The lighter casing is down to a new production technology, with the three-ply nylon design jettisoned in favour of a two-ply polyester construction. Michelin claims the update has not only reduced tyre 'rebound' but lateral rigidity remains unaffected. And the StarCross 5 tyres also require less 'warm-up' compared to their predecessors. ~ 'Mud-phobia' bars to further enhance tyre cleaning on the Soft option to further prevent soil from building up and reducing traction whatever the conditions. ~ Self-cleaning tread characterised by fine horizontal lines to help release build-up. ~ Lighter casing has reduced weight by as much as 15 percent, The most obvious by-product of trimming the 'fat' is less unspring weight, which has palpable benefits in terms of braking, handling and general manoeuvrability. ~ Run higher tyre pressures up to 3psi more than the old Starcross range without compromising performance. ~ Improved traction in a straight line and more progressive handling in corners. ~ No ‘running-in’ needed as the flexible casing offers great performance from the starting gate. ~ New casing engineered to optimise the size of the contact patch. ~ Aggressive front and rear tread patterns offers maximum levels of grip for precise steering and traction, even when racing in very difficult conditions. ~ Directional intermediate and side tread blocks ensure good steering response from the front tyre and traction from the rear. ~ Central blocks are designed specifically to enhance braking performance and traction on all types of track surfaces. They act like hooks to dig-in and drive the motorcycle forward.
The lighter casing is down to a new production technology, with the three-ply nylon design jettisoned in favour of a two-ply polyester construction. Michelin claims the update has not only reduced tyre 'rebound' but lateral rigidity remains unaffected. And the StarCross 5 tyres also require less 'warm-up' compared to their predecessors. ~ 'Mud-phobia' bars to further enhance tyre cleaning on the Soft option to further prevent soil from building up and reducing traction whatever the conditions. ~ Self-cleaning tread characterised by fine horizontal lines to help release build-up. ~ Lighter casing has reduced weight by as much as 15 percent, The most obvious by-product of trimming the 'fat' is less unspring weight, which has palpable benefits in terms of braking, handling and general manoeuvrability. ~ Run higher tyre pressures up to 3psi more than the old Starcross range without compromising performance. ~ Improved traction in a straight line and more progressive handling in corners. ~ No ‘running-in’ needed as the flexible casing offers great performance from the starting gate. ~ New casing engineered to optimise the size of the contact patch. ~ Aggressive front and rear tread patterns offers maximum levels of grip for precise steering and traction, even when racing in very difficult conditions. ~ Directional intermediate and side tread blocks ensure good steering response from the front tyre and traction from the rear. ~ Central blocks are designed specifically to enhance braking performance and traction on all types of track surfaces. They act like hooks to dig-in and drive the motorcycle forward.
The lighter casing is down to a new production technology, with the three-ply nylon design jettisoned in favour of a two-ply polyester construction. Michelin claims the update has not only reduced tyre 'rebound' but lateral rigidity remains unaffected. And the StarCross 5 tyres also require less 'warm-up' compared to their predecessors. ~ 'Mud-phobia' bars to further enhance tyre cleaning on the Soft option to further prevent soil from building up and reducing traction whatever the conditions. ~ Self-cleaning tread characterised by fine horizontal lines to help release build-up. ~ Lighter casing has reduced weight by as much as 15 percent, The most obvious by-product of trimming the 'fat' is less unspring weight, which has palpable benefits in terms of braking, handling and general manoeuvrability. ~ Run higher tyre pressures up to 3psi more than the old Starcross range without compromising performance. ~ Improved traction in a straight line and more progressive handling in corners. ~ No ‘running-in’ needed as the flexible casing offers great performance from the starting gate. ~ New casing engineered to optimise the size of the contact patch. ~ Aggressive front and rear tread patterns offers maximum levels of grip for precise steering and traction, even when racing in very difficult conditions. ~ Directional intermediate and side tread blocks ensure good steering response from the front tyre and traction from the rear. ~ Central blocks are designed specifically to enhance braking performance and traction on all types of track surfaces. They act like hooks to dig-in and drive the motorcycle forward.
The lighter casing is down to a new production technology, with the three-ply nylon design jettisoned in favour of a two-ply polyester construction. Michelin claims the update has not only reduced tyre 'rebound' but lateral rigidity remains unaffected. And the StarCross 5 tyres also require less 'warm-up' compared to their predecessors. ~ 'Mud-phobia' bars to further enhance tyre cleaning on the Soft option to further prevent soil from building up and reducing traction whatever the conditions. ~ Self-cleaning tread characterised by fine horizontal lines to help release build-up. ~ Lighter casing has reduced weight by as much as 15 percent, The most obvious by-product of trimming the 'fat' is less unspring weight, which has palpable benefits in terms of braking, handling and general manoeuvrability. ~ Run higher tyre pressures up to 3psi more than the old Starcross range without compromising performance. ~ Improved traction in a straight line and more progressive handling in corners. ~ No ‘running-in’ needed as the flexible casing offers great performance from the starting gate. ~ New casing engineered to optimise the size of the contact patch. ~ Aggressive front and rear tread patterns offers maximum levels of grip for precise steering and traction, even when racing in very difficult conditions. ~ Directional intermediate and side tread blocks ensure good steering response from the front tyre and traction from the rear. ~ Central blocks are designed specifically to enhance braking performance and traction on all types of track surfaces. They act like hooks to dig-in and drive the motorcycle forward.
Last updated at 03/21/2026 17:09:26
Michelin Starcross 5 Soft 90/100-21 Front
Michelin Starcross 5 Soft 90/100 21 57M Motorcycle Summer Tyre
Delivery $378.79
originally posted on rockymountainatvmc.com
Primarily riding in the rocky rooty rutted rough terrain of theOregon Coast range I have not found a better 90/100-21 front tirefor my KTMs, 500 class four stroke or 250 class two stroke.I pair this tire with a 130/80-18, IRC M5B evo and I am climbing or descending the steepest hills you can imagine !Thank you guys for having the best prices and fastestshipping, maybe the fourth or fifth time i have purchasedthese tires from Rocky Mountain Atv and will continue long into the future. Thanks again, Jess-m-2001 KTM 520 EXC 4 Stroke--
originally posted on michelinman.com
My son and I use the medium Starcross 5 tires on some heavily modified Klx 140L bikes. And so far we can’t not beat this tire with any other model or brand for our application. We ride these bikes like we stole em on some pretty ruff terrain. Our cold pressure point took awhile to dial-in but have found these tires to work best (for us) at: 15.5 psi front tire and and 15 psi back tire. Only after 8 months I finely tore off 2 Nobbies and my son recently lost one. And the tires are still pretty safe to ride. Both of us tore these Nobbies on a steep . trail where at the top a big tree root is a major obstacle. They really hold the line well on berms and love to dig in and rip on smooth tarain. What more can be said? We ride about 40 miles a month of pure enduro fun ... MoreMy son and I use the medium Starcross 5 tires on some heavily modified Klx 140L bikes. And so far we can’t not beat this tire with any other model or brand for our application. We ride these bikes like we stole em on some pretty ruff terrain. Our cold pressure point took awhile to dial-in but have found these tires to work best (for us) at: 15.5 psi front tire and and 15 psi back tire. Only after 8 months I finely tore off 2 Nobbies and my son recently lost one. And the tires are still pretty safe to ride. Both of us tore these Nobbies on a steep . trail where at the top a big tree root is a major obstacle. They really hold the line well on berms and love to dig in and rip on smooth tarain. What more can be said? We ride about 40 miles a month of pure enduro fun times eight months that’s 320 miles and they are still taking us where we want to go!
originally posted on chapmoto.com
I bought this tire instead of the mx32. I'm a C class rider, and ride mostly milestone. The tracks is muddy in the morning and hard pack with square edges in the afternoon. The tire does pretty well in the mud, it doesn't have as much grip in the super wet stuff as the mx32, but isn't that bad either. It does really well in the soft and medium terrain and great in the medium to hard pack. So far it has been breaking down slower than the mx32. The front tire especially (soft in front, medium in rear) hardly has any noticeable wear, but the back is about halfway done. All in all, the loss in traction in the in the super sot stuff isn't that noticeable, and is worth it to me, for a tire that lasts a little longer. I've been running it for about 10-12 hours now.
Michelin Starcross 5 Soft 90/100-21 Front
Michelin Starcross 5 Soft 90/100 21 57M Motorcycle Summer Tyre
Delivery $378.79
Primarily riding in the rocky rooty rutted rough terrain of theOregon Coast range I have not found a better 90/100-21 front tirefor my KTMs, 500 class four stroke or 250 class two stroke.I pair this tire with a 130/80-18, IRC M5B evo and I am climbing or descending the steepest hills you can imagine !Thank you guys for having the best prices and fastestshipping, maybe the fourth or fifth time i have purchasedthese tires from Rocky Mountain Atv and will continue long into the future. Thanks again, Jess-m-2001 KTM 520 EXC 4 Stroke--
My son and I use the medium Starcross 5 tires on some heavily modified Klx 140L bikes. And so far we can’t not beat this tire with any other model or brand for our application. We ride these bikes like we stole em on some pretty ruff terrain. Our cold pressure point took awhile to dial-in but have found these tires to work best (for us) at: 15.5 psi front tire and and 15 psi back tire. Only after 8 months I finely tore off 2 Nobbies and my son recently lost one. And the tires are still pretty safe to ride. Both of us tore these Nobbies on a steep . trail where at the top a big tree root is a major obstacle. They really hold the line well on berms and love to dig in and rip on smooth tarain. What more can be said? We ride about 40 miles a month of pure enduro fun ... MoreMy son and I use the medium Starcross 5 tires on some heavily modified Klx 140L bikes. And so far we can’t not beat this tire with any other model or brand for our application. We ride these bikes like we stole em on some pretty ruff terrain. Our cold pressure point took awhile to dial-in but have found these tires to work best (for us) at: 15.5 psi front tire and and 15 psi back tire. Only after 8 months I finely tore off 2 Nobbies and my son recently lost one. And the tires are still pretty safe to ride. Both of us tore these Nobbies on a steep . trail where at the top a big tree root is a major obstacle. They really hold the line well on berms and love to dig in and rip on smooth tarain. What more can be said? We ride about 40 miles a month of pure enduro fun times eight months that’s 320 miles and they are still taking us where we want to go!
I bought this tire instead of the mx32. I'm a C class rider, and ride mostly milestone. The tracks is muddy in the morning and hard pack with square edges in the afternoon. The tire does pretty well in the mud, it doesn't have as much grip in the super wet stuff as the mx32, but isn't that bad either. It does really well in the soft and medium terrain and great in the medium to hard pack. So far it has been breaking down slower than the mx32. The front tire especially (soft in front, medium in rear) hardly has any noticeable wear, but the back is about halfway done. All in all, the loss in traction in the in the super sot stuff isn't that noticeable, and is worth it to me, for a tire that lasts a little longer. I've been running it for about 10-12 hours now.
I have used the medium compound starcross 5s for years to save money. You get pretty good traction in pretty much all terrains and get above average tread life as well. I usually only have to buy 1 front tire and 2 rears per season (10-13 races per year, riding at least 4 times a month), not bad at all. These tires don't like to be underinflated though. I run the tubliss system (front and rear) and since michelins are well known to have softer sidewalls and carcasses, they love to roll under a certain tire pressure. I usually run these things at 8psi in the front and 4psi in the rear. The rear isn't too much of a problem but if you go under that pressure on the front, that bad boy is gonna roll, and you're probably gonna fall. (Keep in mind i weigh 217lbs. so psi ... MoreI have used the medium compound starcross 5s for years to save money. You get pretty good traction in pretty much all terrains and get above average tread life as well. I usually only have to buy 1 front tire and 2 rears per season (10-13 races per year, riding at least 4 times a month), not bad at all. These tires don't like to be underinflated though. I run the tubliss system (front and rear) and since michelins are well known to have softer sidewalls and carcasses, they love to roll under a certain tire pressure. I usually run these things at 8psi in the front and 4psi in the rear. The rear isn't too much of a problem but if you go under that pressure on the front, that bad boy is gonna roll, and you're probably gonna fall. (Keep in mind i weigh 217lbs. so psi levels may differ for you.)-m-2013 KTM 300 XC--
I don't write reviews really ever so the fact that I'm writing a review means this tire rocks!!!First time riding in Sand here in WA at Moses Lake Sand Dunes. I had no problems hooking up and the stability while riding in the sand was perfect. I didn't put the front tire on as I already had a starcross tire that came with the bike. I was extremely happy with this tire. 4 days riding in the sand and there is zero wear on the tire, it looks brand new.Ok so the sand it was great, but I'm lazy and didn't want to swap wheels back to the dirt tire that came with the bike, also a starcross. So I left it on the bike and took it trail riding here in WA at Capital Forest. If you have ever ridden here you'll know that there are a lot of rocks from don't hit them size to ... MoreI don't write reviews really ever so the fact that I'm writing a review means this tire rocks!!!First time riding in Sand here in WA at Moses Lake Sand Dunes. I had no problems hooking up and the stability while riding in the sand was perfect. I didn't put the front tire on as I already had a starcross tire that came with the bike. I was extremely happy with this tire. 4 days riding in the sand and there is zero wear on the tire, it looks brand new.Ok so the sand it was great, but I'm lazy and didn't want to swap wheels back to the dirt tire that came with the bike, also a starcross. So I left it on the bike and took it trail riding here in WA at Capital Forest. If you have ever ridden here you'll know that there are a lot of rocks from don't hit them size to loose rock covering some corners. I had previously ridden here on the tire that came with the bike and it worked but it was a challenge as I was constantly loosing traction and sliding all over. With this tire I had zero problems riding in these conditions. This tire boosted my confidence level to where I was able to just rip through these trails. On the tight turns with loose rocks and a mix of bigger rocks this tire hooked up every time all the time. No sliding down the banks in the turn or into rivets in the trail. The traction on the side of the tire is a beautiful thing.-m-2013 KAWASAKI KX450F--
First I ride a Beta 300 on single track. I was looking for a fatty tire to give me a little more softer / added suspension feel in the front to soak up some bumps. I've tried another tire and didn't like it so I ordered this one and love it.Did exactly what I wanted. Gave me a little extra coushing up front without loosing feel or feedback from the bike. I'm getting a nice planted feel up front without getting bounced around from every obstacle in my path. Also doesn't feel heavier to steer in corners I still have a nice light feel for turning and great traction I'm not washing out in corners. This tire is much lighter in weight then the previous tire I had on witch I'm sure help in every erea of ridding.I have a 90/100 21 Michelin StarCross 5 Medium up front ... MoreFirst I ride a Beta 300 on single track. I was looking for a fatty tire to give me a little more softer / added suspension feel in the front to soak up some bumps. I've tried another tire and didn't like it so I ordered this one and love it.Did exactly what I wanted. Gave me a little extra coushing up front without loosing feel or feedback from the bike. I'm getting a nice planted feel up front without getting bounced around from every obstacle in my path. Also doesn't feel heavier to steer in corners I still have a nice light feel for turning and great traction I'm not washing out in corners. This tire is much lighter in weight then the previous tire I had on witch I'm sure help in every erea of ridding.I have a 90/100 21 Michelin StarCross 5 Medium up front and a 120/100 18 Shinko Cheater in the back, both on tubliss system and this is by far the best combo I've had on this Bike.Just my two cents.
Have this tire on my 450SXF and ride SoCal tracks. It works great in the soft loose loam and sand. Cornering is predictable even when they start to show some wear.Most SoCal tracks have a clay mix and become harder in the afternoon. These tire make a good transition from the morning soft, to the mid-day loam to the afternoon hard pack. They don't work as well on the hard pack but still performed surprisingly well.Wear seems to be on a par with most soft terrain tires and probably better than most. I have right at 7 hours on these tires and they are still looking very good with the leading edge worn a little bit because of it spinning on the hard pack.-m-2018 KTM 450 SX-F--
Great tyre. This is my third purchase.Used on sand tracks like LACR this tyre lasts!Good in slop especially when the track been overwatered on the start, you’ll get the holeshot.Hooks up great, works really well at Glen Helen on both national and REM tracks.The carcass is very malleable and doesn’t deflect off square edges, braking bumps, etc when the track gets really rough, but because of the soft carcass recommend 13 or 14 lbs for mx to avoid flats if you are running tubes.When paired with the front Michelin, either the soft or the sand version, corner exit is unreal, however, I’m also a supermoto guy so I tend to back it in to corners hard on the brakes and because the outside knobs are so aggressive the tyre does not slide as predictably as a more ... MoreGreat tyre. This is my third purchase.Used on sand tracks like LACR this tyre lasts!Good in slop especially when the track been overwatered on the start, you’ll get the holeshot.Hooks up great, works really well at Glen Helen on both national and REM tracks.The carcass is very malleable and doesn’t deflect off square edges, braking bumps, etc when the track gets really rough, but because of the soft carcass recommend 13 or 14 lbs for mx to avoid flats if you are running tubes.When paired with the front Michelin, either the soft or the sand version, corner exit is unreal, however, I’m also a supermoto guy so I tend to back it in to corners hard on the brakes and because the outside knobs are so aggressive the tyre does not slide as predictably as a more conventional knobby. I have 2 sets of wheels so I’ve tested them back to back.For my style of riding thats my only small criticism! I love ‘em.Ps how about a free one from Michelin for that review!Cheers, M 28 - 60 expert
Best tire out there, have tried most of the top recommendations. Like other reviews here M59 or MX33s are common choice. MT16 is also great in northeast, but these are better! I ride woods style track 70% of the time sand on hard pack and good soil, 30% is trails with rocks, roots, hard pack, and mud. This rear tire hooks up everywhere! Front is better than M59 which hasn't been my favorite like most reviews it gets. Tires are light too! My only issue is they are definitely wearing faster than any other tires I mentioned. Still hooking up fine, but likely will be less hours total time before replacing.
In my opinion there are two good tires for East coast Gncc or Hare Scramble type races. The Dunlop mx3s(or mx33) and the Michelin Star cross 5. I prefer Nitro mousse for racing and Tubliss for play riding. Both these tires perform well in rutted soft clay to mud to hard pack. They do wear faster on the rear if you use a soft. I prefer the soft on the rear but if you want to make it an entire season get the soft front with a medium rear. Wear is more than acceptable for multiple races even with the soft as long as it's not to rocky. These tires don't break loose but if they do it's very predictable and controllable. I've used many different brands and types of tires over the years but these are by far one of my favorites for east coast roots, mud and general dirt ... MoreIn my opinion there are two good tires for East coast Gncc or Hare Scramble type races. The Dunlop mx3s(or mx33) and the Michelin Star cross 5. I prefer Nitro mousse for racing and Tubliss for play riding. Both these tires perform well in rutted soft clay to mud to hard pack. They do wear faster on the rear if you use a soft. I prefer the soft on the rear but if you want to make it an entire season get the soft front with a medium rear. Wear is more than acceptable for multiple races even with the soft as long as it's not to rocky. These tires don't break loose but if they do it's very predictable and controllable. I've used many different brands and types of tires over the years but these are by far one of my favorites for east coast roots, mud and general dirt riding. They make my KTM feel like it handles better with these tires. Just don't forget these tires need 13.5 to 14 psi, it's weird but it's what soft carcass likes the best.
