Maxxis Extramaxx Tyres Review
Tyres Tested: Maxxis Extramaxx M6233 & M6234
Tyre Size: 110/70/17 (Front), 140/70/17 (Rear)
Test Bike: Honda CBR250R
Original Size: 110/70/17 (Front), 140/70/17 (Rear)
Original Tyre: Continental ContiGo
Test Started At: 22,850 kms
Test Ended At: 26,595 kms
Kilometres Tested: 3745 kms
The Maxxis Extramaxx tyres impressed us with amazing grip and agility
Most manufacturers nowadays are offering good tyre options as stock. KTM, for example, is offering Maxxis as stock tyres on the Duke 790. After the first ride, I was quite impressed with the grip it offered on the test track. So I started searching for similar tyre options for the Honda CBR250R. I wasn’t able to find any offering from Maxxis just yet. But then as luck calls it, Maxxis got in touch with us and sent us a set of Extramaxx tyres.
Striaght-line stability from the tyre was pretty impressive
At first, I was a little sceptical with the availability of tyre sizes but then Maxxis confirmed that we are getting the same ones as the stock size for the Honda CBR250R. The sizes being 110/70/17 at the front and 140/70/17 at the rear, as soon as I got them, my initial reaction wasn’t the best as the tread pattern looked rather simple. Normal V-shape treads going across the tyre while the front got a centre cut tread. As I tried to feel the tyre compound, the corners felt soft while the centre was thick and comparatively harder. Just by the first look, I could say that these were long-life tyres.
Under hard-braking the feedback was always positive
Long-life tyres don’t really grip well and then I got to thinking that since the tyres on the KTM Duke 790 felt similar but gripped really well I would have to test it my way. In the first week itself, I did a ride to Malshej Ghats and came back impressed. At first, I wasn’t as confident to corner hard but as we were halfway through the ghats the feedback from the tyres was mindblowing. I felt confident braking late and tipping into corners with a tight apex and there was no hesitation from the rubber even once.
Tipping into corners the motorcycle felt very agile
Coming back from such an experience, the old stock tyres never gave me such confidence while riding on the road. I had a crash almost 2 years back on the old stock tyre due to the loss of grip. But the Maxxis Extramaxx tyres were completely opposite, they were very feedback-rich. The bike would actually oversteer rather than giving a hint of losing grip. While all this testing happened on a well-laid tarmac, the next test was to see how well does it perform on daily riding conditions.
The contact patch is even throughout the grip area
Multi-compound structure makes these tyres grip really well with a longer life
I started riding the Honda every day to work for the next 2 weeks. Compared to the stock tyres the bike felt lighter while manoeuvring through traffic. I would maintain the same stock pressure of 28 PSI at the front and 32 PSI at the rear. After heating up the grip would eventually increase but even during a cold weather early morning run, there was barely any oopsie moment. I would rather rev harder to see if the tyre loses grip but it would keep gripping with an enjoyable and yet controllable slide.
The fuel efficiency during the highway runs improved
In the two weeks, I checked the pressure three times and the difference was barely 1-2 PSI. The next week consisted of a proper fuel efficiency test because I have a feeling as the tyre would grip more, it might rather consume more fuel. I didn’t push the bike to the limit, took it everywhere I could, daily office runs and another small weekend ride too. To my surprise, the fuel efficiency in the city didn’t change at all but during the highway runs it actually got better by almost 2 km/l. The whole month after that was a combination of rides and on one particular weekend a colleague of mine had the CBR and he was impressed with the tyres too!
Maintaining triple-digit speeds became a piece of cake
Keeping in mind that this tyre isn’t made for off-road riding, I tested the grip on dirt and mud during the commutes and the tyre would slide a bit but never felt out of place. I wasn’t able to test the tyre in proper wet riding condition but there would be some wet patches on the way. Due to the tread pattern having fewer cuts, the immediate acceleration would result in wheelspin. Even on gradual braking in the wet, the ABS would kick-in little late which meant the centre tread on the front tyre was doing its job well. If I would hard brake on dry tarmac the ABS wouldn’t kick-in as frequently and the stopping distance was reduced by a decent margin.
Corners have softer compound making it grip better
The Maxxis Extramaxx tyres are a very good upgrade option for 200-400 cc category of motorcycles
As one final test before I would complete this article, I did a 1400 kms ride from Mumbai to Goa and back. I got a brilliant fuel efficiency of 32.7 km/l for the whole trip and I encountered lots of different type of terrain. The ghats were a breeze and the tyres would grip like melted wax. While tackling the bad roads I could judge the ride quality too. It felt better than the stock tyres at these tyres would absorb bumps much better. I completed the trip without worrying about a single puncture. During the whole trip, we were riding in triple-digit speeds while the tyre kept the confidence up and running.
I would barely leave any chicken strip, the tyres performed so well
After completing almost 4000 kms with the speed rating of H (210 km/hr) these Maxxis Extramxx tyres have lived up to their expectations. With the first look I thought that the tyres would be just for long-life but the grip they offered surprised me. These tyres have a specific code – M6233 for the front and M6234 for the rear. With the help of these codes, I figured that these tyres are on sale internationally and have been appreciated too. Lucky for me that I got the exact tyre size for my bike but the only gripe I have is that the cost factor of this tyre hasn’t been shared yet.
Lifting a wheel without hesitation of tyre grip