Lets Talk Tires!

One of the most divisive topics in the ATV/UTV community is what tire is best. I can’t tell you which that is, what I can do is give you my experience with the tires I’ve put kilometers on!

I always imagine a scale between trail and mud as a percentage. There are other types of riding of course (talking to you hill climb and rock crawling types) but I’ll stick to what I know. It’s sort of like a 0 - 10 scale, zero (0%) being rail bed cruising and ten (100%) being that one time you had to leave your ATV in the bush overnight. So an example of that using the first mud tire I ever owned, 30x10r14 ITP Cryptids, the OEM tire choice for an 18+ Outlander or Renegade XMR. I would put that as a 50%/50% tire. 50% trail worthy and 50% mud worthy. Jack of all tires like the Cryptids can really suit a large variety of people as they can kind-of-sorta do it all. Of course, on the other hand none of it well.

Knowing all of that, lets continue breaking down my first notable set of tires, Cryptids. ITP must have struck up a deal the BRP the get these on all the XMRs from 2018 to current models and they did some disappointing things in order to do so. When I received my XMR I was under that impression I was getting 30x10r14 tires but as you likely know they only measured 28ishx9ishr14. That was upsetting but not exactly a new thing in the tire market, a good pile of tires don’t actually size up as described. Otherwise it’s definitely a jack of all, master of none and I rate it a 50/50 trail to mud tire. I had no notable issues on either side of the fence but it wasn’t going to blow your mind either. As for wear they did quite well actually considering I brap my rear tires loose at all available chances. Another thing to consider is their weight, which came in at a modest 51lbs on OEM rims. Which I suppose isn’t “light” but certainly not like our next tire. All I have to say is if you decide these are for you, buy directly through a dealer like Dirty Life, that way you actually get the true to size measurements when you want those 30’s.

Photo by: Glassglowz Media, 29.5x10r14 Super ATV Assassinator

This next tire needs no introduction. The current reigning king in the mud/skeg scene as far as I am concerned. The SuperATV Assassinator. Measuring nearly true to size, as advertised. With massive 4” paddle monstrosity comes in at a 10/90 trail to mud rating from us! Believe it or not it isn’t impossible to trail ride with them, you just need to be aware your contact patch is about the width of your weird uncles soul patch. If you’re high on testosterone this is the tire for you. They work incredibly well, it’s true. Of course it comes at a cost. They are heavy, the rubber compound is stiff in order to keep the paddles from ripping. So thick in fact that certain mud racers will shave the tire down as much as they can to reduce their weight as much as possible. With rotational mass like that you can expect broken parts, so be prepared its pay to play with these. My 29.5x10r14 on Can Am OEM beadlocks came in at 71lbs a piece. Its the reason I wore out my power steering motor and I really don’t care, they were awesome. As for wear after about 2,000km it didn’t budge. Perks of the dense rubber compound I would guess. Expect to see these around in the sport for a long time, they aren’t going anywhere for you gung-ho types.

Photo by: Mainville Media, 30x10r12 CST Sludge Hammer

Here’s a unique one (pictured above), #ProjectMamaBear our 2018 Kodiak 700 EPS SE has rocked these since nearly the beggining. 30x10r12 CST Sludge Hammers. Measuring true to size, as advertised. The reason these are unique is due to its sizing. You can get these bad boys in 12” rim and being that they are 30” tall, that’s even more rare. Perfect choice for those wanting to keep their OEM 12” rims. I would ranking these a 40/60 trail to mud. Like most mud tires in “V” tread pattern it can move some serious mud but doesn’t compromise on the trail with its more rounded profile unlike, say, the ITP Cyrtids we talked about before. Another interesting fact, on an OEM 12” Yamaha rim, these came in at 51lbs! Making them very light for a 30x10r12 with that rubber. As for wear, little more than I’ve seen with other tires but honestly barely noticeable considering the 1,500 kilometers on them.

Photo by: Mainville Media, 30x10r14 EFX MotoClaw

You’re probably wondering why #ProjectMischief , our 2018 Can Am Outlander XMR 1000r’s 30x10r14 EFX MotoClaw trail tires are on this list. Well, something has to be the trail bench mark for my opinion on tires. These tires come in at a 80/20 trail to mud. If I came up to a decent honey hole while trail riding I would still consider hitting it with these. They have a decent weight coming in just over 50lbs on those MSA Rogue M40 rims which of course isn’t actually that great for a trail tire but they were intended for UTV’s as they are true 8 ply off road tires. That extra strength is definitely a perk when you air down for that extra grip! I have highly enjoyed rocking these out on the trail. So for those mud yeeyee types, seriously consider a rip on these. You’ll be surprised.

Photo by: Mainville Media, 32x8.5r16 FEX MotoHavok

Last but certainly not least, my personal favorite tire (currently) #ProjectMischief ‘s 32x8.5r16 EFX MotoHavok’s. When Dirty Life suggested these I wasn’t sure at first but I do not regret this purchase at all now. Like most on this list, even though I said most tires don’t, they measured true to size as advertised. I rate these a sold 30/70 trail to mud tire and I must say that is my perfect sweet spot. Not as aggressive as an Assassinator, more purpose built than the Cryptids and can even hold its own on a fast pace trail ride with MotoClaw’s. I don’t see this tire getting bumped off my top any time soon. True, they do weigh a little more with my set up coming in at about 61lbs on rims, it’s still not the end of the world after knowing what the assassinators weigh. They sport many more 2” “V” shape paddles which seems to do very well in the mud. Down side to that is the squared off profile can make high speed cornering a little more butt puckering that I’d like. Can’t have it all. If you paid attention it has an odd ball size but when you think about it, its perfect. Most non-lifted ATV’s don’t care for tall and wide at the same time. Hard to fit. I’ve found that an 8.5” or 9” width is much more accommodating to builds when you start wanting that 32 - 36” tall tire range. Food for thought if it interests you!

I guess I’ll end this saying I’ve used many tires other than the ones in this list, but they’re not note worthy. Like Mud Lights or Carlisle’s. Any questions give us a holler in the comment section!