MXA TEAM TESTED: MAXXIS MAXXCROSS MX-SI TIRES

WHAT IS IT? Maxxis released a new-model tire for soft-to-intermediate conditions. This latest Maxxcross MX-SI has been designed and tested by seven-time Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath and has a new tread pattern, rubber compound and tire composition.

WHAT’S IT COST? $97.00 (front 80/100-21), $117.00 (rear 120/80-19).

CONTACT? www.maxxis.com/us/ or your local dealer.

Maxxis MX-SI front.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with the Maxxis Maxxcross MX-SI front and rear tires.

(1) Mounting. Maxxis offers a wide range of tires that all have purpose-built carcasses for their chosen terrains. While Maxxis off-road desert tires have a stiff carcass to help prevent flats, their latest motocross race tires have soft and flexible sidewalls for easy mounting. It should be noted that Maxxcross MX-SI tires have directional arrows, front and rear, for mounting.

(2) Weight. The made-in-Taiwan Maxxis MX-SI tires weigh 12 pounds for the 120/80-19 rear tire and 9.2 pounds for the 80/100-21 front tire.

(3) Durability. The Maxxcross MX-SI front tire has good durability on soft-to-intermediate terrain. However, the side knobs are soft and flexy, which means that on hard-pack dirt, the side knobs show wear fairly quickly, which can affect lean-angle feel. As you would expect from any intermediate-terrain tire, it is designed to perform on soft-to-loamy dirt. When we raced on tracks where the dirt got hard-pack after practice, we felt the need to go up in the rear tire by a pound or two. This created a situation where the side knobs displayed cracks. Always use soft and intermediate tires on the soil that they are designed for.

Maxxis MX-SI rear tread pattern.

(4) Performance. The MXA test riders searched for the best tire pressure for the track conditions and, in general, they preferred air pressures in the 14- to 14.5-psi range. That might seem high, but the higher psi helped with lean angle on the soft carcass while sacrificing some bump absorption. The rear MX-SI front tire worked in a wider range of soil conditions, and most of the MXA test riders were happy at 13 psi because it provided the best straight-line traction.

(5) Replacement. The Maxxcross MX-SI is the newest addition to Maxxis’ lineup of eight different off-road tires.

Maxxis MX-SI front tread pattern.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? We did notice some cracking on the rear tire’s side knobs if we pushed the tire past its useful lifespan or on hard dirt. It would be great if we could get a little more life out of the tires.

MXA RATING: We are happy that Maxxis is still developing and pushing forward with new features. This tire is much better than the Maxxis model that comes as OEM equipment on GasGas motocross bikes. Overall, the Maxxcross MX-SI is a major improvement over the previous Maxxis Maxxcross intermediate-terrain tires and a step up in the soft-to-intermediate category.