Tomahawk T1 Tires

Tomahawk T1 Tires

Fruity hoops?

WHEN YOU THINK OF TIRES, WHAT comes to mind? Round and black, right? Not anymore. Established in 1920, Desser Tire & Rubber Company is a leading private-label manufacturer of reconditioned aircraft, auto, semi-truck and now, motorcycle tires.

Yes, the Tomahawk T1s are retreads. Available in red, yellow, blue, orange, silver or green, the T1s come in a Sport Mileage compound that is said to be a compromise between longevity and leanability.

Carcasses are sourced from contracted tire recyclers. Each example is analyzed for flaws, such as belt-edge separations, bead blistering and broken cords. Any remaining rubber is stripped from the carcass, new rubber is added in circumferential strips and then it’s into a mold, where pressure and heat affix the new rubber to the carcass. Finally, the tire is trimmed, balanced and inspected before being shipped to consumers.

We installed a set of red Tomahawks on our long-term Suzuki DR-Z400SM.

Going in, we were concerned that the 160/60-17-the smallest available rear size-would be too wide for the SM's 4.25-inch rim, "squaring" the profile and

causing the tire to lose grip as it rolled onto its shoulder. As it turns out, grip at street speeds was better than expected. Same goes for steering response. After 1100 miles, tread wear was on par with the stock Dunlops. At the end of the day, the biggest question remains the viabil ity of the Ti's second-hand carcass. Tire buyers beware, but so far so good.

DETAILS

Desser Tire & Rubber Co., Inc.

6900 Acco St.

Montebello, CA 90640 800/321-9717 www.cycletires.com Price...$340

Àjps

A Cool way to customize your bike A DOT-approved, available in popular sizes

A Camouflage motocross knobbies, too

Downs

▼ Ugly when dirty

▼ Rubber left behind from burnouts isn’t colored

▼ Soft-compound racing slicks only available in black