Kenda Kutter XC Tire Test
The Kutters were developed over the past few years with Kenda sponsored racer, William Yokley.
Kenda’s Kutter XC tires are the company’s latest entry into the high-end sport, ATV tire market. The Kutters were developed over the past few years with Kenda sponsored racer, William Yokley, and were designed to work for GNCC racing as well as aggressive sport trail riding.
According to Kenda, the Kutters were built to stand up to the, “…toughest GNCC terrain.” They feature a six-ply construction and have a broad, tall, widely-spaced knob for good cleanout. With the tires’ emphasis on durability, the XC’s are not available in Kenda’s sticky rubber compound. A wide footprint puts the maximum amount of rubber on the ground, helping traction in hard-packed conditions.
Their durable construction makes the Kutter XC’s a bit heavier than some other cross-country tires out there. The 20×11-9 rears weigh 17 pounds, while the 21×7-10 fronts weigh 13 pounds. Kenda’s own Klaw XC tires weigh 15.38 pounds rear and 10.03 pounds front.
The Test
ATV on Demand has become quite familiar with the Kenda Kutter XC tires. We first used them to improve the handling of our stock Kawasaki KFX450R. We then left them on board for our first wave of product testing where we boosted the machine’s power with an aftermarket exhaust and fuel controller.
Wasted horsepower isn’t an issue with the Kutters as their traction capability is outstanding. The rear tires offer instant hookup in hard-packed to intermediate conditions. Out of the hole, or exiting corners with the throttle wide open, the Kutters stay hooked up and driving. Traction was also quite predictable climbing up steep, wet, creek banks.
The Kutters provide extreme traction in corners. If you are a rider who prefers railing corners more than sliding through them, the Kutter is your tire. You can get them to slide, but it takes a lot of throttle or slick conditions to break the rear tires loose.
The front Kutters provided precise steering with minimal push–– impressive, considering the amount of traction the rear tires provide. Adding these tires made the steering of our KFX instantly more predictable. Both ends roll smoothly through rough sections with virtually no sensation of bouncing.
If you ride a 400cc or smaller full-size ATV, you might want to consider a lighter tire with greater willingness to slide like Kenda’s Klaw XC. If you’re rocking a 450cc or larger machine, the Kutter XC tires are fully capable of getting the power to the ground and hook up big time in the corners. After our first couple rides, the edges are showing very little wear. We would expect these tires to easily last a few races, or a summer of hard riding.
Kenda doesn’t list retail prices, but they are comparable to other premium cross-country, racing tires. See your local dealer for pricing, and for more information on Kenda’s full line of tires, visit www.kendausa.com
Kenda Kutter XC Tires
Summary: The front Kutters provided precise steering with minimal push–– impressive, considering the amount of traction the rear tires provide. Adding these tires made the steering of our KFX instantly more predictable. If you ride a 400cc or smaller full-size ATV, you might want to consider a lighter tire with greater willingness to slide like Kenda’s Klaw XC.
3.5
Three Ride Test
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