I just bought a 95 Kawasaki Mule 500 for around the house and it runs great but seems really low on power. Having never been in one before I was wondering if something wrong or that is just how it is. It will pull me up a steep hill, but at about 3 mph max and it seems like it is almost wanting to stall. I notice the engine is not screaming or anything, just sounds bogged down. I checked the valves today and they are now set correctly (I believe) but did notice the muffler has a hole in it and I will be replacing it asap even though it is very quiet still. I know this is a broad question but trying to get an idea what to expect. Right now i don't think it would be able to pull me (150lbs) and another 150 lbs up a good hill. I don't think the belt is slipping (don't hear anything). I did notice there is a wee little bit of valve noise (VERY minor) but again don't know if that is normal. Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

Wow - it is really quiet on the forums now a days..... Was hoping there is some more Mule owners out there that are active on the boards. It seems there is not a lot about the Mules on the net and no major forums dedicated to them.
With the new FXT out hopefully that will change!

 

I also have a mule 500 that seems to be extremely low on power. Valves are set correctly,getting plenty of fuel ,no exhaust restriction,no intake restriction and belt is not slipping. The data tag says the towing capacity is nine hundred lbs. There is no way this thing could pull that.does anyone have any ideas or are these things really that gutless? Any info would be greatly appreciated.thanks

 

What size are the tires on the Mule...or rather is the tire size stock? Either way, stock or not, there's a good chance that performance can be increased by doing a little clutch work. Here's another forum that has much more activity IRT the Mule. See link, maybe you can find some answers there...
Kawasaki Mule - Kawasaki ATV Forum

 

The tires are original and thanks for the info I'll go check it out.

 

Those old Mules were really underpowered, much like the older Gators. More recently, both of them have more powerful models that can actually get up and go. They were ok for work I suppose but to take any of the older models on an actual trail ride would not have been much fun.