I had never been on an ATV until I bought this 2007 AC 650 H1 TRV the other day. I thought about getting a new rig, but was able to get this for about half the cost of a new model.


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It's pretty bland compared to what most of you guys ride, but I was just looking for a hunting/trail riding/camping rig, not a high performance racer or rock crawler. Something for me and the dog. It was pretty clean and the rods/boots/skid plate underneath looked good, and the owner was in his 50's so I figured he probably wasn't abusing it.

The display panel wouldn't work because the stock battery was toast, so I replaced it with a new sealed battery and it came back on. Hours 85, miles 900. I took it for a 10 mile ride tonight after work, and couldn't find any real problems. When I stomped on the throttle in 2X4 the rear end tried to pass me a couple times as it accelerated, and it hit 45 MPH and wanted to do more, so it has as much power/speed as I'll ever use. The 4X4 switch gives a little "ZZZZPPPP" sound when engaged and the handling stiffens up so I think that works. It has a winch that works but I doubt I'll ever use it.

My plans for this ATV are this:

-Change engine & differential oil. Drain and replace radiator coolant. Replace spark plug and keep old one for emergency spare. Clean air filter and buy a spare. Buy spare fuses. Clean out spark arrester. I'll probably bring it in to the AC dealer and have their mechanic give it a once over.

-Peel off the decals, light sand the plastic, and spray on a four color Rust-O-Leum desert camo scheme on plastic, lower body, racks,(maybe tires).

-Weld up a rear cargo/dog rack that attaches to the existing back seat mounts.

-Buy some Tamarack(?) soft front/rear/fender bags and and maybe a Mad Dog adjustable gun scabbard.

-Maybe get an aftermarket exaust silencer. It's pretty quiet already, so probably not.

-Weld up a spare tire holder.

I could do more research and compare products, but it's much better to just ask the guys who have been there and done that. So here are my questions:

Tires: The tires on my AC (Goodyear AT 25X8-12 & 25X10-12) are pretty worn. I'm looking for a tire mostly for trail riding but also very tough. I've heard good things about the Maxxis Bighorn.

-Is there any big advantage to going with a 26" tire? If so, what would be a good front/back tire/rim size combination?

-There isn't any obvious damage to the stock AC rims on my ATV. But is it worth it to upgrade? Rocky mountain ATV has ITP rims with their Bighorn package, are the ITP rims good?

-Should I just carry a small bicycle pump, or is there a better ATV tire inflator system?

-Should I pre slime the inside of my tires?

Getting unstuck: Is there anything else besides a rope and folding shovel I should carry?

Fuel: The owners manual says to use 87 octane gas. Is using premium a waste of money?

Oil: I'm thinking 10w40 since It will be used mostly in warmer weather an the 650 gets pretty hot. Is synthetic oil a good idea?

Other aftermarket stuff: Is there anything else worth adding on to my rig for what I have planned?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

I prefer a small 12 volt tire pump. Something like:
Amazon.com: Slime 40001 Power Sport Tire Inflator: Automotive

or

12 Volt, 100 PSI High Volume Air Compressor

I'd also invest in a tire plug kit such as:
Amazon.com: Slime 22038 Reamer Plugger Kit with Storage Handle: Automotive

or
Amazon.com: Slime 1034-A Tire Plug Kit: Automotive

Not unless I had to. Slime is a mess to deal with when changing tires and can unbalance them at high speeds.

I'd invest in a winch. Shoveling and trying to unstick one by hand is an awful lot of work. Use the winch once and you've paid for it. You can get budget models quite reasonable on ebay which come with the winch and mount. A quick look shows decent winches available for your machine for anywhere from 130-250 bucks. There is a 2500 pound viper with synthetic cable for your machine for 139.99 shipped. Sure beats messing around trying to dig one out by hand.


Yes.

 

It has a winch installed already. Thanks for the other info.

 

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

And congratulations on choosing a FINE machine in the TRV!!!

MINE:





The only downside to the machine IMHP is the lack of storage due to the rear seat. I solved that issue myself by adding a rear R12 rack assembly w/lumbar support ($200) and a KOPLIN rear trunk ($100) to haul my gear. If I'm riding 2-UP I also have the AC TRV rear touring bag(s) ($130) that wrap around the rear seat and I swap out the gear from the trunk.

I've also added a front tray from MOOSE ($80) and attached it w/AC's spdrk adapter ($50) to haul various loose items that can be bungie'd in if I'm cutting wood - chainsaw/fuel/chain oil and any other items if needed.

As for everyday gear I carry the following - ALWAYS

TRV Saddle Bags for 2-Up or KOPLIN rear trunk w/rear rack:

- registration & proof of insurance
- 20' tow rope
- winch revovery kit w/snatchblock (PROMARK winches)
- AC tire repair kit
- WALMART spcl 12v air compressor
- low pressure tire gauge
- mini battery jumper cables [i](Ebay)[i/i]
- extra spark plug(s)
- 2 - 12' ratchet straps & 3 extra bungies
- FIRST AID KIT (combination of car kit & stuff from home)
- TOOL KIT (7-15mm wrenchs & 1/4" sockets)
multi end screwsdriver(s) / visegrips/plyers/channel loc all compiled from years of relentless tool collection
- bundle of 16" zip ties / mixed bolts/nuts
- extra mini fuses & connector ends (mini kit)
- AC Torchlight
- 15" micro fiber cloths x2

(most items are stored in individual wp bags or ziploc)

Most of my trail riding involves 20+miles at a time and takes me in all directions. I tend to ride w/mostly my family and these items have come into "play" a few times and I was glad to have it.

One of the great advantages to the AC Speedrack system is it's versitility!!! You mentioned adding various items....if you get the rear R12 rack like myself, most of those items have an AC adapter to mount them, & will hook right in w/easy removal. I'm currently going to add the chainsaw mount come this fall (thanks to the rear rack) to free up space in the front tray.

Here's a link to some of my earlier thoughts on the TRV:

http://forums.atvconnection.com/arct...-2-up-cat.html

I will say this about tires....I went with MUDCATS by TBC. Agressive for mud & snow but surprisingly smooth for trail riding. 6ply bias. TOTALLY changed the riding characterisitics of the TRV for the better......for almost 1/2 the price of more well known radial brands. I'm NOT bashing them....but $80 vs. $140 bucks......was worth trying it for me. I'm SOLD and will continue to only use the MUDCATS.

Link:
http://www.tiresunlimited.com/ALL%20...Cat/MudCat.htm

My .02¢

Hope this helps, and remember to post up pics your mods as you work thru them!

 

Thanks.. I'll check them out.

Does anyone have some recommendations for tire and rim sizes for my rig?

 

Fancy shiny rims does nothing for performance,larger over sizes tires actually slow the ATV down.

Its a big bore with 25" tires it has to go at least 60mph,and it has diff lock and a low range and a stretched wheel base so it will infact rock clawl better then most. Congatulation.

 

Welcome to ATVing in Utah. I live in northern Utah, ride an '07 TRV 650 H1 (my wife has a new '10 550 TRVs with power steering) and have over 4,000 miles on my TRV (I'm 63 and ride as much as I can, enjoy challenging trails but I don't abuse it). In my opinion you couldn't have picked a better machine. I put ITP 14" alloy wheels and 26" ITP Terracross tires on my machine when it was new. But I ended up having to change the wheels to AC wheels because the offset of the ITP rear wheels was too much and the rear tires ended up at nearly 54" wide which is too much to be legal on any 50" designated trails (there are quite a few here in Utah). The Terracross tires have performed well. Many of my friends have Bighorn tires and really like them. They seem to be comparable. But we will be putting Bighorns on my wife's new machine because the Bighorns are a bit less expensive (Rocky Mountain ATV/MC in Payson, Ut.). Changing from the stock tires can be one of the best performance improvements you will make. I have had problems with steel rims getting bent by rocks and becoming difficult to keep a seal on tires with 5 psi. In about 8,000 miles of riding I have never needed a spare tire. Tire plugs and a 12v compressor have always met my needs. You may not have targeted getting a rock crawler but you got one anyway. The longer wheelbase makes them much more stable going up or down hills and crawling over rocks.

Also, your engine has a wet clutch so when you change the oil be sure to get an oil that is designated for wet clutch applications. I have been using Mobile 1 synthetic for motorcycles with wet clutches. But I think any good synthetic will work fine. I have targeted changing the oil at 500+/- mile intervals.

I prefer hard boxes rather than soft because they are more durable, don't have sticky zippers and seem to keep the dust out better. We have Montana Jacks boxes on the rear of both of our TRV's (they will fit around the rear seat back) and I also have an AC box on the front of mine.

I have seen no difference in performance using premium fuel v.s. 87 octane.

The other suggestions are all good on what to pack. You will probably add more of your own as you get out and enjoy your new toy. Maybe I'll see you on the Utah trails.

 

Keep a tow strap. Can be used for a tree saver strap, winch cable extender, tow rope, etc...

 

Welcome!

 

I'm probably going to replace my worn tires with ones the same size or 26" at most.

Does anyone know whether there is anything wrong (quality/durablity wise) with the stock AC rims that came with the ATV because that's the only reason I would want to replace them.