It's not often that a tire manufacturer enters a new market these days. Pretty much each one has its niche or already has a tire for every machine out there. But every so often, a new player enters the fray and does so with such zeal you have to stand up and take notice.
Enter Yokohama's Geolander M/T G003 SxS tire.
But more than just a new side-by-side tire on the market, and bringing with it the normal new market expectations, I'm switching my Can-Am's BFGoodrich KM3 tires, the go-to tire for nearly every side-by-side on the market for go-fast shenanigans, as well as rock crawling and more, to the Yokos. That means they have to compete against the best in the business. They have to compete against the tires that helped me get further into the backcountry than ever before. They have to compete against the tires that helped me find hunting success.
That's a tall order.
Yet, when they arrived at my house, and I stacked the Geolander M/Ts up against the BFGs, well, there might be a new big dawg in town. At least just based on looking at the Yokohamas sitting idly against the BFGs. But let's talk about the details of these new tires and see if there's a little more than just me being beguiled by the new-new.
According to Yokohama, "The G003 SxS is designed to be tough and bring a new sense of confidence to off-roaders,” said Drew Dayton, Yokohama Tire’s senior product planning manager, consumer tires. “It’s built to fit today’s most popular side-by-side models and has the same durability, cut-and-chip resistant compound, and tenacious traction as its big brother, the original GEOLANDAR M/T G003." That original is what Yokohama offers for off-road trucks, things like Ford Raptors and Ram TRXs. So there's some pedigree there.
The construction includes multi-ply sidewalls, a full nylon cap, and a turn-up carcass, all of which are designed to provide me, the UTV'r, with strength, durability, and wildly good traction on a myriad of surfaces. Good, cause I go places even most UTV drivers hate. See my bow hunt from late last year.
Yokohama also states that the company included "sidewall armor" to protect against lateral impacts, along with a "higher density" tread compound to prevent chipping and cuts. Again, all in the name of longevity and rugged durability. The brand also said it optimized the tread pattern, along with the voids within, to more easily eject rocks, while simultaneously giving the driver enhanced grip on mud, sand, dirt, gravel, and likely even snow.
The tires themselves will come in a few different sizes, with diameters for both 15- and 17-inch rims. I have a set of Black Rhino La Paz UTV rims in the 15-inch size in a square setup. And for the Yokohamas, I went with a 32x9.50R15. That's two inches taller than the 30x10R15 BFG setup I have on currently, so I'm gaining a little weight, along with some height. Fingers crossed the X3 fits in my garage with the Pelican top box on after all is said and done...
I can take it off, I'm just lazy.
As for price, the new Yokohama Geolander M/T G003 SxS tires will cost you about $260 a pop, so a few bucks more than the BFG KM3s. But not unreasonably more expensive, in my opinion.
I'm set to install them likely this week or next, and I'll be putting them through their paces over the spring, summer and fall before I really get into my thoughts. I'm going to be testing them through mud, rain, water crossings, and during my fall elk hunt. Maybe even a deer hunt, too. Finger's crossed. But before all that, what would you like to see from my review? What sort of nerdy questions can I answer and keep at the top of my mind while I'm testing them?
Sound off in the comments below and I'll make sure to jot them down to answer once my review goes live.
