Kenda Helldiver Pro DH Tire - Review

Kenda developed the Helldiver in consort with the Polygon UR downhill team as a faster-rolling hard-pack option for pedal-heavy racetracks and enduro. There is no hiding that the tread pattern was inspired by Schwalbe's Rock Razor, but that is a good thing. Small, sharp, center tread, flanked by rows of large, reinforced edging blocks is a proven formula for speed on any type of hard-surface track and every respected tire maker has one in its arsenal.

Being a racing tire, the Helldiver Pro features every trick that Kenda has developed to keep the air inside and the rider upright. The sidewall is layered with a Kevlar fabric to prevent slashes. A second belt of fabric wards off punctures beneath the tread, and the bead area is beefed up to guard against pinch flats at low pressures. The dual-compound tread is slightly harder, and the casing stiffness is on par with Schwalbe Rock Razor in the Super Gravity casing, and even with all of its armor plating, the 2.4-inch Helldiver weighs a respectable, 980 grams. MSRP is $79.95 USD and at present, there is only one model: a 2.4" x 27.5'' tire.




Helldiver Pro in Action

I used the Helldiver as a rear tire, paired with a Maxxis High Roller II. Mounted up to a 26-millimeter inside-width ENVE rim, Kenda's Helldiver Pro measures 2.3 inches at its widest point - a far cry from its advertised 2.4-inch width. The tread profile is quite rounded, which is typical of Kenda tires, and breaks tradition from the flat-top profile of the Schwalbe Rock Razor and its cousins. Helldivers are tubeless ready, and mounting one up required removing the valve core to encourage a higher volume of air to flow into the tire. That said, you probably won't need the assistance of a boost-type hand-pump or a compressor to get the job done. Optimum pressure for turning and braking grip was near 28psi (2 bar).


Traction: I prefer a flatter tread profile, so I can quickly access the edging tread as I lean into a corner. Kenda's rounded tread places the edging blocks at a more exaggerated lean angle. I imagined I would struggle with that and anticipated I'd switch to a wider rim to flatten its profile, but I did not notice much (if any) difference. I attribute the predictable cornering grip to the plethora of tiny tread blocks in the transition zone, but that's purely an opinion. Trails ranged from deep sand, loose-over-hard, shifty gravel and rock, and decomposed granite that could pass for a concrete product, and in all cases, except for one, the Helldiver turned, braked and climbed with remarkable authority. The exception was descending dusty rock faces, where the center tread's tiny grippers could only gain a foothold at reduced speeds.

Braking: I am not heavy handed on the rear brake, but I did do some harsh straight-line testing. The Helldiver traveled roughly ten percent farther to get the bike stopped than Maxxis High Roller it replaced on hard-pack surfaces, and was on par if the dirt was softer. Logic says that those tiny crown blocks should not be able to dig into soft, dry dirt, but they do, and surprisingly well. While we are on the subject, anytime you are skidding, you are also shearing off rubber from the tread blocks, and the embedded granite common to my home trails takes its toll on tires. So far, however, my Helldiver has held up well and looks as if it will outlast the Schwalbe Rock Razor (which I consider the baseline for semi-slick gravity tires) by a small, but significant measure.


Pinkbike's Take: