Sand tire choice

[ATVX4]

We are going out to the Silver lake dunes in May. Can anyone recomend a good cheap sand tire for the 450R? Here in Pa., we don't have any sand. LOL. Also, would you choose a straight paddle or a V shape. Any sand tips are appreciated. Thanks

[400exracer]

i dont do much duning here in NH but im gonna give you a tip.. go to glamisdunes.com that sight is full of duners that will tell you anything you need to know about your quad in the dunes they even tell you how could i will go.....

p.s. if it was me id go for the gecko sand tires there cheap and there good in the sand ;-)

[SANDinMypants]

what you plan on doing most in the sand is probably the direction you should go with getting a certain type of sand tire.If you like to climb hills and get the best performance and traction i would highly recommend the skat trak haulers. since you have the 450r you could probably get away with a 20x10x10 8 paddle hauler. if you like to do a lot of trails through the sand, side hill and mess around, you should probably pick yourself up a set of sand skate II's. We buy all of our tires out of WWW.ROCKYMOUNTAINATV.COM they have good prices and a wide selection of tires with descriptions of what each tires is best used for. if you get on there website you can order yourself up a 500 page catalog for free. I think they also have free shipping anywhere in the United States. for a set of haulers on .125 douglas aluminum wheels your looking at 222.99, and sand skate II's on douglas .125 aluminum 224.99, through rocky mountain. hope ive given u a few helpful suggestions.

[d300Ex]

NEGATIVE bro go with the itp sandstars there are great paddles i got the mlike 3 weeks ago and i would never get another tire and there like 50 bucs and they have thick paddles

[SANDinMypants]

Thanks for the same advice i gave previously d300ex. Sandstars are V paddles. Sand Skate II's are V paddles. the only difference is sandstars are a new brand.

[d300Ex]

noo sand stars are better cheaper and thicker thread and they have a half of a paddle between each so the turn better

[ATVX4]

Thanks guys. I got the Geckos. Hope it was not a mistake. It looked like a good all around tire.

[kssandduner]

You won't be dissapointed. I have the geckos on my 450R, and love them. They have a deep paddle design that offers great traction. I ddn't think they turned quite as well as the sand sharks though, but offer great traction for riding wheelies up hills and on the sides.

Joe

[310Rduner]

Originally posted by d300Ex
noo sand stars are better cheaper and thicker thread and they have a half of a paddle between each so the turn better

these are the reasons you should get the sand skate 2's, or the skat traks, they are made with LIGHTWEIGHT higher quality rubber. Go out and feel a pair of sand sharks or other cheapies, and then go out and feel skat-trak rubber. The lighter the paddle, the less power is robbed from the motor and with a 4 stroke this is something you should worry about. I still think the sand stars aren't any better than most other v paddles, they just use marketing gimmicks.

Personally I'd go with the skat trak haulers on 20-10-10/.125's You can do any kind of riding with haulers, including riding side hill (side hills are the only thing that require some extra work in very soft sand) and you will have the best traction you can get, with the lightest and best rubber.

[Mr.Offroad]

Originally posted by 310Rduner
these are the reasons you should get the sand skate 2's, or the skat traks, they are made with LIGHTWEIGHT higher quality rubber. Go out and feel a pair of sand sharks or other cheapies, and then go out and feel skat-trak rubber. The lighter the paddle, the less power is robbed from the motor and with a 4 stroke this is something you should worry about. I still think the sand stars aren't any better than most other v paddles, they just use marketing gimmicks.
You can tell the people that ride the dunes a lot from the occasional duners. This guy hits it dead on. Between my friends I ride with, and myself, we've tried about every paddle out there. Any paddle will suit you fine for just goofing around the dunes, and the occasional light-hearted race. If you need that edge to put you ahead of the pack and over the top, the Sand Skate II's or Skat-Trac tires are the ONLY way to go. A lot more money, but if you dune much at all, they last forever (unless you ride on pavement:eek: ) and really perform better. IMHO

[Manny55]

I do not like geckos at all. Honestly i think they suck. I love my Skat Trak Extremes they are the best sand tires on the market.

[kssandduner]

Why do you say they suck?? Am I missing out on something??

[Manny55]

if you have a 2 stroke they suck lol. I have them on my 400ex and banshee and they don't hook up that well on either of them. The 400ex it hooks up better because it don't have that much hp. Its just my extremes on the 450r are so much better.

[airheadedduner]

If I had sand stars I would cut that little paddles out. It don't do anything really. It just doesn't hinder traction so people don't complain about it. The geckos suck. The only thing they work on is bikes like a warrior or blaster. Haulers are nice but they are not as durable. I like the sand stars and skates the best.

[350Xrider]

i say sand sharks, theyre the same thing as sand skates but half the price.

[gir]

true their half the price but i tested them and thers a Big difference, the sand skates have deeper paddles and they hook up a lot better, and somehow makes the rear feel light. they also throw a lot more sand. hope your future banshee is good, there still the funnest quad in the dunes. (i would get sand skate II's on it tho) its a good investment

[QuadJunkies]

Originally posted by kssandduner
Why do you say they suck?? Am I missing out on something?? I do believe the Geckos are on the heavier side...;) Its all in preference but since there are alot more suited choices now days, alot dont care for them ....

[Bretmd94]

First off, go with STU SAND SKATE 1's before you go with sand skate 2's. The original sand skate is an actual V shape and not the very lame arc that the II's have. For some retarded reason every place that sells STU paddles they only have sand skate II's. The I's are way better, and the Padla Brats are top of the line tires also for a striaght paddle.

What everyone doesnt understand is the weight of the tire and the compound of the paddles has a huge difference. There are very good reasons why Skat Trak, and Sand Tires Unlimited tires are so expencive. They are worth it. The cheap tires will sometimes weigh twice as much.

But I figure, let the newbies buy the cheap paddles. I love beating people on really build banshee's that they bought already built, and they loose because they are using tires like the GBC paddles (most retardedly designed paddles on earth).

Also, if your jsut going for a one time thing, use your knobbies. Just air down to like 3lbs. If you have bead locks from racing, go down to 1.5 lbs. You will be able to go anywhere, and up any hill (minus the really really ugly hole shots that only few bikes and riders can do). Ive ran knobbies on my old 400ex after knocking a tire off the rim, and I did fine.

Some times I almost really believe that stock knobbies running like 3lbs will perform better than some of the cheaper paddles. They are that bad, and there is a huge difference.

[sandslinger101]

I second stu 1's v paddlel, i have been dunen since the 80s and i have a sandrail and a nice 400 with all the supension stuff. last weekend at littlel sahara "snake hunt" i was kind of suprised how well my 400 with sand tires unlimited v paddels "comp cut of course" climbed the sand. i first gear, low mph i could pull the front end off the ground, and i was riding with other 400s and they had troubles climbing as effortly as i did. all i can say is, I run stu and comp cut on both my rail and atv and if you can afford it, it makes a softer ride and lighter tire. :)

[kssandduner]

The sand tire "newbie" has another question. What about Scat Trac's edges??

Joe

[airheadedduner]

Originally posted by kssandduner
The sand tire "newbie" has another question. What about Scat Trac's edges??

Joe
I like them, they hook up very well out of cornering, not quite as good as skates.

One thing with the geckos is their paddles shape. A medium paddle in the middle plus 2 staggered shoulders does not equal one normal paddle.

and the Padla Brats are top of the line tires also for a striaght paddle.
I have a set of paddle brats and I think they suck baD
:huh

[QuadJunkies]

Originally posted by airheadedduner

and the Padla Brats are top of the line tires also for a striaght paddle.
I have a set of paddle brats and I think they suck baD
:huh


REally?????? Thats dissapointing to know.... I have always wanted to find out how they did, I remember Twisted Threads posting a pic of them once and the weight of them was good!!!! Why didnt you like them?????

[airheadedduner]

Heavy, don't handle good at slow to medium speeds, lots of body roll(I have 8 inch wheels). They hook up very well, but of all round they are not that great. With them I could ride wheelies np with my R with a +3 swinger. For the type of riding I like to do they suck, if you are a casual duner who likes to hillshoot they would be alright.

[brif]

Is there a cheaper place to buy haulers other than rockymountain atv?

[QuadJunkies]

Originally posted by brif
Is there a cheaper place to buy haulers other than rockymountain atv? not that I know of......

[QuadJunkies]

Originally posted by airheadedduner
For the type of riding I like to do they suck, if you are a casual duner who likes to hillshoot they would be alright. So what exactly kind of sand riding do you do??????:huh :confused: Of cousre I like to hillshoot dunes!!!!:blah: :D Maybe Im thinking of a Different Brat tire then cuase these were like 7.5 lbs......???

[airheadedduner]

I find technical jumps hit them. Sometimes that means hitting off camber jumps that throw you sideways. I need control, not massive hook up.

[Mr.Offroad]

Originally posted by Bretmd94
First off, go with STU SAND SKATE 1's before you go with sand skate 2's. The original sand skate is an actual V shape and not the very lame arc that the II's have. For some retarded reason every place that sells STU paddles they only have sand skate II's. The I's are way better, and the Padla Brats are top of the line tires also for a striaght paddle. I have both I's and II's, same size, mounted on identical Douglas wheels. When I alternate between them, I find the II's are better. If you really pour the power to the I's, the paddle rubber doesn't seem to hold the paddle as securely, and it tends to fold over ever so slightly, and loose it's bite. The best setup I've found, as I said, is the II with about 3-4 lbs. of air in it. Let's face it, why would STU totally change their product if it wasn't an improvement?

[OregonEXrider]

I think paddles are a personal preference. The rider's skill level makes 80% of the bikes ability. I have never seen a brand of paddle tire make or break a race or a hill climb. I have seen idiots on built shee's get beat out by a kid on a blaster.....:rolleyes: The only real difference is V-shape or straight paddle. The fact is that straight paddles are best for hill climbs and V's are best for carving through trails. I had Sand skate 2's on my last quad, my friend had haulers didnt really make a huge difference except on extreme hill climbs he did a little better. When we went high speed threw trails I did a little better. For this quad I couldnt afford haulers of sand skate 2's so I bought some geckos.

[04'400ex'er]

To the people thqat are saying haulers are durable and soooo great, I dont think they are. First off, The paddles are glued on. High powered machined break paddles off all the time. The Sand Skate II's are great paddles for carving bowls,but the paddles are not taller than the Sand Stars. The Sand Stars are 1/8th in. taller. The Sand Stars also hook up quite a bit better than the Sand Skate II's. I have them on .190 and worn Sand Skate II's on .125 and they don't weigh much more at all. I chose the sand stars because they are the best of both worlds.

[QuadJunkies]

Originally posted by 04'400ex'er
To the people thqat are saying haulers are durable and soooo great, I dont think they are. First off, The paddles are glued on. High powered machined break paddles off all the time. The Sand Skate II's are great paddles for carving bowls,but the paddles are not taller than the Sand Stars. The Sand Stars are 1/8th in. taller. The Sand Stars also hook up quite a bit better than the Sand Skate II's. I have them on .190 and worn Sand Skate II's on .125 and they don't weigh much more at all. I chose the sand stars because they are the best of both worlds. Ive heard that alot abut Haulers, personally havent had that happen yet thank goodness!!! Thats why I chose the Turbo paddle for my first duning tire its not a glued on Staight paddle PLUS, it has a reinforced center to the cup

[SAND LUVR]

atvx4 get rid of those geckos. Thats my advice to you.

[dementedyouth55]

ITP Sand Stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They are the best looking, great traction, and throw a fat roost!

[socallen85]

im gonna have to agree with sandluvr, and get rid of the Geckos, i got Haulers (10 cups) I have had them for almost 15 years no problem, but after the years there kinda thin, so ill probably go with the sandstar, try them out, but i will always love the 6' wall of sand my haulers threw

[310Rduner]

Originally posted by 04'400ex'er
To the people thqat are saying haulers are durable and soooo great, I dont think they are. First off, The paddles are glued on. High powered machined break paddles off all the time.

This IS exactly why you should buy them. They aren't Glued on, they are Vulcanized on; which basically means they were burned on. They take a carcass of a larger tire, and shape it to exactly what is needed for the particular design. This SAVES weight over molded cheap *ss rubber which is used on the Sandsharks, Gbc, and sand stars; the rubber on these tires almost feel like plastic. It's actually not that entirely common for high horsepower machines to rip off paddles, and either way they would still run them because they perform THE best. Go take a look at the tire of choice for any semi serious dragger in the dunes, or even the casual duner, it's almost always Skat-Traks. You can have Skat-trak design a paddle to your needs/specifications for more $$ because of the flexibility they have of designing them. I guarantee you can't have this done with any other paddle except Stu possibly.

[Chef]

Originally posted by 04'400ex'er
To the people thqat are saying haulers are durable and soooo great, I dont think they are. First off, The paddles are glued on. High powered machined break paddles off all the time. The Sand Skate II's are great paddles for carving bowls,but the paddles are not taller than the Sand Stars. The Sand Stars are 1/8th in. taller. The Sand Stars also hook up quite a bit better than the Sand Skate II's. I have them on .190 and worn Sand Skate II's on .125 and they don't weigh much more at all. I chose the sand stars because they are the best of both worlds.

How many sets of Haulers have you had? I own 4 different sets at the moment- 2 sets of 8's, 9 Extremes, and 10's. All are 20x10x10 Never had ONE problem with them that was related to the design of the tire. I got one flat on my 9's that came from going through trails in the woods to get to a hillclimb. It wasnt even really sand-more like dirt with tree roots sticking out. High powered machines break the paddles off all the time? Pffff, then why is it that the fastest sand draggers of ANY type-be it rail, quad, jeep, funny car, etc-all run Skat Trak or a similiar type of paddle? I've never tore a paddle off my Haulers, nor have I seen one be ripped apart solely because of the HP of the machine it was on. I have been around a *few* high HP bikes and quads, and they are always the tire of choice, and stand up to the power.

[QuadJunkies]

you wanna talk about a POS tire..... I STRONGLY DO NOT reccomend these to ANYONE!!!!! the pics speak for themselves:grr: I got an email from someone who just had the same thing happen to them......:( http://www.exriders.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=60898

[doozer]

all i can say is, skat-trak haulers rule!!!!! i have 20-10-10 and they are 10 paddle tires on my 400ex. i love em and if i was to get another set of paddles it would be haulers. ive never ripped off a paddle or had a problem w/steering, in fact i was flyin up a dunewall at silver lake w/beefy and he has itp sand stars on his 450r, and i was turning more sharp and throwing a better roost at the peak of the hill. just a little info for yas.

[socallen85]

yeah i run the same thing on my R and 400, 20-10-10 haulers, 10 cup, there the best, especially when you get yur buddy with sandstars eating yur 6' wall of roost

[04'400ex'er]

and to yall with geckos, try another tire. I'd be willin to bet sandstars hook up better, look better, and Iknow they're lighter.

[airheadedduner]

Originally posted by 04'400ex'er
and to yall with geckos, try another tire. I'd be willin to bet sandstars hook up better, look better, and Iknow they're lighter.
Its called the self serving bias, he has stars so he thinks the are the chit:rolleyes:

Now I am not saying the stars are bad, they are priced good, hook up great, and are durable but they are diffinatly not light. I have never heard of a non-rider inflicted problem with haulers, and I work at a bike shop so I hear a LOT of opinions and feedback. If you go with stars, skates, or haulers you will be fine.

[socallen85]

they all hook up for the most part and most of it is just yur preference, put some of yur buddys paddles on and see what u like

[04'400ex'er]

Originally posted by Chef
How many sets of Haulers have you had? I own 4 different sets at the moment- 2 sets of 8's, 9 Extremes, and 10's. All are 20x10x10 Never had ONE problem with them that was related to the design of the tire. I got one flat on my 9's that came from going through trails in the woods to get to a hillclimb. It wasnt even really sand-more like dirt with tree roots sticking out. High powered machines break the paddles off all the time? Pffff, then why is it that the fastest sand draggers of ANY type-be it rail, quad, jeep, funny car, etc-all run Skat Trak or a similiar type of paddle? I've never tore a paddle off my Haulers, nor have I seen one be ripped apart solely because of the HP of the machine it was on. I have been around a *few* high HP bikes and quads, and they are always the tire of choice, and stand up to the power. I have had 1 set. The reason the high HP machines have them is cuz they hookup the best. I won't deny that. But some of the sand drag banshees and 250R's, hopped up bikes can break off paddles simply because they are GLUED on.If skat track would mold the rubberpaddles, they would be alot better. the reason jeeps and sandrails have SIMILAR type paddles, is because they don't need v shaped? :huh

[04'400ex'er]

Originally posted by airheadedduner
Its called the self serving bias, he has stars so he thinks the are the chit:rolleyes:

Now I am not saying the stars are bad, they are priced good, hook up great, and are durable but they are diffinatly not light. I have never heard of a non-rider inflicted problem with haulers, and I work at a bike shop so I hear a LOT of opinions and feedback. If you go with stars, skates, or haulers you will be fine. Did I say they are the "chit":confused: ? nope. I said they hook up and are lighter than the gfecko's. That, my friend, is a FACT.;)

[Chef]

Originally posted by 04'400ex'er
I have had 1 set. The reason the high HP machines have them is cuz they hookup the best. I won't deny that. But some of the sand drag banshees and 250R's, hopped up bikes can break off paddles simply because they are GLUED on.If skat track would mold the rubberpaddles, they would be alot better. the reason jeeps and sandrails have SIMILAR type paddles, is because they don't need v shaped? :huh

If they molded the paddles, they would be just like all the other junk out there. :D

[04'400ex'er]

Originally posted by Chef
If they molded the paddles, they would be just like all the other junk out there. :D No, the Haulers have the best design of the strait blade paddles. The would be better than now. How would it make them "junk"?:huh

[Chef]

Originally posted by 04'400ex'er
No, the Haulers have the best design of the strait blade paddles. The would be better than now. How would it make them "junk"?:huh

The #1 reason they have the best design is because they are vulcanized, not molded. It is really all about the weight. If they were molded, they would gain weight, and loose the flex. They would be no different than the tires they are better than.

[04'400ex'er]

Originally posted by Chef
The #1 reason they have the best design is because they are vulcanized, not molded. It is really all about the weight. If they were molded, they would gain weight, and loose the flex. They would be no different than the tires they are better than. Ya, They would gain slight weight. And alot of reliability.:rolleyes:

Originally posted by 04'400ex'er
No, the Haulers have the best design of the strait blade paddles. The would be better than now. How would it make them "junk"?:huh
buddy, just give it up, you will not win this argument over chef, judgeing by the mods on your quad , you don't even know what day it is when it comes to tires, argueing over the internet is like running in the special olympics, even if you win you're still retarded:rolleyes: so shut it and just give up

[Chef]

Originally posted by 04'400ex'er
Ya, They would gain slight weight. And alot of reliability.:rolleyes:

The guys running the drag bikes that are the majority of users of Haulers are more worried about performance than reliability. As I said before, I have never hurt a set of hauler paddles unless I hit a piece of wood, a root, rocks, etc. They are coming out with new designs all the time that keep those things from happening. I have had my 9 extremes for 2 years and they dont even show any wear yet.

[310Rduner]

Originally posted by Chef
The guys running the drag bikes that are the majority of users of Haulers are more worried about performance than reliability. As I said before, I have never hurt a set of hauler paddles unless I hit a piece of wood, a root, rocks, etc. They are coming out with new designs all the time that keep those things from happening. I have had my 9 extremes for 2 years and they dont even show any wear yet.

Yeah, but you wouldn't know what they did on a "high" horsepower bike :blah: :rolleyes:

[04'400ex'er]

Originally posted by D23QuadMXer
buddy, just give it up, you will not win this argument over chef, judgeing by the mods on your quad , you don't even know what day it is when it comes to tires, argueing over the internet is like running in the special olympics, even if you win you're still retarded:rolleyes: so shut it and just give up Buddy, why don't you go ride your pos 300ex.:rolleyes: I dont care how many mods you have, You still have a mini. And the reason My bike isn't modded out is because It isn't 8 or so yrs. old, It's a couple of months old.;) So why don't you quit hating and get a life... or a bike:huh