A Beginner's Guide To UTV Tires
Tires are an often overlooked part of a side-by-side, which is a shame because they are a crucial aspect of the riding experience. These small items play a big role in the efficiency, safety, and enjoyment of your powersports experience. It's important to know about the parts and types of UTV tires, which will help you pick the right ones for your riding lifestyle.
Keep reading to learn more. If you have questions or want to shop UTVs for sale, visit Peak Honda World. Our dealership is based in Littleton, Colorado, and we also serve those in Denver and Aurora.
The Parts Of UTV Tires
There are a few key parts of UTV tires that you should know about:
The knob size tells you how much of the tire's surface area will be in contact with the ground. Larger knob sizes mean more of the tire will be on the ground.
The tread depth refers to how deep the tire will go into the ground and displace softer material. Higher tread depth is well-suited for cruising over hard terrain that has soft materials on the top.
The pattern shape is how the tires are cut and designed. Another way to think about the pattern shape is that it refers to the grooves that are found along the tread. The pattern shape plays a big role in maintaining traction, especially when riding over wet terrain.
UTV Tires For Different Terrain
Each UTV tire will contain the above components. The specifics of each component will vary depending on the adventures that the tire is designed to handle. Different tires are specialized for different types of terrain, so it's important to get the right tires for your type of riding. This will help ensure a safe, successful, and stress-free riding experience.
UTV Tires For Hard Terrain
Hard terrain includes trails full of hard-packed dirt and rocks. This is often the "default" terrain that most side-by-side riders explore, making it a common UTV tire choice.
This type of terrain does not have several layers of soft materials to push through. Traction should be easy to get on dirt trails. This means you won't need much tread depth and can get by with short knobs placed close together.
It's also helpful to get a UTV tire with a flexible carcass. This will help reduce how much you feel the bumps in the trail, which hard terrain tends to have.
UTV Tires For Soft Terrain
Soft terrain includes trails of sand, gravel, or mud. These materials shift about when pressure gets applied, such as a tire cruising over them. Traction can be much harder to get, which is why you will want UTV tires designed to maximize traction. Seek out options with spread out knobs, which will help you navigate shifting terrain.
You can even look for different front and back tires to maximize traction. The front tires can have a spiky appearance and the back tires can have a "paddle" appearance. Both tires should offer greater tread depth as well.
UTV Tires For In-Between Terrain
Of course, not all powersports trails fall easily into one category or the other. Sometimes, a route may take you through multiple types of terrain. In those cases, it's helpful to use UTV tires that can handle hard and soft terrain.
Here, the goal is to get something with tread depth that isn't too deep and with taller knobs for versatility. These tires tend to be a bit better suited for hard terrain than soft terrain, so it's wise to not to go somewhere with extremely soft terrain.
We hope you enjoyed this guide to UTV tires. For more information or to shop UTVs for sale, chat with the experts at Peak Honda World. Our friendly staff is happy to assist with anything you need, from discussing our financing options to servicing your side-by-side. We are located in Littleton, Colorado. We also proudly serve those in Denver and Aurora, Colorado.
