Kenda Bear Claw 299 Tire

[GRIZZLYWIZARD]

Owning a 06 Honda Rancher with stock rims and tires left me with the desire for additional traction and control. I use my Rancher on my acreage in hilly West Virginia and riding with the Oldie Wheelers ATV club bi-monthly. Additionally I ride with the ATV Torture Team on old logging and back roads in our fine state. In addition we ride the Hatfield and McCoy trails which has all types of terrain that showed the inadequacies of the original rims and tires. The Rancher came with 24”x8”x 12” on the front and 24’x9”x11” in the rear. While searching for replacement tires I noticed the selection was limited because of the stock 11” rear rims.

I decided to bite the bullet and buy a nice set of 12” rims. After much research the decision was for the ITP SS108 rims. Next came the hardest of all decisions. What tire for me? I needed a great all-around tire. I chose the Kenda 299 Bear Claw 26”x9”x12”fronts and 26”x12”x 12”rears. A call to Mike at Dick’s ATV on a Wednesday afternoon got the process started. The following Monday a big brown truck rolled up my drive and delivered my order. I was pleasantly surprised by the quick service and the tire packaging. The front tires were banded together to reduce shipping costs.

 

Next I took rims and tires to the fine folks at Glotfelty Tire Center in Parkersburg WV for a professional mating.

Kenda Bear Claw Ride Report

Wow what a difference! A most notable difference was in improved stability and traction. Also the confidence this package makes on the ATV is remarkable. I’m 66 years old and find myself now looking for challenging areas to ride. Before, I would go around mud holes and rocky trails, not now. The mud, rocks, and roots of the Hatfield and McCoy trails were easily conquered. A video of me, Turtle, and Grizzlywizard playing in the trails mud holes will soon be posted on this site. The tread design and rear tire side cleats are the reasons for this great performance. I found that 4.5 lbs of tire air pressure is correct for my personal weight of 270 lbs and riding style.
The old stock front rims and tires weighted 20.5 lbs. The new fronts weight 27 lbs. The old rear rims and tires weighted 24 lbs and the new ones are 35 lbs. The increase weight went unnoticed as it lowered the center of gravity. The low gearing of the Rancher offset the change from 24” to 26” diameter tires nicely. A pleasant surprise regarding this tire is how quiet it is on asphalt, much quieter than the stock tires. Here in West Virginia the law allows ATV use on paved roads without a centerline and riding on the shoulder of a two lane centerline road in most counties. I have about 100 miles of paved road and 300 miles of trails on the tires and they show no notable wear. What a great tire. I truly believe this tire and rim combination is an economical way to improve and renew your ATV.

 

Reviewed By Papawrancher

For more information you can contact Kenda at:

Kenda USA
7095 Americana Parkway
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
Phone: 614-866-9803
Fax:  614-866-9805

[Ianni]

Good stuff given.