Written on 12/28/09 by Greg Jacobs Owner and Senior Editor of Jacobs Atv Adventures & Jacobs Atv Magazine Back to Main

"The Show Down" Maxxis Bighorn & 2.0 vs Pit Bull Rockers

Pitbull Rockers

Maxxis Bighorns

So, here is the million dollar question, I know I am going to get asked over and over again, are the Pit Bull Rockers better than the Maxxis Big Horns? The answer is yes, and here is why.

Anyone that knows me and has been following my reviews throughout the years, knows I am the biggest fan of the Maxxis Bighorns. I own eight different sets of Bighorns from every size, and I also own the new Bighorn 2.0. When I say these are my #1 Trail/off camber/technical tire I mean it. No, Maxxis is not a sponsor of my sites, and no I never received a free set of Bighorns, I have paid for every single Bighorn.

I have been running Bighorns since 2003, and all our Atvs run Maxxis Bighorns, unless I am testing a new tire.

2002 Grizzly 660 25" Bighorn

2002 Honda Rubicon 500 25" Bighorn

2005 Grizzly 660 25" Bighorn

2006 Outlander 800EFI XT 27" Bighorn

2007 Grizzly 700EFI EPS 25" Bighorn

2006 King Quad 700EFI 26" Bighorn

2007 Sportsman 500EFI X2 Deluxe 25" Bighorn 2.0

2008 King Quad 750EFI 25" Bighorn

2008 Brute Force 750EFI 25" Bighorn

2010 Outlander 800R Max Ltd Future 25" Bighorn 2.0

2010 Renegade 800R X Xc Future 23" Bighorn 2.0

I pitted the Bighorns against the newly released GBC 8ply Dirt Commanders, and the Dirt Commanders fell short for one major reason. They are way to stiff of a tire, at 3psi it felt like you were riding on a steel wheel, and it was a long day of trail riding. Plus the traction was not the same on the rocks.

I pitted the Bighorns against the Interco Super Swampers TSLs, and the ISS failed horribly. These ISS were way to heavy, way to stiff, way to big, and were horrible on the trails and rocks. They are meant to stay on a Truck, and not an Atv. At 1 psi you could not even tell the difference from 12psi.

Here was a classic review we did for my Magazine on the ITP Terra Cross vs Maxxis Bighorns. This ITP Terra Cross were the only tire that even came close to surpassing the Maxxis Bighorns, but fell short when it came to long term durability and wear. Yes, even the new ITP Terra Cross XDs fell short.

I even pitted the Bighorns against each other to see if one could eat its own. I am currently testing the new Bighorn 2.0s, and comparing them against the old Bighorns.

These are just a sampling of the recent tires that I pitted against the Bighorns, I have many more tires in my Magazine that we ran against them, and fell short. So, when I was introduced to the Pit Bull Rockers, I said bring it on. The first thing I told Mike and Len, the true test will be if they can surpass the Maxxis Bighorns. They said here find out for yourself, so I took the challenge. Without rehashing the Pit Bull Rocker Review, I am going to cut to the chase, and show why the Pit Bull Rockers surpass the Bighorns "To Date". I say "To Date", because I need more time/miles to see what their wear and durability will be. Some people may say how can you say the Rockers surpass the Bighorns when you do not know the results of the wear/durability test? That is a good question, and all I can say is what I have seen within 400 miles of riding these Rockers I am confident they will pass this last test with flying colors. If they don't then you will be the first to know in this updated review. I am going to discuss my top criteria for a tire, and show how the Rocker and Bighorn stack up.

Softness and Secondary Shock Effect

This criteria is very important to me. I hate a stiff and hard tire on the trail. I want a tire that will flex, and absorb the trail impacts, almost like a good shock would. The picture of the Bighorn on the left is at 3psi, and is a 6ply tire, the picture on the right is the Rocker at 7psi and is 8ply. When I started the Rocker test, I thought I had them at 3psi for the rock riding portion, but they were at 7psi. I told Roger about 3/4 through, I am knocking them down to 3psi, and I even got more sidewall flex.

Why is sidewall flex important? You want a tire that will flatten out, and create a larger foot print, this will provide better traction. You also want a tire that will wrap or engulf itself around a rock, this provides superior traction, and pulling ability. The Pit Bull Rocker will not only flex and wrap itself around a rock like the Bighorn will, but it is an 8ply tire.

Traction and Lug Bite

Next to sidewall flex, and providing a comfortable ride on the trail, traction and lug bite is extremely important to me. Hands down without a doubt take it to the bank the Pit Bull Rockers have far better traction on the rocks, trail, and in the mud, over the Maxxis Bighorns. This is no doubt the biggest difference between these two tires, and where the Rocker really seperates itself from the Bighorn. Why does the Rockers have better traction than the Bighorns, here is why.

The Rockers have a far deeper lug than the Bighorns. The Big Horn lugs are 1/2", while the Rocker lugs are a whooping 1 1/8" deep. The top of the Rocker lugs have a gradual slope divot to them for better cleaning, and better traction, remember the "Tree Frog" comparsion. The Bighorns do not have this feature. In addition the Rockers have a multi-staggered lug pattern, which provides a far better grip than the Bighorn pattern.

90% of the Bighorn lugs  have straight edges, while 100% of the Rocker lugs have different shapes, and none of them are simply straight.

With this unique over the shoulder lug pattern, and unique tread pattern, the lug has more contact and bite on the rocks, than the Bighorns ever did. On top of all this, with Pit Bulls Patent Tear It Up Technology their lugs are far more pliable than the Bighorn lugs. This means the lugs will bend and grip far better than super stiff rigid lugs.

The Rockers are better than the Bighorns when it comes to moderate mud riding. With the Rockers deeper lugs, and better clean out pattern it takes more for the Rockers to load up, and less time to clean out.

Bighorn

Rocker

Tire and Wheel Weight

Tire weight is not important to me "unless" I am drag racing my quad, or if I am riding my quad hard and fast. A 25" Bighorn with an aluminum wheel weighs 39.5lbs, a 25.5" Rocker with an aluminum wheel weighs 42lbs. In the Rocker you have a 1/2" larger tire, as well as being 8ply, while the Bighorn is 6ply. 2.5lbs, this is not a big difference given all the benefits you are receiving from this tire.

A 25" Maxxis Bighorns measures true to size, and if you run them at 10psi or more they will measure 1" larger at 26". A Pit Bull Rocker also measures true to size and at 7psi will measure 26".

Wear and Durability

What can I say, we all know the Bighorns wear like iron and last forever. Bighorns are fairly durable, but they do receive their fair share of punctures, slices, and holes, but overall they are a very tough tire. Since the Rockers are a relatively new tire there are some unknowns regarding this. However, given that the Rocker is an 8ply tire, with 1 1/8" deep lugs, and built with Tear It Up Technology, I am sure they will be just as reliable as the Bighorns. Just keep checking back since I will be racking up the miles on my Rockers in a short time period.

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