GBC 27" Dirt Commanders
The Dirt Commander tire from GBC Motorsports is nothing new, it has been proving itself for years to have excellent performance as well as durability but last year on facebook and by other means we told GBC we wanted a durable 8 ply tire in 27" sizes for a 12" wheel so shortly there after GBC gave us what we ask for by adding the 27x9 and 27x11 Dirt Commanders to their line up. You might ask why a 27" tire for a 12" wheel? Why not just run a 14" wheel? There is several advantages to having a 27" tire on a 12" wheel over a 14" wheel, including rim and tire protection. On the 12" wheel a 27" tire has a taller side wall which yields better rim and tire protection by allowing the tire to flex and absorb the terrain better. Due to the taller sidewall you can also safely run lower air pressures, which will allow the tire to flex more for better traction in the rocks. To get as much side wall flex on a 14" rim you would have to go with a 29" tall tire which would make a considerable difference in performance over the 27" tire.
I have ran the Dirt Commanders before and loved them so when I found out the new sizes of the Dirt Commanders were available I had to have a set for my RZR. On my RZR I went with 27"x9" on all four corners and one for a spare all mounted on 4"+3" offset wheels so they can be rotated to any corner of the RZR. You might wonder why rotate them? Well we all know that the rear tires tend to wear faster than the fronts due to machine weight distribution and tire spin for one reason or another so being able to rotate the rear tires to the front will allow the tires to wear the same for longer life, higher mileage, and maximum traction. And have you ever noticed how tires round off the leading edge of the tread? by rotating the tires from side to side when you rotate them they will provide better traction by putting the sharp edge in the leading position. Sport ATV riders have been flipping the rear tires from side to side for years because of this and although it will not be as noticeable on a sidexside as it is a sport ATV flipping the tires will still provide a slight advantage in traction.
The Dirt Commander is a great all around tire that is an 8 ply rated bias ply non-directional tire that offers great traction in almost all conditions. I have had these tires in the rocks, the mud, and in the hard pack and I love them!