This video is sponsored by CST Tires.

It is important to identify your customers’ interest, riding style and terrain they anticipate riding on before you recommend a set of tires to them.

Mud

When selling mud tires, get your customer into something with extra deep lugs and a wide tread pattern. The deep lugs will dig them out of the worst mud holes and the wide tread pattern throws the mud out to keep riders going. A heavy 6 or 8 ply will add to durability and long life.

Sand

Sand tires are lightweight and you’ll generally see two-ply tires in this category in order to keep the weight down. The paddles on rear tires identify their application to sit on top of the sand. Front tires will differ in appearance and usually have center ribs for traction and cornering.

Hard Pack

Conquering hard and rocky terrain requires a tire that has a greater number of lugs to grip and contact the varying ruts, grooves and sharp angles that dominate this type of landscape. Extra lugs on the sidewall will protect the tire and increase durability and traction when softer surfaces are encountered, and a 6 or 8 ply construction adds durability.

Racing

Racing tires are generally lighter in weight with widely spaced knobs that will improve traction in a variety of conditions. Low ply tires are best for motocross and higher ply are best for off-road courses or unexpected terrain.

Utility

Utility vehicles all are going to lean in the direction of versatility. Recommend at least a 6 ply tire and a broad contact patch to ensure that they will handle a load. Try to match the tread and lugs to their terrain; whether it’s completely off-road or commonly used trails. For use on grassy areas, look for a turf-friendly tread pattern.

Snow

For cold-weather crowds, there are tires made for the cold that will give customers a snow and ice shoveling effect and feature a compound that remains flexible in the cold temperatures.

As you can see, you’ve got to cover some ground to get your customer into the right tires.