I too have Rawhides and no tire weights. They are smooth as glass from 0 to 50 mph. I think the Rawhides are GREAT. The Mudrunner is also an excellent choice.

 

My 02 500HO has wheels weights on the front from the factory, the dealer told me all Sportsmans 02 and newer have balanced front wheels from the factory. As far as the Rawhide Grips, I love mine, not quite as good in the mud as an all out mud tire, but great everywhere else.

 

I just picked up my 700 Sportsman and there were no wheel wheights on them. I know of 4 other 400 and 500 Sportsmans (03) that where purchased at a different dealer and all of them had wheel weights. I thought it was really strange seeing wheel wheights on an atv. Now I was wondering if its something that the dealer does. Are the Rawhides 2-ply they seem to have a much sturdier sidewall than the tracker P's on my 500.

 

My 02' 700 does have wheel weights on the front - from the factory. If you run it on pavement - it does shake at high speeds. Rawhides are a good all-around tire - only comment is that they are SO grippy on the rear, it tends to "push" the front end when you are cornering. You'll like them if you do a lot of mud riding.

Kevlar1

-02' SP 700 (stock)

 

my rawhides have no shake no shimmy no wobble and thier not balanced

 

they also work great for plowing fields

 

I have them on my 2002 500 ho and they are a good tire for the trail but they do seem to spin alot on loose ground and snow. Pretty good in the slippery stuff and real good against rocks. I have bashed them against some good sized rocks and have even taken some chunks out of the sidewall on one tire(though it would go flat) Only looses air about a pound every two weeks. Over 1000 miles on them and they still work great. Have lots of tread left also.

 

If you are driving fast on pavement, you should expect it to shake. It is not because the tires arent balanced, look at the tire! The tread will create all kinds of vibrations at speed. Also, if you drive fast on pavement long enough, the tire will get hot and something will let go. You may notice they are not DOT approved? This is why. The moral of the story is: don't drive fast on pavement.
My dealer doesn't balance tires, they believe it is unnecessary and so do I.

 

Now the question I have is are they balanced at the dealer or the factory? Unless they are really bad I cant beleive you would notice unless you where driving on pavement or a hard gravel road.

 

Northstar-

With all Due Respect:

I realize the rawhides are not DOT approved. Furthermore, I do not need a lesson in tire technology or materials - it's obvious that goodyear rawhides are not designed for pavement. In general, ATV's are not intended for use on pavement, but I think we all have been in a situation where we've had to ride on the road for a short distance (trail gap, etc.). Other users posted comments regarding "shake" or vibration from the rawhides - I was only giving an example of when I've experienced the same "shimmy".

I agree that it is impossible to truly balance these tires - even with wheel weights - such a large mass of rubber with lugs protruding from the surface will naturally cause vibration (as you stated). The tire pressure these tires are designed to be inflated to (less than 10#) - is also not ideal for a good ride on a hard surface (as you know).

So let's say that the "shimmy" on pavement at high speed is a non issue - because it isn't a typical (or ideal) riding situation. Maybe I should not have brought it up at all.

I think that the rawhide is an excellent tire overall - they even do well in sand.

Kevlar1

-02' SP700 (stock) 667 miles
-Top speed on gravel 65+mph.