The greatest, baddest, coolest enduro tires have arrived and only MotoSport carries them.

The brand new Artrax XC Enduro tire line gives riders the choice of a front "fat" tire and a rear "sticky" tire or regular hard tire using FIM Specific Knob Height. Either set-up transforms off-road riding and makes the gnarliest of terrain smooth like the back of a puppy.

OK, maybe not that smooth but with improved construction and a special rubber compound, riders can fully expect to cross a variety of paths whether sand, soft pack or clay, and best logs, boulders and other off-road landmines with a touch of sincerity and acumen.

Audacious words to describe a dirt bike tire but for those who have taken them to task the Artrax XC Enduro tires turned in a performance like no other and offered a near customized ride that felt almost like a new dirt bike. And, we did just that sending three MotoSport riders to the Tillamook forest near the Oregon Coast which boasts a variety of terrain and allows for veracious testing in a real-world setting.

Artrax XC Enduro V3 from MotoSport.com on Vimeo.

Rider Feedback: Artrax XC Enduro Tires

Alex Cocco, GHX Sales Manager, worked the tires on his CRF450RX using a Nuetech TUbliss and discovered the larger design of the "fat" front tire (90/100-21 size) provided additional shock absorption and transferred less energy from sharp edges which helped reduce overall fatigue from the day's ride.

"The increased footprint allows for maximum traction on uneven terrain," he said noting the lug spacing helped increase traction in soft dirt and mud.

The rear "sticky" tire indeed performed as designed providing more traction on hard surfaces and conformed to rocks and roots like a trials tire and much better than a traditional Motocross or off-road tire.

"I got to test it while it was wet out, and I felt the improvement of my bikes traction while navigating slower obstacles and more technical trails," Cocco said. "The lower tire pressure I ran, the better the traction I had from the sticky compound."

Artrax XC Enduro Rear Sticky tire

James Mulick, Account Manager, used the tires on his CRF450R with a TUbliss system and said after just an hour he could tell the difference in traction the tires gave riding over rough terrain. He, too, felt the front "fat" tire absorbed more shock and provided better traction than a smaller tire.

"Overall with the front tire I felt less fatigued and more front wheel confident," he said.

The rear "sticky" tire provided excellent grip on wet rocks, roots, logs and proved itself worthy over a small enduro course. The lower psi used thanks to the TUbliss allowed the tire to grab slippery terrain with ease.

"The rear tire did show a bit of wear for the short ride, however it was expected from a tire that is normally for competition use only tire," he said. "At one of the most competitive prices on the market for a tire that performs this well, this will not be the last set on my bike!"

Artrax Enduro XC Front Tire

Kaitlyn Beecroft, Content Manager, installed the tires on her 250XCF and used standard inner tubes. She discovered one benefit to the tires before riding came with installation.

"The tires went on super easy, definitely the easiest tire I have installed," she said indicating it was probably because of the large tire size.

Once riding, Beecroft said the rear "sticky tire" provided good traction except on wet ground but hooked up really well on the big rocks when stopped or going really slow. The front "fat" tire had less front wheel deflection than she normally experiences with other off-road tires.

Artrax Enduro XC Hard Rear Tire

Artrax XC Enduro Design and Structure

The Artrax XC Enduro sticky tire features a unique type of rubber compound that gives it the noticeable tacky feel on hard surfaces and catches the most amount of traction available. For the technical rider, the "sticky" rear tire has a durometer rating of 50 shores compared to the standard 68 shores.

What's this mean and why do I care?

The hardcore enduro enthusiast knows a shore rating of 50 indicates a much softer and pliable rubber than the 68 type. This softer carcass means the tire really hugs the ground and whatever it rolls over thus the non-technical term of "sticky." As the rider test results showed, the Artrax XC Enduro sticky tire adheres far better to the ground than a traditional Motocross tire or off-road tire. Keep in mind, the benefits of the sticky compound come at the expense of faster tire wear.

As for the front "fat" tire, it features a 90/100-21 size compared to the traditional 80/100-21 commonly used for Motocross with a durometer rating of 68 shores.

The XC Enduro line also has a hard rear tire (not tested) that uses the conventional 68 shores offering less flex but designed to work well in muddy conditions and softer terrain, and lasts longer than the "sticky" version. Those interested in the sticky rear tire but don't have an 18-inch rear wheel should check out the Artrax SE3 sticky tire.

Overall, the full line of Artrax XC Enduro tires perform well in soft, intermediate and hard terrain with the "sticky" version more suitable for hard terrain and the hard tire ideal for muddy conditions and soft dirt.