AOT Launches New ATV, UTV and Side-by-Side Tires
American Omni Trading Co. (AOT) has added a new line of radial ATV, UTV and side-by-side tires to its existing line of ATV tires.
The Omni Recon Trail HD and Omni Recon Trail Pro tires were recently introduced to AOT distributors and dealers at Hidden Falls Adventure Park in Marble Falls, Texas, where guests drove an assortment of vehicles on trails throughout the property.
Radial ATV tires represent a small but fast-growing portion of the overall ATV market, which is why AOT decided that now is the time to introduce the new lines, said Chris Brackin, president of AOT.
"With the explosive growth of the side-by-side UTV market, we recognized the opportunity to bring a tire to market that provided a combination of superior performance and affordable pricing. We wanted to capture the ‘budget enthusiast’ consumer by giving them a tire that performs at a major brand level without the major brand price.
"This was a great opportunity to bring in some of our great customers who also focus on this specialty area,” Brackin told MTD when asked about the ride-and-drive event.
“Not only did we have this awesome ride-and-drive event, but this also was time well-spent building upon the great relationships we have with our dealers.
"The AOT team did a fantastic job putting this event together to showcase the performance of our new Recon Trail products. Thanks to the input from our customers, we are already working on the next generation of products and events.”
During the ride-and-drive, Brick Oltmann, product category manager for AOT’s “everything fun” product lines, told attendees, “There are now dedicated tracks, parks and trail systems that did not exist 20 years ago. Keep in mind, this industry is less than 20 years old. This is a family event and family fun.”
Oltmann said the Recon Trail HD line is a replacement product line that fits OE sizes, as well as “plus sizing” applications. The tire features a steel-belt design with multi-pitched, chamfered tread blocks to resist tearing while providing self-cleaning at the same time -providing on- and off-road traction properties. It has a nylon cap ply for uniformity at high speeds.
A big benefit of having a steel-belted radial, according to Oltmann, is that the tire does not sway side-to-side, as current bias tires do. It has a wider, secure footprint. And there is no need to “air-down” to provide the off-highway grip needed by bias-ply tires.
In addition, the Recon Trail HD features a high-void, scalloped shoulder design for generating enhanced bite on soft surfaces. Oltmann said siping makes the tire less susceptible to tearing or cracking under torque. The tire’s compounding is designed to resist damage when driving on a wide variety of trail and highway surfaces.
The Recon Trail HD comes in three 14-inch sizes and four 15-inch sizes, ranging from a (UT)28x10R14 to a (UT)35x10R15.
AOT said its category management team closely follows OE and aftermarket size trends for the UTV and ATV markets, while collaborating with key customers to target additional sizes for the segment. The next round of development is already underway.
Oltmann called the Recon Trail PRO “the little brother” of the Recon Trail HD. The tire features a nylon belt and is engineered for smaller ATVs, as well as vehicles designed to run at slower speeds. Its belt molds to topography better than steel-belted radials, which perform better for the “mules” and other vehicles designed for that purpose, said Oltmann.
The Recon Trail PRO also features a multi-pitched, ultra-high void design with chamfered tread blocks and a deep, functional buttress for lateral traction ability. The tire’s compound is designed to resist damage when driving on a variety of surfaces, said Oltmann.
The Recon Trail Pro currently comes in ten 12-inch sizes and two 14-inch sizes ranging from AT25x8.00R12 to AT26x12.00R12.
AOT backs both tires with the company’s Play Hard Protection Policy, a one-year, or 25% hazard, policy. “If it gets cut down, torn down, ripped or (is found to be) not repairable during that time, it’s a free replacement,” said Oltmann. Both products are also covered by standard workmanship and material warranty for dealers.
AOT is sourcing the two tire lines from Deestone Corp. Ltd.
According to Brackin, “Deestone’s decades long history of manufacturing high-quality tires for the specialty market segments made them the perfect choice for these tires. They understand the specific design, engineering and performance requirements of specialty products, including ATV/UTV."