Posts
3773
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
For the past couple years, a Michelin Starcross 5 soft front and medium rear has been my go to tire combo that works well and lasts a long time at the MX tracks I race here in the Midwest. Has anyone that was a Starcross 5 fan switched to the Starcross 6? If so, what do you think about the performance and durability of the 6 vs the 5? I ordered a new rear tire a few weeks ago, and chickened out and went with the 5.
VP C12 was $35 a can then as well.
The Shop
Free shipping: VITALMX
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Given the cost differences I will stay on MX33 or try the Pirelli which has super lean angle traction and a softer carcass and lighter weight. I still like the 5, I am just not sure I like them for 15% more money than the Dunlop or Pirelli. I think the MX33 may have a little more lean angle traction than the 5 soft too so weight and softer carcass feel are the only things it has going for it over the MX33. One thing I will say about the Pirelli mid-soft rear. It is good until it isn't and then not much grip except on really soft surfaces. That points to the carcass getting too soft I think. It is billed as the same tire as they race so you can't expect super long life out of it. It is probably the best tire in sand that isn't sand specific. If I raced somewhere with lots of soft dirt like say Michigan it might be the only tire to run. I bet the carcass lasts a lot longer on super soft dirt too.
Cost/performance the MX33 is hard to beat. They wear like iron and are the least expensive of the high end tires. For pure performance I would pick Pirelli or maybe Hoosier (I haven't tried them but have heard good things)
MotoSport did a review on them: www.motosport.com/dirtbike/blog/motosport-product-review-michelin-starcross-6-tires/
Might be worth a look. Let us know if you pull the trigger and tell us what you think.
I went with the Medium Hard because tracks in Wisconsin start a little soft but get dry and hard quick. Maybe the Medium-Soft is different, however, for the price of the 6's compared to Dunlops or Pirelli I don't think I'm going to try them.
I’m glad I asked. Sounds like Starcross 6s are more expensive and not as popular. Bummer.
Ended up bending my rear rim which could have been attributed to the softer sidewall.
Pit Row
12 pounds, 12. oz Dunlop
11 pounds, 11.4 oz Michelin.
I noticed the sidewall was definitely stiffer on the Michelin then the MX33, was harder to mount. Don't know how that'll affect handing and traction, but we'll see.
I haven't tried the 6 but have used the 5 medium a lot, and so do some of my mates. All who have tested the 6 said they are no good compared to the 5 off road. They will go a different direction.
The very hard carcass makes them harsh and too bad for rocks and roots.
One bought all sc5 he could find in fear they will become discontinued.
I'm guessing you are referring to the front mostly ? I've been running the rear, it's sidewall compliance hasn't been too bad and I feel less worried about flats @8psi than the 5S. It's grip on slippery clay is pretty amazing, but I do find the silica material weird. As 'the kid' mentioned i had stepping out issues if it hit small logs or rocks etc, esp on hotter days.
Pirelli's in Oz seem to be made in Indonesia now ? are other people finding this ? the mx xtra front is chunking after 1 ride but I haven't tried the Mid soft again to see where it's made now as i used to only get 4-5 rides out of them.
I have mx32 mid soft fronts but week 11/2022 made in Indonesia. I also have mid soft xc rears same dates made in Indonesia. I have an older one (2020 I think) made in Brazil. I have a Mx32 mid hard rear made in Brazil built in 2021. I just put the indonesia ones on this week so no idea on durability yet. The mx32 front from Indonesia weighs the same as an mx33 front. I think the Brazil one was at least 1/2 pound lighter, but I don’t have one to weigh.
I sell/fit circa 250 mx/enduro tyres a year.
IMO the Starcross 6 is a downgrade from the 5. (Medium by choice)
The 6 is definitely harder to fit with a much stiffer carcass. I was disappointed that there is very little difference in tread design between the mid/soft & the mid/hard.
I haven’t ridden on any of the 6s yet due to ACL replacement last summer. But I’m simply not getting the ‘feel’ about the 6 that I did the 5.
I may go back to Pirelli MX32 mid/hard as my go to when I start riding again.
on a different note, I’ve recently started selling Kenda as a more budget friendly option and have fitted 4 of the Washougal ll tyres this week. I’m mightily impressed with their fit and feel good quality & also look good. Again, I’ve not ridden on one. Yet.
Thanks alot for the info. Be interested to see how you go. I think I was only getting 12-15hrs before tearing outside knobs on the Mid-Soft from Brazil versus 50hrs from the mx eXtra from Brazil and only 5hrs from the Indonesian eXtra. I also thought the indo one was a little heavier and rubber less pliable. But felt similar performance wise.
Yeah it's the first time in a while I've sworn at a rear tyre while fitting. But I felt the 5 pretty much needed tubliss or mousse to avoid flats due to how weak the walls were. I've smashed the 6 into lots of big sharp rocks at high speeds with 8psi and no pinch flats. The 5 rear handled better but I took it off after 5 rides due to performance loss and kept the 6 on for a long time. I think it has 30 extra knobs or something. I imagine the carcass issue would be a bigger problem on the front.
The 6 front sticks better than the 5 other than roots. An mx3s sticks as well or better than a 6 but still works ok on roots.
Post a reply to: Michelin Starcross 5 vs 6?