Get The Right ATV Tires For Your Four Wheeler
Written by admin on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 in ATV.
When most people think about buying a new ATV, tires are not high on the list of features to look at. Older ATV’s that have been used for a while are more than likely going to need some new rubber in the near future.
If you find yourself needing to put new rubber on your ATV, stop and think before grabbing the cheapest ATV tires you can find. There are some simple rules to remember when picking your next ATV tires. Pick the wrong tires and you can be left alone out in the backcountry.
If your budget is tight, and who’s isn’t these days, you may want to consider buying used ATV tires. These can generally be found any place that carries used ATV parts. The biggest mistake many ATV owners make is buying any set of tires they can find because they’re cheap.
First off, decide what type of riding you do the most. It should go without saying that if all your riding is done on the sand dunes, then the best choice for your ATV is sand tires. But this common sense approach is lost on some ATV owners. On the other hand, if all your riding is done at the beach or in the soft shifting sands of the desert, then the general purpose ATV tires that came with your machine will not give you the best performance.
Let’s start with ATV sand tires. These tires are basically slicks with rubber paddles on them. Loose sand is not a problem for these wide slick paddled tires. The paddles scoop the sand as the wheel turns, giving excellent traction. These tires are wider than normal and offer good traction in all types of sand terrain, whether it’s the beach or in the middle of the desert. If you have a 2 wheel drive ATV, you should buy smooth front tires for sand riding.
When looking to buy a used machine, such as a used Honda ATV, it will more than likely come with a general use tire. Although they do not exceed in any one type of terrain, they do offer the best all around performance for the casual off road ATV rider.
ATV mud tires come with a very deep and aggressive tread for displacing large amounts of mud. Mud tires are great for nearly all soft soil and some rocky terrain as the lugs will grab the rocks you’re trying to move over. Some owners think mud tires will work good in sand do their diggin action. They’re wrong. Mud tires are not a good trade off for sand tires. General purpose tires even work better in sand than the aggressive treaded mud tires.
Sport or Performance tires are designed for fast paced riding on hard packed surfaces. You’ll also notice that many sport or performance tires have a lower profile and some will have taller and wider wheels. The tread is also a bit more different, having many smaller treads in an X shape.
Stopping to think about where it is that you’ll be using your ATV is a critical step in choosing the right set of rubber for your four wheeler. Picking the right ATV tires isn’t rocket science. It just requires a little thought and research before laying your hard earned money down.