Im talking the 25" deep lug to the 26" deep lug. Ive seen that same 25" weight applied to the not so deep lug tire. Also 2 inches wider will add some weight too......

 

I guess I sort of agree with Maddog's statements now that I think about it.

there shouldn't be much weight difference between the 25 and 26" mudlites but if it's weight your worried about then look at www.itptires.com they show the weight of the tires and sizes. your stock 25" tires probably weigh more than the 26" mudlites. and if you went with like a type 6 wheel your saving even more weight.

 

it would bog bigtime...

I have the 26" mudlites and they get quite a bit heavier when you hit the 26" size..

any machine under say 600 cc's I think would be severly hampered with tossing on a 26" size tire...especially the mudlite XL version that has the extra large lugs.

 

I dont think im severely hampered. I lost about 3MPH top speed, but my speedo isnt correct anymore now either. I lost a bit of take off, but I can still break them loose when really hammered. Its all in how you plan to ride. If your not maxing out the takeoff and top speed of it now, then you probably wont notice the difference. But if you spend a lot of time pegged out and running high speed, then you will surely notice. Will it bog more, sure, but will it be severe or big time, I dont think so.

 

Now that I think about it I thing the 26" tires will weigh slightly less than your factory 25" so the extra surface will be the issue.

I have a friend that went yesterday to get some Mudlites for his 300P. After much talking with myself and the dealer he decided to go with the 25" small lug. Here's his thoughts: Lighter and even though they are not as good in the mud they are still leaps and bounds better than his stock tire. He also thinks the smaller & closer lugs will be better on the hard packed trail. I didn't think about this but he is probably right.

 

how would the 26" mudlites weigh less than stock 25" tires?? you are mistaking the 25" mudlite at's with the 26" mudlite XL's...

the xls have a very deep lug and they are significantly heavier than stocks..

for example my dunlops were about 13 pounds for the fronts and like 16 for the rear each...

the new ones are about 24 pounds for the front and 26 for the rears each..

its too much for a rancher 350 unless you cruise around in low gear all the time...I'm not happy with the power I lost and I have a ton of mods on my machine. Go with something thats 4 ply or hell stick with 2 ply...unless you drive on some badass rocks you shouldnt have to worry about popping them. I beat the crap out of my dunlops and they never had a problem. Extra height is nice but how much mudding do you really do compared to just ripping over some whoops etc etc?

-MJE-

 

I'm going to have to disagree again. I had 26" ML on my 01 rancher 350 on type 4 c series (all they had at the time). As I have said there was a power loss but the bike was by no means bogged down or any less rideable. Trail handling and riding was improved, mud/water riding was exponentially better, and I could still race other utility quads up the local sand hills. Fifth gear was completely useable and you could easily cruise trails in third. Like I said the 25" ML XL would be the better tire if you dont need to worry about the extra 1/2 inch of clearance, and the 26" tires still left plenty of performance.

Now on your vinson you are probably accostomed to a lot more hot rodding than a 350 rancher owner would be. The rancher has never been a sport utility quad like the vinson, but more of a recreational utility. Power loss is going to be more noticeable when you have more power to lose. The gearing on the rancher is very low from the factory and can easlily accomodate something bigger and more aggressive than the stock 24" bridgestone dirthooks that come on it.

BTW there is no low range on the rancher 350. Just gears 1-5 with a manual shift auto clutch or auto clutch esp.

And as for your comments on 4 or 2 ply tires, I completely disagree. Stock tires like the dunlops and bridgestones are not very puncture resistant and I put a small stick through my sidewall on my prairie a couple weeks ago, just riding through the back yard. If you ride on anything but clean groomed trails or strictly snow then the stock tires are simply too thin and weak.

 

thanks a lot i enjoyed reading all the comments..... still a little undecided but the 26"s are sounding better each reply lol.

 

I'll give you another example of what a Rancher with pipe and jetting can do. Last night I raced my buddy's 350 Rancher ES. It is stock with stock wheels, tires, no winch, etc. He weighs 175LBS. I weigh 215LBS. We tied and I have 26" Bugs, a winch, and aftermarket steel rims. Being neck to neck with a totally stock Rancher with all of the extra weight of me and my bike speaks a lot about what these simple mods can do. If you ride mud and even think that you may add jetting and a pipe, you may seriously want to consider the 26" tires.

 

do what you want...this isnt a childish pissing match to me...when you actually put the 26" inch tires on you will either say they are great or they suck. Obviously you will love the fact that you have extra clearance and you can run over basically ANYTHING...

but to each is their own...

I did the 25" tires..I did the 26" tires...I watched performance go BYEBYE

-MJE-