I got 25" Badlands XTR tires on my 650 and rode it around Breaks Interstate Park with Kissofdeath and his friends.

My report is that they are excellent tires. Kissofdeath and I tried to compare his ATRs against them as much as possible but his toe in was off and his 650 was handling poorly compared to mine with the XTRs. At first I though that the tire store messed them up because the felt lumpy, but that lumpiness went away after riding and they ran really nice.

The Badlands are slightly narrower. They are also slightly shorter (insignificantly shorter, but not as short as all tracs or other really short tires). They weigh the same as ATRs.
The Badlands hook up almost as well as ATRs on straightline drypack runs.
The Badlands are just a touch better in the mud (not a whole lot).
The narrower front tires seemed to handle uneven terrain and runs a little better (less side grab). I think the handling on them is a touch better overall.
NO TREAD ROLLOVER like the stockers. I even learn to ride on two wheels like Kissofdeath does. They are great.
Ride is very smooth.

Bottom line: They are almost like the ATRs, they are a little more general purpose oriented, and they are Cheaper ($210 for 4, $230 including shipping).

 

nyroc, I wonder if a broken strut would cause handling problems??[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img] Yeah, thats right, I discovered today one is broken and now I will look for the info on the Works struts some guys were talking about a few weeks ago. I think the broken strut came from two weeks ago when riding with Dustin.

I still love the Badland XTR though. I would like to have the front Badlands and my rear ATRs. OR the 11" badlands for the back. Looking forward to seeing the pictures when I get a chance.

 

Looks like you can only get the 11" wide ones from polaris. Polaris lists them on their Sportsman, but carilisle does not list them on their website. From that, and the fact that tiresunlimited doesn't have the 11" ones, I would think that it is a polaris only item.

I like my Badlands, when the rears wear down, I will see if I can't get the wider ones for the rear.

Too bad about that strut. What exactly is busted? The cartridge (the rod is loose in the cartridge)? The pivot?

 

Nyroc I looked at your picts. when are you going to get on your friends case about the no helmets? It simple with me you don't wear one I don't go; I'll go biking somewheres else. I'm sure the heIL not going to be around if an accident happens without a helmet.... Seen it once will not see it again... As a friend you really are putting you're self at risk because in the unfortanate event that something happens helmets do save some lives. You don't really want to live with that kind of regret. In my case a 21 year old died because of no helmet. The accident would happended with or without the helmet however it wouldn't have been leathal. It hit's you deep when you talk to people afterwards and they say you know he would be live today if he had a helmet on. Most people I talk to feel they were responsible for not getting him to wear a helmet.... I would give this a thought.

 

Those guys have already gotten on each other about no helmets. It is so hot down here that wearing a helmet kills more people than not wearing one. Well, maybe not quite that hot.

They are all experienced. I do not feel that it is my place to try to force them to wear a helmet. If one of them died, I would be sad about it yes, but I respect their right to choose.

If you read about the dragon in the bible, mainly in revelation you will see that his "plan" was to remove our right to choose. His plan was to force us to do what is right (he also wanted all God's glory for doing it). For this he was cast out with 1/3 of all god's children, they will never gain a body, and they constantly seek to make the rest of us as miserable as they are. This entire planet is starting to ooze of their influence right now, making evil things look as though they are good and good things as though they are evil (like using the right to choose as an excuse to murder children). There is going to be a lot more earthquakes, terrorism, wars, diseases and other calamities as a result of our downward spiral towards embracing satans lies. However, god allows us to make our own choices because we grow through choosing. Even if we choose wrong, we are growing into what we want to be. Therefore it is not right to try to force anyone to do anything that is purely their own perogative. I realize insurance premiums affect us all, but that rationale for forcing people is kindof over stretching its validity.

If they were my kids, and they weren't wearing helmets I would give them a lesson they would not forget. Kids need to be taught until they are of age.

But since these adults are of age and they know the consequences, they can choose helmets or not. It doesn't matter when you die or how you die. What matters is the direction you were heading (toward good or evil). I would not really feel so bad if a friend died because he wasn't wearing a helmet as I would if he died and wasn't choosing the right.

You are probably tired of the sermon anyway. You are right about the need to wear one. I admire you for setting people straight about helmets. I got hit on the helmet. I am not going to take mine off. My bro got hit on the helmet too. I don't think I am ready to take the same steps you take to convince others.

 

Nyroc that was beautiful, I have the same beliefs on God and helmets.In fact our church is looking for a pastor,especially one that rides a
quad. Any body interested? lol!

 

NYROC... the 11" wide Badlands are available... I have a pair... & IMO, they are much "beefier" than the 10", & I would expect slightly better handling & traction ( I am biased towards a wider rear tire though )...

As far as helmets... I often ride with out one, but also just as often find that I'm wearing one... (yes, we do have brutal heat & humidity here in Minnesota )... IMO, publicly posted pictures should ( if at all possible show riders wearing helmets )... if only as role model examples for our youth & for the anti's... but I also very strongly support the right not to wear one... IMO, if they keep passing safety laws, & inventing new safety devises, the sport will reach a point that it no longer is fun... ( I don't even enjoy mowing my lawn anymore... all these dang safety devices on my rider, make it difficult & more time consuming to mow... then when I bypass any of them ( like the reverse blade lock out WTF ??? ), the dealer won't work on it without rehooking up the disabled "feature"... if I remove the parts, they reinstall new ones & charge me for them...AHHHH... don't even get me started )

 

If you die because you were being a dumba$$, especially if you're young, then yeah, it does matter. Maybe not to the individual, but to all who cared about him.

In Genesis, God questions Cain about his brother, Abel. Cain responds, "Am I my brother's keeper?" The rest of the Bible is devoted to ansering that question.

God made us walk upright, and gave us an opposing thumb. He also gave us a bigger brain than the animals. I'm pretty sure He expects us to use it.

 

my reply is as usuall..I have children to go home to after my rideing..Ill take the helmet..

 

I just hope no one had the lesson I had when I was nineteen at the time. It is something you try to remember and forget at the same time. The parents to this day have not been the same; they sold one of their ATV and hardly use the other sold their motorcycle etc... The wife is still seeing counciling.... these wounds never heal. I will not force anyone to wear a helmet just like no one would force me to ride with someone with out one. I think it's wrong to hurt people like this. I also at times feel it's too hot to wear a helmet... but I still wear one. I also know that helmets don't make you invienceable but with the experience I have I've seen accidents that helmets saved lives. As for experience, I would say I am very experienced ATVer, but I'm not concerened about me I'm concerned about someone/something else that might make me haveing to react really quickly etc... I never thought of the impact on me of someone else not wearing a helmet before this accident happened, now today I see things differently. Now I look back it was nine years ago and Isaid after the accident I would never go with anyone without an helmet again and to this day I haven't. Nyroc I would give it a thought you don't need to take the same approach that I have, you don't have the memories I have.