Tested: Maxxis MX-IH Tyres

When I first heard about the new Maxxis MX-IH tyres I was at work behind the counter at RSM Motorcycles and the rep was promising me about how good these tyres were going to be. Todd waters had been testing them at QMP and couldn’t say enough about how great they were. Of course, a new product that was about to hit the market with a national level pro rider endorsing it peaked my interest.

Fast forward a month or so later. I had a set of Maxxis MX-IH’s mounted up on the shop demo bike. A 2022 KX450X and was headed to race out at the upper Horton pony express run by Armidale motorcycle club. Now keep in mind that in the past I have had my differences with Maxxis tyres on a few occasions in the past so my expectations weren’t exactly very high.

The track had a great mix of grass track, creek beds, shale fire roads, bog holes and of course perfect loam. Recent rain had made a few sections unreliable and had to be cut out after only a couple laps but up on the mountain sections of the loop dust started to show early on. So unknowingly it worked out to be the perfect place to test these new tyres.

As usual my mind blacks out from getting too excited and trying to make moves on the first few laps. Around halfway through the 3-hour pony express I calm down enough to start noticing how great the tyres were performing. Racing up a shaley fire road at pace the first thing that stuck out was the consistent lean angle bite around corners.

Not having to try and anticipate when the rear was going to break traction was a blessing for my outrageous amounts of arm pump. The second thing I noticed was the stability and grip when on the brakes hard. Being able to trust the front tyre when on the brakes in a high stakes game of chicken with a strainer post definitely gave me some peace of mind for the rest of the race that these things were going to hook up when it matter most.

This tyre shines the most in tacky to dry conditions and really invites you to push the limits of what you think it is capable of. It still continues to surprise me in all conditions.

Back at the shop the following Monday we assessed the MX-IH’s and to my disbelief they held up great considering i wasn’t being gentle on them. The bike then sat for a month until it was time to head over the mountain again to race a round of the Walcha grass track series. The decision was made not to even turn the tyres around as they were still in great condition. The track was fast and dry. Once again these tyres performed beyond my expectations.

I would recommend this tyre for all riders. Racers, trail riders or Ronnie macs.

The balance between durability and performance is what sells this tyre in my opinion. It always seems to be a compromise but I really think Maxxis have nailed this tyre and I would confidently recommend this tyre for anyone in the market for a intermediate to hard tyre.