I have a 2001 Yamaha Kodiak 400 4x4 that needs new tires. I use it for hunting and ranch work and the conditions I encounter here in Texas vary from the rocky Hill Country to nasty, gumbo like, mud. I was considering the ITP Mud Lites but the Goodyear Mud Runners with the 'Run-Flat' option sure intrigues me. I know absolutely nothing about ATV tires and sizes and was wondering if I could put larger/taller tires on the OEM wheels without running into fender/frame clearance problems.

I have researched this forum and it seems these two tires get some high marks from alot of you....are there any other tires I should look at?

Any and all suggestions would be appreciated.

 

The mudrunners are great tires but the run flats ride quite rough.

 

Go to atv direct at www.4atvtires.com
they have good combos..

I recommend Maxxis bighorn radials and use the highlifter slime stuff in them. it is expensive but guaranteed not to have a flat, says it will seal 1/2" to 3/4" hole even in sidewalls.. and the maxxis tires look a little different but great traction and ride perfectly smooth at all speeds. I paid $299 for 4 tires to my door.. not too bad for full radial tires, and they have 28/32" tread depth.

 

The Goodyear Mud Runner, ITP MudLite or ITP 589 are all excellent tire choices for where you ride.

 

I have had Goodyear tires on all three of my 4 Wheelers and they have been excellent tires. I currently have a set of Goodyear Mudrunners on my Sportsman and they really are great tires. Goodyear tires are expensive but they are tops in quality. I purchased a set of Kenda Bearclaws which were fair tires but nowhere close to the quality of the Goodyears. Remember, you pay for what you get. ITP and Goodyear offer excellent tires.

 

Give the Mudlites a try, they are 6ply which is what you want. I think you could go probably an 1" taller and maybe an 1" to an 1 1/2" wider all around without any rubbing problems on stock wheels.

 

I was able to find the Goodyear Mud Runners (run-flat) for $307 delivered from discountmotorcycletire.com, so I may give those a try....although I haven't fully made up my mind yet. I'm still undecided if I should try to go a little taller or stay with the stock size tire......what are the drawbacks?

 

the bigger the tire size over stock the more torque you lose. your top end might be a bit faster but it will take longer to get there. also the ground clearance will be bigger, that sounds good till you hit an off camber hill and tip over.. ground clearance is not everything.. torque goes a long way.. my wife's 300 arctic cat has around 8" of ground clearance and will go more places than any other atv on the market with the exception of deep mud.. and it handles mud great, I would just never put it in anything deeper than the wheels.
it climbs hills that other stock bikes flip end over end.

 

happycamper.......thanks, with that reasoning I think I'll just stick to the stock tire size. I haven't run into serious clearance issues yet but I have gotten myself a little off-tilt on some steep inclines before.

 

Bear Claws, Bear Claws....... Enought said!

Don't worry about the Goodyear Run Flats.... You will very seldomly see a quad with a flat tire to begin with. If you do see one most likely it is beyond repair anyways.