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BF Goodrich KO2 on a Talon?

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Boundertom

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I am wondering if anyone has run the KO2s on a Talon? Yes, I know about the UTV specific KM3s, but they are not DOT approved. I am in AZ, my new Talon 1000R is street legal, and I need DOT tires. I think these tires should do pretty well in the terrain that I run, which is mostly sand, rocks, and pavement. I ride enough pavement that good manners on pavement is important. I might rarely get into snow, and I don't do mud! I am thinking about the 30x9.50R15. BFG lists this at 29.5" diameter, and 9.5" wide when mounted on a 7.5" wide wheel. They are listed at 39.66 pounds, which is at the heavy end of things. I know these tires are well regarded on Jeeps and trucks. I have owned some myself. I just wonder how they would fare on a SxS? I consider this a very high quality tire, from a reputable manufacturer. The icing on the cake is that these are readily available for $148, which I think is a bargain. They have a 50,000 mile tread life warranty, but I suspect that will not apply in SxS use! :)

I would run the same size front and rear. With a spare, I could do 5 tire rotations. I might use 5 Honda front wheels, or I might go to beadlocks. The leading contender would be the STI HD9 6+1 beadlocks.

I appreciate any thoughts, but would especially appreciate hearing from anyone with actual experience with these. Thanks!

Tom in AZ
 
JenElio

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I think you'll be ok for what you will use them on. I can't really give you anything else as I don't have a talon nor have I ran these tires on a sxs. Mabe @Blownzuki can give some input. We rode RRB and I believe he was running something similar to what you are wanting to do.
Good luck!
 
Lil_Steve

Lil_Steve

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No actual experience yet but I'm planning to do nearly the same thing at some point this year. I purchased a full set of stock wheels that had an additional front spare so I'm now able to run 4 fronts with a 5th front spare. I've been tearing up my 32" Terrabites on beadlocks so while I repair the various punctures/leaks I'm going to wear down the stock tires and eventually replace them with BFG KM3's in 30x9.50R15. In the summer I escape the valley heat by heading up to Pine, AZ so I'll be doing lots of pavement miles to get around. I also figure a light truck tire that individually has more load capacity than the entire weight of my Talon would hold up better to abuse. Yes they're heavier than the UTV specific tires but I'm OK with that.
 
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Boundertom

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No actual experience yet but I'm planning to do nearly the same thing at some point this year. I purchased a full set of stock wheels that had an additional front spare so I'm now able to run 4 fronts with a 5th front spare. I've been tearing up my 32" Terrabites on beadlocks so while I repair the various punctures/leaks I'm going to wear down the stock tires and eventually replace them with BFG KM3's in 30x9.50R15. In the summer I escape the valley heat by heading up to Pine, AZ so I'll be doing lots of pavement miles to get around. I also figure a light truck tire that individually has more load capacity than the entire weight of my Talon would hold up better to abuse. Yes they're heavier than the UTV specific tires but I'm OK with that.
Did you buy that set of wheels and tires off a Craigslist listing from Prescott? If so, I saw those, but hesitated too long....... And, those were off an X, and I have an R. I would think there would be more takeoffs for sale, but I am not seeing them.

Sorry to hear about your bad luck with the Terrabites. They were my leading choice until I heard about the problems with them on beadlocks.

I just don't understand why BFG made the KM3s non-DOT. Seems crazy. I am sure they would be fine on pavement, but I want those letters on the sidewall!

Tom
 
thashane

thashane

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I would get the lightest load range you can, the higher load range will be super rough. I've heard people having a really hard time mounting LT tires on utv beadlocks. You might be able to find LT wheels in the correct bolt pattern, for cheap.

I have terabites on sti hd9s on the yxz. It took me like an entire day of frustration to get the beads to sit centered w.o slipping off and getting pinched by the lock. I Re-torque the beads before every ride over 50mi. But they don't leak after I got them centered.
 
Lil_Steve

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Did you buy that set of wheels and tires off a Craigslist listing from Prescott? If so, I saw those, but hesitated too long....... And, those were off an X, and I have an R. I would think there would be more takeoffs for sale, but I am not seeing them.

Sorry to hear about your bad luck with the Terrabites. They were my leading choice until I heard about the problems with them on beadlocks.

I just don't understand why BFG made the KM3s non-DOT. Seems crazy. I am sure they would be fine on pavement, but I want those letters on the sidewall!

Tom


Yes I did! It's a couple of hours away but I had nothing better to do on New Year's Eve. And yes, they are X wheels and I also have an R but the only difference is the partial machined finish instead of the painted black on the R. I have black spray paint! Talon stock wheels pop up but if they're priced decent they're gone pretty quickly. I routinely check Craigslist and OfferUp for Talon stuff.

The Terrabites seem to wear good but yeah, all of them leak at the bead and I've gashed one pretty good and have multiple punctures among them. I'm hoping the KM3's sidewalls hold up better, the Terrabites sidewalls seem a bit soft for me.

I initially had the KO2's in mind for the stock wheels but I figure the KM3's fit my riding better. I'm not overly concerned about having DOT tires but I get why people prefer to have them.
 
thashane

thashane

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I have popped way more truck tire sidewalls than I have on an utv. But there's a reason foresters carry two spares, also driven way more truck off-highway miles in comparison.
 
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Blownzuki

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I had a set of the km2’s on my rig at rrb last year. They did great in the rocks and on pavement. But, if it get’s sloppy your not going anywhere. This year I am prepared with a set of xtr370’s. I won’t be getting drug around rrb this time!
 
Backwoods

Backwoods

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I had a set of the km2’s on my rig at rrb last year. They did great in the rocks and on pavement. But, if it get’s sloppy your not going anywhere. This year I am prepared with a set of xtr370’s. I won’t be getting drug around rrb this time!
I remember but it was a good time.
 
Backwoods

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I had a great time! I just felt bad for holding everybody up, because of a bad tire choice. I now have a aggressive tire and rrb will be dryer than a popcorn fart this year.
It was a good time, you didn't hold us up there was always one of us waiting/ helping some one with it gets easier from here in the back ground.
 
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Boundertom

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Keep in mind the sidewall will be INSANELY stiff compared to a UTV tire.
Interesting. I am not disagreeing, but what do you base that conclusion on? Comparing just the BFGs in 30x9.50R15, the KM3 is rated to carry 1694 pounds and weighs 39.68 pounds. The KO2 is rated to carry 1990 pounds and weighs 39.66 pounds. The KO2 is a load range C. I can't seem to find a load range or ply rating for the KM3 UTV.

The only comparable experience I have, is running an LT 27x8.50R14 on a 1000 pound ATV for 8,000 miles. I didn't notice any appreciable difference in ride, compared to the stock tires.

on a side note, I found the following interesting statement in fine print on the BFG KM3 web site:

The Mud-Terrain T/A® KM3 UTV tires follow the Tire & Rim Association’s NHS (Not for Highway Service) tire design standard and are for ATV/UTV use only. The Tire & Rim Association defines NHS as "Tires primarily designed for use outside of public roads, but suitable for temporary/incidental use on public roads." Please refer to U.S Tire Manufacturers Tire Information Service Bulletin TISB 07 - Misapplication of "Not for Highway Service (NHS)" Tires for more information.

The Mud-Terrain T/A® KM3 UTV tires are not DOT approved. Some counties and states in the USA allow ATVs/UTVs to be used on public roads. As of 8/1/2018, a DOT approved tire is not currently required by the counties and states in the USA that allow the use of an ATV/UTV on public roads. Please consult local or state laws for using your ATV/UTV on public roads.
 
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thashane

thashane

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Interesting. I am not disagreeing, but what do you base that conclusion on? Comparing just the BFGs in 30x9.50R15, the KM2 is rated to carry 1694 pounds and weighs 39.68 pounds. The KO2 is rated to carry 1990 pounds and weighs 39.66 pounds. The KO2 is a load range C. I can't seem to find a load range or ply rating for the KM3 UTV.

The only comparable experience I have, is running an LT 27x8.50R14 on a 1000 pound ATV for 8,000 miles. I didn't notice any appreciable difference in ride, compared to the stock tires.

on a side note, I found the following interesting statement in fine print on the BFG KM3 web site:

The Mud-Terrain T/A® KM3 UTV tires follow the Tire & Rim Association’s NHS (Not for Highway Service) tire design standard and are for ATV/UTV use only. The Tire & Rim Association defines NHS as "Tires primarily designed for use outside of public roads, but suitable for temporary/incidental use on public roads." Please refer to U.S Tire Manufacturers Tire Information Service Bulletin TISB 07 - Misapplication of "Not for Highway Service (NHS)" Tires for more information.

The Mud-Terrain T/A® KM3 UTV tires are not DOT approved. Some counties and states in the USA allow ATVs/UTVs to be used on public roads. As of 8/1/2018, a DOT approved tire is not currently required by the counties and states in the USA that allow the use of an ATV/UTV on public roads. Please consult local or state laws for using your ATV/UTV on public roads.
I would assume that the utv tire is designed to sustain much less heat than a LT tire. With an emphasis on grip, comfort, and light weight, allowing more sidewall flex, compared to a tire that's engineered to spend the majority of its life doing sustained 80mph on pavement.
BUT, I am not a tire engineer, so I'm really just guessing. I have the ko2s on my personal truck, 05 dodge w. Cummins, only have about 20k miles on them, guessing they're at less than 50%. I will get them again.
 
M

McCarthy

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Yup, with my track record so far with sidewall damage, that's what I'm aiming for.

How stiff a tire is has NOTHING to do with how puncture resistant the sidewall is. A LT truck tire is meant to support not only a much heavier vehicle, but it's load as well, whether that be a trailer or in the box.
 
Lil_Steve

Lil_Steve

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How stiff a tire is has NOTHING to do with how puncture resistant the sidewall is. A LT truck tire is meant to support not only a much heavier vehicle, but it's load as well, whether that be a trailer or in the box.

You mentioned that a LT tire's sidewall will be insanely stiff. I realize that the KM3 will have a stiff sidewall, especially compared to my Terrabites. I was at a UTV show locally that had different sorts of seminars, I was intrigued by one that talked tires/terrain. They had a cutaway sample of a BFG KM3 vs the KM2, the KM3 has a significantly heavier sidewall which the rep described as being much more puncture resistant than the previous KM2. That's what I'm after since almost all of my riding is higher speed AZ desert terrain which is pretty tough on tires and that's why I'm choosing the KM3 when the time comes. If it's "insanely stiff" I'll consider it a compromise for where/how I ride.
 
M

McCarthy

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It will be, I run that tire on my truck. What I was explaining is a stiff sidewall doesn't always equal puncture resistance. I would recommend a 10 ply UTV tire. Our terrain is razor sharp rocks and sticks and roots and stuff, so i'm quite familiar with sidewall strength. Lol.
 
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SLOWPOKE693

SLOWPOKE693

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Best bet is to avoid BFG all together. There are better options out there for similar money. They used to make great tires, now a days not so much.....
 
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Lil_Steve

Lil_Steve

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It will be, I run that tire on my truck. What I was explaining is a stiff sidewall doesn't always equal puncture resistance. I would recommend a 10 ply UTV tire. Our terrain is razor sharp rocks and sticks and roots and stuff, so i'm quite familiar with sidewall strength. Lol.


I get what you are saying about sidewall stiffness, I've tore up everything I've tried so far. I have a used pair of Kanati Mongrel 10 ply UTV tires mounted on the rear of my Talon right now, haven't gotten the chance to try them yet. Just last week I realized how to help prolong my tire sidewall and overall life.... slow the hell down! It took a lot of restraint but I had no tire issues and will try to manage a more sane pace in the future.


Best bet is to avoid BFG all together. There are better options out there for similar money. They used to make great tires, now a days not so much.....


What do you recommend?
 
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