Tusk Terrabite Kevlar Tires
Bulletproof With A Bite!
Story By: Kyle Callen
Photos by: Brandon Bunch
The evolution of the UTV has brought us more horsepower and big wheel travel numbers than we could have ever imagined. But there has also been a ripple effect through the aftermarket. As the power and quality of the units goes up, so does the quality of the products we bolt on to them. You probably could have made a golf cart tire live on the whopping 37 horsepower that the Yamaha Rhino made back in the day. But take that same tire and put it on the 168hp Polaris RZR Turbo S and it will spit it into oblivion.
For as long as we can remember, the name Tusk has been synonymous with price conscious shoppers. We get it, you don’t always need to pay top dollar for a blingy part, but when it comes to things like tires, wheels and safety items, open up your wallet – as you normally get what you pay for. As the cars started to improve, so did Tusk’s desire to be a competitor in the tire game. The Terrabite tire was a big success for them. A well rounded tire that had great traction and wear characteristics. Not wanting to sit back on the haunches, they took the next step in tire technology.
Back in early February, Tusk Tires sent a set of 32” Kevlar Terrabites to use and abuse. With our main riding area consisting of high speed rocky and rough terrain, Lake Havasu City, AZ would make a great test bed to put the new bead to bead kevlar belted Terrabite to the test. Mounting them on the stock 15” Polaris wheels was a breeze thanks to our friends at Discount Tire. Initially, the tread pattern reminded me of the original mud terrain which I really liked. The open block tread design was good all around for the diversity in terrain that we see here, while the aggressive sidewall tread added a layer of protection with some added bite for crawling. The combination felt light thanks to the 8 ply rated construction. Now, 8 ply isn’t great for bashing through the desert, but if one of those layers is kevlar, you know it will be tough. Heck, if kevlar can stop a bullet, it surely stands a chance stopping a sidewall puncture. Tusk didn’t just add a strip of kevlar to the tread area, they went from bead to bead with it making the whole tire bulletproof.
During our first experience with the tires we hit the dirt with the car in 2 wheel drive, or should I say ice rink. A combination of a very slippery surface and too much skinny pedal, we thought we were off to a rough start. Clicking the car into 4 wheel drive, the stability and control became noticeably better. As the miles ticked on, the comfort level increased. Entering corners at speeds there was a small amount of understeer at the entry of the corner, but the tires found traction and railed through the exit of the corners. Small driving adjustments were needed to compensate for this, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. The Tusk Terrabite excelled in hill climbs, as well as the high speed wash runs. With the kevlar layer, if the line wasn’t perfect, I wasn’t scared of clipping a rock. Once comfortable, we clicked the car back into 2 wheel drive and it was a riot to slide around and play tokyo drift with. The stiff sidewall made the tires extremely predictable to slide.
After countless outings and a few hundred miles, you can barely notice that we drove it like we were fighting for the lead at the Baja 500. To the touch, the compound is soft and squishy, but shows almost no wear from the brutal Arizona desert, making this tire one of the elites that you can run for race worthy miles. We are excited to get more miles on the Tusk Terrabite and see what they display at our version of a finish line.