Product
Evaluation
"Priced Right and Breathing Life Into Old
Carcasses"
DIRT ACTION Magazine
Dunlop's K695 intermediate rear has always been a
crowd favourite. Strap one on the arse-end of your bike and there will be no blaming the
tyres if you ride like a squid. Or so goes the conventional wisdom. So when the model
disappeared from site this year, loyal old riders kicked up a stink. True, much of that
might have been from racing circles, but a stink all the same.
Apparently Dunlop had progress in mind and answered
the complaints with the D738. It was to act as a proto to the new D739 - which we're all
told, is intended to look, wear and handle like the 'old' 695! Nice bit of corporate
circlework, that.
With good reason, Recross Remoulds - an off-road tyre
retreading business in South Nowra, NSW - went for a K695 tread pattern for their tyre
remoulds. Priced around $65 to $75, the tyres compelled DIRT ACTION to have a
crack at testing what was becoming popular with trailriders. We enlisted a bunch of trail,
enduro and thumper riders to throw everything their right hand had to offer at the rubber
and assess how the reincarnations stood up to the abuse. Since the predictable grip of the
695 pattern is a generally known quantity, our emphasis was on the wear characteristics of
the remoulds; whether there had been a trade-off in durability for the sake of matching
the grip of it's Dunlop forebear.
The knobs felt relatively soft and delivered good
traction on both hardpack and loamy surfaces. (While the average trailrider will
appreciate the allterrain grip, racers - a picky bunch of prima donnas - might want
something better on purely loamy surfaces.) We also found the Recross Remoulds gave
excellent wear. After the first full week of caning the tyre on every type of terrain, the
edge had barely been taken off the knobs. Instead of using the synthetic based rubbers.
Recross remoulds use quality Toyo rubber. The compound proved soft enough to offer good
traction in all conditions and was tough enough not to wear down quickly or bust knobs off
all together.
To ensure the quality of the remould itself, carcasses
are fully 'buffed back' to provide a key for the new rubber. A tube inflated to more than
1379kN/m2 (200psi) is used in the tyre and, after being subjected to 150 degrees C for 50
minutes in the mould, the remould tyre is born. The junction between remould and carcass
has a high quality of finish and never hinted at lifting anywhere on the tyre test.
Recross remoulds are available in most sizes from 17
inches through to 19 inches. They offer bloody good wear and grip characteristics and, at
a price just over half of many of it's 'non-reincarnated' competition, the tyre are being
keenly sought by trailriders. Dave Crittle from Recross Remoulds says he can't produce the
things quick enough to match the demand. If and when he can the rubber world's big boys
might have to sit up and address the core of their market: the weekend trailriding cowboy
wanting good value for money.
If you can't find a Recross remould in your local bike
shop, call Recross Remoulds on (02) 4423 6594.
"A proved tread pattern at a primo
price"
Australia Dirt Bike Magazine ADB
Recross Remoulds is a small business on the South
Coast which, in recent years, has quietly gone about developing an excellent range of
retreaded tyres at very reasonable prices. Backed by a good knowledge of grip and wear
characteristics needed by the average dirt bike rider. Recross is fast gaining a
reputation for superb products and excellent value for money. The company uses quality
natural rubber in their moulding process and it's range has now expanded to four rear
models with the recent addition of the "RC739" rear - based on the tread pattern
of the popular intermediate/hard terrain tyre from Dunlop. We spent a few months testing
the 19 inch RC739 on all types of terrain to see how she stacks up against the off the
shelfers.
WHAT WE LIKED
Versatility: The 739 pattern is
designed to lean toward the hard end of the intermediate/hard spectrum, but we found that
the RC739 offered grip across a wide range of terrain types. Although it does work best on
hard terrain, it still hooks up with more than acceptable results in loamy conditions,
particularly when the tyre still has it's sharp edge.
Wear: While the RC739's rubber is
soft enough to grip well on hardpack, it still wears surprisingly well. All the same, we
found that the compound was stiff enough not to squirm around on the hardpack and that the
knobs maintain their sharp edge and knob height roughly as long as the real McCoy. In
fact, we reckon the RC739 wears better than Dunlop's 737 or even the 695 on hardpack or
snotty, rock strewn terrain. There were no problems with shredding or pulling knobs
(righto, take that in context).
Range: Recross now has four patterns
available: the RC695 and RC737 intermediates, the RC755 soft terrain, and the RC739 hard
terrain, available in both 18 and 19 inch sizes and in varying widths. Choice is always a
good thing.
Price: At $75 - $80 a tyre, the
Recross tyres are at least $30 - $50 cheaper than off the shelf tyres that use quality
long-wearing natural rubber. With comparable wear and grip characteristics to those new
tyres, the Recross tyres offer bloody good value.
WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE
Fitting: The RC739 is harder to fit
than the Dunlop equivalent, but then the Dunlops are one of the easiest to fit tyres on
the market. The RC739 is better than the average Pirelli to slot onto your rim, and if you
leave it in the sun for 15 minutes the RC739 is about as good as it gets.
Carcass Quality: Our RC739 came on a
Michelin carcass - probably one of the best on the market. Sourcing quality carcasses,
however, is one of the biggest problems for any retread business. While they don't use
poor quality carcasses, the final product will always depend on the quality of what is
available to strip back and attach the remould to.
Weight: The RC739 is a little heavier
than the Dunlop stocker, bit it's about the same as a little extra mud sitting under your
guard, and we didn't notice any effect on handling.
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