Enduro Tyre FIM Compliance

(Please note that the author nor TRAC take any legal responsibility regarding this document, this is information from which i have found through my own personal research, if you are unsure of the compliance or legality of a tyre you're purchasing, please confer with the retailer)

After the submission of entry fee's to the WTRA Snowrun event at Llandovery Wales, the final instructions were duly returned. In the section headed 'tyres', it stated that tyres must be of an Enduro Specification (FIM Compliant), no more than 13mm deep and fully road legal. My first reaction is, right, stick a set of Michelin AC10's on and job sorted. After a little confusion when speaking to a fellow TRAC member about this (he stated that he thought the AC10 was not FIM compliant but fully road legal) I decided to do a little digging as I didn't want to go all the way to Wales to be excluded at scrutineering for the wrong tyres.

Well first off - what does the FIM compliance state ? Well under FIM specifications, the tread depth must be a maximum of 13 mm measured at right angles to the tyre surface (to which all tread blocks must extend). The ACU state that only FIM approved tyres will be accepted in events.

I've not measured the tread depth of the AC10 as yet, but I suspect that it could be around 14-16mm (approx). On the Steve Plain Motorcycle website it states the following about the Michelin AC10 :-Road Legal Motocross Tyre, DOT approved. Conforms to current MOT regulations. This tyre is designed for the off-road leisure sector. Reversible tread pattern. Michelin M-block system and special compound combine to give excellent grip and lifespan. Does not conform to FIM regulations.

So what tyres do conform to the FIM Regulations ?

It would seem that all the major tyre manufacturers (Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgestone) produce and FIM compliant tyre. Below are the offerings from the three big players.

Michelin have the Enduro Comp as ACU and FIM approved and also as being road legal. Quote : ENDURO COMP - The most successful road legal tyre in European Championships with winning grip on all types of terrain and the potential to sustain multiple events. Used as a rear tyre, it can be matched with the Enduro Comp 4 front or our Motocross range depending on the terrain. FIM and ACU approved.

The Pirelli Scorpion Pro is listed under the Enduro Competition section on the Pirelli website as " F.I.M. competition tyres with outstanding performance on all terrains and particularly resistant to punctures".

Bridgestone have their own FIM Compliant enduro tyres which are the ED660/ED661. These are listed as road legal and FIM approved. The description is :- The ED661/660 series is the latest Bridgestone FIM-legal Enduro tyres, which provide strong traction and controllability. ED660 rear tyres are designed for medium-hard conditions, while ED660A is designed primarily for medium-mud surfaces, resulting in a comprehensive line-up in all kinds of terrain. Selected as the original equipment tyres on prestigious KTM Enduro motorcycles, ED661/660 series has contributed to win championships in many enduro races worldwide, most notably the World Grand Prix day enduro series with KTM factory-backed teams and riders.

Basically it would appear that the FIM regulation on tyres is that the tread depth is no more than 13mm. I will be photographing a brand new rear AC10 alongside a brand new FIM approved 13mm slick so you can see the difference !! (I'm only jesting with the slick comment at the moment as I've no shelled out for the new tyres yet so I haven't seen if there really is that much difference).

If anyone has any first hand experience with any of these tyres I would be more than grateful to hear their opinion. So next time you get your final instructions back for any enduro, watch out for the organisers stipulating FIM compliant tyres, I nearly got caught out. Don't you let yourself fall into this situation, you may find yourself driving home without getting dirty !