[Discount Tire]

When the Kanati Mongrel first hit the market it was well received, featuring radial construction and truck tire tread pattern styling. The tire was a hit with side by side owners, but as machines increased in power, there was a need for increased durability

Kanati answered the call by beefing up the Mongrel from an 8-ply rated radial to a 10-ply rated radial. The 10-ply rated version has substantially stiffer sidewalls than the original version.

In early May of this year I had a new set of 10-ply rated 30x10.00R-14 Kanati Mongrel tires with 14x7 5+2 Raceline Scorpion wheels installed on my Wildcat X 1000. I was excited to test out the new version of this tire to see how they fared in real world; hardcore testing. You see, I'm known by my co- workers as being hard on tires. I disagree. Sure I drive my side by side very aggressive, but if you watch any of the manufacturer's commercials they do the same thing. Plus, how else am I going to be able to give a legitimate opinion if I did not push the tires and machine to the limits? Any tire will hold up fine if you only drive on graded forest service roads. That'a just is not my forte.

I love the meaty look of the new tires on my Raceline wheels. Before mounting them I measured the circumference of the tire and divided it by pi. The tire measured a little over 30 inches tall at 14 PSI.

The first real testing ground happened to be one of the best off-road playgrounds in the country, Moab UT at the Discount Tire Ralley on the Rocks event.

This happened to be a great place for many aspects of the Kanati Mongrel as I was able to test the tire on blacktop, dirt, rocks and sandy trails. Trails driven include:

• Poison Spider
• Moab Rim
• Cliff Hanger
• Fins N Things

We drove back and forth from the arena to the trail head for each days ride, so I had plenty of on-road experience. I was very impressed by the smooth; precise handling of the tires. Keep in mind I do not balance my ATV/UTV tires, but these tires were smooth as glass.

For pressure I started at 12 PSI and went as low as 6 PSI. The trails we were on were not high speed trails, but more technical rock crawling trails. I found the Kanati tires to be very predictable. I could pretty much point and shoot the obstacle's for the most part, although there were a couple of times on steep ledges, like the end of Cliff Hanger, where the trail would dictate your line as you had to keep up some momentum. Even at the more challenging parts of the trail, the 10-ply rated Kanati Mongrel only struggled at one ledge. That was partly my fault for not taking a better line. I even put the sidewalls to the test on multiple occasions. I had no flats at the event (which we saw plenty of during the rally) or any tire issues for that matter. Thankfully my Wildcat X also made it without any breakage.

 

[Discount Tire]

I also tested the tires on many trips in my home State of Arizona. Those of you that have had the pleasure of riding in Arizona know most of the trails out here are extremely rocky. Even the trails up North in the woods where we go to get out of the sweltering heat are rocky.

Recently my buddy, Jeff installed a set of 28X10.00R-14 10-ply rated Kanati Mongrel tires on 14x7 4+3 MB 352 wheels. They looked great and preformed flawlessly on our camp trip.

Jeff even let me try out his Teryx on a hill climb that was strewn with good size loose rocks. The Mongrels clawed their way to the top of the hill with ease.

I did have one problem on my last trip out. I had been camped out for a couple of days riding and taking it easy so I aired down to 8 PSI. That happened to be my mistake as I took a couple of my hardcore riding buddies out for a fun ride on a very narrow; rocky trail. One thing led to another and I ended up going faster than I should have on an open part of the trail and smacked a large rock very hard. So much so it jerked the steering wheel hard to the left and almost out of my hands. I was surprised it did not break the wheel or my tie rod. Thankfully I have strong aftermarket AJ's tie rods. Shortly afterward I felt like something was wrong with my steering. I stopped and sure enough I had a flat.

The hole in the middle of my sidewall took 8 plugs. For extra insurance I carry a flexible lighter, so I lite the plugs on fire to help seal the hole. As I was filling the tire with my portable compressor I realized there was also a hole in the bead, which means it was a pinch flat from my hard hit. I can't blame the tire as I shouldn't have been driving like I was at 8 PSI. Oh well, a total of 13 plugs later and I was back on the trail!

So far I have put approximately 600 miles on these tires through various terrain. I really like the traction and feel of this tire. I've tortured them in rocks, ruts, dirt, sand , hard pack and pavement. They have done an outstanding job in all types of terrain and are not showing much wear. One thing I did notice... in loose dirt the tires tend to push in the corners slightly. Maybe I am just used to the more direct traction of the Rage Thunder tires I had before, which utilize a softer compound for increased grip.

If you're looking for a durable D.O.T. approved tire that is predictable on the trail, the 10-ply rated Kanati Mongrel may be right for you.

Remember to get out and enjoy our sport with your friends and family, as we all have limited time on this earth. And don't forget to buy all your tires and wheels from Discount Tire!

Check out the slideshow linked below for additional photos from these rides!