Maxxis Supermaxx ST

Dry Grip - really impressive for the price point. Never any drama and very consistent grip all the way to the edge of the tyre.

Wet Grip - again, incredible for the price. Great feel of grip levels and never sliding all over the place for as long as you're sensible with that right wrist.

Road Feedback - while the road feedback was great in the wet due to the low grip threshold, this completely changed in the dry. Whilst I had a rough idea what was going on, it was never a feeling of complete security especially when pushing the tyre. While grip levels to the edge of the tyre was never an issue, feel was. It almost felt like you would hit a barrier where the tyre would just stop communicating what the front end is doing, leaving to a constant feeling mid corner of "oh sh*t am I about to lose the front?" For proper spirited riding on the road, this can be almost scary at times.

Handling - while the handling wasn't bad, it also wasn't great. Tip in was incredibly sluggish, and this is what makes it lose points big time. Once it is tipped in, mid corner adjustments are easy and actually quick pleasant, but quickly flicking back and forth on these tyres feels like more of a workout rather than fun. I find that a real shame.

Wear - the worst point of this tyre, and downright embarrassing for how Maxxis advertise it. A sport-touring tyre, that gets mileage as if it were a hypersport tyre, terrible. While sure it has a lot of grip for what is a sport-touring tyre, I'm 3100 miles in and at the rear it's at the wear bars and it is incredibly squared off. When much nicer (but also far more expensive) hypersport tyres get similar mileage whilst also being far far more enjoyable to ride, I seriously expect better. Not only that but at this point of wear levels, the poor road feedback only gets worse. The front is still doing alright though, it seems like the typical 2x rear for every 1x front.

Comfort - actually quite a strong point of this tyre, it feels wonderfully comfortable over harsh bumps given its decent mid corner support.

Buy Again - absolutely not, while the £175 price for a pair of 120/70/17 180/55/17 tyres is great, you can also get Maxxis' Supermaxx Sport MA-SP tyres for the same price, which are a far more sporty offering whilst having a duel compound tread, likely leading to even better performance at the same sort of mileage. However, for just £100 more or even less if you can get a good deal, you can find the likes of Metzeler M9-RR's or Pirelli Diablo Rosso 3's. Far better tyres which will also should get you more miles both front and rear. I've personally (now that I have worn out the rear) picked up a cracking deal on a pair of Avon 3D Ultra Evo's for just £175, I'm not even going to bother saving some money and buying another rear to make the most out of the front tyre, I really feel these Maxxis tyres are spoiling my bikes handling.

Like most riders, if I was loaded I would have replaced the excellent Michelins on my GTR1400, not loaded, I found a YouTube video with (I think) Chris Walker and his mates testing the ST tyres on a circuit on several bikes, including an equally heavy / powerful ZZR1400. Well these guys tried their best to get the bikes moving, and regardless of what they did, the tyres held up. The following day journalists who were at the track to the bikes on the roads with the used tyres, they loved them too. I invested £130 in a pair, scrubbed them in, and on Scottish Highland roads (where I now live) pushed them more and more to see if I done the right thing or sell them off and go back to the dealer tyres. Shouldn't have doubted myself, great in the dry and equally confidence 'making progress' in the wet. All I can say is blòody great tyres and will put a pair on my new bike R1200RT for my NC500 in under 24hrs in June 2021. Definitely money well spent.

This was my second st of Maxxis St. After the last set I was going to buy something more premium, but I was skint; and these only cost £130 a set.. If anything my opinion of these tyres is even better than the first set, Grip and handling at this price, or anywhere under £200 is unbeatable. These were fitted to the review bikes at the launch of the KTM 790, and non of those hacks had anything bad to say about these tyres, despite some initial reservations. They are honestly the best tyres I have ever used in the wet that are not just purely wet focused. They were developed with the assistance of BSB legend Chris Walker, and he did a great job. However, they are only a single compound tyre, and they wear like buggery. My bike has just got an MOT advisory for the rear after less than 5000. You can tell they are a soft compound by the tearing on the edges after any enthusiastic cornering ;-) I would highly recommend these tyre if you don't do a high mileage, and ride anything under 130HP I am going to try Avon ST, next.

These Tyre's offer plenty of grip in the dry and aren't to shabby in the wet either. I commute all year round on mainly dual carriage ways so the middle of the Tyre takes a hammering. My only gripe with this Tyre is its not dual compound. I've manged just 5500 miles out of the rear and its shot, if I compare it to my last Tyre a Bridgestone BT023 which is dual compound I got 10,000 miles out of the rear.

I fitted these Tyre's as a bit of the an experiment to see if the budget sports touring Tyre could compete with the big boys , Unfortunately in my case with the type of riding I do it doesn't, it's false economy for me to go for a cheaper Tyre, half the mileage but not half the cost. If spend a few quid more upfront and get almost double the mileage its dual compound all the way for me!

Good tyre but as I say Maxxis would need to bring out a dual compound sports touring tyres if I was to consider fitting them again.