Choosing the right tire for your ATV can be very difficult and complicated experience. Tires significantly affect driveability and riding characteristics of your ATV. We bring you one of the widest selections of sizes, types, profiles and tread designs from world´s premium manufacturers, tires for all types of terrains including mud, gravel, sand, rocky terrain etc. In addition, ATV tires have different construction, they can be radials or bias-ply, varying also in number of plies.

Before choosing an ATV tire consider you should following important decisions:

• Your first step when choosing the right ATV tire is knowing the type of terrain You are riding most. Mud or snow? Groomed trails? Rocky terrain or forest paths? Hard-packed racing tracks? Or you prefer all-purpose tires that work on most surfaces?
• How much puncture resistance do you need? (= how many plies your tire should have?)

Tire Construction

ATV tires are generally constructed either as bias-ply or radial structure. Both constructions have their own advantages and disadvantages, and deciding between the two comes down to your personal preferences and riding style.

Bias-Ply tires

Each ply is laid at a bias (diagonal) from bead to bead, with the next ply being laid over the top in the opposite direction, which creates a crisscross pattern. Bias-ply ATV tires tend to be more durable than radials. Their sidewalls are very tough and puncture resistant. Bias-ply tires also seem to get better traction because of their stiff construction. Bias-ply tires work well in side-hill riding because the sidewalls flex very little and resist rolling. This makes them popular choice for riders who like to ride in very rough terrain. On the downside, the stiff construction makes for a rougher ride compared to radials and Bias-Ply tires tend to heat up faster as well.

Ply rating 

Ply rating of a Bias-ply tire is the actual number of plies that are bonded together to construct the carcass of the tire. With the advancement in the materials and technologies used to construct a  tire, advanced manufacturers now do not need to use as many plies as before. Because of this, ATV manufacturers are giving a Ply rating which determines relative puncture resistance of a tire rather than actual number of plies. A modern 6-ply tire might not actually be 6-plies, but rather only 2 or 3 plies.

Generally speaking: the more plies or the higher Ply rating  in the construction of a tire, the higher resistance to tear and puncture the tire has. But number of plies also increases weight of a tire and roughness of the ride. Most commonly used ATV tires are 4-ply tires. ATV manufacturers often deliver only 2-ply tires as OEM tires that are quite prone to puncture. On the other hand 2-ply tires are good choice for sport ATVs for racing on well prepared tracks where is no big danger of puncture and where 2-ply tires deliver responsive handling, excellent feedback and low unsprung weight.
Heavy ATVs, Side-by-Sides and UTVs often use 6- or 8-ply tires because of their excellent puncture resistance.

Radial tires

Radial tires are constructed by laying plies perpendicular (90 degrees) to the direction of rotation. The plies run from bead to bead, over the face and down the sidewall of the tire, which creates a wrapping effect. Some tires are then finished off with steel or Kevlar belt that helps to stabilize the tire and reduce wear. Radial tires have thinner sidewalls that are more flexible and allow for more plush ride compared to bias-ply tires. Some manufacturers including ITP are reinforcing also the sidewalls by special materials such as Kevlar.

Radial ATV tires are more modern, they provide smoother ride and the tread doesn´t wear as quickly as it would on bias ply tires. The softer sidewalls act as a "spring" helping to absorb the bumps. Radial ATV tires also allow the tire to flex on corners, which keeps more of the tread on the riding surface and results in more traction. Radial tires distribute the weight of the machine very evenly throughout the tread, which generates very low heat and helps prolong the life of the tire. Though the thinner sidewalls provide a smoother ride, they also make the tire more susceptible to punctures. Radial ATV tires cannot be underpressured because they rely on the air inside to ride on, whereas bias-ply tires can run on low pressure due to their thick sidewalls. Radial ATV tires also offer less damage to the ground.

Tire profile - round vs. flat

Most ATV riders do not care whether their ATV tires are round or flat. Anyway if you want the best performing tire for your type of terrain and riding style, the shape of the tire should be considered. As a general rule round tires work best in soft terrains and flat tires in medium to hard-packed terrains. Utility and all-purpose ATV's usually benefit from round tires, while sport and racing ATVs benefit from flat tires (rear wheels).

Tires with round profile:

• Less traction on hard-packed surfaces
• Require less steering effort

Tires with flat profile:

• More traction on hard-packed surfaces because of larger contacting surface
• Make rougher ride due to stiffened chassis

Tread design

Tread design is usually the most difficult decision when choosing right tire. Below we prepared for you the basic guidelines for tread design selection, but the best you can do is to ask our tire specialist in the shop nearest you.

Utility tires

Utility ATVs usually use tires with a round profile and a rough tread design. In our webstore you will find tires for hard-packed surfaces, for mud, sand, snow, rocky terrain and all other types of terrain. For heavy ATVs and UTVs we recommend durable tires with a high ply rating.

Sport and race tires

Racing tires for ATV's feature a knobby tread design. In our online store we offer a variety of performance racing tires for quad motocross, cross country and all other types of quad racing, as well as all-purpose sport tires for hobby riders. Pure racing tires for motocross style terrain are purpose built to get the most traction possible and to handle the abuse of a race from start to finish. The knobby lugs are very stiff and have tread depth of 1/2" or less. They are also very square in shape, which allows them to be able to bite in every direction. The spacing between the lugs is fairly close together to create a large contact patch, which aids in acceleration. This setup is perfect for the harder terrain of a motocross track or on hard-packed trails. Most popular choice for motocross racing are tires with a low aspect ratio (height to width ratio) and stronger sidewalls. While ATV motocross tires excel on medium- and hard-pack terrains, they are a poor choice for softer terrains like sand, mud and snow because of the shorter tread depth. Mud tires with less dense spacing between the lugs have excellent self cleaning properties but are more prone to puncture.

Road tires

We have on stock also special on-road tires with tread pattern similar to the car tires design to provide  high mileage. These tires are not designed for use in hard terrain or on wet grass, but in easy terrain you will have no problems.

Mud tires

ATV Mud tires have aggressive look with long and tall lugs acting as paddles to get the best traction in the soft mud. ATV Mud tires also have great self-cleaning capabilities - the lugs are spaced much further apart compared to trail tires, so that the mud will not get stuck between the lugs and as the wheel spins, it will clean itself by spinning off the mud. Less aggressive treaded mud tires can work well in wide variety of conditions, with the exception of hard-pack surfaces, but more aggressive mud tires with tall lugs really only perform well in real mud. Therefore the most aggressive mud tires should only be considered if  you will ride primarily in the mud pits. When choosing aggressive mud tires with tall lugs the ATV suspension often needs to be lifted up to accommodate the larger tire.

Snow tires

Some trail and mud tires may work fine in the snow, but the real ATV snow tire is designed specifically to get the best traction in the snow. The flat lugs allow to add studs for more traction in icy conditions, some tires are even pre-drilled for studs.

Tire Size

When choosing the ATV tire size, it is always a good idea to stay with stock, especially if you have not made any modifications to the ATV. Stock tire size works in harmony with how all the ATV is set up. Tire size influences handling. A dramatic change in tire size can throw ATV out of balance, which in turn could lead to less desirable performance or even equipment failure due to the extra stress created.

However if you do want to go with bigger tires, most manufacturers leave enough clearance for a tire that is, say, 2,5 cm larger than stock. Anything larger - and you will need to modify your ATV to accommodate larger dimensions. Conversely, you need to be careful when choosing a smaller tire. The smaller diameter will increase engine RPM, which could over-rev the engine and overload your CVT.