Any RTV500 Owners done bigger tires?

D

DIXIEDOG

Member
Has anyone here with a RTV 500 put on larger than stock tires? If so how do you like them and how big did you fit? Did you install a lift kit?


I would like a whisker more ground clearance and a more aggressive tire on my buggy but I'm not sure what fits and where the line is drawn on power level required to turn tires.
 
I don't know anyone off the top of my head that has done a 500. Lots of 900 owners have, but with mixed results. The issues came primarily with rubbing but you also need to be aware of the changes to your U-joints and other mechanical components.

I have a lift-kit on mine (to compensate for the taller tires). It raised the COG just an inch or 2 which actually makes it feel a bit more tippy.

I'd venture to say (kind of speaking for the crowd, pending further answers), if you go with bigger tires, don't go more than an inch or so. Don't put on a lift kit unless you find a need for it.

BTW, the more aggressive the tire, the more damage it does to lawns and such. There are some favorite selections. I'll toss mine out... Maxxis Bighorn. As an FYI, they stand pretty tall compared to others. On my RTV, the OEM tires are 25x10x12. I ordered the same size Bighorns and they stood over 26" tall.
 
That's probably the way I should go, just get the same size tires but a different pattern. I'll check out the Maxxis Bighorn, how are the Bighorns in snow? Would you say they are better than the OEM tires for snow?
 
I was running the OEM Worksite tires and in my environment, they would get stuck in their own shadow.
I live north of Pittsburgh to give you an idea of the winter. The only time I had problems in the snow was when I'd go belly-up. When the tires are touching the ground, I never got stuck.
My father lives in the snow belt just south of Buffalo NY and has a 500. I don't think he takes it off the trails much in the winter (as he's had a stroke and has a hard time getting around, let alone digging himself out) but I've never heard him complain about the OEM tires on his RTV.
 
I am not aware of any tires that will work as well in snow without chains as the OEM tires work with chains. Come snow (which tends to stick around until Spring in these parts--and by Spring I mean April), I put chains on all four tires and have had no problems. But I am only on snow-covered, non-paved roads.
 
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