How To Find The Right ATV Tires
The ATV has earned its title by tackling all terrains, and yours is no exception. It can handle mud, sand, inclines, and woods, and more—but only if it has the right tires, and the set that came with it may not be right for you. Thankfully, there are tires designed and specialized for different riding styles and landscapes. It’s important that you consider what kind of riding you’ll be doing and where, and equip your vehicle with tires to match.
We here at Sky Powersports Lakeland have put together a few tips that should help you narrow down your hunt for the perfect tire. If you want more advice about your ATV, you want to see some of these tires for yourself, or you just want to see what ATVs we have for sale, stop by our store in Lakeland, Florida! Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are ready and waiting to help find what you need at the prices you want.
Off-Roading
Your ATV probably came from the factory equipped with a classic off-road or all-terrain tire. These tires have knobs and extra tread and are designed to take a serious beating. They can handle a solid range of general off-road riding, whether you’re working on the farm or doing some laps at your favorite ATV track. The treads on these tend to be between a fraction of an inch to a full inch deep and are closely aligned to give you great traction on a variety of surfaces.
Mudding Tires
If you see storm clouds and think of mudding, you’re probably going to want to invest in some mud tires. These ATV tires are designed to give you the necessary traction to keep you where you want to be in shifting, sliding mud. Tall lugs on mud tires can grip deep into the mud to give you more stability. Your ATV may need to be lifted or have some wheel spacers installed, though—mud tires are bigger and heavier than most other tires.
These tires may also require your ATV to use more power and can wear down some of its joints. You should also avoid riding with these tires on any other terrain, especially solid surfaces. The luds will quickly wear down and be ruined, and would guarantee an uncomfortable and bumpy ride for you!
Sand or Paddle Tires
For drier but still shifty terrain like sand, you’ll want what are called sand tires or paddle tires. These tires have paddles instead of knobs which scoop up the loose material underneath the vehicle and push it away, allowing you the traction you need to keep moving where you want to. Both the front and rear tires are designed a bit differently in order to maximize your traction, with the front tires having slicker treads to improve your steering performance.
Sand tires are another type that you shouldn’t drive with on hard, flat surfaces. The paddle protrusions will get worn down just like the lugs on a mud tire, though they won’t provide as bumpy a ride. Avoid driving on hard-packed dirt or pavement with these.
Pavement Tires
Pavement tires, or “turf savers,” are the only tires specially designed to be used on hard, flat surfaces like dirt, lawns, turf, pavement, and concrete. These are designed with shallow but tightly-spaced treads that are kind to grass without sacrificing too much handling. These provide the smoothest ride on flat terrain, but they don’t provide much traction, so try to avoid inclines and uneven surfaces.
If you want to see some of these tires for yourself, or just browse our ATV selection, stop on by! Sky Powersports Lakeland provides test rides, parts, service, and financing for all your powersports needs. We proudly serve the people of Tampa and Orlando, Florida—let us serve you today!