5.5 lbs per tire is very significant! thats why tire manufacturers themselves make such big deals about weight.now take into acount about mudlites not being as good a mud tire as some others out their, well of course they arent. ITP makes both tires, and there is a reason. some people dont mind big, heavy, gear ripping tires, as long as they perform above and beyond the average in the mud. then there are people like me, who tried a set of 589's, that want a better than stock tire, thats good in the mud, good on dirt, good all around, and is 22 lbs (x4) lighter size for size compared to the "pure" mud tire. the 589's i bought and used on 2 rides before selling were awesome in the mud, but pretty much useless everywhere else. They were hard as rocks which made the ride terrible, they pulled my quad all over the place at higher speeds, and got me "stuck" all over the place outside the mud. Especcially in sand. So i sold them with less than 100 miles on them for $100 less than i payed to my cousin and went looking for a new tire. i didnt get the mud lites only cause someone had a brand new set of 26x8x12- 26x11x12 polaris PXT's that looked good so i bought them and now ive never looked back, for a factory tire these things are awesome, once theyve worn ill most likely be going with the Mudlites, for ALL around practicality.

 

Wow, you got "worse" traction with 589s in some situations???
I was skeptical about all the "I can go places in 2wd now that I couldn't in 4wd before" claims before I got my 589s, but now, I'm a believer. I ride trails here in Oregon and they vary from sick hill climbs to slick and deep mud pits, and sometimes I can't believe my new found traction. I'm not sure how you went wrong, but I'm sorry you had a bad experience with your 589s. For me, I can't stop singing their praises. They are kinda hard, firming up my ride a bit, but WHO CARES?!? You, I guess.
That is a bummer to hear about sand. I like to go to the dunes here in North Bend, but haven't had the chance yet. I was a little worried because my previous exp. told me that bald, soft tires are better. I guess I'll have to find out for myself. I do like the fact that 589s are soooo tough and firm that you can ride them flat. That would come in handy in an emergency. (I'm quoting Vinson589 on that claim)
You think 22 lbs is significant. Well, do you notice a significant performance change when you have a full tank of gas? How big is your tank? Do the math.
Yeah, yeah, unsprung weight... blah blah blah. I know a little about that, and if you total your unsprung weight before and after 589s you don't come out with a HUGE percent change. Like I referenced before, heavy tires don't seem to be a factor with small, short wheelbase 4wd rigs like Samurais and Sidekicks, so why this huge issue with quads?
I just seem to notice a dearth of technical knowledge amongst quad riders compared to rock crawlers (full sized rigs) and off roaders. It's puzzling, but maybe it's because you have to know a little about driving, customizing, and fabricating to build a really capable Jeep or whatever, but you can be a complete newbie and go out and buy an amazingly capable quad for a reasonable price. Then you can "claim" you are this serious rider when, in actuality, you've barely scratched the surface of off roading.

I really sound like I'm passionate about this, but I just think this is an interesting subject. More interesting than the other threads on here about "Help! I need a new seat cover!"

 

Wow, I was going to complain about 'tough' being hyperlinked in my last post, but when I complained I used the word "G A why" and it got censored. So now I'm complaining about that.

 

Somethings been missed, having weight on your atv, ie: tank full of gas, cooler, extra person , is alot different than extra weight on your tires. it has absolutly (almost) nothing to do with the "extra" weight as you are thinking. It has all to do with inertia. 22 pounds extra on your racks, doesnt make a diif you can feel in performance, but 22lbs in tires has a really good effect. trying to start and stop a heavy tire is more trying on your quad than you think, just go do some drag trials in dirt and mud with stock, mudlites, and 589's, then you will see what im talking about. Some people do praise these tires and others, heck i do to when it comes to mudding, but mudding, unlike the people mentioned before that praise the pure mud tires, is not the only thing i do. as it isnt with majority of quads riders. And big tires on Samuris and Sidekicks is a huge issue. Just ask the guys recently that tried to cross Village creek in Lumberton Texas with a Samuri with i believe 35"s that couldnt make it up the sand bank on the opposite side, not because his tires dug into the sand and he got stuck, but because he couldnt turn them. that was a big problem, we had to pull him up the hill with our quads, and an old friend from highschool that has a samuri,or sidekick, cant remember which, that did a motorswap to a chevy V6 for the reason he couldnt drive large tires. Now these larger tires on a quad with mods are not that big an issue as you gain back what you loose. I had problems in sand, hard pack dirt hills, and climbing over logs and such. Simple fact I do more with my vinnie than just mud ride, as does a friend that is also getting a new set of tire to use in most situations, while he keeps his 589's for when he is stricly going to the mud. hes also tired of the harsh ride, and higher speed handling.