RADAR LOVE
WE TRY RADAR RENEGADE RT TYRESTO SEE HOW THEY MEASURE-UP ON OUR OUTBACK TURF.
BUYING tyres today is really a personal choice, with so many brands and configurations available. I remember years ago there were only several choices and you’d never touch the really cheap imported brands. Having to replace my mud tyres after years of tackling tracks around our country, I decided to jump back to some ATS for our next stint in the outback. Not one to follow the pack, I came across a relatively new brand designed and made in Singapore under the Omni United Group (OUG).
The tyre that caught my eye is the relatively unknown Radar Renegade RT all-terrain. The specs seemed to have all the right info: good side-wall protection, a five-block pattern for good stability and traction, a 10-ply rating with +2 steel, + 3 polyester, + 2 nylon built in to the tread, and a three-ply polyester in the sidewall.
Over the past few months the tyres have seen an array of different conditions. I had them fitted in Darwin while exploring the NT and so far they have exceeded my expectations. With more than 10,000km racked up and their first rotation, there is no visible sign of any unusual wear.
They have covered Top End locations like Litchfield and Kakadu; and cut across the rough gulf country and down through central Queensland on outback highways. As some know, these roads can be darnright horrible, with deep bulldust sections, rough-as-guts rocky sections across the Savannah Way, and unmaintained singleline tracks in remote camp areas.
The low hum from these tyres is definitely a sweet sound compared to the noise my last mud tyres made in their final days; and being an all-terrain, the steering feels lighter and smoother. It’s a pleasure cruising down the back streets.
Back home in NSW’S Coffs Harbour region where tracks go from mild to wild in the blink of an eye, the tyres seem to be holding up well in different situations – from simple bush tracks, loose river sand and rocks, through to the damp rainforest sections. I’ve found running them at 45psi on the highway seems to be the sweet spot for my vehicle (a heavy Toyota 80 Series), and 28psi on outback roads and across the Top End. On the harder tracks with steep hill climbs and where I’ve needed a lot more traction, they work well at 18psi and, to be honest, I could drop them further due to the tough sidewall.
It’s only early days, but I predict I will get a great run out of these ATS in my next stint across the country, exploring the range along the east coast. Over there, if it’s not uphill it’s back downhill, with large sections of wet areas in-between ... so time will tell.
As a relatively new company, Radar seems to be producing the goods and ticking the right boxes around the world. As such, it’s well-worth watching to see what it produces in upcoming years.