holeshot XCR's vs. Bandits

[Drtridr18]

need new tires soon, for all-terrain/woods riding mostly, thinking 20x11x10 size on .190's., and fronts at the same time.

what will hook up better in mud and slick trails, creeks and banks, hills, does anybody have the xcr's in back? and what compliments them in the front( i was thinking maxxis pro xgt? or gbc pro track radials??, the xc fronts look like they pack up a lot, and the bandit fronts look cool but how does the flat profile do for handling?

thanks a lot guys

[Wingnut]

I have 20-10-9 Bandit XC's in the back on my 400ex. They do not have traction as good as the Holeshot XC's I used to have. My biggest complaint with the Holeshots was that they do not get great traction in mud or leaves. The problem I am having with the bandits is that I have gotten many dented rims, even to the point that I had to replace both of my rear rims. The Holeshots have a special rim guard that protects the rims, it really does work. I am using the 23in XCR bandit front tires, the ones that have a round profile, and they work real well. They also have a rim guard, although it is not as pronounced as the Holeshot's. I do not have any experience with the XCR Holeshots, but Santo DeRisi (GNCC Pro #11) said in a e-mail to me "They are a really good tire BUT they have a ground clearance problem b/c they are actually smaller than the 20" holeshots...........My choice would be a regular 20" XC holeshot!" Another problem with the Holeshots is that, if you ride about 7 hours a week like I do, they will only get good traction for about 5 or 6 months. If you ride on pavement, you will get a much shorter life span. On the other hand, my Bandits only have about 1/8in of wear over the last six months. The Bandits are narrower than the Holeshots which makes tight trails easier to ride.

Basically if you want decent traction and long wear, and can put up with dented rims get the Bandits.

If you want good traction, and don't care about tread life or adding almost 2in to the back of your 4-wheeler, get the Holeshots

[TRFOXX]

I really like my Holeshot XCR's. I dont know about wear yet though Ive only gotton 1 ride in on them so far but I really liked how they performed.

[Wingnut]

Just to clarify something I said. When I said that the Holeshots added 2in to the rear, I was talking about the XC's not the XCR's. The XCR's do appear to be narrower than the XC's.

[Pro400EXC]

First off,DO NOT GO WITH 20x11x10. Thats terrible. Go with 9x8 douglas rims (stock is stronger). Go with a 20x11x9 inch tire. The 10 inch rim will make you rims more prone to getting dented,becasue there's less tire.

Also XCR's and XC's are the best. Why do you think they have more Championships than anyother tire? I don't even think any ody uses the Bandits in XC.

And Wingnut,My friend has Holeshots(the 4ply kind) and he rides on pavement and all and they are not even worn down that much and he had them for 2 yrs.

[Wingnut]

Pro400EXC, I think that the main reason my Holeshot's wore out so fast is because of the hard pack/clay soil we have here in SC. I am guessing that in Florida you have a more sandy soil, depending on where you live, and that can make a tire last a lot longer. Whatever length of time a holeshot tire lasts, a bandit will last at least 3 times that. Now that that is said, I am not loyal to either tire. I plan to get a set of XCT's, by this summer. That will be long before the bandits wear out.
The reason that holeshots have the most championships is that any rider capable of winning a championship has sponsors. These sponsored riders use holeshots because they get the best traction. The sponsors buy the tires for them, so the life of the tire does not matter as long as it makes it through the race. I know a guy that races in the local harescrambles as a pro, he gets a new set of holeshots every two races. He races GNCC 4-stroke mod nationally.

[angelon400ex]

Ditto, Wingnut. I have personal experience with both tires. I put over 2500 miles on my Bandits and they are still functional. I got sponsored with Holeshots so I replaced the Bandits but wasn't willing to throw them away. They did exactly what I needed...gave me long wearing tread and saved me money. I didn't get stressed when I hit paved roads in TN and WV. Now, I am going to have a race set and practice set of Holeshots for the rear and the 23" front Holeshots. I raced all my harescramble races last season by borrowing my brother's holeshots. I knew my worn Bandits would leave me spinning in the grass on the start line. Instead the Holeshots allowed me great starts...I even got the Holeshot one race. I know the Holeshots are my best bet for racing but my Bandits were great too. No punctures or flats and held air great. I also am very excited about riding on 23" fronts and 22" rears vs. the 22" front and rear Bandits I had run. I did notice in the real tight stuff the Holeshot rears pinballed on the trees. I also had ITP rims and I don't know if that had something to do with it or not. The ITP rims STUNK and I can't and won't race with them. Instead my sponsor furnished me with a brand new set of those indestructible stock rims. I am getting real excited about having new plastic, a complete set of billet aluminum accessories and new riding gear. This is my second weekend in a row not riding....can anybody tell I have riding on the brain? LOL I haven't missed two weekends in a row riding in probably two years. I will live though:( because I am riding the next two weekends as hard as possible to train and then the third weekend from now is my first race Feb 24! Yipppeeee!