Sorry for the late reply Megadan and 2LZ. Thank you both for your great input on this topic!
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Originally Posted by Megadan
The Kenda tire you are mentioning is probably the K760 Trakmaster 2. It's a 90 offroad, 10 on road tire that is DOT approved for road use. Essentially that is the type of tire the Hawk comes with (not the same brand obviously). Great for the kind of riding you want to do off road. They will be a bit noisy and make some vibrations on road, but still very tractable. They do very well in soft loose surfaces and mud though, which sounds to me like the tire for you.
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Great! Thanks for the confirmation of the tire there. I will certainly look more into the Kenda's for sure.
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Originally Posted by Megadan
Obviously there are a host of other upgrades that can be done, but knowing what you want or need is going to really come down to your own experience.
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This makes sense. Jeep upgrades are no different. Personal preference and goals make a huge difference. I think you have given me some great initial things to think about previously and below though, that will provide value off road in all situations.
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Originally Posted by Megadan
A shift lever with a folding tip isn't a bad idea, nor would having a spare brake lever on hand be a bad idea if you plan to really push it. That way you won't suffer too much down time if the first one gets mangled too much to be properly fixed or breaks.
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Not something I had thought about but makes complete sense. Exactly the type of feedback I need given my lack of experience.
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Originally Posted by Megadan
Some form of rim lock might not be a bad idea if you plan to air down fairly low. But that might be something for another day when you start reaching that point. There are a few options when going down that road as well, such as Neutech's Tubliss system.
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I will take a look at this! Airing down is a game changer for a jeep so I am sure I will be looking to take advantage of it on the bike as well when I get to that point.
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Originally Posted by 2LZ
Regarding knobbies, any inexpensive knobbie should be fine. These bikes don't develop enough power to put a knobbie through the rigors of motocross. My old Husky on the other hand, I had to shop specifically for rubber hardness or pliability for some longevity, balanced with the tracks I'd be riding, at what time of year (soggy or bone dry). The wrong tire and I'd be spinning off huge hunks of knobs or they'd sand down in short order. You won't have that worry with a Hondoid.
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This is great to know as I was starting to spend some time looking into those tire characteristics you mention. It makes sense that without a high performance machine there is not a real need for that level of specificity around with tires.
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Originally Posted by 2LZ
No knobbie (IMHO) is worth a damn on pavement but you get used to their limitations.
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Of course from the lower surface area exposed to the road surface due to the knobs this makes sense but it still a bummer. Luckily there will not be a ton of paved road riding even to get to the trails (mostly dirt roads) so the impact should be relatively small. I hope.
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Originally Posted by 2LZ
If you'll be doing tons of mud, just look for the least expensive, "self cleaning" (uh huh) knobbie out there.
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Will do!