P500 New owner, fender question

[TwoTonNewt]

Thanks for letting me join the group! I will try to keep this as short as possible!

I am a new P500 owner, 2023 model. First ever SxS to boot(except a broken down CF Moto I traded for). I have always had an ATV because of where I ride, and how I ride, SxS are just too big. But low and behold, last fall I was putting through the woods on the way to check out my hunting area, and I run into two 'micro' SxS on the trail. Love at first sight. Never knew these existed till then.

So, after drooling over them for the last 6 months, I couldn't take it and got one. Needless to say....I have gone off the deep end with adding things to it. Well, they are not all on it yet, but parts are coming in daily and I should have it trail ready in a few weeks. I will post pictures once I am there!

However, in the meantime, I have a quandary. I took the tires/rims off the CF Moto I had sitting there and put them on the P500. Good fit, great look. They are 26-9-14 up front and 26-11-14 on the back. Increased the front track width to 52" and rear to 50". I do want a bit more width so I got the RB3 kit for 1" front and 1.5" back. I need to keep it as narrow as possible, but with some of the trails I ride I want stability(even though it did not feel too bad stock).

That brings me to my main question. Do I really need extended fender flares?

I could not find a straight answer just searching. I do not mud, I do not drive fast(max 20'ish on dirt roads), I just like to putt around especially on trails. Literally, I think 1st gear is going to be perfect for a lot of the small off road trails I ride, definitely nothing more than 2nd. I am not limited to a specific width, but some trails are narrow and I do encounter a lot of little trees along side of the paths.

So I am on the fence about the need of fender flares. I like being able to see exactly where my tire is at, so with them sticking out even more after the spacers it will be great. I feel like the flares will hinder that. Most likely I am going to take it out on a trip before I make a decision, but if others could chime in on their experience, in similar use to mine, before and after flares, I would appreciate it.

I would just buy them and stick them on now, since everything is all nice and clean at the moment, but I have spent a boatload on all the other stuff and am now running into budgetary concerns. 🤣

 

[Remington]

I am a new P500 owner, 2023 model.

Welcome from Michigan!

Ill read your book In a few min🤣
First off we need/like pics of newbies rigs when they first join.
POIDH or Pics or It Didnt Happen!
P5 guys and gals will b around for ya shortly

 

[NTCPrezJB]

Thanks for letting me join the group! I will try to keep this as short as possible!

I am a new P500 owner, 2023 model. First ever SxS to boot(except a broken down CF Moto I traded for). I have always had an ATV because of where I ride, and how I ride, SxS are just too big. But low and behold, last fall I was putting through the woods on the way to check out my hunting area, and I run into two 'micro' SxS on the trail. Love at first sight. Never knew these existed till then.

So, after drooling over them for the last 6 months, I couldn't take it and got one. Needless to say....I have gone off the deep end with adding things to it. Well, they are not all on it yet, but parts are coming in daily and I should have it trail ready in a few weeks. I will post pictures once I am there!

However, in the meantime, I have a quandary. I took the tires/rims off the CF Moto I had sitting there and put them on the P500. Good fit, great look. They are 26-9-14 up front and 26-11-14 on the back. Increased the front track width to 52" and rear to 50". I do want a bit more width so I got the RB3 kit for 1" front and 1.5" back. I need to keep it as narrow as possible, but with some of the trails I ride I want stability(even though it did not feel too bad stock).

That brings me to my main question. Do I really need extended fender flares?

I could not find a straight answer just searching. I do not mud, I do not drive fast(max 20'ish on dirt roads), I just like to putt around especially on trails. Literally, I think 1st gear is going to be perfect for a lot of the small off road trails I ride, definitely nothing more than 2nd. I am not limited to a specific width, but some trails are narrow and I do encounter a lot of little trees along side of the paths.

So I am on the fence about the need of fender flares. I like being able to see exactly where my tire is at, so with them sticking out even more after the spacers it will be great. I feel like the flares will hinder that. Most likely I am going to take it out on a trip before I make a decision, but if others could chime in on their experience, in similar use to mine, before and after flares, I would appreciate it.

I would just buy them and stick them on now, since everything is all nice and clean at the moment, but I have spent a boatload on all the other stuff and am now running into budgetary concerns. 🤣

I ran 2” spacers all around but otherwise stock wheels/tires on mine while I had it. I did not put fender extensions on it. Worst case scenario…you get a little muddy.

 

[onecreeper]

I have a 700-4 Deluxe so perhaps some of this irrelevant but here is my opinion.
I also put the wider tires on back. In addition I put 1" spacers just on the back.
Im not a mudder either but do ride on muddy roads and never drive around a puddle.

I originally put fender flares on the front. I like the looks and they appear to work.
After I put the spacers on the back, I can tell you it does throw mud and water up on the side of the rig because now the tires stick out a bit but I dont care. Not looking for a shiny machine but it is nice to have a clean one from time to time.

I didnt put on any rear mudflaps because as many of you know on this site, this photo demonstrates perfection no need to mess w/ it.

 

[Smittyp]

Welcome from Tennessee

 

[TwoTonNewt]

Thanks guys. Good info so far.

I promise to get pictures, but unless you just wanna see a pretty much stock one, I am gonna wait till I get the goodies on it.

 

[MI-Trailblazer]

I have the 1.5" spacers from RB3 on all 4 corners of my machine. I'm running 26x8x12 front and 26x10x12 rears on the stock steel wheels. The tires do stick out and they do throw the mud. Do I have the fender extensions? No. Do I want them? No. For in reality the extensions are for 2 things: 1. to try and keep the mud off the sides/top of the machine, 2. if you are trying to make the machine street legal- some states do not allow tires to stick out more than 1" from the body (I would not recommend trying to make a P5 street legal).

Like you I've come into this SxS ownership from having 3-wheelers and quads since I was 12. I look at the machine as an ATV, and ATV's are meant to be run hard off-road, through the dust, water and mud. Cleaning them up after a ride is just part of ownership.

 

[NTCPrezJB]

Thanks guys. Good info so far.

I promise to get pictures, but unless you just wanna see a pretty much stock one, I am gonna wait till I get the goodies on it.

We like all the pictures! Stock on the dealer floor all the way to the scrap yard and everything in between!
Nomojic

 

[TwoTonNewt]

I have the 1.5" spacers from RB3 on all 4 corners of my machine. I'm running 26x8x12 front and 26x10x12 rears on the stock steel wheels. The tires do stick out and they do throw the mud. Do I have the fender extensions? No. Do I want them? No. For in reality the extensions are for 2 things: 1. to try and keep the mud off the sides/top of the machine, 2. if you are trying to make the machine street legal- some states do not allow tires to stick out more than 1" from the body (I would not recommend trying to make a P5 street legal).

Like you I've come into this SxS ownership from having 3-wheelers and quads since I was 12. I look at the machine as an ATV, and ATV's are meant to be run hard off-road, through the dust, water and mud. Cleaning them up after a ride is just part of ownership.

Thank you for that. My quad threw mud/water, when running down the dirt roads and such, but it never bothered me. Top and sides of the SxS and I'm golden. I don't care if it gets dirty, I just don't want to be frozen from water spray or covered in stuff when I drive out to my hunting stand. When I was researching this all, it seemed as if people were trying to say that without them stuff was flying into the cab and such when having the tires out so much. But I am thinking that's the guys who do mud holes or high speed dirt roading and turns and such.

 

[futzin]

It mostly depends on your (and your passengers) tolerance for mud getting thrown on you and secondarily, how much mud you're comfortable cleaning off of it.

It's certainly something you can add later, if you want.

I have a P500 and a P520. The 500 has the full Mudbusters kit, extra coverage. Works well for its width (53f & 55r). Nothing on the 520 to date (53").
You can kinda pick and choose which Mudbusters pieces to use, if you go that route.

 

[futzin]

Congrats and welcome to the site. This place is an incredible source of information (and humor), and it certainly enhances ownership significantly, IMO.

Enjoy setting up your new ride. I look forward to seeing what you do with it.

 

[Mopower58]

Welcome from Mississippi. I would just do the 1” spacers in the rear to even the track up. Then ride it and see how much mud it really slings and if that’s too much look into the Mudbusters.
#NTC

 

[trigger]

If you don't mind eating mud once in a while. That's about the only drawback to not having fender flares, extra mud on the machine and the occasional clod to the face.

 

[SILVER_ALERT]

Literally, I think 1st gear is going to be perfect for a lot of the small off road trails I ride, definitely nothing more than 2nd. I am not limited to a specific width, but some trails are narrow and I do encounter a lot of little trees along side of the paths.

Howdy from Oklahoma and welcome to the club. Like you, I ride a lot of narrow, heavily wooded, low speed trails. But I hardly ever start in 1st gear. Only if I am really loaded down or going up something very steep. You'll be maxed out on rpm in about 10 ft. You wont hurt it. I've been starting out in 2nd. gear since I bought mine in 2015. Even the dealer I purchased it from recommended it.

 

[TwoTonNewt]

Howdy from Oklahoma and welcome to the club. Like you, I ride a lot of narrow, heavily wooded, low speed trails. But I hardly ever start in 1st gear. Only if I am really loaded down or going up something very steep. You'll be maxed out on rpm in about 10 ft. You wont hurt it. I've been starting out in 2nd. gear since I bought mine in 2015. Even the dealer I purchased it from recommended it.

I must be really slow then! 😂

I had read about how first was really low, and the dealer even was telling me I'd want to start out in 2nd. But when I got it home and started putting around the place, 1st was just fine. I'm not saying I wont use the higher gears, obviously I will. But most of the trails I go on out in the woods I just like to put along, crawl almost.

Some of that is the terrain, but mostly just like the quietness and I have a very hard time keeping my eyes on the trail - always looking off into the woods - so trees and rocks tend to jump out at me unexpectedly.....slow is better.

But yea, it is a short gear, definitely a good one I think. I have not got to ride it much since putting the larger tires on last night, but I did notice a significant increase in the need for more throttle when I was climbing up the side of my driveway. So first gear is going to be priceless when I have a load in the back and am crawling around the trails.

I am guessing I will eventually get the fender flares, but so far it sounds like it can wait for a while. Which is good. lol.

 

[trigger]

I have a very hard time keeping my eyes on the trail - always looking off into the woods - so trees and rocks tend to jump out at me unexpectedly

Must be an Arkansas thing. You don't know a guy named Smitty do you? 🤔

 

[TwoTonNewt]

Must be an Arkansas thing. You don't know a guy named Smitty do you? 🤔

No, but I gotta wonder if he may have been one of the guys I ran into last fall. lol

 

[Red500]

Welcome to the club from East Tennessee.

I'm running 27x9 and 27x11 on mine with 1.5" spacers all the way around.

I've read many times that if you go up, you want to go out. Meaning, if you raise the center of gravity you want to widen the stance. I don't really have to worry about width, but in the mountains, I'm glad for the extra stability.

I don't have fender flares on mine, and like others have said if you don't mind a little mud in the the buggy, and on you, or occasionally in the face your fine.

But:

I have put soft doors on ours. On our last ride, in the rain, and snow, and a mud covered trail, in a very short time I was literally unable to see anything on either side of the vehicle (I hope my wife or someone got a pic of what it looked like). We were not hitting mud holes or anything, it was just trails muddy from the rain and I realized just how mud we would have eaten that day. Usually it's not really a problem but for those muddy (and cold) days I think you would wish you had them: I know I do.

Again welcome to the club.

Edited to add:
Something I did notice on this last ride was, with the mud flaps @futzin had the stuff on the back of his buggy stayed a whole lot cleaner than the stuff on the back of mine, so that did make a big difference.

 

[SILVER_ALERT]

Must be an Arkansas thing. You don't know a guy named Smitty do you? 🤔

No, but I gotta wonder if he may have been one of the guys I ran into last fall. lol

Smitty is also from N.W. Arkansas. I can't remember the name of the small town, but I think both the "City Limit" signs are on the same pole.

 

[KyGal83]

Welcome to the P5 Posse... from Southern Kentucky!

Mudbusters are really a must once you widen the buggy, Not just for the mud but for the water as well. If you wanna stay dry going to your hunting area... the tires will "roaster tail" water even in a mist or slight rain.

Also on the gearing... I am rarely in 1st after starting and moving, but most times I start in 2nd. I am topped out at 6-7 mph in 2nd, I run mostly 3rd until 12mph, 4th until 19mph, and after that is 5th all the way... If your in 2nd on the trails, trying gearing up to 3rd... I bet it gets even quieter for you.

I promise to get pictures, but unless you just wanna see a pretty much stock one, I am gonna wait till I get the goodies on it.

Share a stock photo .. ASAP, then as you add and make each mod as well! We wanna see your progress... It's porn for most these guys!