UTV and ATV Tires: Radials, Paddles and How to Read the Fitment Rows

Powersports tires are specialised in a way truck tires are not. A radial for rock and hard-pack, a long-wearing quad tire and a set of sand paddles are three different products with three different jobs, and putting the wrong one on a machine costs traction, belt life or both. Our parts database lists one of each for the machines we cover.

The Maxxis Carnivore 32in Tire is the sport UTV radial. It is listed for the RZR XP 1000 (RZR-XP, 2014–2026), RZR Pro XP (RZR-PRO, 2020–2026), Maverick X3 (X3, 2017–2026) and Teryx KRX 1000 (KRX, 2020–2026), and the note describes a radial UTV tire for rocks and hard-pack with a stiff sidewall. Radial construction and a stiff sidewall are the two things that let a tire take a rock strike at low pressure without folding or cutting.

The Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 is the quad tire, listed for the Sportsman 570 (SPORTSMAN, 2014–2026) and Outlander 850 (OUTLANDER, 2016–2026). The note calls it a long-wearing radial ATV tire for mixed trail conditions. On a quad that does farm work, hunting access and weekend trail riding in the same month, wear life and predictable behavior across surfaces matter more than outright grip in any one of them.

The SandCraft Paddle Tire Set is the dune product, listed for the X3 (2017–2026) and RZR Pro XP (2020–2026). Paddle rears and ribbed fronts move sand rather than gripping it, and the ribbed front is what lets the machine steer in soft ground where a tread pattern would just plow. Paddles are also nearly useless on hard ground and wear out fast on it, so this is a second set of wheels and tires, not a replacement.

The 32in figure on the Carnivore is a diameter, and it matters for fitment in a way the platform row does not capture. A 32in tire on a stock-height RZR XP 1000 may rub at full lock or full compression depending on the wheel offset, and the fitment row will not warn you. Measure the tire you have now and check what the machine has room for before assuming a listed tire goes straight on.

Bigger tires change how the clutch sees the engine. Our problem reports for the RZR-XP and X3 include belt glazing under sustained load, and taller, heavier tires add exactly that load. Budget for the drive belt inspection our UTV schedule calls for about every 50 hours, and expect the first one to tell you something.

Pressure is the number owners most want and the one that varies most with the job. Rock crawling on a stiff radial, trail riding on a quad and running paddles in dunes each call for a different figure, and the low end is only safe on a wheel that holds the bead. The value for normal use is in your service manual and on the tire.

Before buying any of the three, confirm your model year sits inside the listed range. A 2019 RZR Pro XP does not exist in our vehicles list, because that platform starts at 2020, and a listing that says RZR-PRO will not help a 2019 machine that is actually an RZR XP 1000 on the RZR-XP platform. Get the platform right and the year right, then look at size.