As Adventure Riders, we’re caught between the two diametrically opposed worlds of dirt and street riding. We want smoothness and longevity in an Adventure Tire, but we also need grip on every imaginable surface from gravel and mud to slick asphalt. With the ever-increasing popularity of adventure bikes, manufacturers have been clamoring to deliver the next do-it-all tire and Dunlop is one of the companies that’s out to answer the call with their latest model, the Trailmax Raid.

It was just three years ago when Dunlop came out with their all-new Trailmax Mission 50/50 adventure tire, which became highly popular thanks to its long-range wear characteristics and surprising off-road grip. Now the Trailmax Raid, rated 40% street / 60% dirt by Dunlop, sits alongside the Trailmax Mission in the company’s Adventure Tire lineup. While the two tires may seem to occupy a similar space in the market, they couldn’t look more different. Both carve out their own niche, with the Trailmax Mission focused more on versatility and longevity and the Trailmax Raid designed for adventure riders who are looking for a boost in off-road grip. 

The Raid is not just another hardcore off-road tire though. It’s designed to handle long highway rides and twisty roads. Inspired by the Dunlop’s tried and tested D908RR off-road tire, the Trailmax Raid pays homage to the iconic chevron tread pattern. Although, delving into the details reveals a long list of next-level tech designed to give this newcomer an edge in the ever more competitive Adventure Tire segment. 

Starting with the Raid’s advanced rubber compound, the all-new formula features highly dispersible high surface area silica to improve performance on wet surfaces, which also reduces the tire’s reliance on heat to give optimum grip. This compound includes a mix of resins and carbon black variants that help reconcile conflicting requirements between road and off-road use as well. 

For better handling, Dunlop’s Carcass Tension Control System (CTCS) gives consistent tension to optimize the contact patch. In radial sizes, the Jointless Belt Construction (JLB) helps aid smoother handling while minimizing both distortion and excessive heat. Plus, the tire’s tread incorporates interconnected blocks for enhanced stability, with large, narrowly-spaced center blocks that further improve durability while helping reduce rolling road noise.

But beyond the brochure highlights, let’s dive into what really matters: How they perform.

How They Performed

Installation: For the test, we put a set of the Trailmax Raids on our Suzuki V-Strom 800DE test bike in sizes 90/90-21 for the front and 150/70R17 for the rear. Going into the installation, I was expecting a battle due to the Trailmax Missions being notoriously tough to mount. However, compared to the Missions, the Raids are a lighter tire with less rubber and a softer compound on the sidewall.

Further aiding tire installation was the radial construction of the 150mm rear, which makes the sidewall more compliant compared to the Missions’ bias-ply construction. Using our Rabaconda street tire changer, both front and rear tires went on drama free — significantly easier than the Heidenau K60 Rangers we recently installed.

On The Road: Having been impressed with the grippy Trailmax Missions for street riding, I was hoping to get similar performance from the Raids. While they weren’t as glued to the road as the Missions, the performance on the street was better than average for Adventure Tires in this 40% street /60% dirt range. You have to really be pushing the tires to get them to slide a bit and the soft compound is smooth and consistent when it does slip. Getting them leaned way over on the edge never caused any knobby wiggle and they stayed steady and predictable for the most part on spirited rides.

On the highway, the tires feel stable and don’t catch on every single crack in the road. I didn’t notice much noise either. They have a faint sound on pavement and every once in a while they get a fair bit louder but it wasn’t a nuisance that I ever thought much about. Overall the road manners were good.

What impressed me the most though was riding in the rain. These Trailmax Raids work as advertised on wet surfaces and it almost felt like I was riding with a rain tire with very little reduction in grip when riding. Even deliberate attempts to get the rear tire to spin on wet asphalt proved a challenge.

In The Dirt: Heading out on the trail, the Raids give a sturdy grip in semi-loose terrain. The rear tire has significantly more bite than the Missions in loamy dirt, mud or sand. It digs in rather than rolling around on top of it, providing good forward momentum and ensuring you don’t get stuck.

The softer rubber also allows the tire to contour better to rocks for excellent traction in hard terrain. And that high silica load in the rubber compound works very well at reducing slippage on wet rocks too. Traction is also pretty consistent when transitioning over to the edge of the tire.

For the front tire, it tracks steady in most off-road terrain. There’s a good amount of edge grip in loose soil, rocky trails and hardpack. Wet rocks and mud were a strong point for the front tire as well. However, there were some limitations in deeper sand.

On trails with more than three inches or so of sand I noticed some initial slip at turn-in that felt like it was going to tuck the front, then the tire would catch on and track steady through the rest of the turn. It’s not the most confidence inspiring tire in the sand for those who are less experienced. Experienced sand riders will push through that initial transition fairly quickly though, and for them it’s less of a concern. 

Tire Longevity: After putting the Trailmax Raids through 1,166 miles of twisty pavement, sand, rocks, mud, and hardpack, plus a fair bit of highway miles in between, the overall percentage of asphalt to dirt mileage was somewhere in the range of 50/50. The initial tread measurements for the tires when new were 8.3mm front and 10mm rear. After completing the test, the tread depth dropped to 7.65mm in front and 7.32mm in the rear.

Assuming the tires are worn out with 1mm of tread depth left and a constant rate of wear, the front still had 92% of its tread left and the rear had 70%. Calculating that out, it would mean the front tire will wear out at around 13k miles and the rear at roughly 4k miles. That’s an impressive amount of miles for the front although pretty average for a rear adventure tire in the 40/60 range.

Tires generally burn up more tread in the first part of their lifespan though and this bike was being tested aggressively, so these mileage numbers could be on the low side. As far as tire wear patterns, we didn’t see any chunking in the rear blocks, nor did we see any significant cupping on the front knobs. Overall, the Trailmax Raids seemed to wear very evenly across the tread and there was no squaring off. We also didn’t notice any significant drop off in grip as the tires wore down a bit.

Who Are They For?

The Raids are a great option for anyone who wants a solid performing Adventure Tire for both street and dirt riding, especially those who are looking to explore with their adventure bikes in more rugged terrain, and even more so if you live in an area where rain is a frequent occurrence.

Our Verdict

As options in the 40/60 to 50/50 Adventure Tire range continue to grow, we’ve become spoiled with choice. Despite this, Adventure Riders appear to have an insatiable appetite for the next ‘best’ Adventure Tire. While there’s still no perfect tire that can do everything well, the Dunlop Trailmax Raids offer a new option with unique characteristics that fit the needs of a lot of riders. 

It’s a versatile tire that offers high levels of control and confidence on both street and dirt. And while sand may not be their forte (at least in front), they make up for it with great performance on rain soaked asphalt or wet rocks. Longevity seems to be a mixed bag with a long-lasting front tire and just a tad above Continental TKC 80 range for the rear. As for their construction, they seem to be pretty solid for a knobby style tire, with less of a tendency to chunk, square off or cup, which bodes well for durability on rocky trails and long days on the highway.

What We Liked

• Grippy on both street and dirt.
• Good street manners for an Adventure Tire in this range.
• Uniform tread wear characteristics.
• Great performance for a knobby-style tire in wet conditions.
• Tire installation was drama free.

What Could Be Improved

• Front tire performance on sandy trails.
• Rear tire longevity.

Trailmax Raid Specs

On-Road/Off-Road Rating: 40/60
Construction: Bias-ply construction for smaller tires. Radials with Jointless Belt Construction for larger sizes. 
Price: $147-$266 depending on the size.
Sizes Front: 110/80R19, 120/70R19, 90/90-21
Sizes Rear: 130/80-17, 140/80-17, 150/70R17, 170/60R17, 140/80-18, 150/70R18

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Author: Rob Dabney

Rob Dabney started a lifelong obsession with motorcycles at the age of 15 when he purchased his first bike – a 1982 Honda MB5. Through his 20’s and 30’s he competed in off-road desert races, including the Baja 250, 500 and 1000. Eventually, his proclivity for exploration led him to dual sport and adventure riding. Rob’s never-ending quest to discover what’s around the next bend has taken him on Adventures in Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and throughout the American West. As a moto journalist, he enjoys inspiring others to seek adventure across horizons both near and far.