When it comes to tires, many customers look to dealers to direct them to a product that will fit their needs. Whether they are a first time UTV rider or a professional racer, getting to know the customer’s specific needs can be the key to making the sale or not.
Location – Knowing the intended use of the tire will help identify what product is best. Most of the time, UTV tires will take a beating on varying terrain. Recommend tires that will last the test of time and travel according to your customer’s desires.
Sand – Look to sell tires with staggered knobs in the tread to maximize steering response and blades for versatility in dunes. A low ply rating is recommended to give sand customers a comfortable ride. Check out CST’s Sandblast here.
Mud – A fanged tread pattern is perfect for muddy and slick conditions to give the driver more control when accelerating and breaking. The sharp tread pattern throws mud away from the tires to allow the rider to get through wet conditions. Check out CST’s Sludge Hammer here.
Hard Pack and Rock – Tires with a non-directional tread pattern perform best to clear debris and rock. Look for tread that interlocks and utilizes hook-like lugs that dig deep into hard pack terrain to offer optimum traction. Check out CST’s Lobo RC here.
All terrain – Tires with an aggressive tread pattern help UTVs adapt to a wide variety of terrain. Be sure to offer tires that feature deep-ridged treads to provide confidence in cornering and prevent sliding on varying trails. Check out CST’s Dingo here.Construction – When asking the customer where they intend to ride, you can use this to pinpoint which construction they might prefer.
Radial – A radial tire allows the sidewall and the tread to function as two independent parts of the tire. This tire is best for durability and smooth rides on paved or flat roads. Check out CST’s Stag here.
Bias ply – A bias ply tire is made of multiple rubber layers overlapping, creating an independent crown and sidewall. This tire performs well on rougher terrain. Check out CST’s Abuzz here.Capacity – If the customer’s intended use is for work, ask what kind of load they will be transporting. The load carrying capacity varies for each tire and machine. Ideally, match or exceed the load carrying capacity of the tire to that of the machine.
Value – Every customer is looking for is a good deal and a tire purchase should not be a frugal one. Give customers options based on their needs that range from least expensive to most expensive. Identify each component of the tire that fits what the customer is looking for and allow them to choose based on their budget.
Proof –Is your customer a racer? When a racer enters a dealership, they are looking for a tire that will help them get to the finish line. The product you are selling could have influential racers who are sponsored by a specific brand that appeals to them. If the tire you’re selling has name recognition, it helps to show customers that there are riders who stand by the brand at the checkered flag. Knowing who some of the racers are and what tires brands they ride with will help you identify with certain customers.
Determining the best tire for a customer ultimately comes down to knowing what application they choose to ride on; whether it be mud, sand, dirt or a combination. Knowing that tire tread is the factor between a rider sinking into a sand dune or accelerating out of a muddy trail can be the key to finalizing a tire sale.
Mud
One would assume the rider will be geared up for a day of on the trail in wet, muddy conditions after a rainstorm or near a marsh, but are their tires prepared for the adventure? When selling mud tires, offer a tire with deep lugs and wide voids that can be one to two inches deep to push mud away from the tread. The tire’s spikes should be spaced out and the tire should be heavy in order to take on the wet terrain.
Rocky and Hard Pack
The harder the terrain, the more lugs a rider will need on their tire to grip and make contact with different angles and grooves that come in rocky or hard terrain. Protecting the sidewall with extra lugs will help with durability and traction when shifting from a hard to a soft surface.
Sport
For racers, lightweight tires that have more space between lugs help with contact on medium and hard terrains. The knobby lugs give the rider quick acceleration and control that gives the rider flexibility on a track. Depending on the track, an off-road racer’s terrain can determine what options to point to the customer; lightweight and low ply tires are best for motocross and more ply would be needed for a racer who were tackling an off-road course in the woods.
Sand
Have you ever walked in boots on the beach? Your foot sinks right into the ground and it takes a lot longer to raise a foot to the next step as opposed to wearing flip flops that are light and graze the surface of the sand. The same idea goes for tires. A lightweight tire is best when hitting the desert. Sand tires stand out with their paddle tread that ribs horizontally across the tire to push the sand away from the tread, keeping the vehicle on top of the surface and propelling it forward.
Identifying the riding terrain for a customer can improve tire sales at any dealership. What type of tread is moving your sales forward?
With the welcomed arrival of a late-blooming spring across much of the country, mountain bikers are eager to hit the woods and explore the trails. Some rode all winter, and their drivetrains are showing it. Others let their bikes sit unattended in the garage through the off season.
Representatives from both groups will soon arrive at your shop, looking to give their rides a little TLC in preparation for a summer’s worth of shred – or, they’ll be visiting for repairs from having neglected their bike for a bit too long.
After a standard inspection, tune-up, and cleaning, most MTB spring refurbishments should include the addition of new tires for the new season ahead. The average rider tends to defer tire updates as long as possible, due to the high cost and the optimistic belief that there’s always a bit more life in the current set.
CST Tires, available from all major distributors, offers options like the Rock Hawk, BFT, and Jack Rabbit that provide noticeable upgrades without breaking the bank.
For instance, CST’s Rock Hawk tires feature an open tread design and large side lugs, which work together to clear debris, improve traction, and enhance cornering. The Rock Hawk tire is for technical terrain including hard pack, loose over hard, medium, and loose, and it features CST’s Exceptional Puncture Safety (EPS) technology, which is a layer of poly-fiber material between the tread and casing that prevents objects from penetrating the casing to puncture the tube.
Rock Hawk, like many of the tires offered by CST, is available wire or folding bead, in three diameters and numerous widths, in keeping with industry trends toward MTB and gravel tire size expansion. The 26”, 27.5” and 29” Rock Hawk tires all come in widths of 2.25” and 2.40” at present, and will be available in widths of 2.60”, 2.80”, and wider in late 2018 / early 2019.
Another arrow in the CST quiver is the BFT, designed for all-mountain freeriders who need a beefy tire that can handle rocky terrain and high-speed turns. It’s perfect for long-travel bikes and its center and side knobs grip the trail on climbs and while cornering. Terrain-wise, it’s ideal for loose over hard pack, medium, loose, wet, and muddy conditions.
Like the Rock Hawk, BFT is offered with EPS technology and it has either a wire or folding bead. In addition to 26”, 27.5” and 29” diameters, it also comes in 20” and its width selection ranges from 2.25” to 4.0”, with additional widths planned to debut soon.
For those who have embraced tubeless riding and love a diverse tire that can do it all, the Jack Rabbit from CST is worth a look. It complies with Universal System Tubeless (UST) standards, and is compatible with all UST-specific rims. A standard tube-type version is also available.
As its name implies, the zippy Jack Rabbit tire has a fast-rolling tread design with small ramped knobs. It’s great on hard pack, loose over hard, and medium terrain and it features CST’s EPS technology to prevent punctures. The Jack Rabbit tire comes in 26”, 27.5” and 29” diameters and in widths from 1.95 to 2.25.
All of CST’s mountain tires range in price from $18-$40 (retail!) – making them a low-cost and high-impact upgrade to offer your customers.
Beau Baron is a natural-born rider, a multi-time WORCS champion, who is frequently in first place on side-by-sides. Everyone knows that if it’s got wheels and can be raced, Baron will take it all the way to the podium.
Baron has been tapped as one of CST Tires’ primary Brand Ambassadors. Not only does Baron race in multiple classes, but he is the only rider we know who races moto, ATV and SxS.
Whether it’s the Pulse for ATV, Dingo for SxS, or Legion MX-VI for moto –Baron rides CST Tires in all of them. While chasing championships in the WORCS circuit, he also spends quite a bit of time helping CST Tires develop their products like the Dingo and others.
“I run two different tires for WORCS, so the Dingo is more for a hardpack setting,” said Baron. “The tire is really good and it’s got a nice round shape to it so it doesn’t catch really hard in the ruts but you can lay it in there and stay in the ruts. It also has good traction on hardpack.”
One of the things Baron said he likes the most about the Dingo is that it’s very predictable in a variety of conditions.
“The predictability on my slides, the predictability in the ruts, you know, not popping out when I don’t want it to, but being able to have it loose enough to where I can throw it sideways and have a predictable slide. It’s just an all around great tire.”
Baron said that CST Tires is committed to the SxS market and continuing to invest in the brand to give riders what they want and need, both on and off the track.
For the side-by-side explorer who needs a great tire that fits all riding conditions including desert and sand, intermediate, soft and mud riding, the CST Dingo is the perfect fit.
The tire features an aggressive tread pattern with deep ridges that help with cornering, predictable sliding and grip when accelerating. The eight ply rated radial construction of the tire guarantees durability, ride comfort and confidence at high speeds.
The Dingo is the tire of choice for the multi-time WORCS champion, who is frequent on the first place podium in side-by-sides, No. 549, Beau Baron.
Looking for a tire that has a proven track record on the podium? Developed in cooperation with CST and professional ATV racer Adam McGill, the tire was built with durability and performance in mind.
The tire is made with a proprietary soft tread compound that is developed to ride on multiple terrains, from roots to rocks. The tread pattern also helps riders accelerate out of corners with ease, pushing debris away from the tire.
Everyday riders and professionals agree that the traction is unbeatable on most intermediate terrains, with significant control when changing from soft to a hard pack.
The deep tread pattern comes in a six-ply rating and is available in 10 inch for the front tire and 9 inch for the rear.
Look for riders like McGill and Beau Baron riding the Pulse HT in races across the country this summer .
Ranked fifth in 2017, second in 2016 and second in 2015; ATV racer, No. 521, Adam McGill knew his future was in racing after being named the youngest person to place in the top three of a GNCC race at 17 years old in 2005. He followed that with wins at the GNCC Pro Am Championship and winning the AMA ATVA Amateur Rider of the Year Award.
The West Virginia native’s professional career began in 2008, and he has captured the podium every year.
In 2018, McGill has been working hard on the GNCC Racing circuit since February, ranking in the top of his class in multiple rounds.
This month, McGill is focusing his attention on Round 9 in Snowshoe, WV, on June 23-24, at Snowshoe Mountain Resort. Set in a ski village, the track is known to be challenging, setting atop of the second highest point in the state.
Unlike other races in the GNCC circuit, riders at Snowshoe will line up on a paved road in groups of five and start their engines every 10 seconds. The track extends from the paved start onto ski slopes and into deep mud bogs with massive tree roots and hills covered in black, loamy dirt.
Looking to dominate the peaks of Snowshoe, McGill has his eye on the podium in his home state.
For more information on McGill, follow him on Facebook for race updates.
Beau Baron is a natural-born rider, a multi-time WORCS champion who has also conquered first place finishes in Side-by-Side. Everyone knows that if it’s got wheels and can be raced, Beau will take it all the way to the podium. Nowadays, he’s even riding Moto. But take away the championships and trophies and you’d still find Beau out riding every single day, just to get the rush he can only find from off-road. Baron has been tapped as one of CST Tires’ primary Brand Ambassadors. Not only does Baron race in multiple classes, but he is the only rider we know who races Moto, ATV and SxS. Whether it’s the Pulse for ATV, Dingo for SxS, or Legion MX-VI for Moto – Beau Baron rides CST Tires in all of them. This year he is chasing championships in the WORCS and Big 6 Series. And he also spends quite a bit of time helping CST Tires develop their products like the Dingo and others. “I run two different tires for WORCS, so the Dingo is more for a hardpack setting,” notes Baron. “The tire is really good and it’s got a nice round shape to it so it doesn’t catch really hard in the ruts but you can lay it in there and stay in the ruts. It also has pretty good traction on hardpack.” One of the things Baron says he likes the most about the Dingo is that it’s very predictable in a variety of conditions. “The predictability on my slides, the predictability in the ruts, you know, not popping out when I don’t want it to, but being able to have it loose enough to where I can throw it sideways and have a predictable slide. It’s just an all around great tire.” Baron says that he is currently testing new tires and compounds that will be introduced at a later date, but it shows that CST Tires is committed to the SxS market and continuing to invest in the brand to give riders what they want and need. On the racing side, Baron says that the SxSs are much more difficult to prepare than either the ATV or dirtbike. “It takes up a lot of my time,” he says. “The dirt bikes and the quads are a breeze compared to the two side-by-sides, which take about 20 to 40 hours before each race to prepare. But when you win in the thing, you know, you still get a rush.”
CST is going full-throttle with its first-ever contingency program, offering generous cash prizes for winners and podium finishers in AMSOIL GNCC Racing, WORCS, the ATV MX National Championships and the AMA District 37 Big6 Grand Prix Series.
Prizes ranging from $400 to $50 will be awarded for upcoming races, with amounts varying according to series, class, and first, second or third-place finish. The contingency place begins April 21-22 for AMSOIL GNCC; April 27-29 for WORCS; April 14-15 for ATV MX; and May 5-6 for Big 6. Races prior to the specified dates are not covered by the program, and no prizes will be awarded retroactively.
To be eligible, racers must ride CST tires and display decals in the number and size specified on the entry form throughout the event.
For more information about the contingency awards from CST, visit csttires.com/us/contingency.
Distributed in more than 150 countries, the CST brand covers a wide range of market segments. CST products include tires and tubes for bicycles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, autos, trucks, forklifts, agricultural and lawn and garden equipment.
Last week we went “behind the brand” to give you a bit of a history lesson on CST Tires. Starting this week, we’ll be introducing some of the people involved with CST Tires.
Chris Meyer is the Moto/ATV Marketing Coordinator for Maxxis/CST USA. While he has only been with CST since December, he says he’s been an active participant in the sport since he was nine years old. “I’m a lifelong participant in the sport, definitely,” says Meyer. “I was doing a lot of the same things I’m doing now the year before I took this job, I just wasn’t getting paid to do it.”
Meyer said that before CST he was working in the adult beverage industry and he sees a lot of parallels with what he’s doing now.
“I spent the early part of my professional career in the adult beverage industry,” says Meyers. “Mostly on the beer side of things working for distributors or suppliers. The alcohol industry is very similar to this one and is set up in three tiers with a manufacturer, a distributor and a retailer.
“There’s a lot of the same challenges you face in communication and tracking conversions, and you know, proving that your marketing dollars are well spent are very similar. Similar to CST where we have a completely different industry, at the end of the day product that needs to somehow engage with a consumer, they need to be able to connect with it.”
Meyer lets us in on the secret behind brand marketing, and that is to make the product or brand more than the sum of its parts. We used the analogy of the craft beer market and the quality of beers improving and multiplying almost daily, but consumers are lost in the value of these brands unless they know what it is or have tried it before.
“Corona is an example where the value of their beer was the retail price and the perceived value of the beer was way above what the quality of that beer,” says Meyer. “They did it from a marketing perspective. Ballast Point, on the other hand, did it from a price point perspective; they price their beer so high that you would convince yourself it’s good or else you’d feel stupid for spending that much on beer!”
He says CST is in a unique spot where it has to be marketed very carefully because it is very aggressively priced. “Whether we like it or not, a lower price just kind of dictates a certain level of quality when you look at different price points,” says Meyer. “The reason we made an investment in professional racing was to expand the number of guys we have that can perform at the top level. I mean, we have more CST wins in GNCC than Maxxis does right now.”
Currently, Meyer says he is focusing on some of their brand ambassadors and the racing events for CST. There will also be some upcoming tests with their pro riders like Beau Baron and Adam McGill. Be sure to stop and say hello to Chris when you see him at the track or an event. Besides knowing a lot about tires, he knows a thing or two about adult beverages and can make some good recommendations for tires or beer – or both.
The WORCS Pro Series is brutal in the UTV classes. The tracks are tough, the competition is even tougher and the tires not only need to hold up but they need to perform at the highest level to make it to the finish line.
CST Tires has just the tire for the brutal environment of UTV racing, and it goes by the name Dingo. This tire has been a staple for WORCS driver and CST brand ambassador Beau Baron. We caught up with Beau to get his take on the tires, and how they not only perform on the track but hold up for work and play as an all-round tire for any UTV.
“When it’s dusty, it’s hot and you’re worried about hitting the gas and the brake at the right time. You’re accelerating points, braking points, and so on. The last thing you want to worry about is your tires,” says Baron.
One of the things Baron says he likes the most about the Dingo is that it’s very predictable in a variety of conditions. “The predictability on my slides, the predictability in the ruts, you know, not popping out when I don’t want it to, but being able to have it loose enough to where I can throw it sideways and have a predictable slide. It’s just an all around great tire.”
The Dingo features an aggressive tread pattern for hard-hitting grip while accelerating in ruts. Its 8-ply-rated radial construction guarantees durability, ride comfort and confidence at high speeds on the trail. Designed for all types of terrain, the Dingo is the tire for the rider who loves to explore.
“I run two different tires for WORCS, so the Dingo is more for a hardpack setting,” notes Baron. “The tire is really good and it’s got a nice round shape to it so it doesn’t catch really hard in the ruts but you can lay it in there and stay in the ruts. It also has pretty good traction on hardpack.”
It’s all about durability.
That’s what CST USA’s Rick Emmert, manager of specialty tires, says that most of the company’s UTV consumers are looking for today.
“Whether it’s tread life or puncture resistance or carrying capacity, durability is really what consumers are looking for,” he says. “And that’s one thing that we’re providing, especially with our Behemoth line.”
Emmert says the Behemoth is aimed toward the Utility Side-by-Side consumer who is also value conscious and is looking for a durable tire that performs well but won’t break the bank.
“The Behemoth has been out a couple of years, but we’ve expanded the lineup to include a pretty broad range of sizes,” Emmert says. “It ranges from a general utility ATV with 12-inch wheels to a smaller SxS.”
The Behemoth is available in 25×8, 12×25 and 10×12 combinations and then also in 14- and 15-inch size wheels, which are a little bit more of a standard width for 800cc and larger UTVs. Plus, if somebody wants to go with an aftermarket wheel with a little bit different sizing, CST has a fitment for it.
The Behemoth features an aggressive tread pattern for hard-hitting grip when accelerating and massive shoulder treads for control in ruts. The tire employs a lower rolling resistance for hardpack conditions and gives confidence at high speeds on the trail or in deep mud. Deep, ridged shoulder lugs provide cornering traction, predictable sliding and extra sidewall protection while the 8-ply-rating ensures durability and reliability on any terrain.
CST is a division of Cheng Shin Rubber Ind. Co. Ltd., the largest manufacturer of bicycle tires in the world, employing more than 20,000 people worldwide. The company also offers products in many other categories, including the ATV and UTV markets.
While CST brand tires are distributed in more than 150 countries, covering a wide range of market segments, the team at CST USA develops and sells tires specifically for the North American market.
“The brand itself has been around since 1967 as kind of an offshoot of the Cheng Shin Tire brand,” says Rick Emmert, CST USA’s manager of specialty tires. “But I’d say the last five years is when we’ve been making the push here in the U.S. and Canada as a separate brand.”
Emmert says that in the 1980s, the parent company spun off Maxxis Tires as a separate premium brand, saw some success with it and decided there was room for a value brand such as CST. The company is now a global player.
Emmert notes that the U.S. team designs and markets all of their tires to fit the specific needs of the North American SxS/ATV/Moto consumer.
“After Maxxis came in and we expanded our facilities and factories in other countries, we realized there was an opportunity for another brand to have a unique and separate R&D department, an independent sales division and a different factory from where the other products are made. So (CST) is under the Chen Shin Rubber umbrella (the same as Maxxis), but it’s an entirely separate brand… separate everything,” explains Emmert.
Chris Meyer, CST USA’s Moto ATV/UTV marketing coordinator, echoes what Emmert says about being a separate brand. “We do hit different price points (than Maxxis), so we do go after a slightly different consumer. We do that for a reason, and that’s because Maxxis is an industry leader. With a brand that is emerging such as CST, it’s hard to launch products and brands at the top end, so you have to kind of start a little bit lower and work your way up.”
Meyer says that the typical CST consumer is a little more value conscious than a Maxxis customer. “We consider Maxxis as the flagship and then CST as the associate brand. There are many multiple brands in the passenger car tire industry. If you look at a Michelin, for example, they are the flagship brand, whereas Uniroyal or BF Goodrich would be an associate brand. We see it like that.”
As an emerging brand, CST is going after a different consumer and in more niche markets than the premium flagship brand. Meyer says that currently they are focused on the UTV, SxS market. “Our typical consumer right now would be utility side-by-side, utility ATV owner. These are consumers who are looking for performance but maybe aren’t looking to spend a whole paycheck on a product.”
One important thing to note about CST is that the company follows strict international standards and has received several certifications and awards including DOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) certification, ISO9001, E-Mark, TS 16949 and others.
Utilizing a first-rate manufacturing operation and highly efficient logistics, CST is quickly emerging as a leader in the powersports industry.