MXA TEAM TESTED: RINALDI RW45 SCOOP TIRE

WHAT IS IT? The RW45 scoop tire is Rinaldi’s soft-terrain tire that you don’t want your competition to know about. Rinaldi is a Brazilian tire company that manufactures motocross tires and tubes for off-road motorcycles. A few years back, Rinaldi hired a chief engineer from Pirelli to redesign and increase the performance of their motocross-specific tire range. The RW45 is the result of that effort.

Scoop tires have been a topic of discussion for the past couple of seasons; however, riders find the scoop-versus-knobby decision polarizing. In reality, scoop tires have been available for decades and marketed as “soft terrain” or “sand/mud” tires. This style of tire is a specialized design for more extreme surfaces as opposed to the general kinds of dirt that a traditional knobby faces.

WHAT’S IT COST? $56.00 (90/100-16); $76.00 (100/90-19); $83.00 (110/90-19).

CONTACT? www.motomandistributing.com, [email protected] or (760) 949-0941.

The RW450 is a directional tire. It has to be mounted so that the scoop shape of the knobs digs into the sand or mud for maximum effect.

WHAT STANDS OUT? Here’s a list of things that stand out with Rinaldi’s RW45 tire.

(1) Design. The Rinaldi RW45 scoop tire has a pliable sidewall with a stiffer center carcass. The center knobs are tall and stiff with the typical “scoop” orientation. The tire’s side knobs flex much more than the center knobs. A 100/90-19 size RW45 weighs 9 pounds, 10 ounces. Embossed on the sidewall is the word “winner.” How could you lose with this tire?

(2) Installation. This depends a little on the installer’s experience and attitude. As a general rule, a warm tire and a smiling face will make the job go smoother. The installation process is similar to that of other tires, with normal room for finger dexterity and tire-spoon action. The bead area is normal, but you need to be sure to align the tire correctly, because all scoop tires are directional. 

The one place a chasing rider doesn’t want to be is directly behind a 450 with a scoop tire on it. The roost is brutal.

(3) Performance. The RW45’s performance is fantastic! Traction is superb in sandy, soft, muddy and loose conditions. The tire has more of a planted sensation upon acceleration instead of feeling like it is digging in and burying itself. When the dirt firms up, the RW45 doesn’t seem to notice, continuing to bite hard and resist stepping out uncontrollably. On blue-groove hardpack, the RW45 isn’t the best choice, but braking action remains comparable to a traditional knobby tire. Of course, we have test riders who, much like Eli Tomac, choose scoops exclusively for all conditions and find that the RW45 wears evenly and resists chunking the knobs.

(4) Pros. The first thing to notice is the price point of this tire. For anybody doling out his own money, price matters. The Rinaldi RW45 has a lower price than most premium brands, and when it comes to performance, this tire works well in the conditions it was designed for.

(5) Cons. Be forewarned, at 10 hours of race time, the RW45 was ready to be trashed. We suffered inner carcass delamination when we tried to push the RW45 past 10 hours of fast cross-country racing with a mousse installed. This did not happen with a normal inner tube.

Designed to work in sand, mud or loose loam, the enemy of scoop tires is hard-pack dirt. It will shorten the RW45’s life span.

WHAT’S THE SQUAWK? The biggest bummer is the limited size selection. Only big bikes with a 19-inch rear wheel can run an RW45. This means that if you insist on using a 120-width tire or run an 18-inch rear wheel, you’re out of luck. We hope that Rinaldi will offer the RW45 tire in more sizes in the future.

MXA RATING: In the world of affordable race tires, especially scoop tires, the Rinaldi RW45 is recognized as a high-performing, economical tire. This is a rare combination.