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featured articleUTV Tire Test7 different tires from 7 different manufacturersDuro Power Grip Duro Power Grip The name says a lot. The Duro Power grip is the most aggressive looking tire
in the test. Similar to the Maxxis Bighorns sidewall design, the Duro sidewall
design differs as the tread flares out to the outside of the tire. This makes
for a wider footprint and helps protect against sidewall puncture. In the rocks,
the Duros want to climb up everything they see. They have a super grip in dry
or wet conditions and don’t crabwalk when you get into the gas. In our
soft dirt test, they clawed their way past everyone with little effort. Goodyear Rawide Goodyear Rawide The Goodyear MT/Rs rated high in all of our major categories with smooth driving over high-speed gravel roads, hard pack surfaces and cornering. Driving through the corners, you can keep the foot on the gas and the Goodyears will power through without losing forward momentum in a predictable manner. The lack of sidewall tread was the only reason they scored low in our rock-crawling test; they prefer to go straight up rock faces and stick well in dryer conditions. When our RZR was put into situations where the main surface tread was not in contact with the rocks, it needed the sidewall tread grip to help it from slipping into holes. However, in the sand, the lack of sidewall tread proved to be an advantage as they were able to transition over ruts smoothly and stayed on top of the sand without digging down and losing momentum. They are also the lightest tires in the test and showed minimal tire wear. The Rawhides were the least attractive tire of the bunch, but what they lacked in appearance they gained in performance. It’s no wonder Arctic Cat chose to use the Goodyears on all their Prowlers. Greenball Dirt Tamer Greenball Dirt Tamer If you’re thinking these look just like the Maxxis and Duros, you’re mostly right. But, the Greenball Dirt Tamers have a dimpled sidewall that proved to be the best tire on the wet rocks along with the Kendas. When compared to the similar looking Maxxis and Duros, you’ll also notice these 25” tires are a little more narrow and rounded than the others. The one nice thing these tires have over the Duros is that they offer up to a 27” size, which will come in handy for those wanting some extra ground clearance. Because these tires are a little more rounded and have the dimpled sidewalls, when pushed hard in the corners, these tires ranked second highest, tied with the Kendas for the most traction. In high-speed gravel and hard pack, these tires were at the top of the charts along with some of the others. When cornering, these tires power slid predictably. But be warned, if really pushed hard, they get into the dimpled tread and really grip, too. Overall, the Greenball Dirt Tamers were a very impressive tire in multiple conditions. Interco Swamplites Interco Swamplites We wanted to include the Swamplites in this test because we see them everywhere back East where trail riding tends to include wet rocks, mud, and slick exposed tree roots. We also see a lot on the trails out West, so we thought maybe there was something more to them that we didn’t know. You’ll notice that these tires are just plain aggressive looking. When pushed through the cornering, the Swamplites gripped and barely slid at all, resulting in the most forward momentum. In gravel and hard pack, the Swamplites were equal with Kenda in traction due to their directional tread pattern. In the softer sand, they tend to dig a little more than the other tires, though. On the rocks, they tended to crabwalk more than the others in both the wet and dry scenarios. Overall, the Swamplites, although not in their prime terrain, prove once again just how versatile a tire they can be, especially if you tend to play in the mud. ITP Terra Cross ITP Terra Cross The ITP Terra Cross tires are a unique mix of tread patterns. They’re somewhat similar to the Duro, Greenball and Maxxis, but at the same time have some of the characteristics of a mud tire with scoop-type tread, as well. In the high-speed gravel, the ITPs tended to wander more than most. But on the hard pack, these tires did very well among the top competitors. To our surprise, in the cornering the ITPs were very predictable, had very good traction, and when pushed, power slid very nicely. The ITPs were also very comfortable in the rocks. Because of their relatively flexible sidewalls, they pulled out of the water easily and stuck to the rocks like glue. Appearance was another strong characteristic of these tires. Overall, the Terra Cross is a good overall tire that we think might do pretty good in the mud too, when compared to the Duro, Maxxis, and Greenballs because of their scooping sidewall tread. Kenda Bounty Hunter Kenda Bounty Hunter Of all the tires, the Kenda Bounty Hunters surprised us the most. The reason is the tread pattern is shaped more like a mild mud tire, but overall this tire did very well. Of all the tires, the Kenda did the best in the rocks, both wet and dry. In the soft sand, they also excelled in acceleration and in the slow speed hill climb. The only area we felt they were a little squirrelly was in the cornering. These tires didn’t want to powerslide. Similar to the Swamplites, they barely slid at all resulting in the more forward momentum, which in this case made it a little hard to control when pushed hard. Traction is never a bad thing, but a little induced slide would have helped keep all the tires on the ground. Overall, the Bounty Hunters are a fantastic choice for someone that may do a lot of rock crawling in wet conditions. And, we’re not sure, but our guess is these tires would perform well in the mud considering their paddle-type tread pattern and spaced lugs. Maxxis Bighorns Maxxis Bighorns If you’ve never heard of these tires, you’ve obviously not been trail riding with any groups lately. These tires have the same looking tread pattern as the Duros and Greenballs, minus the dimples of the Greenballs and the overhanging outer lugs of the Duros. So, although all these tires look the same to most people, there are some distinguishing things that definitely affected their performance. One place the Maxxis didn’t do as well as the other tires was the slow speed dirt hill climb, where they dug in immediately. In all other areas, though, the Maxxis Bighorns did very well. They are a very predictable tire in the rocks with little to no crabwalking. In the wet rocks, they weren’t quite as good as the Duro, Greenball, or Kendas, we think mainly because of the rounded non siped sidewalls. But, in the dry, they were sticky as a tire gets. They are known as a very durable tire that has been very popular in the desert. This is probably the reason that most racers have been using these tires. Well, if you’ve gotten through all this and you’re wondering what tire won, join the club! We feel that each of these tires excel in certain areas, so our recommendation would be to consider the types of terrain you run most often and pick the tire you feel fits that need the best. To help you out, refer to our test chart on the next page, this will give you a better idea of what tire is best for you depending on your riding conditions. Overall, this was a very challenging test that required us to take a lot of immediate notes to make sure our analysis was as accurate as possible. In the end, pick the tire that best suits your needs, go have some fun, and let us know how they hold up long term. Thanks to all the manufacturers that participated in our tire test. We feel that this is the most comprehensive test done for the UTV market to date, and we could not have done it without their support. -CWM |
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