Employee Review: The New Maxxis Dissector - Performance, Optimized

Words and Photos by Jared Erickson

Maxxis recently updated their Dissector tire with a new tread pattern that promises more grip and confidence than the previous version. The question is: does it deliver on those promises? Read on to find out!

The original Dissector was codeveloped with DH racing legend Troy Brosnan primarily as a faster rolling rear tire for gravity oriented bikes to pair with something like an Assegai up front, and once lighter casings became available it found its way to the front of shorter travel bikes as a somewhat grippy, fast rolling front tire as well. The issue that riders found with it as a front tire and less so as a rear tire is that there was a gap between the center knobs and corner knobs, which caused it to lack predictability while cornering. You really had to lean it over to engage those side knobs, and if you failed to do so, you found yourself washing out the front. History lesson over - enter the new Dissector II.

With an updated 2-3-2 tread pattern featuring a new evenly spaced transition knob, this latest version still promises a fast rolling feel but with much more predictable cornering confidence and grip. It's available in EXO, EXO+, or DoubleDown casings and Dual, 3C MaxxTerra, or 3C MaxxGrip compounds. Like the prior version, you can find it on the back of an enduro bike as well as both ends of a trail bike or short travel bike. Maxxis claims it's "perfect as a front tire on 130–140mm trail bikes or a fast rear tire on 150mm+ setups in dry conditions & pairs great with the Forekaster or Rekon for a balanced ride." Could this truly be the most versatile tire that Maxxis has ever made? 

I have been running the EXO MaxxTerra version on the front of my slightly beefed up Yeti ASR and am excited to report that yes, it is most definitely a huge improvement over the previous version in my opinion as far its application as a front tire. Full transparency, I wasn't a huge fan of running that original version as a front tire for the reasons I stated above, although I did like to run it as a fast rolling rear tire on a trail or enduro bike on hardpack surfaces.

This new Dissector replaced a Maxxis Forekaster that was on front tire duty (which got moved to the rear), and I'd say it's a logical step up from the Forekaster when it comes to traction and capability in the Maxxis lineup. It's most certainly a bit overkill for this bike, but it really ups the capability and descending confidence in a very fun way. As you would expect, compared to the Forekaster I've found it offers much more grip in loose and loose over hard terrain as well as while cornering and under braking - no it's not quite as fast rolling or as light, but it's a 70 gram weight penalty I'd be willing to take for a light trail bike in order to gain the confidence to tackle a wide variety of trails.

For what it's worth, it's not likely to live on the ASR forever since it's quite overkill and essentially transforms it into a mini trail bike, but I'm looking forward to trying it one day on my SB140 where it would work well on either end of the bike.

The Verdict

So, should you try out the Gen 2 Maxxis Dissector? If you are looking for a predictable and confidence inspiring tire for the front of your trail bike as well as relatively fast rolling rear tire for your trail or enduro bike, I say yes. I've found it to be a versatile tire for various trails and conditions, and its earned the "mini Assegai" nickname for a reason.