I was a fan of the Pirelli MX32 mid-soft for it’s traction and feel in softer conditions but the problem with the older version of the MX32 mid-soft was that the carcass broke down quickly and then that made the tire inconsistent with lean angle feel. The older version of the Pirelli MX32 mid-soft was great for the first couple hours of the tire’s life but once that time had passed it became evident that both front and rear tires allowed the bike to feel vague from underneath you.
Pirelli built an updated 2.0 version of the MX32 mid-soft and so far I have over four hours on the tires so since I have been getting a ton of emails on when this test would be up, I decided to give you an initial impression of what I feel so far comparative to the older MX32 mid-soft version.
I will say that first and foremost that these tires so far have lasted longer than the older MX32 mid-softs have. Normally on the older version, right around the 3.5-4 hour mark, you would start to see the nylon cords start to show on the sidewall of the tires but with the update 2.0 version, I have yet to see or experience the vague/pushing feeling I got with the older MX 32 mid-soft.
Pirelli’s updated 2.0 MX32 mid-soft front tire uses a new sidewall compound that has a stiffer carcass structure in order to give the rider improved control as well as a longer structural life span. I can safely say that this updated front tire is better than the older MX 32 in almost every aspect besides carcass bump comfort. Lean angle is great feel when starting your lean and the new MX32 mid-soft allows the rider to keep the lean throughout the corner much easier. This is especially felt when the dirt goes from soft to hard through corners. The older version front tire didn’t like the transition to hard pack or when there was shiny areas of the track (think greasy overwatered areas of the track). The older tire felt like it washed out very quickly in those areas yet the 2.0 version of Pirelli’s front tire has more tire contact in shiny areas of the track. Look, it’s easy to feel like a hero when you have amazing dirt but when that dirt starts to shine up or get hard you will get to know how good your front tire is really quick and Glen Helen proved that the updated 2.0 MX32 mid-soft front tire has a better lean angle feel (than the older version). I can trust this 2.0 version more and it gives me a less vague feel on flat corners. When it comes to carcass comfort it is give and take. When you go stiffer on the carcass you may gain control under heavy lean angle and braking but lose comfort on squish. The 2.0 version lost a little bump touch comfort so going down to 12.5 PSI in the front to get some more flex back in the carcass on square edge. If you’re riding true soft conditions then 13PSI will suffice.
The 2.0 Pirelli MX32 mid-soft rear features a new directional tread pattern in order to try and gain wear regularity. The updated pattern alsomimics a half scoop shape as well. Pirelli also claims that the new pattern has more tear resistance on the knobbies but that result might have to wait until hour 8 or so. I was impressed with the forward bite of the rear tire out of soft loamy berms as well as traction under throttle out of intermediate terrain. It feels similar to a MX14 scoop in those areas but to me it has better lean angle control in intermediate terrain than the MX14 (as expected as it isn’t a true scoop tire). Getting on top of loose soil is made easy with this tread pattern and tire contact feels wide, which is similar to the older version. The 2.0 MX 32 mid-soft rear definitely has more braking control than the older version so if you’re looking for a tire that aids in brake sliding the rear around berms, this updated 2.0 Pirelli version will not be it. Braking traction is at a premium with this rear tire and for a guy like me, that is great I love a rear tire that sticks and tracks yet doesn’t have much slide to it (as I am a front end steering rider). Even when you’re trying to rear brake slide and then get on the throttle (to bring the rear around) it takes some finagling to do so. Lean angle traction inside shallow ruts gives the rider confidence and I really like how the MX 32 mid soft rear tire gives the rider a bigger window of traction when the track goes away. Tire contact under lean feels secure and you’ll know when the tire starts to go away/slide out. You can feel it start to slip away from you without any sudden “oh shit” moments. Similar to the front tire the rear tire has better control in wet parts of the track (think greasy overwatered areas of the track) as traction and control are better in slicker portions of the track. Carcass/squish comfort is not as good as the older version but you can run 12 PSI in the 2.0 Pirelli MX32 mid-soft with decent comfort (without the risk of tube pinching).
Like we mentioned earlier, the 2.0 Pirelli MX32 mid-soft tires have lasted longer than the older versions have so far, but with that being said we don’t know how long it will keep its carcass/knob integrity but we will give you more of a durability report here shortly. We have around 4 hours on the tires now without any knob chunking or carcass break down.
Install: The Pirellis go on easy without an issue and even though the carcass is stiffer than the older version, the MX32 mid-soft is one of the easiest to get onto your rims. We like that the opening of the tire is not so closed off upon delivery so stretching the sidewall over the rims are nice. Some tires we get have narrow or tight openings to them which makes it very tough to install.
With all this being said, this is my first impression of the 2.0 MX32 mid-soft and it’s better than its predecessor. Is it the best motocross tire out right now for the hard core racer/rider? I don’t know about that, as that will have to wait to be answered but I can tell you that I didn’t want to take it off our test bike immediately so that should tell you something. I am a pain in the ass when it comes to tires so getting me to even WANT to compare the Pirelli and Dunlop should say something about the work Pirelli put in. It is going to be hard to beat a Dunlop MX3S/MX34 feel for me but we will ride these sets of tires back to back soon to break down the positives and negatives of each. It is always nice to have quality race tire options for the weekend racer.
Brand Stamping On Tires: Is it me or is it weird that Pirelli only put their name in yellow paint on one side of the tires? C’mon! Can we splurge for both sides?
Click Here To Buy: https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/tires-and-wheels/pirelli-scorpion-mx-32-mid-soft-terrain-tire-p
Any questions about the impression of the updated Pirelli MX32 mid-soft tires, please feel free to email me at kris@keeferinctesting.com
