HiPper Racing Tech-3 ATV Wheel Test: with Video
With long lasting looks and construction, HiPer’s Tech-3 wheels may be the last set of ATV wheels you ever need to buy.
We have always been big fans of the durability and long lasting good looks of HiPer Technologies’ high-performance ATV wheels.
We have always been big fans of the durability and long lasting good looks of HiPer Technologies’ high-performance ATV wheels. They’ve proven to hold up well to abuse; just ask four-time GNCC champion, Chris Borich. Also, they stay looking good for a long, long time.
You can get black aluminum wheels, but half way through the season, they’ll be all scratched up with silver showing through, seriously detracting from the looks of your machine. You can get them re-coated, adding to their cost over time; or just let them continue degrading, further messing up the looks of your ride.
We wanted a long lasting, cool looking set of black racing wheels for our Project KFX450R motocrosser. Based on past experience, HiPer wheels were the obvious, yet slightly more expensive, choice.
Technical Stuff
One big feature of HiPer’s Tech-3 wheels is their modular design,
HiPer produces some of the most exotic high-performance ATV wheels on the market. What makes them exotic is their use of injection-molded carbon fiber as the primary material from which the wheels are constructed.
Another unique feature of HiPer’s wheels is their modular design, sealed together at the center by a recessed o-ring. The wheels can be torn down and reassembled without the use of any special tools. Should you damage a wheel, each part can be replaced individually saving you from the cost of replacing an entire wheel.
For our motocross application, HiPer wanted us to try their Tech-3, single bead lock wheels at both ends. The Tech-3s are HiPer’s latest design, built for enhanced strength, thanks to its cast aluminum center, which is sandwiched between the carbon fiber outer halves.
Hiper’s bead lock rings are available in various colors. Like the wheels, their carbon fiber material is colored throughout, so it won’t wear off.
The Tech-3 wheels are available with single or dual bead locks, or in a non-bead lock design. Hiper’s bead lock rings are available in various colors. Like the wheels, their carbon fiber material is colored throughout, so it won’t wear off.
HiPer offers clear mud plugs for their wheels, to help keep mud out. They also provide another smooth surface to slather sponsor stickers on.
Surprisingly Light
Most riders we talk to assume aluminum rims are lighter. We kind of thought the same thing. Manufacturers have to know the actual weight of their products for shipping purposes. HiPer tells us their 8in. Tech-3 rear wheels weigh 5.8 pounds compared to DWT’s slightly lighter G2 at 5.35 pounds. The 10in. Tech-3 front wheels weigh 5.9lbs according to HiPer, while DWT is claiming a weight of 6.4lbs for their 10in. Roc and Loc fronts. Added together, the four HiPers are one-tenth pound lighter, at 23.4 pounds, compared to the comparable DWTs at 23.5 pounds, according to the manufacturers’ measurements. Without weighing them ourselves back to back, we’re not claiming a total win in the weight war for HiPer; we’re simply pointing out that the HiPer’s serviceability and long lasting appearance, doesn’t come at the weight deficit we initially assumed they had.
The Test
We put our new Hiper Tech-3 wheels through several grueling test sessions at Nikota Motorsports and Bar2Bar MX.
We like the modular design of the Hiper wheels, but caution you to make sure that the o-ring is in place and free of debris before bolting the wheel together. We’d recommend that you keep a few extra o-rings on hand as it is possible to pinch and damage it. You’ll know, because your tire won’t hold air.
We put our new Hiper Tech-3 wheels through several grueling test sessions at Nikota Motorsports and Bar2Bar MX. As expected, we experienced no issues with the wheels, in spite of coming up short and overshooting some really big jumps.
Conclusion.
The Tech-3 setup we tested retails for $949.96 for all four wheels–– that’s between $100 and $250 more than a comparable set of 4 aluminum wheels.
Despite their higher initial retail price, when you compare the price of throwing away a bent aluminum wheel, or the price of having your aluminum wheels powder coated one time, the HiPer wheels appear to give up nothing in terms of performance, and pay for themselves over time. We feel when it comes to HiPer’s Tech-3 wheels, you get what you pay for.
Manufacturer: HiPer Technology
Product: Tech-3 Single Bead Lock ATV Wheels. 8 inch rear/10 inch front
Price: Front, $239.99 each/Rear,$234.99 each
Hiper, Tech-3 ATV Wheels
Summary: Despite their higher initial retail price, when you compare the price of throwing away a bent aluminum wheel, or the price of having your aluminum wheels powder coated one time, the HiPer wheels appear to give up nothing in terms of performance, and pay for themselves over time. We feel when it comes to HiPer’s Tech-3 wheels, you get what you pay for.
4.5
Long Term Test
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