I plan on getting an extra set of rear ties/rims for my 400ex to use during the winter for ice and stuff and i have a few questions on the topic:

who makes the best studs? where can i get them cheap?

should i use slime in the tires or will that cause too much vibration?

How many studs per tire? as many as will ft on the treads?

any help would be greatly appreciated

 

My buddy that races on ice uses the sheetmetal screws...he has a 300EX......four tires he uses approx 1400 screws

 

i need studs that will hold up good on pavement too, i do alot of riding on the road in the winter

 

One of your local quad/dirtbike stores should be able to get them. www.hsdracing.com has them. Im not sure if you will find any that will hold up on pavment for a long time.

 

There are no studs that will hold up on pavement, period.

That said, Kold Kutters are the best, use 1/2 inch studs if you buy a new tire or if you only have a few seasons on them. otherwise run 3/8. you shouldnt need slime if you are careful with the lengths. If you do, slime is ok, but you shouldnt use too much and be sure to follow the directions on the bottle.

Studs per tire depend on your application. If you just want to play around you dont need too many. Every tire is different and so the tread patterns will demand a different number of screws. Always be symmetrical with your screws, or keep to the same pattern. If you are just racing, you can leave off the inside ridges of the rears.

Your bike looks like one with decent power. You will rip those sheet metal screws right out, or just break off the heads and leave the threads in you tire. Kold Kutters are hardened steel so they dont snap off like ALL sheetmetal screws WILL on a good powered bike. My friend put them in the tires on his 4wd suzuki eiger 400 and they are almost completely gone or broken off. I have ice raced for over a decade, long enough to know they are bad news for a high powered machine. Especially a 2wd thumper like yours and mine. That torque does a number on them.

As far as tires go, cheng shin c826 ice race tires are pretty much the best option for studding. They behave sort of like turf tamers, but have a much harder rubber compound to hold on to the screws. They would be my reccommendation for anyone buying tires to stud.

Any more questions or clarifications let me know, I'd be happy to spit out my opinions and experience.