Michelin’s Wild Enduro MS Raching Line has received a revamp with the goal to improve grip, reduce rolling resistance and shave some weight off the original design. The lighter casing and new compound retain the excellent grip and ride qualities of the previous version with fewer of the drawbacks. Improved rolling speed is noticeable and makes the tyre more friendly to live with. The new tyre is a little more expensive, but the performance on offer is top-notch, making it a solid choice as a hard-charging enduro tyre.
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Michelin Wild Enduro MS Racing Line – Technical Details
The Wild Enduro is Michelin’s enduro tyre designed for a range of conditions, which are mostly gravity-fed but still require pedalling. The chunkier DH34 sits above it as a more aggressive downhill tyre, and the non-racing line version sits below it, which uses a harder compound.
The Wild Enduro Racing Line now comes in three flavours, the MH (mixed-hard pack conditions), MS (mixed-soft conditions) and the Rear. As before, the Racing Line is Michelin’s offering for a maximum grip tyre.
A revised carcass features pinch protection around the bead, a new dual-ply 55TPI layer, a tread shield layer and a final bead-to-bead layer for added protection. With a claimed weight of 1290g, they are around 10% lighter than the previous generation tyre.
Michelin’s super sticky Magi-X rubber has been revised to maintain the high levels of grip seen on the previous version, whilst offering better grip in cold and wet conditions. The new compound is also to credit for reduced rolling resistance.
All of these improvements add up to a 20-watt reduction in rolling resistance compared to the previous Wild Enduro front tyre.
The Wild Enduro MS is available in 29 and 27.5 in 2.4 width. The signature yellow and blue racing line labels can be dropped for some stealthier black and grey ones, if that suit your style better.
Michelin Wild Enduro MS racing line – Performance
Even before fitting the new tyre there were some notable differences from the previous generation that were encouraging. The new carcass feels a little more pliable and tread blocks are stiffer, this should allow the tyre to deform better over the terrain whilst feeling less squirmy. The rubber itself also feels less like chewing gum whilst still having that soft and pliable feel.
Fitting the Wild Enduro MS was simple enough, I used a Hunt Proven carbon rim for testing with a 30mm internal width. The majority of the tyre was fitted by hand, but I needed a tyre lever to get the last bit over the rim, but this is the case for most heavy-duty casing tyres. With this particular tyre and rim combo, I was able to air up and seat the tyre with a track pump.
After some fettling, I settled at 22psi up front for riding greasy and sloppy local trails.
Michelin tyres are always well constructed and these are no different. The finishing is excellent, and once fitted, it ran straight and true.
Although this new compound is notably less sticky, the outright grip over wet roots and rocks is impressive. My local trails have a mix of slippery rock and clay, which is treacherous in the winter,r but the sticky rubber did help to raise my confidence levels.
When cornering, the side knobs to hook into the terrain well. The profile of the new tyre is more rounded than previous versions giving a more predictable transition onto the side knobs and with those side knobs being tall and consistently spaced there is plenty of predictable corner grip.
A feature of a tyre like this that is designed for mud without being a full mud spike is a larger contact patch to help with grip on hard surfaces. Thanks to the soft compound and the more flexible carcass, the tyre does a great job of finding grip on wet roots and rock, but when it does let go, there is some warning making it manageable. When things get muddy the generous spacing of the tread blocks reduces clogging. It’s not comparable to a full-on mud spike tyre, but the upside is much better rolling.
Rolling resistance is certainly less of a concern in the winter when the ground is already soft and energy-sapping, however, on hardpack fire roads and tarmac climbs, it’s still noticeable. Michelin’s claims of reduced rolling resistance are certainly noticeable and very welcome. The old Wild Enduro front and rear combo were almost unacceptably draggy, so I am happy to report the new design goes a great way to improving this.
Durability is lessened due to a soft compound that prioritises grip, however, that is a trade I am more than willing to make, especially in the winter when I value grip and predictability over anything else.
Michelin Wild Enduro MS racing line – Value and Verdict
Coming in at £85, the new Wild Enduro MS has received a bit of a price jump from the previous model however, it’s still right on the money compared to similar tyres in the market. The Maxxis High Roller III Double Down MaxxGrip is a firm front tyre favourite and comes in at a similar price. The High Roller III has a squarer profile and a more open pattern that should clear sticky mud a little better.
A slightly cheaper option, at £75, is the Continental Argotal in the enduro casing and super soft compound. This will have comparative casing and compound to the Wild Enduro but is arguably suited to the mud more than the roots and rocks, thanks to a more open tread pattern. Our Liam reviewed the thinner casing and hard compound version of the Argotal here.
The improved Wild Enduro MS front tyre retains the super sticky gripping characteristics of the racing line brand with fewer of the drawbacks. The lighter casing and reduced rolling resistance make the tyre easier to live with, whilst the new compound and tread pattern still offer awesome grip. It strikes the perfect balance to make it a great all-round winter tyre which handles mud, roots and rocks in a predictable and manageable manner. The tyre is a little more expensive, but the performance is top-notch, and with the new stealth styling, this tyre is hard to ignore.
Product purpose:
Build extra:
Maximum grip to win races, even at low temperatures (1) with the MICHELIN Magi-X compound.
Optimal puncture and pinch protection specifically developed (2) for Enduro World Cup riders
Product construction
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Product performance
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Product weight
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product value
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Product value extra:
Overall performance:
Product likes:
Reduced rolling resistance
Sturdy casing
Product dislikes:
Not cheap
Can clog in the stickiest of mud
