i have recently got into 2x4 quads
my fatherin law has a kingquad 300 with like 30 diff gear options and diff locks lol but i picked up a polaris cyclone in a trade and this thing is a blast to ride and fast but why on alot of pics are the front tires larger than rears on the quads?
on the cyclone i have 20x10x10 on frt and 22x11x8(i think, it has 8 in rims and 11 in wide)
just curious here is there an advantage to it? better wheelie's
i personally like tearin up the back yard more than poppin wheelies anyways if thats the case

 

The "Nose up" config on the quad or ATV is to help it float through mogals. In a level bike or slightly nose down the front end will "dig In" when going through mogals, if thats the case at high speeds if you hit the hole "dip" wrong and too hard the front suspension will ground out causing the bike to dig down and it could cause the bike to flip.. Nose up may help with bringing the front off the ground, but as I don't try to take my front tires off the ground I would not know.

 

It also helps the rear end slide around turns better.

 

No practical knowledge on using a "Nose Up" config to your quad specifically helping with Rear end slide..ie..drifting through a turn and unless you know what your doing it is not really recommended at all, actually my racing tires are made to give side bite in corners to help remove the chance drifting as you pass through a corner. Drifting is the ragged edge of losing control. Control in the corners is a combo of proper use of the throttle (stay off the brakes if at all possible) and the proper shifting of body wieght to keep your center of gravity and momentum through the corners..Yes I get some drift in tight corners at high speed and its loads of fun BUT I have pushed my quad to far resulting in breaking traction to a point that I spun it out in really high first gear. The result was the quad went sideways and then the two outside tires (high side) got their side bite back and the quad stopped dead in its tracks damn near throwing me right out of the seat and cutting a fine line to side flipping a $8000.00+ Racing Quad, the only thing that saved the quad from flipping is that I had all 285 pounds of my body wieght on the inside (low side)of the turn achoring the quad down onto the track.

There is a lot more to this than you think its not something you go out and do until you get the experience and learn the way to properly do it with the quad your riding.

If you want to drift through corners start slow and in a really high banked track, you will have more forgiveness in the high banked MX track than on flat ground until you get the movement down, its all about speed veris body movement to keep your momentum with out ramming the throttle to carry you through.

The only reason I know of for the higher nose (no more than 2 inches) is for riding through mogals and wash boards at high speed on racing quads, it first started on MX quads to clear the mogals and jumps without tearing the front end off the quad and then the endurance racers took it to the next level by combining the nose up config while gaining ground clearance to escape the quad killing rocks under the skid plates, its all in the balance and combination of really good rims, tires, and the true racing suspension (full package of A arms and shocks) then add in the human factor the experienced rider who knows their limitations and the machine they are on and knows when to kick it in the butt and when to back out of the gas, this combined with a minor change to the front tire camber looking slightly like this / - \ ( just a few degrees is all that is needed) so to speak so when the suspension/tires rise up and down they keep the maximum amount of tread on the ground and this keeps you stuck into the track in the mogals and corners . Keep in mind you can have the nose up all you want but if you do not have racing suspension and all the proper adjustments to the quad your quads nose will still ground out at high speed and that will get expensive with a broken frame at the least and at the most a broken quad and lots of medical bills.

 

I think perhaps you are over analyzing this. It's the lever on the right side handlebar. Use it.

Do an experiment. Put 20" front tires and 18" rear tires on you quad, and take a hard dry flat corner as hard and fast as you can. See how it handles. Then keep the same 20" front tires, and put 22" rear tires on you quad. Take the same turn as hard and fast as you can. Notice the difference in handling. The taller tires raise center of gravity which detracts from turning, they also grip more and increase tendancy to high side. The shorter rear tires help with cornering as much or more than they help with whoops.

 

thanks for replys guys
the machine isnt for racing
i made a trailer hitch for it and tow my 2 boys in a wagon behind it and use it for hunting and ice fishing
so as i have it now 22 in rear and 20 up frt it works pretty
good
if i decide to race ill get a nice machine and not this ol beater lol
thanks again

 

Larger on the fronts,allow it to roll over obstacles easier like logs or rocks. Its harder to push the front wheels over than drag the rear wheels over the same object. Honda did it on there old dirt bikes for that reasoning. Notice the larger front wheel?