In the world of off-road racing, replacing stock meats with a beefier tire that will provide proper traction and resistance to puncturing is a must. ITP has stayed on the leading edge of tire design in the motocross market with its Quadcross line of tires and has recently incorporated the same winning technology of its esteemed Quadcross MX tire into an all-new offering designed just for the rigors of off-road called the Quadcross XC tire.
I'm not a huge fan of racing on brand-new products until I've had the chance to familiarize myself with it through extensive testing. I previously ran the ITP GNCC tires with great success, which meant these new tires would have high standards to live up to. The track for testing would be primarily desert, littered with square-edged holes, broken and sharp tree and bush roots, as well as a slimy, slick clay arenacross section. The only obstacles I wouldn't encounter would be a rocky field, but regardless, these tires were going to get some serious abuse.
On the muddy start where other tires spun under acceleration, the Quadcross XCs grabbed traction and launched me forward, reassuring me there was plenty of bite in a sloppy starting area. As the course entered the open desert, I rolled up on deep rutted turns and tire-puncturing jagged holes. With all of the tires set at 6 psi, the carcasses would flex just enough to absorb the hits as I swiftly entered severely rutted corners. The meaty square side lugs ripped into the earth keeping my forward momentum. In the high-speed and even slower technical sections, the 22x7-10 fronts stayed firmly planted on the ground and provided me with predictable steering control to ride with confidence.
The tires did not fare as well in the hard-packed moist clay sections as the rears noticeably slipped while pivoting through corners, but this could be expected from any tire. In the hard-packed blue-grooved portions of the track, these tires shined with their excellent hookup and handling abilities. All in all, the new meat met and even surpassed my expectations for performance and reliability. After a harsh day of racing, I could see where rocks and exposed branches scraped against the sidewalls, but there were no signs that either penetrated the tough rubber carcasses. The dry desert terrain didn't seem to affect these tires as the lugs showed very little wear and we should be able to get plenty more hours of use from them. Available in only two sizes-22x7-10 ($105.95) fronts and 20x11-9 ($117.95) rears-the ITP Quadcross XC tires have proven a worthy investment for aggressive riders who need a tough tire.
-Eli Madero
| TIRES |
92 |
| Forward Traction |
19/20 |
| Rear Slide |
19/20 |
| Durability |
19/20 |
| Ride Comfort |
18/20 |
| Price |
17/20 |
Bottom Line: A tough tire that offers good traction and reliability in a wide variety of terrain.