If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, there’s no better vehicle that you can purchase than an ATV. For all intents and purposes, an ATV (or dune buggy as some call it) offers you the benefits of an SUV without its constricting cabin. It allows you to feel the fresh air and take nature head-on.
But no vehicle is complete without sturdy tires and wheels. And since not all wheels and tires are equal, we thought about sharing with you the basic knowledge that you’ll need to enjoy your outdoor adventure to its fullest.
There Are Different Types of Tires
You can’t use the same tires year-round o your car. The same rule applies to your ATV. Here are the tires you’ll want to get.
Mud Tires
Whatever you do, don’t opt for these tires if you plan to take your ATV on hard surfaces. Doing so will impact their performance and also accelerate the wear and tear. However, for muddy situations, they are more than perfect. Just don’t forget to tighten your wheels correctly when installing these tires. You should try the ATV wheel studs and lug nuts for the best performance.
Snow Tires
Well, the name says it all. However, these tires aren’t just for riding out in the snow. They can also help you if you want to use your ATV or UTV to clear out the snow in your garden, front porch, and other places where you don’t want it to accumulate.
Trail Tires
These are incredibly versatile and can tackle most terrain types out there. They also come with a wide variety of tread patterns and lug spacing to make them fit for multiple scenarios. As such, they often go into subcategories such as sand tires, grass tires, and tires for rocky terrain just to name a few.
Street Tires
Finally, there are tires that are perfectly fit for riding on the streets. In many states, DOT-approved tires are mandatory before you can put your ATV on the streets. With that said, there are also other things to consider if you want to make your ATV street legal. We also recommend contacting your local authorities to fully understand what you’ll need in your specific jurisdiction.
Should You Balance ATV Wheels?
Yes, you should. Many people make a huge mistake when it comes to ATV wheels. We’ve heard plenty ask this question and we were shocked to find out that they actually thought you should never balance ATV wheels. Nothing further from the truth than this…
Why Are the Front ATV Tires Smaller?
It’s for better handling. Having smaller tires also allows you to steer much better, thus decreasing your chances of getting into an accident. Simply put, having smaller tires allows you to easily maneuver in between obstacles such as rocks on and off the trail.
What Are the Best ATV Tire Brands?
There are multiple competitors on the market today. But if we were to pick just the ones who are at the top when it comes to quality and value, we would have to choose SunF and Wanda. Most Wanda tires are tubeless, implying that you won’t need extra tubes to mount them. As for SunF, they always provide qualitative tire sets that will last you a very long time when compared to most of the other brands on the market.
The Bottom Line
Of course, there are many more things to take into consideration when reading about ATV tires and wheels. But, to keep it short and sweet, this is the most essential information you will need as a beginner.
If you want to learn how to choose tire and wheel size, you should ask an expert to make you a customized recommendation instead of reading about it on the internet, as much of the information can be hard to understand for the uninitiated.