Thanks for all the info guys. It's very helpful.

 

just dont go with too big of tires or you'll start to brake parts when you start to work it hard.
stick with 26" max and you shouldent have any problems.

 

I just got the AC 500 this past weekend. I have not had a chance to ride it much yet, but so far I think it is a great machine. I stopped considering Polaris, as an option, a few years ago; I have been looking for quite a few years at ATVs and more recently I nearly stopped considering anything but an AC.
I once had a polaris/yamaha dealer tell me they get way more polaris machines in for repair.
good luck.

 

One thing I haven't seen mentioned about the steering is front end alignment. After riding my 300 for a year, the the 500 felt very heavy. I expected that since the 300 is a 2x4 and the 500, in addition to being a bigger and heavier machine is 4x4 with a winch. I got used to it as many of you noted, but after a minor incident (don't ask), I was checking the machine out and noted the toe-in just didn't look right (not related to the "incident."). Turned out there was 1 1/4" of toe-in! It shouldn't be more than parallel to 1//8". It took some fiddling, but I got it. Makes it steer A LOT easier with a lot more control.

IMO all the posts about the factory tires are correct. Not too much to impress with them. Too much pressure and the ride is rough and the front will wash. Not enough and the steering is difficult. Darned if you do, darned if you don't.

Question? What are some good tires for me? Most of my riding is gravel, sage brush, single lane - rutted - dirt roads, with only a little mud. I like the Titan 489s on the 300, but the Dunlaps on the 500 have to go. Comments please. Thanks.

Jim

 

Hey Jim,

Were you commenting to me or the entire group. And why dont you like the stock tires on your '03 500 (I assume AC)?
The '05 AC 500 comes with Carlisle tires which I think are good for general use.
The '05 AC 650 comes with slightly larger Goodyears.


Dave

 

I have a 03 with Dunlop and I admit they are not an aggressive looking tire. But.... Those tires have taken me everywhere I wanted to go. Up mountains, through mud to the top of the tires (the black swampy stuff) and they do well on the roads. I have about 700 miles on them. And they do work well in the sand also.

When we talk about tires - I just want to point out one issue and ask that everyone not go bizzerk - but aggressive earth scooping tires are without reproach the biggest issue with ATV's on public land and our being unwelcome by the naturalists and environmentalists who have the ear of government and public. To demonstrate my point, imagine if we left no mark on the ground, no trace of our being there. The only issues left are the noise and smell of the ATV's and to be honest - those issues have not found a foot hold in the ATV vs. everyone else coliseum. unfortunately the ruts, defoliation and erosion scars along the highways, in ditches and grassland and off-trail in designated riding areas are what is ruining our access to more riding opportunities.

Our Minnesota DNR highlights unnecessarily aggressive tire tread as the #1 enemy of recreational ATV riding.

So when you consider tires - keep in mind that those tractor lug earth scoopers might be the more competitive mud runners, but they are not doing anything favorable to improve our position when it comes to trails and public land.

(steps off of soap box)

 

Dave, the alignment comment was a general comment. It's something we easily overlook with significant bearing and I'm willing to bet the dealer doesn't check it when setting up a new machine.

I was raised in North Iowa so ...Mud and Dave - no Iowa jokes. I'm also older than most, if not all on the forum, I've had the good fortune of living all over the globe as well as the U.S. so I'm very well versed on how a few can and do ruin it for many that want to enjoy the outdoors in a manner that suits them. Wyoming has designated ATV/moto trails and I stick to them. Out here if you get caught out of bounds you get hammered - it's not right or worth it. That said, there is constant pressure by "non-riders" to reduce or eliminate riding areas. This will always be so and those folks are a powerful group. It is a subject to be taken off line or for a separte Q&A fourm.

Both my machines are ACs. The 300 has Titans 589 (489?) and the 500 has Dunlops. The tread on the Dunlaps is not aggressive in the same way as the Titans. As a result the front end will wash in corners and the Dunlops clearly do not have the traction in light mud the few times I'm lucky enough to be able to ride in it. The Titans turn in is much better also. I've tried letting the air out of the fronts on the Dunlops but then the front end "rolls" (leans) too much in the corners. Pumped up they will slide out. The Titans are much more controled. Many of the folks on this forum are into mudding and I certainly don't need that type of tire. There is very little rain here (wettest in history this yr..3 1/2" fr May to October) so I just need something with a little more pull and less side slip. My experience with various ATV tires is limited, I just like the OEM Titans on the 300 much better than the OEM Dunlops on the 500. There are other tires and there are many out there with a lot more experience than I. The advice they provide is invaluable - I'll just weigh their recommendations with my judgement and go from there.

Jim

 

Just got them a week ago !! two 2005 650v2.. We brought home a 500 first had to wate a day or two for the 650 I did not like the 500 at all I'm sure that it's a fine machine but it was all I could do to get the thing up to 25 MPH no power... it's just to heavy. We took it back and got the 650 Wow what a dif. not only that, but the engine breaking was very poor on the 500 my drive way is 1/2 mile long and is very steep I should say very very steep it's is mostly un useable in the winter months we plan on doing alot of steep trail riding and the 500 was going to be my wife's machine after running it around the property for 2 hours I was so disapointed in the machine that I was worried what the 650 was going to be like. I thought that I had made the wrong choice in getting the cat's. The 500 would almost free wheel down hill !! you had to ride the break the hole time. that made me as nervess as a tom cat I would never feel safe going into step terian with my wife on that 500 I want to be able to crawl down hills in control of the machine only breaking when I want to stop completly. what would happen if you where to come down severaly thousand feet and your breaks heat up and fail ! your in deep doo do that's what!! For $700 bucks or so more why woulden't you get the 650 good engine breaking and 4 times the power. It's a safty isue for me, not only dose the 650 have better Braking with the extra power you don't have to race up the hills ether nice and slow under control that what it's about. The 650 and 500 are a world apart. wife loves the 650 too.. spend the money !! Love the 650 Great Wheeler !!

 

HogCat. I'm sorry you had so much trouble with the demo 500 prior to receiving your 650s. Don't be too harsh on the 500, however. I suspect something was clearly wrong with it. My 500i Auto will easily top 55 (as fast as I've had it so far with a little more left) and the engine braking is good enough to the point the manual brakes are not required going down 1/2 mile 60% mountain slope. I have to use the gas on that slope - it's too slow otherwise.

You didn't say how old the 500 was. It's my understanding the early AC automatic transmissions did not have engine braking. Others with more knowledge weigh in for the correct answer.

Jim

 

I'm sorry but the 500 was not a demo it was in fact a 2005 with 0 miles I put 30 miles on the machine breaking it in, (and I beleive in breaking in a motor by riding it hard) and paid the dealer for the use of this machine when trading it back to the dealer for the 650 and gladly paid $200 for the useage to get rid of it! As far as something being wrong with it I don't know it seem to run just fine, but it just flatly lacked the power to move the big machine. I know this is not what some want to here but this is my honest opinion of the 500. The Suzki motor and trany just was not the right combo for that chassie. by the way this was the Automatic model. Maybe the standerd trany behind the 500 would be just fine. We never tryed one so I don't know, but if I was looking at the 500 again I would be checking in to it first... I have a qestion why don't they put a standard trany behind some of these big machine's and complete the true off road package ??? there has to be a market for a wheeler like this!!!