The ATX puts up a solid challenge to the KO2 in terms of on-road quietness. There was no off-road or all-terrain tire as quiet as the KO2 on-road until the ATX came out. With that being said, the KO2 is one of the quietest if not the quietest all-terrain tire on road. This is because the aggressive tread patterns and big lug required off-road make for a noisy paved road experience. One of the hardest challenges for an off-road tire manufacturer is to make quiet tires. It’s respectable on the highway but has some mild vibrations and does not handle as well as the KO2s Noise The General Grabber ATX falls behind the KO2 in this category.
The KO2 handles exceptionally well on highways, so good in fact you wouldn’t know you had an all-terrain tire. BFGoodrich knew that the majority of people will spend more time using their all-terrain tires on highways and paved roads. The secret behind the KO2s success is its on-road manners as well as being able to handle moderate off-road conditions. So, it’s important to not overlook the on-road performance of the tire when trying to find the best tire for your needs.
On-roadĪll-terrain tires spend much of their time on paved roads if not most of their time. Both tires have aggressive shoulders allowing for better traction and both of them make a compromise in the compound in the favor of on-road manners. With that being said, these two tires perform as well on rocks as any all-terrain could. A good rock tire needs big lugs and a soft compound, this would make on-road handling difficult and noisy. It’s difficult to get an all-terrain tire that performs well on rocks because the compromise would be on-road manners. The ATX’s on the other hand has a more aggressive 5-way thread pattern with better self-clearing allowing it to grip better in mud. The KO2s are a solid tire for mud but it’s no secret that when the mud gets too wet or sticky they start to stop clearing and lose traction. However, if we were to choose one tire for only mud it would be the ATX. Mud is where a lot of off-roaders find themselves and out of all the surfaces you can find off-roading, mud is the one place you want your tires to shine.īoth brands gave a solid attempt to create an all-terrain tire capable of handling mud. The ATXs also seem to be sporting a slightly more aggressive tread pattern which is not ideal in the sand. This requires a tire with a strong sidewallĬomparing these two tires, the KO2 seems to be a better tire for sand due to its reinforced sidewall. To achieve this, it’s essential to air down your tires. Sand is one of the toughest off-road surfaces to drive on, it requires a large profile tire for a long footprint. By breaking it down, we can compare these tires in much more detail. Off-roadīoth the ATX and the KO2 are more than capable of handling mild to moderate off-roading and it is tough to choose which is better overall. There is no denying that both of these tires would be considered high performance by most standards, however, we found that their performance is stronger in some areas and weaker in others. The upper shoulder is manufactured from a rubber compound twice as thick as it’s predecessor, it also utilizes a serrated shoulder design to aid in off-road traction. They also feature an aggressive shoulder which improves off-road performance. The KO2 is one of the best sidewalls you can find in an all-terrain tire, the sidewall is constructed using twin steel belts with BFGoodrichs TriGard. Regardless of the type of tire, you still need to be able to deflect sharp rocks and sticks, as well as lower the tire pressure without running the risk of popping a bead.īFGoodrich knew this and has constantly been striving to improve the KO2 sidewall structure. SidewallĪny tire you take off-road should have an uprated sidewall, even if it is only an all-terrain tire as opposed to a mud terrain tire. The KO2 uses big blocks and large grooves for optimum performance off-road. TreadĪnybody who knows anything about off-roading will be familiar with the KO2 tread pattern, it’s been around for a long time, not that it is outdated technology, rather the opposite, it performs well and doesn’t need to be updated. It’s rare to end up with a perfect all-around tire, but these two brands got damn close. It needs to be capable off-road while having manners on the road. Designing an all-terrain tire is no easy feat.
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