Maxxis 'Zilla Multi-Terrain Tire Review Hot

Maxxis came out with the ‘Zilla multi-terrain tires not too long ago, and we at ATVESCAPE had heard good things about them from our members. We had been anxious to try a set to see for ourselves how these tires would perform both on the trail and in the mud. Maxxis was kind enough to oblige us, and provided us a set to test out.  The conclusion of the test resulted in our belief that Maxxis has delivered a great multi-terrain tire to tackle the backcountry and the mud.

ATV, UTV, and dirt bike enthusiasts have long been familiar with the Maxxis name in tires. The Maxxis Bighorn radial tires are a standard in a great trail tire. Maxxis makes the mud tire called the “Mudzilla”, which is one of the three mud tires which are the industry standard for serious mud riding.  Having seen the Mudzilla tires at work in the mud holes, and having known many fellow riders who depend and swear-by the Bighorns, we felt a good multi-terrain tire by Maxxis was doable but ambitious.  Tackling the task of building a multi-terrain tire is ambitious considering multi-terrain tires try to do many things well instead of one thing really well.  Since many riders can not afford to own a set of trail tires and a set of mud tires, the tire industry decided to make tires which do both fairly well. The Maxxis ‘Zilla is the result of that effort.

The ‘Zillas are biased-ply tires, which means they do not flex as much in the sidewalls as radial tires do. This can translate into a rougher ride. However, one benefit of bias-ply is sidewall strength. The sidewalls are not as “exposed” to puncture as those on a radial tire because the sidewalls do not “poke” out as a result of that flex. The ‘Zillas are a six-ply tire, which is a solid benefit. Many ATV manufacturers put two-ply tires on their ATVs from the factory. This cuts down on the overall weight of the ATV as the more plys, or layers on the tire, the more the weight. However, the fewer the plys, on a tire the more the tire is susceptible to puncture.  We will take the trade off in weight to have a tougher tire, especially in sidewall strength. The good news is the ‘Zilla is also lightweight for a six-ply tire. The tread design is without a doubt, bred from its big-brother the Mudzilla. When we first looked at this tire we thought “wow, that is some serious tread!”. We also thought the ride would suffer because of the aggressive tread pattern. Here is what we discovered. 

On the Trail- Trail Performance

We found the ‘Zillas to be offer predictable and comfortable performance on the trail. After very little seat time we knew exactly how the tires were going to perform on the trail time and time again, and they did not feel heavy as some aftermarket tires do.  The ‘Zillas provided solid traction in everything from loose dirt and rocks to hard packed ground. They also provided good “hook up” on rocks, which considering the space between the lugs in the lug pattern, was a pleasant surprise. Now when you push these tires through turns at high speeds they handle very well. We found it was easy to break the back tires loose in high speed turns but they were consistent in how they broke loose. It was easy to come out of the turn and gain traction again. The more we pushed these tires in speed the more impressed we were at the predictable “feel” they gave us. We gained confidence in the ‘Zilla’s performance in this scenario. They do not stick turns like a trail-only tire, however, and they were not as smooth as our light weight radial tires we have put many miles on. The ‘Zillas rode rougher than those radials, but were still very comfortable on the trail. Even on a long day’s ride we were not worn out any more than normal.   The ‘Zillas soaked up rocks and bumps well. The times we really noticed the difference in ride was when we first eased into the throttle. At extremely slow speeds, you can feel more vibration, as the lug pattern is more aggressive than on a straight trail tire. Having said that though, the vibration produced is almost unnoticeable. The ‘Zillas are smooth riding tires.

In the Mud- Mud Performance

Being the ‘Zillas are named after some of the best mud tires in the industry, the question is do they do their namesake proud in the mud? The answer is a “yes” to mud and “not quite” to the mud holes. The ‘Zillas have aggressive 1.2 inch lugs with a recessed spot in the middle of the tread. The tread design means they dig in the mud and paddle through it, and dig and paddle the ‘Zillas do well! As you can see from the pictures of the ‘Zillas in action we put them into mud holes not just mud. When in just mud the ‘Zillas dig and paddle their way through time and time again. They are far superior to the standard tires on ATVs and UTVs from the factory, which tend to have tread design for smooth riding on hard ground. We found even in mud that is below the water line the ‘Zillas did very well wading through it.  We determined we could depend on the ‘Zillas to get us through most of what we threw at them. Now let’s talk about mud holes.  Mud holes like what you see in the pictures are just a little much for the ‘Zillas. Compared to a dedicatedmud tire the ‘Zillas can’t keep up. Here is the kicker though: it is unreasonable to expect them to keep up. We believe the problem is that these mud parks have mud holes that have been dug out by 30- and 32- inch tires. When you take 26-inch tires into those mud holes, you wind up digging down to the frame and having nothing to push or paddle from. We found this to be the case several times. We believe, for a multi-terrain tire, the ‘Zilla does well in the mud, but it is not a mud hole tire.

Final Thoughts

We at ATVESCAPE were impressed by the ‘Zillas. We really like how light weight the ‘Zillas are and feel on the trail. We love how aggressive the tread is, and surprised at how smooth the ride is considering this. The almost sporty feel at higher speeds was a total surprise as well. We feel strongly the Zilla does very well in the mud, considering what should be expected of it as a multi-terrain tire, and not a dedicated mud tire. Having the dependability of a six-ply tire is a must in our opinion for an aftermarket tire. An added benefit to the’ Zilla is the fact it is reasonably priced for all the terrain you can tackle, and compared to other multi-terrain tires. We will continue to deliver more information about the ‘Zillas as we put more miles on them including how they wear.

What We Liked

• Smooth ride
• Aggressive tread does well in mud
• Six-ply tire
• Predictable performance at higher speeds

What We Wish

• We wish the Maxxis ‘Zilla could be a perfect trail tire and be able to hit the deepest mud holes, but that tire doesn’t exist.

Our Conclusion

If you are looking for a multi-terrain tire which will get you down the trail with a smooth ride, and will get you through most mud, then the Maxxis ‘Zilla is a good choice. ‘Zillas offer a smooth predictable ride on the trail and hold their own in most mud situations. If you are looking for a tire to hit the deep mud holes at a mud park then keep looking and buy a dedicated mud tire.

For more information or to find your local Maxxis dealer check out the Maxxis website

{hwdps}id=5{/hwdps}

Specs

Front Maxxis Tires

Rear Maxxis Tires