After doing a search I found I'm not the only one who is having sidewall punture problems with the PXT tires. The dealer says that he has not seen many problems with them and says they are as punture resistant as anything out there radial or bias type. I just don't agree as I've had more tire problems with the PXT's in less than a year than I've had in the past ten years with the bias type tires. The PXTs ride great and have great all around traction, but I'm tearing the sidewalls up more on every ride. I know the 700 is faster and maybe a tick heavier than my old 500s were but I still believe the tires just aren't up to the task. Either that or the radial construction and soft rubber compound are allowing the sidewall to flex and roll over to the point where the sidewall is touching the ground and being exposed to things it can't withstand. The rears are doing fine so far though. I've tried incresing pressures from 5 on up to 7 PSI without any less problems. At 7PSI the ride quality starts deteriating.I too have noticed what appears to be cracking of the surface around the bottom of the lugs on several of the PXTs on machines that belong to fellow riders. I've also noticed that there seem to be more cuts and abrasions occurring on the PXTs than on other brands in this group of riders, and the tire wear showing on some of these appears to be excessive for the type of terrain and amount of miles on them.This tends to make me believe the rubber compound is just too soft for the type of riding conditions here. So which tires would you recommend as being the most punture resistant for high speed rocky trail riding and all around performance? I'm sort of leaning toward the bias ITPs at the moment. Let's here what you got to say both good and bad.

 

I don't think there will ever be one tire that will be good for every kind of terrain, or every type of rider. I think that they are a decent tire for general trail riding, but if you push them to the limits and expect them to hold up they probably won't.

 

well i've had the same problem w/ my pxt's cutting the side wall. my wife was driving it so i know she wasnt going fast just hit a rock and bingo instant hole w/ slime and a plug to make it hold air again. there again i have itp m. lite xtr's (6 ply) on mine and last weekened i hit a rock at high speed and sure enough i put 2 big slices in the sidewall. it now has 2 plugs and slime to hold air. so maybe the radials arent as good on puncture resitant.

 

I met a guy with a set of bighorns and they had 2000 miles on them. They only had slight wear on the back. He said they did great on everything except deep mud. Thats one good tire to loo at. Another is the swamplites. They are showing a fair amount of wear on the back but they are a great tire and out mud the bighorns. I ripped the sidewall on my pxt's also. They had good traction but the sidewalls were very soft. I hope i helped out.

 

i beleave their only a 3 ply arent they? thats why their so soft and i think they wear faily fast as well.

 

My brother bought a 2006 Artic Cat with radial tires ,not sure what kind..but I was suprised to see they had on the side of the tire it had "maximum pressure 36 lbs".
Compared to my stock tires on my 2001 Polaris of 6 lbs. That seems like alot of pressure and would cause a ruff ride..

 

Check the fine print on the sidewall Hotdog. I think you'll find that the 36 psi is the pressure not to excede when mounting the tire and getting it to seat onto the rim. Most ATV tires have this maximum inflation pressure which is usually in the 20 to 30 something psi range. They are not meant to be run at that pressure. Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. From what I'm seeing and hearing I think I'm going with the 6 ply bias tires on the front for the time being anyway.Jordo , are the swamplites holding up inthe same conditions that ripped up your PXTs?

 

The PXT are 6 ply and very durable for a radial, bias ply have a stiffer sidewall hence the harsher ride and less bump absorption.

I was on a rock crawl through busted up concrete at the ATVOC Drummond Island Jamboree and I got through just fine and a buddy with Bighorns sliced a tire sidewall and those are made for rocks and probably a tougher sidewall but it happens.

GBC makes the Bias ply Dirt tamers (bighorns).


http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...ree%208-12-06/
--Drummond Is. Jamboree picts

Jim

 

The swamplites are holding up very well and i do ride hard on rocks and pavement. They do wear a little quicker than i would like but i will still get them again. The dirttamers might be the way to go if you want a long lasting tire. Iam very impressed withboth the swamplites and bighorns. But the bighorns also have a soft sidewall.

 

I am heading up for 2000km on my PXT tires and I have had 1 rear flat from a nail. But a couple of weeks ago there was 19 of us on a run and my buddy, whose bike is the same as mine, struck a rock. Anyway 3 plugs and some deft application with a BBQ lighter later he was rolling again. Roll ahead a week and he is breaking in some new rear MudBugs over a 185km ride with the PXTs still on the front when he strikes a rock on the front and its back to burning plugs into a tire. Is it just bad luck on his part or what? I don't have any trouble with the tires and I'm much harder on them than my buddy is.