Last week, Dunlop invited us to a deeply prepped Glen Helen Raceway to try out the all-new MX14 sand and mud tire that's been in development for years now. Used by Eli Tomac to win the last four 450 National MX motos at Red Bud and Southwick, the new scoop tire has an intriguing look that had us anxious to see what it was all about!
Here are the details:
Created as the successor to the Geomax MX12, the MX14 has a new pattern with reduced scoop block spacing and 18% taller tread blocks to ensure optimum grip for riders. Additionally, it has an improved rubber compound to increase tire strength and reduce flex, providing traction on straights and corner exits.
The Geomax line of tires has been the industry standard for years. Dunlop engineers have continued to evolve the Geomax series, with the MX14 being the latest result of Dunlop’s ongoing development.
The rear MX14 is designed for soft-terrain applications and to excel in extreme sand and mud conditions. Dunlop’s goal with this tire was to increase straight-line drive without sacrificing cornering performance.
For the MX14, Dunlop relied on top AMA Pro racers, top MXGP racers, Team Dunlop Elite amateur riders, and the testing team at the Dunlop Proving Grounds in Huntsville, Alabama. The efforts of these individuals developed the tire on tracks in the United States and Europe, including some of Europe’s “bottomless sand” tracks on the World MX Championship schedule.
The MX14 offers increased cornering grip, slide control, start performance, shock absorption, and braking grip, with enhanced handling in deep sand/mud and even in hard-based sand/mud.
Technology:
• New Profile and Pattern that increases block height 18% taller than the MX12. Narrower block spacing distribution improves the sand/mud “scoop/paddle” effect, equating to increased dive-grip/traction and improved braking performance and slide control.
• Reinforced Scoop Technology (RST) results in a 23% increase in contact area over the MX12 to greatly improve traction/drive-grip through increased amounts of terrain being scooped.
• Advanced V-Block Technology (V-BT Advanced) is an optimized tread design and block angles for improved “scoop/paddle” effect and enhanced block angles for improved slide control at camber. These increase sand/mud penetration and “scooping effect.”
• New Flexible Fins Technology (FFT) where the crown and middle blocks have thin fins for flexible movement on the rear braking side to increase the tire footprint for additional control.
• High-Resilience rubber compound (H-RRC) and stiffer carcass create improved traction and performance through less knob flex under load.
The MX14 takes Dunlop’s Geomax line to a new level for a wide range of riders, from amateur to professional. Available in 8 sizes to provide fitment from minis to big bikes.
