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Sensible Tire Classification
Tire Rating
Symbol
Description
Green circle
Purely a street tire. Excellent road performance in braking, cornering, and life expectancy.
Not intended nor recommended for off-pavement use. Characterized by continuous tread blocking, narrow grooves, considerable rain siping.
Example: Michelin Pilot Road series
Blue square
Similar to a street tire but with much wider and deeper grooving and less reliance on rain siping. Tread blocking may be continuous or segregated into large, close spaced blocks. Suitable for fire roads roads, firm and rocky Jeep trails,any rolling two-track.
Not suitable for loose and slippery surfaces such as uphill gravel, mud, may be difficult in sand and gravel.
Example: Pirelli MT60
Black diamond
A street-legal knobby tire. Characterized by a fair amount of open space between the knobs, which may be small in size. Suitable for easy single track and moderately loose surfaces such as shale, gravel, sand, decomposed granite, etc.
May be difficult in deep, dry sand, deep gravel, and loose deep mud.
Example: Michelin Anakee
Double black diamond
An aggressive knobby which may or may not be street legal. Has very large knobs and equally large spacing between the knobs. Uncompromising approach to off-road traction; suitable for all of road conditions.
Not suitable for road use due to poor life expectancy, excessive noise and vibration.
Example: Metzeler MC360
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Sensible Tire Classification
Tire Rating
Symbol
Description
Green circle
Purely a street tire. Excellent road performance in braking, cornering, and life expectancy.
Not intended nor recommended for off-pavement use. Characterized by continuous tread blocking, narrow grooves, considerable rain siping.
Example: Michelin Pilot Road series
Blue square
Similar to a street tire but with much wider and deeper grooving and less reliance on rain siping. Tread blocking may be continuous or segregated into large, close spaced blocks. Suitable for fire roads roads, firm and rocky Jeep trails,any rolling two-track.
Not suitable for loose and slippery surfaces such as uphill gravel, mud, may be difficult in sand and gravel.
Example: Pirelli MT60
Black diamond
A street-legal knobby tire. Characterized by a fair amount of open space between the knobs, which may be small in size. Suitable for easy single track and moderately loose surfaces such as shale, gravel, sand, decomposed granite, etc.
May be difficult in deep, dry sand, deep gravel, and loose deep mud.
Example: Michelin Anakee
Double black diamond
An aggressive knobby which may or may not be street legal. Has very large knobs and equally large spacing between the knobs. Uncompromising approach to off-road traction; suitable for all of road conditions.
Not suitable for road use due to poor life expectancy, excessive noise and vibration.
Example: Metzeler MC360