I do not live anywhere even close to sand dunes, so I have never had experience with sand tires.
But I am curious about them.
Am I correct in saying that the more paddles you have, the more power needed to turn them, right?
Also, what is the difference between straight paddles and the V- shaped ones. Are they made for different styles of riding? Thanks.

 

Hello Lurch.. I am not the most versed on paddles but here goes. The "v" paddle helps in cornering and in sweeping dunes or bowl riding. i.e. riding in an arc from the bottom to the top of a dune and down to the bottom again. ) Your straight paddle is best for straight ahead climbing and drag racing. The depth of the paddle should coincide with your available power. A Banshee can can use a deeper paddle than a Blaster. I do see some riders with more than 8 paddles and they seem dig more and give you less floatation, therfore you would need more power. You need a balance between available power and floatation. You want to be on top of the sand. Regular tires will work okay on sand , but paddles are the way to go. Hope this helps and hope you get to play in some big sand box one of these days.

p.s. I enjoy your site.

 

Duneman09,

What type of tires are you running on the Scram? Paddles?

Thanks

 

On the Scrambler I run "The Edge" which is just a bit more aggressive then the "Sand Sharks" that I run on the Warrior. The Scrambler has much , much, more power than the Warrior. Both are "v" paddles. Most Banshee's will run "Sand Skates II's" which are extremely aggressive. You could run Sand Skates on your HPD Scrambler. I run Dune Trackers on the front of both machines. Fronts do help ( more floatation, less bite), but are not totally necessary. On the front it was more of a question of getting the lighter aluminum wheels and lighter tire for less weight. Speaking of Wisconsin.. Did you know that Wisconsin is next to the best state in the USA ? Yes, it is. it is next to Minnesota. Just some Minnesota humor. I am originally from MN. and in all honesty I like Northern Wisc. Better. Both Mn. And Wisc. are great in providing trails for ATV's..

 

Did you go down in size from the stock 22" rear tires? I am going to hit the dunes in Silver Lake this summer and am thinking it is a good excuse to get some smaller tires and offset rims for the Scram.(handling) Something like 20" rears and 21" fronts. Once off of the dunes and back home I could put on some Razrs all around...great for cornering and stability...

 

Yes...Go to the 20". Now to make things even more complicated you can go with 8" or 10" wheels and have the bolt pattern drilled for your Scrambler. Most wheel / tire vendors will do this. The hot "Sport Quads " usually go with the 8" wheel. I like the 10" as they look better. I do not really know if the 8" or 10" changes the tire aspect ratio by very much. I have never been to Silver Lake, but several friends from MN. go there and like it. I am only 150 miles from Little Sahara in Waynoka, OK and it is great. 1700 total acres. You can go to www.waynoka.com and look it over. It is about an 800 mile trip from the Twin Cities.

 

P.S. The front Razr's will make a really good front sand tire. And don't go with to much off set on the fronts as there is a tendancy to push sand as you turn. Now on the dirt the extra off set would be great. Just like bikes there is a give and take in anything "dual purpose".

 

Duneman,
Thanks for the tips. Like I said, I was just curious. I know most things about ATV, and the duning part of our sport is one part i do not know well.
Speaking of WI, you got your statement wrong. WI IS the best state. I am from NE Wisconsin. About 30 miles north of Green Bay. Awesome trails up there. I am in the military, stationed in Maine right now though.

 

Thanks a lot for the info. How much top speed is lost with the 20" tires? I would suppose only a few mph. Acceleration and cornering must be way better. It's too bad that the dealers don't have "trial sets"...Any other particular advantages and disadvantages of smaller wheels such as handling in the whoops or jumps, etc?

I would most definately like to go smaller. I have been thinking of wheel spacers as another option in order to keep ground clearance. I know they make the rear axle and certain parts less durable but since I do not jump more than a couple feet it should not harm anything. What do you think?

As for the 8" and 10" decision...I hear the 8" prevent less rim damage when hitting obstacles. Must be a bit smoother ride too...

Brian

 

Sand is a big drain on power, therefore the 20" even 18" and the use of the 8" wheel..And it is not like mud wheel you need the larger diameter. Sand doesn't "suck" like mud does. You will lose some top end, but it is worth it to get you going and climbing a steep dune. One nice thing about the dunes is you are in somewhat confined area ( mostly do to camping ) and there is some tire and wheel swaping among your fellow duners. It is a plus to try something before parting with your hard earned dollars.