using a shorter tire on the SX is you can't easily change the final drive ratio, it's going to have a lower top speed with shorter tires.

If trail riding, on my idea of a trail anyway, you don't want to give up any ground clearance because of the greater risk of bashing the rear end on something. In that case you'd want to stay at nearly a stock height. If you want shorter sidewall tires at a stock height you're going to have to upgrade the wheels to a modern and larger diameter. 10 or12 inch wheels would be on order. Figure on dropping $500-$600 on just rear wheels and tires if buying new. Then if you want to do the skinny front add $$.

They're fun to ride on trails as stock. How much more $$ do you want to spend on possibly negligible fun gains?

[Footy]

I agree with the different wheel. The issue is the rear brake will not clear with stock aluminum 9 inch wheels from sport quads. Guys will use 10" or 11" rear wheels from a honda rancher with SRA.
I bought a set of 1 inch wheels spacers so that I could use sport quad rear tires. I already had some wheels and tires from a TRX450R so it was cheaper to buy the spacers that tires and wheels.

[Jack G]

I personally like the stock size tire on the SX for trail riding. My SX has the original tires and my girlfriends has Kenda Klaw XC front and rear with a skinny front. The Klaws are a lot more of a square profile than the round balloon tires, which helps with stability quite a bit. With the original round profile tires, the SX is a little tippy in comparison. I haven't had the chance to really compare the narrow front vs. wide front but they both feel fine to me.

Rear Tire Setup:
Kenda Klaw K533 22x11-8 (actual height/diameter is 22")
The Klaws have been great. Plenty of traction and not so much lateral grip that you can't kick out the rear end when you need to. As a newer rider to trikes, I would highly suggest a more squared off profile rear tire. I would also encourage you to stay with the 22". Because the SX is shaft drive, you cannot change the gearing with a simple sprocket change. The only way to change the gearing is to change rear tire size. By going to a 20" tire, you are reducing the top speed (maybe 3-5mph if I had to guess). You gain some low end torque, but the SX already has enough of that. Even with the stock 22" rear, 1st gear is basically a granny gear. With 20" tires, 1st gear would be useless IMO. I've never run a 20" so maybe someone else can chime in with actual experience.

Tire/Rim Specs for Narrow Front Setup:
Kenda Klaw K532 23x7-10 (actual height/diameter is 22")
AMS 10x5 2+3 4/110 rim (AMS120)
This front tire is ok but it honestly looks kind of small on the SX. I have a Kenda Pathfinder on my 200X that runs true to size and is actually a 23" tall tire. I'd choose that over the Klaw if I had to do it over again.

***NOTE*** the Kenda Klaw K533 22x11-8 DOES NOT fit in the front even though it is the same size spec as the original tire. I tried to mount it in the front and the tire rubs both fork tubes. This is the main reason we went to a narrow front. If you run a fat tire up front, I would recommend the Kenda Frontmax... can't go wrong there.

[JFortner5]

Thank you all for the replies. I think I will stick with a 22”. I didn’t really think about 1st already being so low.

[Shep1970]

Just get some cheap cheng shin (spelling may be wrong) china made tires there ballon style and get the stock size and she'll slide where/when ever u want.... the body english/balance you'll need to learn. A three wheeler will beat any 4-wheeler handling wise on any trail any day of the week...just saying. A Sport type atc with suspension ..... anyway

shep

[Jack G]

After my essay of a post talking about the Kendas, I do agree with Shep. The Kendas give a little bit sportier of a look but a set of tires like the knobbies he mentioned will probably be my choice if I ever need to replace the OEM tires. The SX just looks RIGHT with a tall balloon tire.

Good luck on the tire search!

[JFortner5]

Thanks again guys you’ve definitely given me a lot to think about. I actually did get to ride it today, just around our little backyard trail but it was a lot of fun. I’m gonna go back out and play again tomorrow haha.

[ATC King]

If you decide to stick with the stock wheels and tire height for the time being, the Kenda Scorpion seems to be a popular general tire for the 250SX.

They're not quite as round as a typical 2-ply knoby, wear really well, and still offer a smoother ride than some other tires. I think they have a more sport oriented tire, the 'Eliminator', in a stock ATC sizes.

With rear suspension, you can give up some comfort of a typical balloon knobby and still not be a riding a spine compactor. Maybe adding an inch or two wheel spacers to each side and running the Scorpions will be about what you're looking for. A bit more stability, a touch firmer tire, and will still ride smooth enough that you aren't constantly aware of how rough the tires are.

Remember to compare tire weights when you're shopping. A heavier tire is going to ride rougher and rob power. The tires that these came equipped with didn't weigh nearly as much as many options you may see.

If you find a tire you really like after spending some time with it, you may want to order an extra pair. With the way things have been it's not uncommon for parts to be out of stock and it never fails that you find something you really like only for it to be discontinued years later. Store them unmounted, out of sunlight, and away from ozone (brushed electric motors, even HVAC ones) and they'll be good for a long time.

[Atc250sx-85]

I agree with getting a knobby style tire if you want to kick it sideways in the turns. I gave that up when switching to ITP mud lites on mine, but I don't do that much anyway so it didn't bother me.

[Dirtcrasher]

Travis Gisclair (SP?) had the 250SX tires reproduced, he has them on Ebay listed as a SERWA tire. He had the ATC250R and some other tires made as well, the feedback is pretty good thus far. It's China of course, but it is the exact same knobby pattern as OEM. Probably a different ply and rubber compound, I still find it amazing that Honda got so many thigs so right back in the 80's, they were unbelievably ahead of their time...

[ATC King]

Travis Gisclair (SP?) had the 250SX tires reproduced, he has them on Ebay listed as a SERWA tire.

Thanks for that info. I checked them out. Expensive but they got the OE look. I'm glad he took the initiative to make that happen. Nothing is more suited for a nice original style trike than an original looking tire.

I do wonder about the actual size though. If they're like the OE and not these tiny Chinese tires that are much smaller than their listed sizes I'd at least buy a Big Red pair for the rear. Some of the current 25x12x9 are more like 22x11.

[Dirtcrasher]

Thanks for that info. I checked them out. Expensive but they got the OE look. I'm glad he took the initiative to make that happen. Nothing is more suited for a nice original style trike than an original looking tire.

I do wonder about the actual size though. If they're like the OE and not these tiny Chinese tires that are much smaller than their listed sizes I'd at least buy a Big Red pair for the rear. Some of the current 25x12x9 are more like 22x11.

He has allot of irons in the fire ATM so to speak. He's working on reproducing gas tanks, using China because I don't think there are a bunch of Japan vendors looking for work. There are lots of parts being reproduced at this point that people aren't aware of, I've lent out a few NOS parts to be copied to different people. The reproduced 86 200X and Tecate kickstarter you can find on Ebay was made amazingly well, that's my buddy Jeff, he won't make anything unless it's spot on with OEM, he is very good and attentive to detail and there are others like him out there. There are people working on the 350X rear fender mudflap because it's such a sought out item and also trying to find NOS fenders to laser scan and reproduce. In time I think we will see just about everything made, some will be made very well, some will be ok and others will just get the job done. There's lots of new interest in Honda ATC's, that keeps these guys driven...

[86T3]

I believe they're the same size but they're 6 ply so the ride will be different