Have been considering one of the above machines. Seen lots of posts about the merits of more agressive tread and taller tires, especially for mud. Haven't seen much on the possible disadvantages, so for those having experience with the Sportsman500 and Rubicon here's some questions from someone who will probably ride mostly trails and hills with some mud but mostly the shelf rock and steep terrain of the Ozarks:

How much of a factor is the decrease in power due to the extra weight of 4-6 ply 27" 'monster' tires like Blackwater XT's or Titan 589's on these two 500cc machines?

How much of a factor is raising the center of gravity 2-5" with tires and a lift kit? I am especially concerned about off camber riding and traversing steep hills in rocky terrain.

How about trail comfort with agressive tread? Do your fillings come loose from the vibration at slow speed? How about the extra steering effort?

I suspect replacing OEM tires with something like the same size Kenda Bearclaws would be an improvement, but am wondering if bigger and badder is better for these potential machines and my riding environment. Thanks for the help.