THIS WINTER I WAS RIDING WITH MY BUDDIES ONE HAD AN 450 AND TEH OTHER HAD A 400 FOREMAN AND I WAS ON MY BRAND NEW 650. WERE CLIMBING SOME FAIRLY STEEP HILLS WITH A SMALL SNOW COVERING. THEY BOTH WALKED RIGHT UP AND I WAS HAVING TROUBLES ONE I HAD TO GET A RUN UP ONE OF THEM. THEN LAST NIGHT WE WERE RIDING AND HE WALKED UP A SLICK MUD HILL ONCE AND THEN NEITHER ONE OF US COULD MAKE IT! HOWEVER I THOUGHT THE DIFF LOCK WOULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, IT DID'NT! I NOTICED IT IS A LITTLE FRONT END LIGHT WILE CLIMBING UP HILLS. I ALSO STILL HAVE THE FACTORY GOODYEAR MTRS AND THEY JUST DON'T SEEM TO CUT IT IN LIGHT SNOW OR SLICK MUD WHILE CLIMBING, IN DEEP MUD THEY DID GOOD THOUGH! ANYBODY ELSE KNOW WHAT I MEAN OR AM A LOSER??

 

Shhhh. Here's the secret....

Let some air out of your tires! Choose a low gear, lean forward and stay steady on the gas. You'll make it.

 

The best thing you can do is get tires. Those stock MTR'S are junk and on the dangerous side. I tried Mud-Lites and they improved the handling and climbing 1000%[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

The rider has much to do with it. Weight distribution and the line you pick are critical. I've ridden all kinds of ATV's, and I find the 650 to be the best hill-climber yet, and I hardly ever use the diff lock. I've climbed steep, mud-slick hills that others couldn't make, and I did it with stock Goodyears. They are actually quite good on rocks, even slick ones. I have my shocks set on the softest setting to keep all 4 tires on the ground.

Ride the machine and get more experience with it. Watch people who are particularly good at hill climbing and study how they do it. Ask them for tips. You have the right machine under you, you just need to discover how to use it.

 

Thanks guys all the info was great. I will more than likely get new tires eventually but I will get my moneys worth out of the goodyears first. I am glad to hear there is sucsess with climbing and the 650. I have not riden it a whole lot so I am sure the rider is half the problem. I will have to ride alot to get good, darn what a shame!!!