Maxxis Dissector Exo tyre review: Trail option that deftly straddles the speed vs grip line

Apparently born from the dry and loose tyre desires of World Cup DH star Troy Brosnan, the Dissector plates up different elements from the Maxxis buffet to create a great tyre for those riders who feel a bit too gripped on the brand's Minion DHR II and Assegai. Originally designed as a rear, the Dissector works well on the front too, particularly in drier conditions.

Construction

The WT (Wide Trail) carcass is proven Maxxis and while we tested the lightest single-ply Exo version, there’s a DH casing for Troy and friends, plus DD and Exo+ versions. Our 2.4in Exo test tyre rolled onto WTB and Hunt rims easily by hand, but still popped up for a secure fit with a track pump, and sizing is spot on at a fraction under 2.4in from knob to knob.

In terms of Maxxis comparison, the ramped, alternating centre tread sits somewhere between Rekon and DHR II with a significant gap to the Rekon/Aggressor shoulder strip. There’s a choice of a dual compound or triple compound MaxTerra on the Exo and Exo+ tyres, while the DD and 2 Ply DH are MaxxGrip.

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Performance

Maxxis is the generally accepted performance benchmark for aggro and trail tyres and the Dissector sits very neatly into that crossover point. It’s lighter than Minion DHF and DHR in a similar size and the ramped tread rolls faster too - especially compared to the DHR so it adds immediate pep to pedalling.

While there is a momentary breath catch as you cross the centre to shoulder gap that original High Roller and High Roller II users will definitely recognise. Make the leap of traction faith though and cornering grip is decent with a controllably lazy fade into drift rather than a dramatic snap out. That soon makes chasing the sideways slip through every corner an addictive pastime, particularly as you’ll get to those corners a bit sooner and faster than you were expecting. That means it’s a great match to well planted, low slung bikes and riders who like to play with the edge of control at every opportunity. That’s on the 2.4 too, so while we’ve not tried them yet, our experience on other 2.6in Maxxis suggests they’ll be properly sideways happy.

Braking is very stable if you get carried away though and while it can’t match the ‘who put a coil fork/shock on my bike?’ damping feel of Hutchinson’s class-leading carcass, it definitely feels more planted and secure than Rekon, Forekaster or Aggressor. Obviously Exo+, DD and DH versions will add increasing amounts of surefooted, slam proofed feel as you move towards and then well past the kilo.

Verdict

If you’re riding around on Maxxis DHF, Assegai or DHR II tyres and wishing you were going a bit quicker, or want a bit more confidence than your Rekon or Forekaster tyres are providing, then here’s your answer. The Dissector boosts rolling speed and response, but still feels damped and anchored with great ‘grip to slip’ bandwidth for control surfers.