That is Trail related. It was damaged under normal use. If it is not leaking, run the tire and wear em out! If it is leaking or you want peace of mind, take it off and put a good thick patch on the inside. And when you wear em out invest in a good set of 6 ply Tires.

 

X 2...

 

Thanks for the replies. I hope that it's not trail related - my trail is pretty much either a dirt road that I live on or my mowed yard. If the lugs peel off like that during the break-in period, I shudder to think what they would look like when we start to really use it.

The tear goes into the hide quite a ways - I would estimate half way through. Do you think it is safe to drive on? No concern about a blowout?

This has me thinking about swapping in 14" wheels and truck tires........

 

This has me thinking about swapping in 14" wheels and truck tires........

No need for that!

Get a set of BigHorns and you don't have that issue!!!

 

Whats the tire pressure you run

 

8psi front and rear.

 

As a former service manager, if I were you ask your dealer. If you have developed a relationship with them they should try and go the extra mile to make you completely satisfied with your purchase. But take the machine with you so they can see the overall condition. It also helps if the machine is clean.

 

Thanks - I would have to arrange for a trailer to take the machine back to them. At this point, i'll bring the tire by and see what they have to say, but I won't hold my breath. Just hadn't planned on replacing a tire this soon.

I had just never seen this type of 'wear' before. Not on my son's atv, not on either of our bikes nor any atv that I have ridden in my past. Just weird.

Thanks again to everyone for the replies.

 

You will be so thrilled when you get rid of those crappy 2ply bias tires, and go with some real atv/utv rubber.

:ride:

 

so true, you gotta be a cheapskate like me to run the stock crap tires. :scared2:

 

looks like you ran over a piece of glass. theres all sorts of things under dirt.

 

You would have to see it in person - it's not a cut, it is a tear. There are several smaller ones in similar locations. It's like acceleration is tearing the tread off.

Stock Maxixis are 4 ply BTW but definitely crap. I've had Chinese atv tires that are much older and look in better shape that this almost new tire.

Thanks again for all the replies. Lesson learned - stock tires are crap. I'm burnt on Maxxis if this is the quality of tire I can expect from them.

 

I thought the Maxxis stock tires were tougher than hell considering they are a piece of crap. I never had a flat, but had several tears like shown here. If you look at those front 8" suckers they are in deed 2 ply on the sidewalls, and you ought to see some of the rocky crap I took them over, Morrison Jeep Trail for one. :rofl3:

That being said, they are crap, and the bighorns are clear on the other spectrum, you just don't know how much better they are until you put them on. Ride better, ride quieter, hook up like a son of a gun, and handle like a dream.

I still have my stockers mounted up on the stock rims sitting in the shop here, thought I would put them back on just to get some cheap miles out of them.....apparently not.

opcorn:

 

Looks like a defect

 

Definitely looks like a cut..it may be torn but i bet it started as a cut..you can see that it isn't at the base of the lug at all(look close you can see the outline of the actual base of the lug, you can also see an area of deformation in the center of the "slice" where it looks like something penetrated)...moreover the tire in general looks pretty rough for 20 hours of "dirt road and yard" use IMO. That's not to say it wasn't easily damaged..ive beat the tar out of BigHorns and havent had one tear a lug easily. Hey who knows maybe someone will warranty it for you, I doubt it but...you can always ask

 

I can understand where it 'looks' like a cut in the photo. You are welcome to come look at in in person if you like It is a tare that occurs at the transition fillet on the lug. Same place the others happen at. Just like on some lesser quality motorcycle tires, the lugs start to peel away. If it were a cut or puncture, there would be indications where that was initiated. There simply isn't any.

I can assure you that this tire was used on dirt roads and in my grassy yard. Unless elves were taking it out for a spin somewhere far away in the middle of the night :rm_thumbdown: This is why I consider this tire a POS - because of the unusual wear and lug tears with relatively gentle use. I'll PM you a photo of the hour meter and mileage as well as the purchase date on the invoice and photos of where it is driven if you like, however there will always be skeptics no matter what. Hopefully not everyone is as jaded and suspecting as you are, but I understand why one can become that way.

I've put the tire back on because of the replies here and, other than pulling a 4x8 trailer around the yard as it was purchased for, it will sit in the garage, as it has been since I discovered this issue, until we can replace the tire with a safe one.

Again, I appreciate all the replies.