Honda CRF50 Tires

The stock Honda CRF50 tires have a pretty mild tread pattern. They’re good for trail riding and really good if you want to ride on pavement but they are not aggressive enough for motocross or wet conditions.

Dunlop makes a great set of tires for the CRF50 (10”) and since Honda uses Dunlop tires on their factory bikes and we started thinking about making Ben’s bike look like a “factory Honda” the choice was easy. These tires have a really aggressive tread pattern, look great and so far have held up pretty well.

TIRES: Dunlop 756 ($67/pair)

We bought a pair of Dunlop 756 tires 2.50x10 front and 2.75x10 rear. If you are going to be riding in sand or very loose terrain you might try a Dunlop 773 tire for extra traction. For a nice final touch I bought a yellow tire pen and colored the Dunlop logos yellow just like the factory Honda bikes. It wears off after some riding but it’s easy to apply again.

UPDATE: We have started using the new DUNLOP MX51’s and they work very well. This is Dunlop’s latest Motocross tire and is used by most pros.

TUBES: You can re-use the stock tubes but while you’ve got the tires off the rims you may want to replace them with some new heavy duty tubes.

This purchase was a great value and made a huge difference in Ben’s riding. They have MUCH more traction than the stock Honda CRF50 tires and allows you to ride much more aggressively.

The only down side is they are a PAIN to install. You need tire levers (I got some Motion Pro’s) and some kind of lube (I was told to use degreaser) You really need to muscle them on.

TECH TIP: I recently got a BEAD BUDDY tool and it made tire changing MUCH easier! Use with two or three tire irons for the best result.

TECH TIP: We colored the Dunlop logos on the tires with a Yellow TIRE PEN. They look like cool factory team tires!

TECH TIP: Our local dealer wants $25 per tire to install them. You decide if it’s worth the trouble. I’m not looking forward to doing it again!

TECH TIP: Get a good tire pressure gauge and keep the tires between 12 an 15psi. I got a 0-30psi gauge, it’s easier to read and more accurate than a 0-60psi gauge and the hose makes it easier to get it on the valve stem. A small compressor make tire inflation much easier when at home. Bring hand pump to track.

TECH TIP: You will need a couple of large ratchets/wrenches to remove and install the wheels properly.

SAFETY TIP: Be careful if you ride on pavement with knobby tires. They can be very slippery if the road is wet or sandy and it will wear the tread down fast.