The best bang for the buck is Sand Devils. Much cheaper then others are and very durable. Not as light as a Hauler, but will last 5x longer and a whole lot cheaper.. I like Haulers, but the paddles WILL break off.. Pick the tires up and feel how much they weigh, because it does matter...

 

My 2 cents may not mean much becuase I have never ridden in the sand with paddles. I purchased my Raptor only months ago, and I made it out to Silver Lake about 5 times last season with stock tires. Since then I have purchased a set of 8 paddle Skat Trak Extreme Grip rear tires for my Raptor and have been using them in the snow. Well, actually there is only about 1 inch of snow on the ground, so I'm more or less riding around in my back yard with paddles on frozen ground! I hit my massive jump in my back yard with the paddles, I take off from a dead stop and the tires only give me a little bit of spin (in the snow!), and I do donuts on pavement with, like I said, only about 1 inch of snow on the ground. Now frozen ground is obviously a rougher terrain than loose dirt, like you will find on the trails, and I still havent seen any signs of wear, tear, and especialy no signs of any of the paddles coming off. Which makes me think they would put up to trail riding use as well. Not that I would ever try that! That wouldnt be very safe or easy to control, but I'm saying, as far as durability goes, I don't think there is anything like it. Im confident they will last a lifetime!(At least a few seasons in the sand) But then again, like I said earlier, I went with the Skat Trak Extreme Grips, which are Kevlar re-inforced sand paddles. Apparently they have the same paddle height as the Haulers, and I know they cost a little more, but have outstanding durability. I can't wait to put them on the dunes this coming season at Silver Lake! But my main point is that I would definitly choose the Skat Trak Extremes, even over the Haulers. Just becuase of the tire life I expect out of them.

Geckos - never ridden on anything with Geckos but as far as I'm concerned they are just for looks.

Maxxis Roosters - I'm wondering about these as well. I'm considering getting Rooster fronts just becuase I like the looks. But they are much more expensive than any other sand tire.

Maxxis is a well established company in the tire world, but it's the first year they have made paddles. For the tires that actually push you, and get you moving (rears), I would definitly go with Skat Trak, a company that makes only sand tires and has done so for??? I don't know, but they aren't new to the paddle business.

Good luck with whatever you choose! (Skat Trak Extremes) [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]
And maybe we could meet up sometime at Silver Lake next year.

Happy Holidays everyone!

 

KingRaptor,
Thanks for your opinion.

I rest my case.

 

Note to self: Take the time to post what I KNOW to be RIGHT (like KingRaptor) in order to help other forum members.

The Geckos have similar characteristics as sand shark v paddels. More wheel spin and less traction than Sand Skate II's, Skat tracks, etc. I rode a piped/filtered Raptor with Geckos and it felt the same as mine did with sand sharks.

I had sand skate II's on my piped/jetted Raptor and had good hook up but didn't slide around very easily. I sold them and put on some "compromise" sand sharks and lost a few bike lenghts in the drags and on the hill but had fun slippen and sliden. Now I have a 686 and have to buy another set of SS'II's because I now need better hookup.

Paddle Battle

 

So what size are you running....8" or 10" rims? what size paddle tire?

Ps you guys sure hate Geckos--if they are as bad as some of you say Dirt Wheels blew it big time.
I almost bought them based on that review.



2002 Raptor
Full Yosh pipe
Pro design filter
150/155
Air box mods
Gytr Stuff

 

The size of my Gecko's are 21X11X10. That's one inch taller than what a lot of Hauler owners run, which could explain why I had to go to a 42 tooth rear sprocket to be competitive against others.
Don't feel bad about the Dirt Wheels article, that's why I bought them. If I remember correctly, DW didn't say they were the best tire they had ever seen, just that they hook up OK. But nobody had them and I like trying new things.
Hey, it could of been worse, I could of bought a first year Raptor!. (nothing personal, first year Raptor owners)

 

One more thing... What about rim thickness .125 .160 or .190's ? (for sand)

 

do you jump?how far/high?

 

Also, you can have your Sand Skate II's or Mini Desert Tracks comp grooved by Sand Tires Unlimited to reduce weight and get the paddle up on top of the sand. The comp grooving is ugly but it will give you a few bike lengths on the hill [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Racer521 wrote...One more thing... What about rim thickness .125 .160 or .190's ? (for sand)

I prefer .190


Ward660R wrote...do you jump?how far/high?

Yes, not quite up to pro standards, but OK... 40 feet long/ about 6 to 8 feet high are what my bigger jumps average. Slightly arced surfaces are my favorite to land on after I launch. And if I find a good launch pad, I'll spend an hour or more there.