Right now my 05 new to me Bruin 350 4x4 has 26” tires off of a Polaris. The bike does awesome every where but the side walls seem pretty soft (fear a pinch flat) and the tires are at least 50% worn. It’s also JUST able to spin them once in deep sticky clay.

So I’d like to replace the rubber with something a bit tuffer but no heavier and I’m considering going down to the stock 25” tire size and getting a lift (maintain ground clearance but give the little 350cc as much help as possible.

Whats all your advice. Stick with 26” or go down a size. Lift it or stay stock. And lastly what’s a good tuff light tire for this thing that does well in a bit of everything. Been looking at Zillas and BearClaws

So far only time the little bruins been stuck is when i have run clean out of ground clearance.


Heres a video of the muddy section of local trails from this weekend

 

The 26 in tires will loose your low end grunt, I would go back to the stock 25 or you might end up burning thru belts.

 

Doubt it, 3" per rev more distance, or 4% change in gear ratio. The Bruin always seemed low geared to me anyway, probably because it doesn't have a hi/lo box, most belt drive autos do. If you blow the tyres up a bit more the walls won't flex as much, though soft tyres are regarded as good for going through mud.

 

Mudlite ats are a good overall choice. They're only slightly heavier than the mild stock tires that come on most atvs but still go through the mud pretty good and seem to last a long time. I had them in stock 25" size on my Brute Force 650 and they performed well. Granted it had a lot more power than a Bruin but they wore well and the only times I got it stuck it wouldn't have mattered what tires I had, it was sunk and buried. I'd stick with stock size. Going bigger won't gain much ground clearance anyway. 1" bigger only gets you an extra 1/2" as you have to cut it in half but the added strain due to more rolling resistance and extra weight will eat some power.

 

Hmm some food for thought for sure. What I’m getting from this is I’m better off going with a better tire in 25” then a less stellar tire in 26”.

What about a lift kit. Any one think it’s worth going that route?

The other plan i hatching is to swap on the tires I purchased for the wife’s sportsman there 26” but dot seem to measure out to 26”. They don’t do well in mud on the Polaris but it’s a 700lbs machine so I’m thinking they may work ok on the Bruin. I could then get better tires on the Polaris.

But then again I ride the Bruin so I want the better tires lol.