HOOSIER XC200 TIRE
A sport quad tire from the traction company
By the staff of Dirt Wheels
PRODUCT EVALUATION
EPIC
PERFORMANCE
We mounted
the XC200
tires on a set of
Goldspeed beadlock
wheels. We were
immediately blown
away how light the
setup was. They felt
more like the weight of
a two-ply MX tire and
wheel setup! This made
us a bit worried about
punctures at first.
We could also easily
manipulate the lugs
by grabbing them
and moving them
around like a piece
of gum. That’s not a
bad thing; we knew
we were in for some
great traction.
The XC200 gave
the Honda TRX450R
test machine immense
acceleration traction. We
became very confident with the
tires on treacherous switchback roads
at speed.
The soft compound allowed the tires to
flex properly in the corners and regain
grip upon exit. Hoosier’s extra traction
helped us hasten our path through
rocks and on uphill jaunts.
In the initial testing, we rode for
roughly five hours on the XC200 tires.
The traction is unreal, and we didn’t
TT racing or flat track, there is one
company that has stood out for many
years—Hoosier Racing Tire. Hoosier’s
roots go back to the early 1950s when
Bob Newton started to re-tread street
tires with softer rubber compounds so
his car would hook up better on the
asphalt tracks he raced on. The busi-
ness started in an abandoned horse
barn in South Bend, Indiana, selling
tires to local racers. The name Hoosier
reflects Bob’s racing roots on Midwest
short tracks.
Flash-forward to today and Hoosier
is one of the most used tires in racing,
and that includes the ATV segment. TT
racers in general have a huge Hoosier
following, because they have intense
blue-groove dirt-track traction.
Now, Hoosier has come out with the
MX150 ATV motocross tire. With the
MX150’s growing success, they knew
they needed an answer for the XC riders, and XC200 tires were born.
HOOSIER XC200: $80, FRONT;
$90, REAR
The XC200 is a brainchild with DNA
from both the popular TT tires and the
MX150 motocross tire. The XC200 is
offered in the favored OEM direct-re-placement sizes of the 21x7-10 front
and 20x11-9 rear. They are made with
a propriety blend of soft rubber compounds. The lugs are cut down the
center on the front and rear tires to
provide clean-outs on muddy trails. The
lug placement was designed for the
best traction possible in any terrain.
have one flat. One thing we would
like to see changed is a stiffer lug
option. After five hours, the lugs were
starting to wear. However, these tires
are for anyone looking to get the most
traction. Racers, you will absolutely
love the XC200s! To give them a shot,
visit www.hoosiertire.com or
call (574) 784-3152.;❏
We could also easily
the Honda TRX450R
