MXA TEAM TESTED: DUNLOP AT82 OFF-ROAD TIRES

WHAT IS IT? The Dunlop Geomax AT82 tire was developed to be a versatile replacement for the AT81 off-road tire. The AT81 was used in the off-road world as an OEM spec tire but not as a performance tire for racing. The new AT82 tires have a taller profile and a new knob pattern developed for racing in multiple conditions. 

WHAT’S IT COST? $262.90 (front and rear).

CONTACT? www.dunlopmotorcycletires.com or your local dealer. 

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with Dunlop’s new AT82 off-road tires.

(1) Sizes. For big bikes, the AT82 tire is available in two sizes for the front wheel (80/100-21 and 90/100-21) and four sizes for the rear wheel (110/90-19, 120/90-19, 110/100-18 and 110/90-18). 

(2) Front tire. The big buzz about the front tire is how much taller it is. It’s taller and wider than the AT81 and MX34, creating more cushion for bump absorption. Getting technical, the 80/100-21 AT82 front tire has a 12mm-larger overall diameter than the 80/100-21 MX34 motocross tire. The 90/100-21 is even taller; it has a 16mm-larger diameter than the 80/100-21 version of the AT82. 

The AT81 tire has a soft carcass that is good for enduro-style riding with more rocks, while the AT82 is meant for hardcore racing on cross-country Grand Prix-style landscapes. Our test riders immediately noticed that the 80/100 felt taller than the AT81 and MX34 front tires, and it offered more comfort for the riders’ hands. Jumping to the 90/100, it’s another step taller with even more cushioning at the hands; however, because these tires are taller, they are more sensitive to tire pressure. At 13 psi, the front tire felt horrible. It felt too soft, making it hard to turn. We went up to 14 psi, and our issues were immediately resolved.  

(3) Rear tire. Striving to be multi-talented, the rear tire can change directions for soft/intermediate terrain (scoop direction) and intermediate/hard terrain (flat direction). After testing with both the 18- and 19-inch sizes on soft motocross tracks and hard off-road trails, our testers unanimously preferred the “scoop” position as opposed to the flat/hard position. 

On acceleration, you can feel the scoop hook up. On a lean angle, it feels great, reminding us of the well-liked MX3S tire. The AT82 rear is a solid in-between choice when you aren’t sure if you should run the MX14 scoop tire or an MX34 intermediate tire. Our picky test riders felt that the rear AT82 tire was bouncy in hard conditions due to the taller knob profile, but the average rider wouldn’t notice it. In the non-scoop direction, our testers noticed that it lost braking performance. 

(4) Durability. When used by our pro and vet test riders, the AT82 lasted longer than the popular MX3S and the previous AT81, but not as long as the MX34 or MX53 tires. The rear tire gets bouncier as the carcass breaks down around the six-hour mark. Our normal Grand Prix-style races at Glen Helen usually feature short asphalt sections, which are not friendly to rubber. We started with 13 psi in the rear tire, then upped it to 14 psi as the tire wore out.  The front tire lasted longer than the rear tire; it began to wear out at the eight-hour mark. As the front tire broke down, it felt softer. We bumped the air pressure up to 14.5 psi to compensate. 

(5) Racing. For the first time, riders in Supercross and Pro Motocross have chosen Dunlop’s off-road tire to go racing. In Supercross, MotoConcepts’ Honda 450 rider Mitchell Oldenburg used the front and rear AT82 tires. The AEO Powersports KTM team used the front tire in Supercross and the AMA Nationals.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? The biggest downfall of the AT82 tires was durability. We expected more lifespan from the new off-road tires. 

MXA RATING: We rarely selected the AT81 tire in the past (even when riding off-road), but now the AT82 has a solid position in our everyday lineup of tire options—for off-road and motocross. It’s not the most durable tire in Dunlop’s range (the MX53 hard-terrain tire is), but the AT82 is a strong choice for traction and bump absorption. We love the scoop on the rear as well.