Kenda Honey Badger DH Pro Tire - Review
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![Kenda Honey Badger DH Pro Review]()
Kenda Honey Badger DH Pro 26 X 2.4"
Kenda's Honey Badger, originally introduced as a jack-of-all-trades XC/trail tire, recently gained a bit of width and a different casing to transform into the DH Pro version, which comes in a 2.4” width for both 26” and 27.5” wheels. Three different compound options will be available: Race Stick-E Rubber (RSR) a super-grippy 42a durometer rubber; Stick-E, a 50a slow rebounding compound, and a DH Dual Tread Compound (DTC) that uses 50a rubber on the center knobs for longer life combined with softer, 42a durometer side knobs for better cornering. The tread pattern shares the same basic design as the original Honey Badger, with two siped shark's tooth shaped center knobs and alternating rectangular and L-shaped outer knobs. The Honey Badger DH's sidewalls have been reinforced to help prevent punctures, and all versions of the tire are approved for use with sealant for running them tubeless. Weight: 1179 grams (wire bead, 26x2.4"). Price: $59.95 USD. Available: October 2014. www.kendatire.com
![Kenda Honey Badger DH Pro Review]()
The Honey Badger's preferred environment ended up being loose, loamy trails.
Pinkbike's Take:
Kenda Honey Badger DH Pro 26 X 2.4"
Kenda's Honey Badger, originally introduced as a jack-of-all-trades XC/trail tire, recently gained a bit of width and a different casing to transform into the DH Pro version, which comes in a 2.4” width for both 26” and 27.5” wheels. Three different compound options will be available: Race Stick-E Rubber (RSR) a super-grippy 42a durometer rubber; Stick-E, a 50a slow rebounding compound, and a DH Dual Tread Compound (DTC) that uses 50a rubber on the center knobs for longer life combined with softer, 42a durometer side knobs for better cornering. The tread pattern shares the same basic design as the original Honey Badger, with two siped shark's tooth shaped center knobs and alternating rectangular and L-shaped outer knobs. The Honey Badger DH's sidewalls have been reinforced to help prevent punctures, and all versions of the tire are approved for use with sealant for running them tubeless. Weight: 1179 grams (wire bead, 26x2.4"). Price: $59.95 USD. Available: October 2014. www.kendatire.com
Pinkbike's Take:
 | Our test set of tires showed up just as the trails were making their seasonal change from wet and muddy to hardpacked and fast, the ideal time to get a feeling for how a tire will handle in a wide range of conditions. On loamy, loose trails the Hongey Badger burrowed in and gripped well, with enough support from the side knobs to really lean into them during hard cornering. In extra muddy conditions, the tires' fairly open tread pattern does a good job of shedding the slop, allowing the tread to continue to grip rather than sliding on a layer of saturated dirt. The Honey Badgers do falter in hardpacked conditions, where they had a tendency to get skittish at higher speeds. They also performed better as a front tire, since the lack of pronounced braking knobs can make them a little harder to rein in on the rear. Tread life hasn't given us anything to complain about, and although the center knobs have rounded out slightly the side knobs are holding strong, and the amount of wear is on par with what would be expected for a soft compound DH tire. Overall, the Honey Badger works best as a front tire for riders whose typical trail conditions tend to be on the loamier side of the spectrum. - Mike Kazimer |
Author Info:
Member since Feb 1, 2009
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That should say it at, wears fast turns like crap and dont bother wearing it as a mud tire. This thing looks like its testis retract
when it sees wet roots. Honey Badger? I don't give a sh*it
My d*ck has good grip in loamy dirt.
I had a hand in on the design of the HR2 and the centre block of the DHR2. Both very simple tires built with purpose. No weird shapes.
where you been buying yours, some side st in china?
Then well, if you ride for several years and have tried several different products you can actualy tell if tyre is sht or not just by looking at tread dedign. After many years you actualy should, or maybe you are in the wrong sport. So "dont knock it until you tried it" is fine argument for noobs
"on loamy loose trails it gripped well".
well shit a brick tell me a tire that doesnt grip well in loamy conditions. i ran geax booze (street ramp tyre = zero tread) for 4 months and got on fine from apart from the ridiculous pressure i had to run them at. but hey they gripped well in loamy conditions. living in scotland you pretty quickly find out which tyres suck and a get a good idea of which tread patterns suck. honey badger sucks. zero front end grip on the steeper stuff by the looks of it. don't give a shit about carcass etc. that tread pattern is wank
Is that even still on?
I appreciate the honest Pro/Con review by PB!
HONEY BADGER DONT GIVE A SHIT