Getting ready to buy some new tires and looking for some input. I ride about every other weekend in all kinds of different conditions. Alot of my time is spent out on the pawnee grasslands where the soil can be loose and sandy to slick clay conditions. I also do alot of riding in Pike and Arapahoe National Forests where large rocks and steep and loose gravel condition exhist. Also lets not forget about the snow during the winter. I am leaning to the Blackwater XT's and a new set of rims. The rims will definitely be steel due to the rocks and still can be bent back into place. I am curious to the clearance of the tire and fenders, different brand of tire, and personal preference as to which tire to get. I also plan on having an extra set of tires mounted on the factory rims. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Mark,I had Goodyear Mudrunners on my 99 Sportsman.I liked them so much that I also installed a set on my new 00 Xplorer.They are 4 ply,one of the very best in serious mud/deep snow.They also offer any excellant ride.The Blackwaters will not give you no where the traction that the Mudrunners do.Good luck====Bill

 

bill forgot to tell u that u can now get mudrunners in runflats. this to me is the ultimate atv tire, but i comes at a price

 

Hey Bill,

My next question is what size of tire did you go with? On the Polaris site they say to maintain the aspect ratio of the tire. I think this is a bunch of crap because according to good year the stock rolling circ. is 71 inches for both tires. I was wondering did you maintain the same rolling circ for front and rear by going with same size tire front and rear and what size tire did you get?

 

I am also getting ready to change tires on my sportsman they really s#ck they just don't have much bite to them on rocky or shelly loose stuff I rode with a buddy of mine that has the blackwaters on, man are they good looking tires and he has about 2300 miles on them and they still look, you might want to also look at the tires Wal-mart offers they are the Carlisle max trax they were pretty good looking tires for $47 a piece. One reason I really hate the P tires is they just don't grip real good when you are trying to hold back coming down steep stuff....

 

Guys, check out the tire reviews under the product reviews in ATV Connection's main page. There are quite a few, most tested on a Polaris 500.

 

Mark,the dealer told me that I had to stay with 25 inch front Mudrunners and 26 inch rear Mudrunners in order for the AWD to funtion properly,I did what they said on the Sportsman.NOW,on the Xplorer,I run 26 inch all the way around.I used the stock rims and went 9 inches wide in the front,and 12 inches wide in the rear.

The AWD worked flawlessly on BOTH the Sportsan and the Xplorer.I also know of others that have gone with the same height tires front and rear,all with no problems.My steering radius is still very good,even with the larger tires.I just cant tell you enough good things about these Mudrunners.Everyone I ride with is in awe when I track thru the same mud with little effort that sometimes gives their 4x4s fits.Best of luck,====BILL

 

Blackwaters would be an excellent choice. There are Super Swampers, Blackwaters and Bearclaws in the group of guys I rice with. I bought Bearclaws but the Blackwaters were my second choice only due to price.

Chapparral Racing is the cheapest place to buy!

(Add in last page in Dirt Wheels magazine)

 

Blackwaters are NOT a TRUE mud/snow tire.They are a good ''all purpose'' tire.You can just look at the tread differance between the Blackwaters and the Mudrunners and tell that they cant provide the superior traction in the nastiest of snow/mud that the Mudrunners do.For the serious mud/snow,I'd shy away from Blackwaters.I have rode a few times at my local riding area with guys that wished they would of purchased the Mudrunners instead of the Blackwaters.It's your call,best of luck,===BILL