Kenda Executioner

[jpswift1]

I was kicking around the idea about some extreme mud tires for my Hustler 980 BIGFOOT since I have seen such rigs like MightymaxIV's and I came across some 27x12x12 Kenda Executioners and they look really aggresive. I would imagine that there wouldn't be much water speed, but the performance in the mud would be exceptional it seems. Right now I have 26x12x12 stock Goodyear Super Terra Grips, which are very fast in the water, and OK in the mud. I think these tires on this rig would give 4 wheelers nightmares about seeing this on the trail. Let's hear some thoughts about this.



Kenda K538 Executioner at BikeBandit.com

[boncrshr]

From personal experience, I can tell you that the Bearclaws perform much better in the mud than Rawhide III's. If I hit some soft mud in the Kendas and hit the throttle, it was like they LAUNCHED out of the mud. The downside is zero water speed and rough ride. When I took the Hustler on the maiden voyage I checked the air in the Kendas, <1lb, and they did not even look deflated!

This to me is one of those agonizing decisions that comes down to where you ride. If I was mainly on land with little/no need for crossing water, it would be aggressive mud tread all the way. Currently, and for the foreseeable future, I need the ability to swim. So I will be purchasing some 25" Rawhides. Which are no slouch in the mud and do ride really great.

MightyMax is apparently getting some water speed with the aggressive tires, it makes me wonder how the Hustler would swim with the same combo as they are notoriously slow swimmers.

Ya' know JP, if I was you, since the 980 is your workhorse beast with the stump-pulling Granny gear, I would consider tracks on it...and then put some Rawhides on the Attex and have a speedster.

[jpswift1]

Boncrshr and I have been helping each other out with our tire decisions a lot. That is what's 6x6World is all about......there are lots of people who have tried things out and can educate everyone else about the outcome.

I decided that water speed probably won't mean too much to me with the Hustler because it is geared so low that the engine would really have to rev high to make the machine move quick in the water and I have other machines that will be used for that. Tracks would be really nice but the price for long tracks (the Hustler has a long wheel base) and wheel extenders as well as bearing cages would cost quite a bit. I figured that I could sell the 26" Goodyear Super Terra Grips and then use the money toward the 27" Kenda Executioners. I have browsed some of the 4 wheeler forums haha and those guys all love those tires for the mud. I could get all 6 Kenda Executioners in 27x12x12 for $400 brand new. I would imagine that 6 27" tires with true 6 wheel drive would move through some serious mud, just as boncrshr mentioned when he had some Kenda mud tires on his Hustler.

From personal experience, I can tell you that the Bearclaws perform much better in the mud than Rawhide III's. If I hit some soft mud in the Kendas and hit the throttle, it was like they LAUNCHED out of the mud. The downside is zero water speed and rough ride. When I took the Hustler on the maiden voyage I checked the air in the Kendas, <1lb, and they did not even look deflated!

This to me is one of those agonizing decisions that comes down to where you ride. If I was mainly on land with little/no need for crossing water, it would be aggressive mud tread all the way. Currently, and for the foreseeable future, I need the ability to swim. So I will be purchasing some 25" Rawhides. Which are no slouch in the mud and do ride really great.

MightyMax is apparently getting some water speed with the aggressive tires, it makes me wonder how the Hustler would swim with the same combo as they are notoriously slow swimmers.

Ya' know JP, if I was you, since the 980 is your workhorse beast with the stump-pulling Granny gear, I would consider tracks on it...and then put some Rawhides on the Attex and have a speedster.

[boncrshr]

Without a doubt they would...I just figured that with your supernatural scrounging ability you would find a set of cheap tracks!

BTW, I know where you can scrounge a really cheap set of 22" Bearclaws

[Meinfield]

Jp, I have been thinking about selling the super grip wheels and tires (26x12x12) on my 980. I love the way they pull in the mud, but they are slow swimmers. I have ordered a set of rawhide III that should be in next week, and after I test them out I will decide about the supergrips. PM me if you are interested.

[jpswift1]

Jp, I have been thinking about selling the super grip wheels and tires (26x12x12) on my 980. I love the way they pull in the mud, but they are slow swimmers. I have ordered a set of rawhide III that should be in next week, and after I test them out I will decide about the supergrips. PM me if you are interested.

Meinfield, definetley post up some pics of those Rawhide III's on your BIGFOOT, Im sure they'll look and perform very well. I think I am leaning more toward the Kenda Executioners, but thanks for the offer. Did you ever really push those mud tires to the limits in the mud when you had them on your Hustler? If so what was the scenario? I want to have a rig that will get through the most serious mud bogs and will be able to recover any machiness that might have got stuck......such as guys with brand new 4 wheelers equipped with snorkels, lift kits, huge mud tires, and egos that were so big that they got their inferior performing machines burried in mud.

[Meinfield]

Jp,
I have had these tires in some serious deep mud, and they pull like crazy they just do not swim well and they ride rough. I think if I had a strong head wind they might not swim at all! Anyhow, after thinking it over I might just keep them as a back up set for really deep muck and duck hunting. I checked out the Kenda's; that is a really aggressive tread. You can expect great performance in the mud and a back breaking ride! Let us know if they swim. Someone needs to design a deep tread mud tire with a soft sidewall that swims.

[boncrshr]

JP, how soon are you going to buy them? If they swim good I would buy them over the Rawhides....I may hold off on buying the 25" Rawhides until you swim these Executioners.

Looking at the aggressive, deep lugs, it looks like they would swim?

[jpswift1]

Jp,
You can expect great performance in the mud and a back breaking ride! Let us know if they swim. Someone needs to design a deep tread mud tire with a soft sidewall that swims.

You should feel how hard the 26" Goodyear Super Terragrips ride. They are the stock tire that comes on the 980 BIGFOOT and it is like you're riding with manhole covers bolted to your axles. I anticipate that back breaking ride quality with these tires........I had a terribly sore back after being out in the 980 BIGFOOT for only a couple of hours of driving. I'm just going to use my Huster as a recovery vehicle and deep mud boggin and then use other machines for the trails. You will absolutely love the ride quality with the Rawhide III's on your machine.....it is like driving on clouds. You could ride all day and never have a sore back, swim well, and get through some extremly muddy areas.

[mightymaxIV]

Reference Kenda mud tires

Jswift- I would be very very careful with 27" tires on your Hustler, I don't think that you will have any clearance between the tires and every brand sits a little different on the Max 12" rim. My 27" Swamp foxes measure 26" with 3psi and my 26" Vampires measure 26" inches on the Max rim with 3 psi. If you want my suggestion I would stay away from the Kenda and get something I know will swim a little. A 26" vampire will give you mud traction unequaled by any of the big tires except the outlaw. They ride better than Goodyears, and skid steer pretty well. You don't have to worry about reving them in the water because they work best at about half throtle. Right now I have four 26" Vampires and one set of 27" Swamp Foxes on my Max. I would guess my water speed to be between 1 1/2 and 2 MPH. I would guess that my mud performance is 50-65% better than the 26" Goodyears. Mud Traction unequaled! Ride good, water speed reasonable. Why take a chance with something else when you can have a little of all of it! This saturday I will be taking my Max up to Gultches to run with Mike, Greasemonkey, and McCoy. Let them report to you on my tires performance before you make an expensive decision.

[jpswift1]

Thanks for the input Mightymax, you might have saved me some trouble and money. I am pretty sure that I will be going with the 26" Kenda Executioners even though I read on some 4 wheelerforums that the 27" Executioners are about 25" -25 1/2" tall. Take a look at this link and scroll down to post #35 or #36 and you will see where the guy mentioned the height.

RE: kenda executioner pics please

I cant wait to see some pics of all of you guys' machines from the Gulches ride......have fun!

Boncrshr- I will probably be picking these tires up later this spring or early summer. Everytime I look at my Hustler I just think of how cool, and quite intimidating it will look with those Executioners on it. I always get a kick out of making these "tough guys" with their "big bad jacked up 4 wheelers" that have $10,000+ dumped in them look bad with my 6 wheelers.

[Roger S]

Can you air down any, Dan. That's a punishing ride. You get a frontier as a second machine, and it might become the primary, ie spoiled by comfort. sorry couldn't help myself. Really, does the dia. stay equal if you go down to 1.5 or so?

[pepper]

not sure why one would think that they wouldnt swim? shouldnt a person be able to visually inspect a tire design and make that determination?

They look like they could swim fairly well not sure what the ride would be like but they would be great on a springer

enough choices for sizes also

 Kendausa

[mightymaxIV]

Can you air down any, Dan. That's a punishing ride. You get a frontier as a second machine, and it might become the primary, ie spoiled by comfort. sorry couldn't help myself. Really, does the dia. stay equal if you go down to 1.5 or so?

Roger, I really can't air down because the vampires are so wide and have such a soft sidewall that to go with less than 3psi causes the inside knobs to rub on my tub! I mean this is a big aggressive tire with a very wide foot print. So far I couldn't be happier but they do have their short comings.

[Roger S]

Sounds like you filled out the wheel wells Matt had a Bigfoot with Vampires so I have an idea about yours.

I wanted a taller tire, that's how I ended up with the Kenda's on mine. If I put 3 or 3.5 psi in them, they touch each other I'm going to try alternating tread direction, swim/mud/swim/mud and see how that swims.