Tested: Maxxis Minion DHR II Trail Tyre

The not-so-minor details

Product

Maxxis Minion DHR II

Contact

KWT Nominees

Weight

782gm

Sizes

26", 27.5", 29"

Positives

Super grip.
Tubless easy

Negatives

Maybe too much for a rear tyre

Us

Do you know the easiest way to tell your rear tyre needs replacing?

Put on a really good grippy front tyre and you will find out, as we did with the new Maxxis Minion DHR II trail tyre.

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We used the term “trail tyre” to differentiate the DHR II with the DHR II downhill tyre. Some tread pattern, but the trail tyre is lighter and better for general trail riding.

The Maxxis DHR II is a tyre that gets a whole lot of grip and as soon as we threw it on our bike we noticed how loose things had been getting on the rear. Borrowing technology from the DH range of tyres, the DHR II uses the same aggressive pattern as the downhill version (Maxxis DHR II – Downhill) but shaves over 500 grams by going single-ply on the sidewalls to come in at a very, very respectable 782 grams (on our scales).

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That’s some good aggressive knobs. Firmer compound through the middle and softer on the edges.

Yes, it is a little slower than a less aggressive tyre but the extra confidence it gave us to get over the front of the bike is well worth the slight loss in rolling speed.  In some senses you do actually get the best of both worlds. You do get all the super grip of a DH tyre, without all the weight. Sure, the DHR II doesn’t come in the Super Tacky compound that the full DH bigger brother does, but that also means you get more wear and a faster rolling tyre. A tyre like this is more for people who want to ride faster on the corners not faster in a straight line.

Another notable was the softness of the ride feel. The larger and softer knobs did help to take the edge out of the smaller rocks on the trail and that gave us even more confidence to ride faster.

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We’ve been running ours for about a month (front only) and only now it’s starting to show some signs of wear on the side knobs.

We had no issues installing them tubeless to Shimano XT UST rims and ran them at 28psi as a front tyre only. Burping was never an issue and no flats or cuts occurred during the test period.

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Our test tyre was 26″ x 2.30 and came with Maxxis 3C Max Terra (firmer compound through the middle and softer on the side knobs), EXO sidewall protection (helps reduce sidewall cuts and abrasions) and Tubeless Ready (Maxxis’ version of a UST tyre) technologies.

We highly recommend this tyre as a fantastic front tyre and perfect for adding more confidence to your cornering. Due to the rolling speed it’s best matched with something less aggressive on the rear however if you ride gravity non-stop, but not gnarly DH, then this tyre will be perfect front and rear.

Them

The trail version of the Maxxis Minion DHR II features the same tread pattern as its downhill counterpart, but uses a single-ply casing to reduce weight.

With side knobs borrowed from the legendary Minion DHF, but widened to provide more support, the DHR II corners like no other. The center tread features ramped knobs to improve acceleration and sipes to create a smooth transition when leaning the bike. Paddle-like knobs on the center tread dig in under hard braking and help keep the bike under control. Pair it with a Minion DHF up front for the ultimate aggressive trail riding tire combo!

  • Excellent braking and cornering traction
  • 3C Maxx Terra available
  • Tubeless Ready (TR) available

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