Written by; Greg Jacobs
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Pit Bull Atv Tire
8ply 27.5" Growlers
The hits keep coming from Pit Bull Atv Tires. They
have recently released their 27.5" Growlers. That is
right, 27.5", this is the biggest tire they produce to
date. A lot of people have been asking for a larger
tire, specifically the mud and rock crawler guys. I have
done extensive reviews on the Pit Bull 25.5 Growlers,
and I am currently running them on my Can Am
Renegade 800R X xc, and I could not be happier.
We got the 27.5x9x12 front and 27.5x11x12 rear, 8ply,
Growler UBER XOR. This review of the 27.5's will not rehash
what I already reported on with the 25.5's. Both tires are
similar as far as tread design, and directional pattern.
However, they are different in ply rating and of course size.
The 27.5's are an 8ply tire as opposed to the 6ply 25.5s, and
2" larger than the 25.5s. This review will be geared towards
who will benefit from this larger tire, and what are the benefits
of having a larger tire, as well as the negatives.
So, lets get started.
Do these tires measure true
to size? Yes, they do.
How much do they weigh? As you can see the
front tires weigh 48.5lbs and the rear tires weigh
54lbs. Bear in mind these tires are mounted on
12" Douglas Diablo Bead Locks. So, if you have
a lighter wheel these weights will be less.
Let's take a look at how these stack up against other tires.
25.5 Rocker vs 27.5 Growler
25.5 Growler vs 27.5 Growler
26" Terra Cross and 28" Outlaw vs 27.5" Growler
For the Phase One testing of these tires, the location was going to be one of the most rocky
and roughest creek beds. This is the same location we did the Pit Bull 25.5 Rocker testing
with my Can Am Max Ltd last year. This is the same area in which many machines do not
make it out in one piece, and people avoid it. Ken ripped his steering wheel off his Rhino in
this location. Ronnie broke his rear sway bar tab on his Sportsman XP. Many people have
received flats, destroyed wheels, and ripped valve stems off in this area.
So, this place is considered pretty extreme for quads.  
The machine I choose to call into duty
for this phase of testing is the Yamaha
Grizzly 700FI EPS. The Grizzly has
many weaknesses, but durability and
toughness is not one of them. Since the
Grizzly will be in Low Gear, 4wd/Diff
Lock engaged the entire time, the EPS
will help greatly in turning these larger
tires, and help the steering while the diff
lock is engaged. I did have to order a set
of Ricochet Floorboard Skid Plates
since this is all that separates your feet
from destruction.
I want to cover briefly how the Grizzly has handled these tires and wheels. You hear people all the time
on the forums being scared about large heavy tires. There is no dispute these tires are large and heavy,
but those are the trade offs of having more meat for increase traction, and increased ground clearance.
The Grizzly 700 is one of the smallest mid-size big bores, coming in at 686cc with a single cylinder motor.
I have zero mods on my Grizzly other than 1" Wheel Spacers, and those were added to increase the
stability, and are not needed to run these tires. There are no clutch kits, or motor modifications.
Phase Two Testing revolved around trail riding in the
mountains of Arkansas. These trails offer everything from
rocks, roots, down trees, mud, dirt, hill climbs, off camber,
etc... As large as these tires are they did not take away from
the ride. With 5psi they still have the flexibility of the smaller
25.5s, and yes they do work as a secondary shock. Meaning,
they do an excellent job in absorbing the impacts of the trail.
The Grizzly had zero issues turning these tires when it came
to basic trail riding. I had more than enough power to do
whatever I wanted to do on the trail. These larger tires had
no problem tackling larger obstacles. No clutch kit or power
mods are needed. Having said that I would not run these tires
on my high performance machines, like my Renegade 800R
X Xc. You will not be racing around or pushing your machine
to the envelope with these larger tires. However, if you are
just a trail cruiser and want extra ground clearance, and more
bite on the trail these 27.5s are excellent.
Phase One testing which consisted of rock crawling is where I
anticipated these larger tires would excel in, and they did not
disappoint. I still prefer the Rockers in this type of riding, but the
Growlers have no problem holding their own.  

Just like their cousin tire the Rocker, it amazes me every time how
pliable these lugs are, and how much sidewall flex there is for an
8ply tire. This is where the Pit Bull's Tear It Up Technology really
separates itself from other tires, and no other tire has this
capability.
No other tire is going to do this. You may have sidewall flex with your tire, but the lugs are
not going to crimpel and wrap around the rocks. The tire literally wraps itself around the rock
and offers maximum traction. I cannot emphasize it enough, how these tires grip and pull like
no other tire, so I am going to shut up and let the following pictures speak for themselves.
In this sequence of action shots you will see the advantages of having a larger tire. When I rode
this same section with my 25.5 Rockers, my Max Ltd was really struggling in clearing these rocks.
One of the instant benefits you will notice of these large tires is the extra ground
clearance, and the outstanding traction you get. You literally feel like you have a
set of jeep tires on your machine as you crawl over these boulders and rocks.
This is Roger's Can Am Max, and he is
still loving his Pit Bull Rocker 26.5s. This
is his 3rd set of Pit Bulls, and all his
machines have a set.
This combo of Douglas Diablo Wheels, and Pit Bull tires are unstoppable.
Again, just look at the tire flex for an 8ply tire. They just wrap around the rocks.
If this is not a testament to Bead Locks, or
the Extra Duty Sidewalls of the Pit Bulls I
don't know what is. This picture does not do
it justice, but this rock was very, very sharp,
and Roger was yelling at me to stop, since
he thought the sidewall was going to tear.
This creek bed only got tougher, and the Grizzly was really being
pushed to the max, as well as the skid plates, wheels, and tires.
Well, that is it. We were running out of day light,
and we finished just in time.

Here are my overall thoughts. While I like the Pit
Bull Rockers in these conditions, the Pit Bull
Growlers held their hold in this environment. I still
feel the Growlers shine in the mud and soft pack
surfaces, but do not underestimate them on the
rocks.

Just as I expected the extra ground clearance and
extra meat on these tires made riding these rocks
a lot easier.

Now, the extra size and weight of these tires will
push the smaller cc machines to the max (600cc to
700cc) especially in the difficult sections. Again,
for basic trail riding these 27.5s are no problem, it
is just when you get the machine into a pinch the
clutch setup, and motor power are tested. Plus,
you have to be very careful you do not pop or
break an axle. Just like in the mud with larger and
heavier tires you have to be careful of your wheel
spin and having the tires bite, or you will break an
axle.

If you want to ride extreme terrain the 27.5s are a
welcome addition. Phase Three Testing will take
place in the mud holes of East Texas. My
Kawasaki Mud Demon Brute Force 750EFI will be
called into action, stay tune. We are just waiting
for the mud parks to fill up with water and mud.