CROSS TIRES QUAD CROSS TIRES
Whether for utility or sport, quads have been on trend for many years. Thanks to its stability, sturdiness and off-road capability, a quad bike offers ideal riding sensations. However, before enjoying your four-wheeled cycle, the choice of tires is particularly important. Depending on your riding style and the use to which your quad will be put, the right tires need to be chosen with the utmost care.
Which tires for which applications?
Tarmac, track, winding road or mud: the rightquad tires won't meet the same needs. There are several criteria to consider before choosing a model. Maxxis, Kenda, Goldspeed, TCRACING and many other brands for cheap quad tires can be found. First of all, it's mandatory to change your quad tires when they wear out. As with other vehicles, beyond a certain amount of wear (the legal limit is 1.6mm) in the tire structure, your safety is at stake. The wear of the studs must therefore be checked, and a worn quad tire has less grip and traction. A punctured tire must also be changed, as the sidewall of a tire cannot be repaired. Both tires on each axle must be replaced when their wear exceeds 5mm. Because quad tire dimensions are generally measured in inches (the Anglo-Saxon unit of measurement), you need to know how to convert. 1 inch equals 2.54cm, and quad tires are available in sizes from 6 to 12 inches. This value is indicated on the sidewall of the tire, after its make and model. Height, width, rim diameter, structure: you need to determine which model is best suited to your quad. Choosing the right model has a direct impact on your machine's roadholding. A rim can tolerate more or less than 2 points of difference in height and 1 point of difference in width (always in inches). So be careful to respect the ground clearance values to avoid unbalancing your machine. 3 digits are indicated on a quad tire, along with a certain amount of information.
How to read a tire description?
For example, a tire marked 26*8-12 R 4PLY E4 43N indicates:
- The 1ᵉʳ digit 26 indicates the height in inches.
- The 2ᵉ digit 8 indicates the width in inches
- The 3ᵉ digit 12 indicates the rim diameter in inches
- R for radial or tire structure
- 4 PLY means 4 plies, i.e. the number of plies that make up the tire structure
- E4 means the tire is approved for road use
- 41N indicates the load index, i.e. the tire's traction capacity. Theoretical value, meaning that the tire can carry a load of up to 155 kg at maximum speed.
Occasionally, you'll find dimensions in millimeters rather than inches. Whether US or European size, you'll need to convert to match (1 inch = 2.54 centimetres or 25.4 millimetres). A 9-inch quad road tire marked 20*10-9, for example, corresponds to 215/50-9. A 10-inch tire marked 22*11-10 is equivalent to a 255/70-10 model. Again, the first number indicates the width of the quad road tire, but this time in millimeters. The second is expressed as a % of the width, and the third indicates the diameter.
Which quad tire to choose?
The type of tire you choose depends on your use. If you own an agricultural, sport or off-road quad, quad tires will have to be adapted to your 4-wheeler. In this case, the traction capacity of heavy-duty tires corresponds to a utility vocation, and models often feature a V-shaped tread. Equipped with large studs for towing heavy loads, these models tend to have a rounded profile for greater stability. Tires for recreational quads and budding riders feature smaller studs. Suitable for children and occasional track or off-road use, these tires are said to be "mixed" because of their versatility. Their tread pattern is designed to offer appreciable riding comfort, whether on soft ground or in mud. If you use your quad on a daily basis and ride on public roads, approved tires are a must. Much smoother and less cramped, these road-ready models are designed to evacuate water. As with cars, these grooved models don't require any special traction force. For the most powerful quads and sportier models, tires are available. Designed for competition or intensive use, these tires offer a reinforced ground contact surface. Their flat profile guarantees greater stability at high speeds. Because their structure is designed to "stick to the road", these models tend to be more fragile than others. You should therefore change them when you're not on the track, to preserve them as much as possible.
How do I inflate a quad tire?
As with other vehicles, quad tires need to be inflated to optimum pressure. Some values are recommended for greater safety and to avoid the risk of punctures or going off the road.
- A road quad tire: pressure between 0.4 and 0.9 bar
- Recreational quad tires: pressure between 0.2 and 0.4 bar
- Utility quad tires: pressure between 0.2 and 0.5 bar
- Sport quad tires: pressure between 0.4 and 0.7 bar
Quad tires with 2 to 8 plies or plys
The number of plies is important when choosing a cheap quad tire from the available brands. It's an indicator of stiffness, load tolerance and strength. Often between 2 and 8, these plies are important to prevent the tire from deforming. The more plies a tire has, the more rigid and robust it is, but the less comfortable it is. The number of plies should vary according to your use. Just as you can opt for a slightly higher or wider tire to increase ground clearance, you can also choose a cheap quad tire with 6 to 8 plies for greater hardness. Different types of rubber are available. Yellow indicates a hard tire, blue is medium and red is soft. Here too, you need to choose wisely, as the softer the rubber, the more it crumbles. A red tread offers the best grip in the wet, while a yellow tread is more suitable for rocky terrain.
Tonnycat remains the undisputed French specialist in quad tires! We've been offering quad cross tires since 2006, and have a perfect understanding of the market and, above all, of your needs.
In this section, our range covers leisure and sport quads like the RAPTOR 250, 350, 700, but also the YFZ450 and all other quads with the same cubic capacity from KAWASAKI, HONDA, SUZUKI, KIMCO... You'll find the best cross-country tires for sport and touring quads here! We've sorted the tires by size so you can quickly find what you're looking for! The biggest tire brands are presented here, like MAXXIS tires or KENDA tires- over 16 tire brands in all! With unbeatable value for money, you'll find TCRACING tires like the CROSS PRO XC 20x11-9, our best-seller. We also carry classics like the GOLDSPEED SX 18x10-8.
If you need more advice on how to choose your quad cross tires, check out our blog article: