Ok so I decided to fit a Mitas Army rear to the XTR to match the Army front I had previously fitted.

although the trellesport site lists the Army rear as a 4.75/17 when I received it I saw on the tyre wall it was also sized as a 120/90/17, it's also rated as a 64M so a 80mph top speed. Also like the Army front it is none directional.

On first seeing the tyre I thought I was doomed as unmounted the beads it very close together and the carcass is stiff. It was nice and easy to fit by hand using only my MP levers and plenty of lube, I'd say almost as easy as fitting a 21" front. The bead was already seating by 10psi and was fully seated by 20psi so I nice tyre to mount on the road side although the gap in the beads may make road side repairs a pain.

ok so far I've put 100 road miles on the bike. As with the front when new it slides a lot and locks up very easily. I've used it in the wet already and it was a very nervous tyre with little grip, but the front was the same when new. Hopefully once it's had a few more miles on it it should grip nicely.

As with all tyres with large soft blocks it does wander around and gets upset after 60mph, but all this is starting to improve. there has been a slight change to the gear ratios with the tyre being a little taller but it's not much but you do notice it.

Hopefully soon i'll manage to get some dirt under the tyre and will upload some pictures soon.

Some pictures

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More

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So I managed to get some dirt under the new rear. not much as I did it on my way to work tonight, but still a variety of surfaces.

I'm not sure what pressure I was running but it would be around 26psi. initially when I hit some loose sand the back did squirrel a little but I quickly got used to that. The tyre bites very nicely and I found I was able to go a little quicker than I normally would. It would have been interesting to have run it with a fresh Army front to allow the best from it. Honestly that was to the only surface worth any comment. I also rode hard pack, roots, mud and raised bricks. Nothing seemed the bother the tyre in the slightest. Ah I almost forgot lateral grip in soft surfaces is also very good.

The rear has very good self cleaning properties just like the front.

The road side of things has improved greatly, I've not had anymore rain yet so can't comment on that at this stage. This tyre is still happiest up to 60mph with plenty of grip for when your inner hooligan needs to come out to play and you give it a fist full.

Although the tyre is still moving around it is good at finding grip, and cornering I'm finding it helps to weight the outside of the bike. The rear is still relatively easy to lock up but it is starting to get better and it's a lot more controlled than at the beginning.

Ok so 300 miles in on the Armys.

The front is almost ready to swap out soon which will bring it back in line with the new rear. I've managed to squeeze 3500ish miles out of the front which is good considering what it is. even at such a worn state it works nicely in the dirt and road manners have been great, it's certainly got a lot better after the first 1000 miles.

Now to the rear, so far it has all the breaking in characteristics that the front had, and the usual Mitas traits I've noticed on other tyres.

Ok so for the dirt. simply the best tyre I've used F+R for the XTR, it's not bothered by much. simply get up on the pegs and trust in the tyres and they perform fantastic.

Now for the road. In damp conditions I'm still getting lock ups and spins but as with the front this is beginning to settle down nicely now. I've played with a few different tyre pressures and personally I find 26psi the best for me, works well on both tar and dirt.

I'm still having trouble adjusting myself to the tyre being a 120/90 and being so aggressive. it does alter how the bike behaves slightly and the large blocks do flex and move around a lot, but that's just the nature of the tyre.

As I've found with all Mitas they feel rubbish at first when it's cold until they've got a little heat in them, then they behave well.

If you think about using these tyres especially if your coming from road tyres you will have a surprise. although probably not the case the best way to think of them is Off road tyres that just happen to be road legal. Don't get me wrong these tyres are good at finding grip on the tar, you just have to adjust your style to accommodate them.

That last part may seem like a negative, but I'm just trying to make people aware of what they are getting into if they try these. Personally I'm really enjoying these tyres despite the difference in behavior to the E09.

ok so 1000 miles in now, and unfortunately all my riding has been tar.

The rear has lost about 2mm in this distance which is better than I expected from it.

As I'd hoped by this mileage the rear has really got it's act together, I can now really thrash the bike down the back lanes regardless of the road conditions.

The previously mentioned wandering from the tall blocks has certainly lost it's severity but does still show at times.

Wet weather handling is now very acceptable with few dramas and now even fewer lock ups.

we've had a few cold mornings but our roads aren't iced over yet so that will be a good test for the tyres, but on mornings where the cars are frosty they have been fantastic.

So far these tyres have been a surprise, I didn't expect tyres with blocks so aggressive to have really good manners.

Thank you for a nice report , will give these a try soon I think , have a mitas Dakar eo9 on the rear and a mitas c17 Dakar on the front and can't fault this set up although the rim lock was a pain in the back side!..

I liked the E09, it's far better on the tar and good in the dirt. But the army out does it in the dirt, both sets I would gladly use again.

Just the reply I was looking for , I shall try that on the rear next..thankyou