ITP MX TIRES & WHEELS

— TRACK TESTING A FAST COMBINATION —

 

We believe racing resides in the heart of every rider. Every time we get on an ATV, we feel the need for speed and love pushing the limit with our riding buddies. While most of us hit the trails for fun, some of us take our toys to the motocross track. Fortunately, there are many ways to scratch the racing itch for competition, and there are also the right tools for the track too. It does not matter how much power your sport quad has or how well it handles if you don’t have the right tires for traction. We picked up a set of tires and wheels from ITP that are perfect for the motocross racer.

QUADCROSS MX

Tire size is very important to the discipline of riding you enjoy. For all-around trail riding on a sport quad, a 21-inch front and 20-inch rear pairing is perfect, while the desert rider needs more ground clearance for rocks at a 23 inch front and 22 inch rear tire choice. Motocross is a different animal in terms of tire selection. You want to be lower to the ground and have more bottom-end feel to get up to speed as quickly as possible. The best option to go with is an 18-inch rear tire with a 20-inch front, and a soft tread at that. Motocross tires aren’t meant to last forever. They are designed to offer optimum traction so you can stay out front of your competition.

 

ITP sent the rear Quadcross MX Pro tire and their newer MX2 front tires. The 18×8-8-sized MX Pro has a soft tread design that allows for more traction over a traditional trail tire. The two-ply carcass is lightweight at 10.1 pounds, which helps improve suspension action and allows the machine to accelerate quickly. ITP designed the tread pattern to have a stronger sidewall bite for cornering traction, and the tread blocks on top bite well on dry or hardpacked surfaces. ITP offers an MX Lite version of this tire with a stiffer sidewall and an even softer tread.

The Quadcross MX2 front tires are designed for hardpack or intermediate-level terrain. They only come in 20×6-10, but in a normal or deep tread option. The front tires bite hard in corners and decrease the distance a bigger tire needs to slow you down under braking. The steering of our Honda TRX450R improved with the MX2’s. The rear MX Pro tires slide well in corners, bite hard in ruts and made the quad feel like it gained a few ponies in the power department.

PRO SERIES AND TRAC-LOCK WHEELS

ITP sent a great set of wheels for our Honda TRX450R race quad. The fronts are 10×5-inch A-6 Pro Series GP rims that are made from heat-treated T6061 aluminum. The wheel isn’t heavy yet is still durable. It utilizes a dual rolled-lip design that cuts down on bending due to trail debris or hard hits. ITP employs a stainless steel lug insert so you can utilize your stock lug nuts, and it comes in three sizes in a polished finish—10×5, 8×6 or 9×8.

 

ITP’s A-6 Pro Series Trac-Lock wheel is a beadlock with a reinforced ring on the inside of the rim for durability and strength. We got the 8×8-inch wheel, which is perfect to run motocross tires due to their smaller size. This allows you to still have a tall sidewall on the tire for cushion, tire flex and traction. You can purchase this heat-treated aluminum wheel in a polished or black finish, and it comes in 10×5, 8×8 or 9×8.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This ITP wheel and tire combination is perfect for the motocross track. The MX Pro rear tire bites hard in a straight line, has ample side bite for corners and improves bottom-end power output due to its smaller size. The front MX2 tires don’t push in corners; they improve braking feel and grip on hardpack terrain. The wheels are strong, lightweight and durable with a clean look to them. The tires start at $90.49 while the wheels have a starting price of $97.89 Go to www.itptires.com to check out their full lineup of ATV and UTV wheels and tires. They offer treads for any terrain!