PRODUCT REVIEW | BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3

BFGoodrich does claim the Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 has 5 percent better mud traction than its predecessor, the KM2, thanks to the “Mud-Phobic” bars on the tire’s shoulders which are designed to release compacted mud in sticky conditions, while the “Terrain-Attack” tread pattern is designed to deliver massive grip from any angle of approach. Besides a few small puddles, we were unable to truly put the mud traction to the test while out in Ocotillo Wells OHV Area, but we did experience possibly the highest level of grip on any terrain out of any UTV tire offering we’ve tested to date.

We had our 30×10.00R15 Mud-Terrain T/A KM3’s mounted up on a set of 15×6 Walker Evans Legend II Beadlock wheels, and bolted them up to our trusty Can-Am Maverick Sport 1000R, aka “Bumblebee”. While the Sport is no mega-horsepower race machine, the UTV’s light weight combined with the responsive 75 horsepower Rotax engine made it easy to pitch the car into smile-inducing drifts on nearly any surface with the OEM 27 inch Maxxis Bighorn 2.0’s. 

The experience was quite different with the KM3’s, as the new Krawl-TEK rubber compound hooked up phenomenally well on even the most traction-challenged surfaces. Rallying through the slick and dusty hard-packed fire roads that wind all over Ocotillo Wells, the tires provided a massive amount of predictable grip. We could only get the car to slide when swinging wide through the corners out into the loose dirt, and corners that were blue-grooved (hard pack dirt with rubber laid down on top) gave the feeling of driving on asphalt. Not only was the traction incredible, but at 14 psi, the ride provided by KM3’s was very compliant, and gave the Maverick Sport a comfortable and planted ride while running upwards of 70 mph on the choppy hard pack.

Dropping off the fast fire roads into the soft and rutted sand washes, our pace barely skipped a beat. Our well-versed driver, Kyle, was pushing hard, setting the pace in a RZR XP Turbo S Velocity, and while it was certainly a challenge, I had no issues staying just out of his sand spray with Bumblebee. Corner speeds were limited in the ruts by the Sport’s narrow 60 inch track width, but I was able to dive super deep into corners, relying on the traction provided by the “Terrain-Attack” tread pattern to bite into the loose sand and get me slowed down in time to keep it on all fours. Traction coming out of the sand corners was just as good as the breaking coming in, and the rollercoaster-esque sandy berm corners provided a place to let the back end hang out and throw some roost when in two wheel drive.

By nightfall we found a decent rock section to put the crawling capabilities of the KM3’s to the test, and once again we weren’t disappointed. The Krawl-TEK compound helped the tread blocks to grip onto the slick rocks and pull us up the pile of boulders with ease, even with the Maverick Sport’s open front differential. And not only is the rubber compound of the Mud-Terrain T/A KM3’s sticky, but it is also unbelievably tough. 

We put around 250 miles of hard, wide open throttle driving on these tires while out in Ocotillo Wells, and at the end of the weekend we were left with virtually no wear on the edges of the tread blocks. The front tires looked absolutely brand-new (albeit dirty) and the rears had a very slight bit of rounding to the front of the tread blocks. Never have we seen a tire deliver that much grip with that much resistance to wear. BFGoodrich has once again proven themselves to know a thing or two about building a good tire, and it’s easy to say the tried and true legacy of the Mud-Terrain T/A line of tires will continue on with the KM3’s.